Background Screening Services for Safer Hiring
Hiring decisions affect the people who work together, the information they can access and the conditions in which work is performed. Total Group provides Background Screening services to help employers verify employment history, criminal records and other key credentials before making or confirming a hiring decision.
The screening scope should match the position and the reason for the check. A role that involves access to a controlled site, sensitive information, equipment or vulnerable people may require different verification from an office-based position. Screening is one input to a hiring decision. It does not replace a role-specific assessment, reference conversation or the employer’s own decision-making process.
What the service can cover
Total Group’s first-party HSE service description identifies three areas: employment-history verification, criminal-record checks and credential verification. The requested checks can be defined around the position, the information needed and the employer’s applicable process.
Employment-history verification can help confirm the information an applicant has provided, such as previous employers, dates or role details where those details are relevant to the position. Credential verification can help an employer confirm a licence, training record, designation or other qualification that the employer requires for the work. A criminal-record check is a separate screening activity and should be requested only where there is a clear, job-related reason and an appropriate process for handling the result.
Plan the screening before requesting information
Before a check begins, the employer should identify the position, the purpose of the screening and the information that is necessary for that purpose. The applicant should understand what will be collected, why it is needed, how it will be used, who may receive it and how long it may be retained. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada says employers are generally required to obtain meaningful consent for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information unless an exception applies. It also recommends limiting collection to what is necessary, protecting access on a need-to-know basis and keeping information only as long as necessary. See the Commissioner’s Privacy in the Workplace guidance. [1]
Consent is not a substitute for a lawful and reasonable purpose. A screening request should be proportionate to the position and should avoid collecting unrelated personal information. Employers should also provide a way to address inaccurate or incomplete information before relying on it. The applicable privacy and employment rules depend on the employer, the work and the jurisdiction. In Alberta, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner identifies separate public-sector, health-sector and private-sector privacy laws, so the correct framework should be confirmed for the organization and activity. Review Alberta’s privacy-law overview. [2]
A practical screening process
A well-defined engagement normally starts with a written screening brief. It records the role, the checks requested, the purpose of each check, the applicant’s consent, the information sources to be contacted and the person authorized to receive the result. The process can then move through the agreed verifications, record any discrepancies for follow-up and provide a documented result to the designated employer contact.
Criminal-record information requires particular care. The check selected should match the employer’s legitimate need, and the result should not be treated as a stand-alone conclusion about a person’s suitability. If a result is unclear or appears inconsistent with the applicant’s information, the employer should pause the decision, confirm the identity and accuracy of the information through the appropriate channel and give the individual a fair opportunity to respond. The RCMP’s security-screening guidance illustrates the importance of informed consent and controlled handling: after consent, information is collected and processed for the stated screening purpose, then results are provided to appropriate personnel. Read the RCMP Security Screening Portal guidance. [3]
Roles and documentation
The employer remains responsible for defining the job-related purpose, confirming the applicable jurisdiction and deciding how a result will be used. The applicant provides accurate information and consent for the agreed checks. Total Group’s role is to support the requested Background Screening service within the agreed scope and to communicate the information needed to complete the engagement. The service does not create a hiring decision, grant a licence or determine that a person is legally eligible for a particular job.
Useful records may include the screening request, the consent and notice provided, the checks authorized, source responses, clarification notes, the final report and the employer’s decision record. Access should be limited to designated people. Retention and disposal should follow the employer’s policy and applicable privacy requirements rather than an assumed universal period. Keep the record factual and distinguish verified information from information that could not be confirmed.
Jurisdiction and requirements
This page uses a Canadian planning framework. The site jurisdiction and the employment jurisdiction may differ, and a project, collective agreement, client rule or sector-specific requirement may add conditions. Federal privacy rules can apply to federally regulated employers, while provincial privacy and human-rights requirements may apply in other settings. Alberta’s Human Rights Commission identifies employment applications and decisions as a protected area and advises that protected grounds must be considered in employment practices. See the Commission’s job-advertisement and application guidance. [4] Confirm the controlling framework with the employer’s privacy lead or legal adviser before the screening process is adopted.
Discuss your screening requirements
Tell Total Group about the position, the work environment, the checks you are considering, the employment and site jurisdictions, and any client or employer requirements that apply. We can then discuss a Background Screening scope that fits the role and the information you need to verify. The final scope, information handling, timing and deliverables should be confirmed before work begins.
References
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, “Privacy in the Workplace.” Federal guidance; accessed 6 November 2026.
- Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, “Overview of Privacy Laws.” Alberta jurisdictional guidance; accessed 6 November 2026.
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police, “Security Screening Portal.” Federal screening-process information; accessed 6 November 2026.
- Alberta Human Rights Commission, “Job advertisements and applications.” Alberta human-rights guidance; accessed 6 November 2026.
