What Is PBSA Accreditation, and Why Is It Important to Providers

Are you running a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA)? As a background check provider, do you know the importance of PBSA accreditation? Do you want your organization to achieve PBSA accreditation? Background service providers must adhere to the Background Screening Credentialing Council (BSCC) standards to attain PBSA accreditation. Further, consumers should work with accredited background service providers to meet legal requirements and industry standards.

This article defines PBSA accreditation and its importance to background service providers.

What Is PBSA Accreditation?

The Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) is a non-profit body that offers accreditation programs for Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) in the United States. Professional standards, indeed, govern the organization with specified measurements and requirements.

Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP) is a global seal of achievement recognizing background screening agencies.

The 6 Reasons Why PBSA Accreditation Is Important

Accredited firms prove their ability to deliver professional services while meeting industry standards. For CRAs to be accredited, they must undergo an onsite audit to analyze their procedures and policies conducted by independent auditing firms.

Here are the six reasons why accreditation is important for CRAs:

1. Consumer Protection

Background screening agencies should protect the organization’s and consumer’s data. The organization’s data should not leak to competitors, while job candidate data should never become public knowledge.

2. Client Education

PSBA-accredited service providers are always a step ahead, informing their clients of the correct data usage. In fact, the client must be informed on PII protection, legal counsel, industry news, and background check report education.

3. Verification Services

Before running a background check, verifying a candidate’s identity is important to confirm that they are who they claim to be.

4. Legal Compliance

Always work with firms that have PBSA accreditation that meets legal compliance when obtaining information. Some firms will go the extra mile and use illegal means to get data with the promise of special perks to people who leak information. To avoid lawsuits and hefty fines, a firm should meet local and federal compliance.

5. Research and Data Standards 

Researchers looking for information about a background screening firm should have training on ways to obtain high-quality data for their clients using due processes. The researcher should also be able to uphold information security and meet legal compliance when fetching data.

6. General Business Practices

Background screening service providers must adhere to good business practices. The agencies should treat and compensate their employees at competitive rates. The organization should also create a good working relationship with its customers.

Learn More About PBSA Accreditation

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