The Trouble with Background Checks | businessweek.com

Employee screening has become a big business, but not always an accurate one

Background screening has become a highly profitable corner of the HR world. At the screening division of First Advantage (FADV), based in Poway, Calif., profits soared 47% last year, to $29 million; revenue grew 20%, to $233 million. HireRight (HIRE), based in Irvine, Calif., reported that earnings jumped 44%, to $9 million, last year on revenues of $69 million.