No matter how unique your name is, it’s likely that several hundred, if not thousands, of people share the same first and last name as you. When considering common names, it’s certainly possible that not only do you share a name with another individual, but also the same or similar date of birth. This is why a middle name has great purpose during background screenings. A middle name is an important additional identifier when investigating any subject and should be used as often as possible. In most cases, by including a middle name it will help us to further identify if the information from the search matches the applicant or not. Both the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have issued guidance requiring the use of middle names, even more so when common names are searched. Including middle names helps reduce false positives and greatly improves the accuracy of a background check.
Did you know using a middle name could also improve your turnaround time in getting results? With common names it makes it much easier to identify who is not a match when we have a full name. The more information that is provided on an applicant the easier it is to identify any possible matches.
