Why Background Checks are Essential for a Successful SOC 2 Report

SOC 2 compliance isn’t only about software and data management systems. It’s also about people. After all, your team members are the ones you trust to serve your customers and safeguard your company’s confidential information. 

That’s one reason employee hiring, onboarding, and training are so integral to successful SOC 2 compliance. 

Foregoing background checks in your hiring process is sure to raise an eyebrow with your auditor. It is a typical SOC 2 requirement that a standard screening process is in place for all new employees, and background checks are a common evidence request during your audit. 

4 Reasons Why Background Checks Matter for SOC 2 Compliance

1. It will be difficult to pass CC1.1 requirements — “Demonstrating a commitment to integrity and ethical values” — without background checks in place.  
   
   CC1.0 series controls require a list of all employees showing hire dates and other details. Your auditor will likely choose a handful of employees and request evidence that each one underwent a proper background check prior to their start date. They will be able to see documentation with the employee’s name, date of the completed background check, and the vendor used to conduct the check. 
   
   To conform with SOC 2 standards, all US employees need a background check completed within 30 days of employment. 
   
2. Background checks confirm you’re following federal law by hiring employees who have the right to work in the US. Violations could result in fines of up to $10,000 per employee. According to Pew Research, there are approximately 7.6 million unauthorized workers in the US. Running a Right to Work check helps protect your organization from costly violations.
   
3. Proper candidate screenings help ensure the safety of your team and your customers. Say you’re a delivery, transport, or ride-sharing service needing to hire qualified, responsible drivers. Completing Driving Record checks is one way to ensure you’re making smart hires and protecting your company from unnecessary liability.
   
4. Background checks help protect your business from fraud. Many instances of occupational fraud are linked to other crimes, such as identity theft. Running an SSN Trace and Document Image Check is a simple way to be sure that your candidates are who they say they are.

Our platform integrates with 8 of the most common Human Resources Information Systems and background check tools to automate the evidence collection process and save your HR team hours of pulling documents and consulting with auditors. 

Our newest integration with Checkr, a leading background check solution, makes it simple to order and view background checks within your Secureframe dashboard. Checkr’s cutting-edge technology brings artificial intelligence and machine learning to the hiring process, making background checks faster and more compliant. 

Right now, our friends at Checkr are offering Secureframe customers one free background check! Once onboarded on to the Secureframe platform, select Checkr as your background check provider and enter the code SECUREFRAME during the sign-up process to redeem your free check.