Believe it or not, before being accepted into your current or previous job, you were most probably subjected to a pre employment background screening. If you are presently looking for a job then it is best you make yourself aware of this screening method. Learning about this background screening process can give you an idea about what to expect. The chances of you getting a particular job can be increased if you are prepared for the screening.
It goes without saying that you should be prepared for interviews too. Your potential employer can always ask you certain questions regarding your credit report. You should be ready to answer these questions. There are certain people who completely forgotten about their credit report. You need to ensure that you are not a victim of any potential identity theft. If you make a check on your credit report prior to the interview, you will not be taken aback when any such question is posed. This will also give you enough time to correct any dispute present in your credit report. Knowing these facts before hand will help you explain such things.
Many people question the requirement of a pre-employment screening by companies. First of all, not all companies really require this. They just check on the previous employee records, character referencing and educational records. There are also companies, which, on the other hand, hire a third company to do a complete pre employment screening.
Due to the nature of the job, there are some jobs that necessitate the process of a pre employment background screening. For instance, if your job is related to children, the company you apply to will do a pre employment screening on you. Due to the increase in the incidents of child abduction, terrorism and negligent hiring lawsuits, now companies are starting to exercise caution on the people they hire. It is only natural for them to subject their applicants to a pre employment screening in order to ensure that only the right candidates are hired.
There are many privacy laws that have been enacted for the applicants benefit in order to offer them protection from any misuse of the pre employment screening process. Remember that the pre employment screening process can only access information that is public and is government created. Such information includes employment credit report, bankruptcy history, court records, personal references, previous employers, character references, neighbor interviews and medical records. There are certain companies that look at your profile in many social networking sites like Friendster, Myspace and Facebook.
If you find out that you are going to be screened before your employment, what you should do is check on all your records. Obtain copies of your credit report, driving records and previous court cases if applicable. Your company can always think that you are being dishonest and this can strongly affect their decision to hire you.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/pre-employment-background-screening-know-what-you-have-to-check-703155.html
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:37 pm
what shows up in a pre-employment background screening?
i want to know what shows up in the background check, because, i’m about to get a job, but they need to do the background check. and i dont have any felonies, but i have a few misdemeanors, & or infractions, and want to know if those will affect me getting a job.
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Any "crimes/misdemeanors" big and small will show up. It’s up to your prospective employer to decide if they are willing to give you a chance to proof yourself.
References :
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:41 pm
What shows up depends upon what the company is asking for and willing to pay for. In most states, you will be asked to sign a release which will tell you exactly what they are asking for.
All kinds of things can show up: employment verification, how many times you’ve moved in the last 10 or so years, your criminal record, your driving record, verification of educational degrees, your financial information.
Again, what did you authorize release of, what were they willing to pay for.
I once had a woman claim to have a BS degree for a position that did not require a BS degree. Because she put it down, and because it was on our list of things to verify, she lost her job because she falsified an employment document. This is often why employers ask you to complete an application even if you have a resume. The application tells you that you will be terminated for falsification, and you sign that document.
That is why when someone doesn’t sign their application I immediately begin to wonder why.
References :