Salt Lake City Metropolitan Area

Clustered around Utah’s capital city in the north-central portion of the state, the Salt Lake City metropolitan area contains only two counties, Salt Lake and Tooele, yet boasts a population of nearly 1.1 million—and that number is growing steadily. Once a major crossroads for raw materials, the Salt Lake City metro’s modern economy focuses on tourism, transportation, and customer service-oriented endeavors such as call centers. Notable regional employers include Delta Airlines, Overstock.com, and Sinclair Oil. 

With so many companies developing a presence in the Salt Lake City region, Utahns frequently find work here. SLC businesses do not need to spend long fielding applicants for open positions. However, the ease of finding eager individuals in a bustling metro comes with a drawback: it may be more challenging for businesses to vet candidates who travel from farther afield. 

Any applicant vetting solution must take into consideration a simple fact: today’s job hunters will look farther and travel longer to secure employment, which often means crossing county lines. It is essential for employers to take a broader look at potential criminal records by going beyond their own county during the vetting process. Otherwise, a Salt Lake business could easily miss critical criminal background information from Tooele. 

Start by retooling your hiring procedures for metro readiness. Before making any policy changes, always review the fair hiring regulations that are applicable to your business. Utah does not maintain a “ban the box” law that restricts when and how private employers may inquire into an applicant’s criminal history. However, the state does require businesses to receive explicit consent from an applicant before conducting a background check. Beyond that requirement, federal rules such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act provide guidance for fair hiring.

After establishing compliance, the next step is finding the right tools for gathering the criminal background information that you require to make smart hiring choices. With backgroundchecks.com’s flexible and dependable range of products, businesses of all shapes and sizes can enhance every hiring decision. 

For both Salt Lake and Tooele counties, we provide direct courthouse record searches that enable employers to learn more about their applicants. To zoom out and consider records held throughout the state, consider using one of our state-level background checks instead, or go regional and consider up to 5 states with our Regional OneSEARCH. 

Courthouse record searches usually return information held by the Administrative Office of the Courts, but they may also include records from the Department of Corrections and the Utah State Sex Offender Registry. These reports typically contain information such as the subject’s name, charges, sentences, and disposition.

Businesses based within the Salt Lake City metro area enjoy an increased opportunity to attract and hire qualified individuals. Choose the right solutions for thorough background checks to ensure that each hiring choice takes key background information into account, regardless of the applicant’s home territory.