{"id":15945,"date":"2025-09-16T16:20:46","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T16:20:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/?p=15945"},"modified":"2025-09-16T16:21:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T16:21:47","slug":"the-complete-guide-to-background-checks-for-cleaning-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/the-complete-guide-to-background-checks-for-cleaning-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complete Guide to Background Checks for Cleaning Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Brought to you by expert maid service owners<\/h3>\n
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\n \n Tips and advice shared here, have helped us grow our own maid services.\n <\/strong>\n With eight current and former cleaning business owners in our team, including our CEO and founder Amar, we know the maid service industry inside and out.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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\n \n We partner with amazing leaders in the cleaning industry like Debbie Sardone,\n <\/strong>\n Angela Brown, Courtney Wisely and Chris Scwap and more, to provide you with the latest industry insights.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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\n \n We\u2019ve built the easiest-to-use scheduling software, built specifically for maid service owners!\n <\/strong>\n Check out ZenMaid<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n\n\n

This article was written in collaboration with Sure Check Background Screening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Special offer! Try out Sure Check with $100 in credit for your next hires today! <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Most cleaning business owners will say hiring is one of the most difficult aspects of their business. Between high turnover and your employees working in unsupervised homes or offices, trust is everything. One bad hire and you risk lawsuits, fines, or your company getting shut down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why most insurance providers require cleaning companies to conduct background checks on their new hires. It\u2019s one of the best steps you can take to protect your reputation and business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide breaks down exactly what cleaning companies need to know to hire safely, stay compliant, and avoid costly mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Common Misconceptions About Background Checks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we talk with cleaning business owners, the same myths keep popping up. Here are a few of the big ones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can just Google them or check Facebook\u201d <\/strong>\u2014 <\/strong>Social media might give you a sense of personality, but it won\u2019t tell you if someone has a criminal record, lied about employment, or is legally allowed to work. Courts don\u2019t post cases on Facebook!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can look them up on a local court site for free\u201d <\/strong>\u2014 <\/strong>Some counties make records available online, but it\u2019s not complete or nationwide. People move, and if you only search one county, you\u2019ll miss records from everywhere else they\u2019ve lived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cState police checks are enough\u201d \u2014 <\/strong>State checks are often incomplete because most records are stored at the county level. Some counties do not even report to their state systems. Over 90% of criminal data sits in county courts, not in a single state database.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI only need checks for full-time employees\u201d <\/strong>\u2014 Wrong. Part-timers and contractors still go into your clients\u2019 homes and offices. If they steal or cause harm, your client won\u2019t care whether they worked 5 hours or 40.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce is enough\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 Employees can pick up new charges after they\u2019re hired. That\u2019s why many companies re-screen annually to stay protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Background Check \u2018Hits\u2019 Don\u2019t Always Mean a Bad Hire<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even if a candidate interviews well and seems to be a great fit, there’s no way of knowing their history without a background check. However, even if something does show up in their criminal history, it\u2019s not always a valid reason to reject them. Based on data from Sure Check Background Screening from 2025, about 1 in 4 background checks (25%) show a \u201chit\u201d \u2014 a record or discrepancy of some kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here\u2019s the important part: A hit does not automatically mean a record. It might be an old misdemeanor that\u2019s no longer relevant, or a record that doesn\u2019t relate to the job duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, federal guidelines (EEOC) make it clear: employers must perform an \u201cindividualized assessment\u201d before making a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is an individual assessment?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Instead of tossing out every applicant with a record, you must: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Look at the nature of the offense<\/strong> \u2014 Was it theft, assault, or something unrelated like a parking violation?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Consider the time passed <\/strong>\u2014 Most states follow the \u201c7-year rule,\u201d which limits how far back background checks can report records. Something from 15 years ago may not even appear, while a recent conviction will. A handful of states (like CA, NY, TX, and MA) have stricter variations, so pay attention to the rules in your state<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Relate it to the job duties<\/strong> \u2014 Does it directly affect safety in cleaning someone\u2019s home or school? Would you hire someone with an assault record? Theft charge? Parking ticket? Best practice is to think through this in your company policy<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Give the applicant a chance to explain <\/strong>\u2014 Many companies are surprised by what comes out in this conversation. If you\u2019re considering not hiring someone based on their report, you must give them a copy and a chance to explain it before making a final decision<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Say you\u2019re hiring for a commercial cleaning crew:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • Candidate A has a theft conviction from 12 years ago, served their sentence, and has since worked steadily with no issues<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Candidate B has a recent assault charge from last year<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Both would trigger a \u201chit\u201d, but only one poses a clear risk to your clients and business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When you do an individual assessment of each candidate, you stay compliant with EEOC guidelines and avoid losing good employees. But be cautious here \u2014 there are entire law firms dedicated to suing employers who mess up this process. Following the steps exactly isn\u2019t always red tape; it\u2019s how you protect your business from costly legal action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Employee Screenings \u2014 More Than Just Background Checks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Don’t you want to be adding rockstar cleaners to your team? A thorough screening process gives you a better idea of whether the person would make a good fit for your team, beyond any potential risks to the business or your trusted clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Having a solid process in place saves you time and money in the long run. You can confirm where someone has worked, how long they stayed, and what past employers say about them, which paints you a baseline picture of the type of employee they are (and whether they\u2019re likely to be a reliable, long-term hire).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      That means fewer bad hires, less turnover, and less time wasted starting the hiring cycle all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Best Practices for Background Checks When Hiring Cleaners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Now, let\u2019s dive into best practices when it comes to hiring cleaners. One thing that Stephanie Pipkin, our resident cleaning business expert and owner of Serene Clean, recommends is to always ask a candidate, \u201cWhat are we going to find?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In her words, \u201cWe\u2019re gonna find stuff. We ask them because we can see if they\u2019re honest and upfront from the beginning. Obviously, that\u2019s nerve-racking, but it\u2019s helpful when they provide context. Then, we\u2019ll see if their story coincides with what we can find.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      You can hear Stephanie\u2019s full take on it here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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