Most organizations understand the importance of running a background check before hiring or onboarding someone. But what happens after day one? Criminal activity, arrests, and charges can occur at any time – long after an initial screening is completed. This is where continuous monitoring comes in. In this guide, we’ll break down the difference between background checks and continuous monitoring, how each works, and when organizations should use one or both.
A background check is a one-time screening process used to review a person’s history before they are hired, approved as a volunteer, or granted access to sensitive environments.
A typical background check includes:
Background checks must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which governs disclosure, consent, and adverse action procedures.
Because background checks are conducted at a single moment in time, they only show information that exists up to the date the search is run.
Continuous monitoring, also known as ongoing background screening or post-hire monitoring, is a process that continuously scans criminal databases for new activity after someone has already been hired or approved.
Instead of re-running full background checks annually or every few years, continuous monitoring:
Continuous monitoring is commonly used in:
Criminal monitoring programs rely on real-time or near-real-time data sources.
Understanding the difference between background checks and continuous monitoring is critical for managing risk.
Background Checks Are Limited to a Single Moment
Once a background check is complete, it does not update automatically. If an employee or volunteer is arrested six months later, the organization will not know unless:
Continuous Monitoring Fills the Post-Hire Gap
Continuous monitoring closes this gap by alerting organizations when something changes, rather than waiting years for a re-screen.
This is especially important for roles involving:
Step 1: Pre-Hire or Pre-Approval Background Check
The process begins with a traditional background check to establish a baseline before access is granted.
This includes:
Learn more about court access and criminal record reliability here.
Step 2: Enrollment in Continuous Monitoring
Once approved, the individual is enrolled in an ongoing monitoring program that scans for new criminal activity.
Step 3: Real-Time Alerts
If a new arrest or charge is detected, the organization receives an alert for review.
Step 4: Review and Action
Organizations evaluate alerts using documented policies and FCRA-compliant procedures before taking action.
Benefits of Background Checks
Benefits of Continuous Monitoring
Research on re-screening effectiveness can be found here.
Background checks and continuous monitoring serve two different but complementary purposes. Background checks establish trust before access is granted, while continuous monitoring ensures that trust remains valid over time. Organizations that rely on both are better positioned to manage risk, protect people, and stay compliant.
Q: Is continuous monitoring a replacement for background checks?
No. Continuous monitoring supplements background checks but does not replace the initial screening requirement.
Q: How often does continuous monitoring scan for new records?
Most programs monitor databases continuously. For example, North Carolina is daily, could be weekly or monthly with other products.
Q: Does continuous monitoring check everything on a background check?
No. It typically focuses on new criminal activity, not employment or education history.
Q: Is continuous monitoring FCRA compliant?
Yes, when implemented with proper consent, disclosure, and adverse action procedures.
Q: Which organizations benefit most from continuous monitoring?
Schools, nonprofits, healthcare providers, transportation services, and any organization working with vulnerable populations.