What Is a DIY Background Check?

A “DIY” background check typically involves a business owner or HR staff member manually researching an applicant using free or paid online tools. This might include:

• Searching criminal databases or court websites
• Googling the applicant’s name
• Reviewing social media profiles
• Calling previous employers or schools without a third party
• Looking up licensing boards directly

While this approach may feel simple and cost-effective at first glance, the pitfalls can be significant.

Special note of caution: Many popular people-search websites such as BeenVerified, TruthFinder, or Instant Checkmate specifically state in their terms of service that their reports are not to be used for employment screening purposes. Using these services to make hiring decisions not only violates their usage policies but can also put your business in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). These reports often lack verified identifiers, omit important disposition information, and can include outdated or prohibited data that is illegal to consider in employment decisions. Always verify whether a data source is authorized for employment use before relying on it.

Pros and Cons of DIY Background Checks

✔️ Pros:

• Lower upfront cost — There are no vendor contracts, subscriptions, or package fees. For businesses watching every dollar, this can seem appealing. However, it’s important to note that this perceived cost savings is often offset by the internal labor hours required to locate, compile, and verify the information. Someone on your team still has to perform the research, confirm the accuracy of the data, and assess whether it can be legally used—all of which take time and carry risk if done improperly.
• Immediate control — Business owners or internal staff can start the process right away without waiting on a third-party provider. This control allows for prioritizing what to look for, which may be useful for very specific or unusual screening needs.
• Perceived flexibility and customization — Some businesses prefer to tailor their research to the role or applicant, rather than using a standardized package. This can be helpful if you’re only interested in verifying specific credentials or want to include informal searches like public social media profiles.
• Use of internal staff — While this is often seen as a savings, it still comes with a cost. Someone internally will have to spend time gathering, reviewing, and verifying the information. Depending on your staff’s familiarity with legal requirements and best practices, this can either be a manageable task or a serious liability.
• Works for one-off or low-risk roles — If you’re hiring a temporary, seasonal, or low-responsibility role and aren’t required to meet compliance standards (such as DOT or healthcare roles), DIY checks might be a short-term solution. Still, caution is necessary.

❌ Cons:

• Limited access to verified data sources. Many online databases only contain partial or outdated records. For example, a Google search or public database might show an arrest, but fail to include that the case was later dismissed or expunged. This can mislead employers and cause compliance violations. Additionally, state laws often restrict what can legally be considered for employment (e.g., sealed or juvenile records), and these laws aren’t clearly labeled or applied in DIY searches.
• Common name confusion. Without unique identifiers like full birthdates or Social Security numbers, it’s easy to mistake one individual for another. A John Smith in Texas might appear in a criminal docket from another state entirely, simply because of a name match. Mistaken identity is one of the top risks of manual searches.
• Out-of-date or illegal information. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) prohibits using certain types of information in employment decisions, such as:
  • Arrests that did not lead to convictions (after 7 years)
  • Civil judgments that have been vacated or sealed
  • Expunged or pardoned criminal records DIY methods can easily turn up this outdated or prohibited content, and using it could expose your business to legal liability.
• False positives and lack of disposition details. Just because someone shows up in a mugshot or arrest record doesn’t mean they were guilty. Court records may show a charge but not include the final outcome (disposition), such as “dismissed,” “not guilty,” or “reduced to a non-criminal offense.” Using this incomplete information in a hiring decision is not only unfair—it’s risky.
• Time-consuming and inconsistent. Without standardized procedures or documentation, the quality of DIY checks can vary wildly from one applicant to another. What starts as a money-saver can quickly become a drain on time and resources. In many cases, business owners underestimate how long it takes to chase down educational records, verify past employment, and confirm criminal history across multiple jurisdictions.

What You Get With a Professional Background Screening Partner

Professional background screening providers, like Edify Background Screening, deliver:

• Legally compliant, FCRA-aligned processes that ensure disclosures, authorizations, and proper adverse action procedures are followed.
• Access to verified, up-to-date sources, including county court records, federal databases, national criminal indexes, sex offender registries, employment history, and more.
• Research teams trained to interpret legal data. They can distinguish between non-reportable and legally reportable records and flag only what your business can safely and ethically use.
• Built-in quality control and dispute processes. If a candidate disputes their report, you have an official process to investigate and correct errors—a major benefit if you ever face scrutiny.

Additional services may include:

• Drug testing
• Motor vehicle record (MVR) reports
• Credential/license verification
• Reference checks
• International screening

Why SMBs Often Underestimate the Risks of DIY

Many small businesses assume that DIY background checks are “good enough” because they only hire locally, or only need basic criminal checks. But even small mistakes can have big consequences:

• Hiring someone with a disqualifying conviction you missed because your search didn’t include all jurisdictions
• Disqualifying a candidate based on a sealed or dismissed record found via Google, which violates federal and state laws
• Facing an FCRA lawsuit for failing to provide pre-adverse and post-adverse action notices when a hiring decision is affected by a background check

Small errors in screening can quickly add up to lost time, bad hires, and expensive legal exposure.

Real-world examples:

• One small business hired a warehouse supervisor after conducting a quick online search that showed no records. A few weeks later, a workplace incident prompted a deeper investigation—revealing the individual had a recent felony conviction in a neighboring state that wasn’t included in the DIY check. A professional search covering multiple jurisdictions would have flagged this before the hire.
• In another case, a retail employer disqualified an applicant after finding a criminal case linked to their name through a basic Google search. However, the person in the record was not the same individual—the applicant shared a common name with someone else, and the case belonged to another person in a different county. Without confirming the record matched their applicant, the business made a hiring decision based on incorrect identity, which later led to an employment lawsuit.

These examples show how easy it is to overlook critical data or misidentify someone—errors that can become costly in more ways than one.

What’s the Right Choice for Your Business?

If you only hire occasionally and have a deep understanding of employment law, a DIY check might be enough for low-risk roles. But for most SMBs, especially those hiring for positions of trust or regulatory sensitivity, partnering with a professional CRA like Edify is the safer and smarter route.

Partnering with a professional CRA like Edify is the safer and smarter route—and it’s most likely more affordable than you think. You get the benefit of:

• Trusted accuracy
• Built-in compliance
• Speed and scalability
• Support all along the way or just when you need it

SMBs may not have dedicated recruiters or in-house HR teams—but that doesn’t mean they’re at a disadvantage. With the right process, reliable tools, and a screening partner who understands small and medium sized business realities, you can make confident, compliant hiring decisions that support long-term success.

Need help deciding? Let our team at Edify Background Screening walk you through your options and set you up with the right screening package for your business.

👉 Schedule a free consult today or reach out to [email protected].

We’re here to help you hire with confidence.