Background Screening for Greek Organizations
July 20 2021
Greek organizations are like a business. Background checks have been done for decades for pre-employment purposes; the last thing an employer wants to do is make a negligent hiring decision. The damage to the company’s reputation, legal liability, and the potential financial costs can be disastrous and take years to recover from, if at all. Greek organizations at colleges and universities are no different. That’s why background checks for sororities and fraternities are so important.
I remember driving acres country — from Atlanta to Boulder, Colorado — for my daughter to begin a new chapter in her life as a college student. The entire trip, I was downloading every lesson on safety we had discussed throughout the years. Being in the background screening industry, I am too aware of how many bad actors there are in this world. As she anxiously awaited the start of college, I was dreading her flight from my nest, where she might encounter one of those “bad actors.”
Joining a Greek organization, such as a fraternity or sorority, is an extremely common practice among college-aged students for a variety of reasons: socialization, networking, volunteer work, and community outreach. While many of the traditions these organizations were founded on persevere, these groups have also made adjustments to today’s societal norms. Many Greek organizations have adapted over time and now conduct full background checks prior to admission to get an idea of who is coming in and representing their brand.
Countless young people register to “rush”, or apply for membership, at fraternities and sororities every year. Over the course of several days and weeks, existing members meet with rushees and perform their own informal screening process, but a complete background check goes a step beyond “will they fit in?”
Completing a background check on a prospective sorority or fraternity pledge mitigates concern of any criminal history, screens social media for damaging information, identifies potential sex offender status, and more. As with any organization, it is important to get the whole story on your prospective members and volunteers. Taking current events and the influence of social media into account, Greek organizations need to be equipped with the information that can assist them in making informed decisions when considering membership.
When seeking a vendor to complete a background check for sororities or fraternities, you’ll want a provider who can customize the screening program around the needs of your specific organization. These needs often vary based on region, chapter, or conference (such as NAPA, NPHC, NIC, etc.) For example: unlike many businesses that assume the cost for pre-employment background checks, Greek organizations tend to prefer for prospective pledges to cover this along with their other membership fees.
When you partner with InfoMart, you benefit from our standard Greek organization screening program:
- A self-pay model where the prospective member assumes the cost of their own background check and results are sent to the appropriate chapters.
- Easy-to-read mandatory fee sheets for rushees to review so that there are no hidden costs or surprises.
- A public URL for your organization, which can be housed on your website.
- Unique accounts with billing codes for each chapter.
- Customizable invitations and landing pages if the organization chooses to send invitations through InfoMart’s platform. This can include the organization’s coat of arms, specialized verbiage, and any other organizational links or attachments.
Already decided to implement background screening for sororities or fraternities but don’t know where to begin? While the list of potential services is exhaustive, the following services are recommended for use during the sorority and fraternity member intake process:
It’s important that anyone affiliated with your organization represents the brand in a positive and meaningful way, especially during a time when an infraction sends your chapter’s name trending across the internet. InfoMart has created a Greek organization screening program to help ensure that your brand maintains its legacy and integrity and, most of all, to get the whole story on all of your prospective pledges.
About Tammy Cohen
Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record. To learn more about Tammy, visit www.tammycohen.com.
About InfoMart
InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.