Certifications & Compliance

Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA)

What is PBSA?

The Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) is the international trade association for the background screening industry. PBSA establishes best-practice standards for how background screening providers collect, verify, and report information, with a strong emphasis on legal compliance, data integrity, and ethical research practices.

PBSA standards are widely recognized by employers, regulators, and industry stakeholders as the benchmark for responsible background screening.

PBSA Accreditation

PBSA accreditation is a voluntary, independent evaluation of a background screening provider’s operations. To become accredited, providers must demonstrate compliance with PBSA’s Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP), which evaluates areas such as:

• Legal and regulatory compliance (including FCRA requirements)
• Research methodologies and data verification processes
• Quality assurance and dispute resolution procedures
• Data security and confidentiality safeguards
• Client communication and reporting standards

Accreditation is not a one-time designation. Accredited firms are subject to ongoing review and must maintain compliance with evolving standards to retain their status.

Why this matters to employers:
PBSA accreditation provides third-party assurance that a screening provider follows consistent, documented processes designed to reduce risk, improve accuracy, and support compliant hiring practices.

PBSA Founding Member

SELECTiON.COM® is a PBSA Founding Member, reflecting early participation in the development of the association and its standards. Founding Member status indicates involvement at the outset of PBSA’s formation, when the industry began formalizing shared guidelines for responsible background screening.

Why this matters:
Founding Members helped shape the standards that later became the industry norm. This reflects long-term engagement, institutional knowledge, and a sustained commitment to professional screening practices over decades—not just recent compliance.

AICPA SOC Attestation

What is SOC?

A SOC (System and Organization Controls) attestation is an independent audit framework developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). SOC reports evaluate how organizations manage systems related to data security, availability, confidentiality, and operational controls.

SOC examinations are conducted by independent CPA firms and are widely used to assess service providers that handle sensitive or regulated information.

Why SOC matters in background screening

Background screening involves personally identifiable information (PII), confidential employment data, and legally protected records. A SOC attestation demonstrates that an organization has established internal controls designed to safeguard this information and support reliable system operations.

Why this matters to employers:
SOC attestation provides independent validation that a provider’s internal controls meet recognized standards for security and operational integrity—reducing vendor risk and supporting internal compliance requirements.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) Accreditation

What is BBB Accreditation?

The Better Business Bureau is a nonprofit organization focused on promoting ethical business practices and marketplace trust. BBB accreditation evaluates companies based on factors such as transparency, responsiveness, honesty in advertising, and complaint resolution.

Why BBB accreditation matters

BBB accreditation reflects a company’s commitment to operating responsibly and addressing customer concerns in a timely, documented manner.

Why this matters to employers:
While BBB accreditation is not a regulatory or technical certification, it provides an additional layer of confidence that a provider maintains accountable business practices and prioritizes long-term client relationships.

What certifications do—and do not—mean

Certifications and accreditations play an important role in evaluating a background screening provider, but they are not substitutes for thoughtful hiring policies or legal counsel.

They do indicate:

• Independent oversight and verification
• Documented, repeatable processes
• Commitment to industry standards and ethical practices

They do not:

• Guarantee hiring outcomes
• Replace employer responsibility under applicable laws
• Eliminate the need for role-specific screening decisions

Certifications exist to support employers in building compliant, consistent hiring programs, not to replace them.

Our commitment

SELECTiON.COM® maintains these certifications and accreditations as part of a broader commitment to accuracy, compliance, and service. We believe employers deserve transparency about what these designations represent and how they support responsible hiring decisions.