CAPE FIRM CHECKS OUT EMPLOYEE BACKGROUNDS

Although Interquest Information Services is listed in yellow pages across the nation under "investigative services," the company's work isn't as clandestine as a private investigator's.

"They do more fieldwork than us," Interquest president Stephen Parsons said. "There isn't really a direct competition between us, but sometimes we overlap."

The information business is growing, and the Cape Girardeau company is experiencing success by keeping up with demand.

Interquest was founded in 1991 after its parent company, Certified Tenant Services, received calls about employee screenings and other information requests.

Founded in 1989 with the slogan, "We keep the bad apples out," Certified checked prospective tenants' references and credit and criminal histories. The information then was compiled in a report with a recommendation to the landlord whether to rent to the prospective tenant or apply special conditions to a lease agreement.

"This grew out of that," Parsons said of Interquest.

He said employers and others started requesting information on prospective employees. So out of Certified Tenant Services, Interquest was born -- a name more suited to his clients' requests.

Interquest provides clients with previous employment verification, criminal history, motor vehicle records, educational and professional license verification, workers' compensation records, social security traces and personal credit information.

"It's all legal," said the company's vice president, Tony Smee.

Smee said about half of the work can be done on the computer. The rest requires telephones and fax machines. The company has several books and occasionally consults with authorities before initiating screenings in other states because of different freedom of information laws.

The company also has purchased data bases from other companies for its screenings and information searches.

"Anytime you list your address on something, that goes into a data base," Smee said. "And this company and others can buy those data bases."

He said most of the clients don't walk through the door fresh off the street. They are employers or other companies seeking information about someone who has signed a release form to be considered for employment. That release form is used to obtain records from states across the nation.

"We need that signature for a lot of the information we get," Smee said.

Parsons said his company has six full-time employees processing requests for information in 10 states. In addition to the full-time staff, "runners" are sometimes employed in states where information such as criminal or driving records must be obtained in person.

Parsons and Smee said more companies are being held liable for negligent employees because those companies didn't screen applicants before hiring them. They said as that trend continues, their business should grow.