Pre-employment screening & background checks for employers
Different roles carry different risks. Catapult builds a pre-employment screening package around the role you are actually filling: fast, accurate, and FCRA-compliant, with most reports ready in 1-3 business days.
Background checks done right: fast, accurate, compliant
A bad hire costs an average of 30% of a first-year salary. Professional employee background checks are your first line of defense, catching misrepresented credentials, undisclosed criminal history, and eligibility issues before they become your problem.
As a licensed consumer reporting agency and PBSA member, Catapult runs background checks that are legally defensible, FCRA-compliant, and built around your specific roles and industries.
How our pre-employment screening process works
Simple, transparent, and designed to keep your hiring moving forward rather than stuck waiting on paperwork.
Types of background checks we offer
Every package is customizable. Combine screening types to match the risk profile of the role.
Criminal background checks
Federal, state, and county criminal record searches for felony and misdemeanor convictions, sex offender registries, and global watchlists. The foundation of every employee background check. Learn more →
Employment verification
Confirm previous employment dates, job titles, and responsibilities directly with former employers. Uncover resume misrepresentation before it becomes a liability. Learn more →
Education verification
Verify claimed degrees, diplomas, and professional certifications directly with accredited institutions. Essential for roles requiring specific educational credentials. Learn more →
Drug screening
Urine, hair, and oral fluid drug testing options. Pre-employment, random, post-incident, and return-to-duty programs available for safety-sensitive and regulated industries. Learn more →
Driving records (MVR)
Motor Vehicle Record searches revealing license status, violations, accidents, and suspensions. Required for any role involving company vehicles or transportation responsibilities. Learn more →
Credit history checks
Soft credit inquiries for positions involving financial responsibility or access to sensitive assets. Conducted in strict compliance with FCRA and applicable state credit check laws.
Sanctions & watchlist screening
Screen against OFAC, OIG exclusion lists, terrorist watchlists, domestic and international sanctions databases, and regulatory enforcement records. Learn more →
Professional reference checks
Structured interviews with professional references to assess skills, reliability, cultural fit, and work quality, providing insight beyond what resumes and interviews reveal. Learn more →
Continuous monitoring
Post-hire criminal record and MVR monitoring that alerts you to new activity in real time, so your workforce background check does not expire on day one of employment. Learn more →
A licensed screening team reviews the file, not just a database.
FCRA-compliant background checks: what that means for you
The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs how consumer reporting agencies, and the employers who use them, must conduct and act on background checks. Non-compliance exposes employers to class action lawsuits, statutory damages, and state regulatory penalties.
Catapult handles the compliance burden for you: proper disclosure and authorization forms, individualized adverse action procedures, dispute rights notifications, and records retention. Every background check we run follows both federal FCRA requirements and applicable state-level regulations including ban-the-box, salary history, and fair chance hiring laws.
We also stay current on North Carolina and multi-state employer requirements, so you are not navigating a patchwork of local ordinances on your own.
Compliance coverage
Pre-employment screening across every industry
Screening requirements vary significantly by sector. We build packages that reflect your industry’s specific risk profile and regulatory environment.
When a result needs a judgment call, you reach our team directly
Disputed records, unclear dispositions, and adverse action timing are the moments that create legal exposure. Catapult members get a named screening contact who picks up, and employment law attorneys behind them when the answer is not obvious.
The specialists who run your screens
Real specialists manage every screen: a licensed, FCRA-savvy team that keeps your hiring fast, accurate, and compliant.
Employers who stopped worrying about screening
“Catapult’s background checking team is five times faster than our previous provider. The reports are thorough and the compliance support has been invaluable.”
“I can always rely on Catapult for quick turnaround times. Every background check comes back clean and documented. Every time I leave a meeting with them, I am much more informed and confident.”
Catapult is a proud member of the Professional Background Screening Association, the industry’s gold standard for background check accuracy, compliance, and consumer protection. PBSA membership means independent oversight of our screening practices and a commitment to the highest ethical standards in employment background screening.
Background check FAQs
Common questions from employers about pre-employment screening, FCRA compliance, and what a background check can uncover.
What is pre-employment screening?
What types of background checks do you offer?
How long does a background check take?
What shows up on an employee background check?
Are your background check services FCRA compliant?
What is ban-the-box and does it apply to my business?
Can I customize my background check package?
How much does a background check cost?
What is a consumer reporting agency (CRA)?
Related screening services
Most employers combine several of these into one screening package.
Run background checks the right way
Fast, FCRA-compliant employee background checks delivered by a licensed consumer reporting agency with decades of employer experience. Let’s build your screening program.
*Catapult Services Corporation is an investigative agency licensed by the Private Protective Services Board of the State of North Carolina specializing in corporate pre-employment background screening. Our corporate agency license is BPN 001473P11M, Qualify Agent, Kevin von der Lippe, PI, 2891. Catapult Services Corporation is a consumer reporting agency that supplies applicant screening services for employment, volunteer and student screening, to authorized organizations under the conditions of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Human Trafficking
If you feel you are a victim of Human Trafficking, click on this link to learn more about your rights as it relates to your background screening report.
Personal Information Disclosure: United States or Overseas
Personal information submitted to Catapult Services Corporation for background screening is not transferred to third parties outside of the United States or its territories unless the completion of a background report about the person requires gathering information about that person from outside the United States (ex. international criminal check, verification of employment records outside the United States or verification of education records outside the United States.) All personal information will be transmitted and stored in a secure manner in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy.