Ghosts in the Background: The Truth About Screening Your Team
Bright Smiles Dentistry: Episode 9
The morning sun was barely rising when Dana walked into Bright Smiles Dentistry, her travel mug sending up curls of steam like a witch’s cauldron. It was October, and the air outside had that crisp, apple-snap bite she loved.
Inside, though, things were heating up. Dr. Chang had just told her he wanted to fast-track a new hire for their dental assistant opening before the holiday season filled the schedule to bursting.
Dana had already done the first round of interviews. One candidate in particular stood out: great experience, strong references, and an easy laugh that made patients feel at ease. But hiring in 2025 wasn’t as simple as it used to be.
Dr. Chang: “Let’s run a background check. No skeletons in the closet this time of year, okay?”
Dana: “You’re hilarious.”
She smiled, but she knew it wasn’t a bad idea. And lucky for her, Bright Smiles had an ace up its sleeve, CEDR’s background check partner, National Crime Search.
Handling Background Check Results
She picked up the phone and called CEDR to make sure she knew how to go about this the right way.
Dana grabbed her pen. “Okay, so… when should we do it? After the interview?”
“Yes. We recommend it once you’ve made a conditional offer. That way, you’re only running checks on candidates you seriously intend to hire, and you reduce discrimination risks. ”
Within a short amount of time, Dana had set up the check with CEDR’s partner. Within the next few days, the report landed in her inbox. Mostly clean, but one detail gave her pause: a misdemeanor DUI from two years ago.
She called CEDR back.
“Alright,” the advisor said, “let’s break this down. First, does this role require driving?”
“No, it’s purely in-office work,” Dana answered.
“Good. Then we look at job-relatedness, severity, whether it’s a one-time incident or a pattern, and how recent it is. In this case, a single misdemeanor from two years ago, unrelated to the job, many employers would move forward. But the key is consistency. Whatever standard you use here, you’ll need to consider that for all candidates for this role.”
Dana nodded slowly. “So, if it’s unrelated to the job and not a pattern, it’s not necessarily a dealbreaker.”
“Exactly. But if you do want to decline to move this candidate forward, you need to follow a few additional steps. Your state law requires that you be upfront with the candidate about how the background check results are impacting your hiring decision.”
Before ending the call, the advisor also reminded her not to go digging through the candidate’s social media for “extra insight.” That could expose her to protected-class information she legally can’t consider. If you wouldn’t ask it in an interview, you don’t want to know it from Instagram.
Moving Forward with Confidence
Later that afternoon, Dana sat down with Dr. Chang. “I spoke with CEDR,” she explained. “Given the time that’s passed and that it’s unrelated to the job, I recommend we move forward.”
Dr. Chang agreed. “Let’s do it. And thank you for covering all the angles before making the call.”
As Dana put together an offer letter for the practice’s new dental assistant, her inbox pinged; her friend from AADOM had just signed up for CEDR after she referred them last month. Bright Smiles would enjoy two months of free service, and her friend had saved $200 on their handbook.
For Dana, it felt like clearing the cobwebs away, no ghosts lurking in the background, just a well-lit path forward.
