Background Checks: What Employers Need To Know
Most any job nowadays, whether it’s a cashier at your local market or a senior executive at a large corporation, will require a background check prior to your employment. Even longtime employees aren’t safe as employers are starting to use background checks as a means to get rid of employees they may longer want or have need of. Most businesses will use an outside company to screen their employees so here are some things employers and applicants should know:
Employers
Know what you’re getting from a background check. Not all background check companies are created equal and the scope or any background investigations can vary widely from company to company. Make sure the company you’re dealing with is compliant with state and federal laws. Instant background checks that many websites offer aren’t usually an acceptable method of doing background checks.
There’s no national database of criminal records. Or at least not one that just anyone outside of law enforcement can access. There are some record aggregators that compile many publicly accessable records into one easy to use database but those aren’t usually suitable for business wanting to do background checks. Even with the advent of the Internet and electronic documents it’s still a difficult task to search for criminal records across all 50 states. A proper search may require your background check company to deploy local workers to pull court files to insure completeness and accuracy.
Know how reference checks are done. Checking references has become a bit of a sticky subject in recent years. Previous employers are hesitant to give out much more information than “yes, Joe Blow worked here” for fear they may be the target of lawsuits brought by old employees that had less than flattering references given. Be sure to find out how a screening firm checks references. If possible, provide a list of specific questions you might want answered so as to guard against any potential legal problems.
Be sure to check out Background Checks: What Job Applicants & Employees Need To Know
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