An employment background check can be a valuable tool in the hiring process. It’s important that you know what to look for and why it is so beneficial to do one before you start your job hunt, especially if you are concerned about being hired by someone with a questionable past or history of workplace misconduct. Here are 5 reasons to do an employment background check.
1) You’re concerned about being hired by someone with a questionable past or history of workplace misconduct
If this is the case, then you should probably skip the rest of this article. There are plenty of other resources out there that will tell you how to conduct an effective background check, and they offer more information than we could possibly put into this blog post.
2) You’ve been asked to do one by a potential employer
Whether you were asked to do one on your own initiative or at the request of a prospective employer, it’s still good practice to have one done. This gives you a chance to get some insight into your prospective employer’s perspective on the type of person they are looking to hire.
3) You want to find out if anyone else has had any concerns about working with this person
A lot of employers perform an employment background check when they are interviewing candidates. If you’re applying for a position that isn’t particularly high-risk (e.g., not security-sensitive), then you might be able to ask them to do one on you as well. But if you want to avoid surprises once you start work, it may be best to get a professional report so that you will know exactly what’s going on.
4) You want to make sure that the company you think you’ll be working for is legitimate
This is probably the most common reason people conduct an employment background check. They want to ensure that their new boss is who he says he is or that his business is legitimate. When you apply for a new job, it’s usually pretty easy to see whether the business exists or not. A company website or even an office address can give you a pretty good idea about whether a particular business is real.
However, it’s sometimes difficult to tell, based solely on the Internet, whether a company is a scam or not, especially if the business doesn’t have a physical presence. The only way to truly ensure that the business is legit is to have it run through an employment background check.
5) You want to find out if there are any skeletons in the closet that your prospective employer would rather you didn’t discover
Sometimes, employers don’t like to talk about all the things that happened during their time at work or while they were employed by others. Maybe they weren’t happy about something that was said or done. Or perhaps they just prefer to keep certain matters private. An employment background check can help you determine whether these types of things exist.
These are some of the common benefits that the employers will get if their will perform the proper procedure of the background check on the people. A person can plan to visit the background check site and get the detail of the various available option. The focus of the people must be to get the results that will prove to be a favorable option.
What to Look For During Your Background Check
When you go through an employment background check, it’s important to pay attention to what specific details the company looks for. While every situation will be different, here are some general guidelines that you should follow:
1) Criminal History –
Most companies will include criminal convictions on their reports. However, they won’t necessarily say so on the report itself. So be careful when reviewing the results. Some jurisdictions require companies to disclose criminal convictions on their reports. However, some states allow companies to omit the name of any conviction that occurred 10 years ago or less.
2) Civil Judgments –
Companies will also look for civil judgments against you. These could be lawsuits over unpaid debts, child support payments, or anything else where you are accused of wrongdoing.
3) Financial Records –
This includes bank accounts, credit cards, and loan records.
4) Public Record Search –
If you have ever filed for bankruptcy, you will likely be flagged as having a public record search.
5) Tax Returns –
Most companies look for tax liens or any other sort of tax debt that you might owe.
6) Social Security Number Fraud –
This is another issue that’s worth mentioning because it’s becoming increasingly common. With identity theft on the rise, it’s possible that someone might use your Social Security number without your permission.
7) Drug Convictions –
If you’ve ever had a drug problem, this is probably one of the biggest red flags that a company might flag.
8) Divorce Information –
If you’re married but separated, this will raise some eyebrows.
9) Child Support Payments –
If you’re divorced, but still have children to support, this could indicate that you haven’t paid child support recently.
10) Domestic Violence –
Depending on the state where you live, domestic violence will raise some questions.
How to Conduct an Effective Employment Background Check
While conducting an employment background check is often a good idea, you should never rely solely on a report from a third party. In order to truly understand the full extent of your potential employer’s track record, you should speak directly with those involved.
For example, if you want to understand what your future boss actually knows about you, it’s a good idea to call him or her up and ask him or her about you. Be prepared to answer any questions that he or she has about yourself and your previous employer(s). Then, once you’ve heard everything that you need to know, you can decide whether or not you’d like to proceed with the interview.
In addition to asking your potential boss direct questions, you should also ask the references that you spoke with prior to starting the interview process. A good reference will provide you with accurate, detailed information about your past employer and the people involved in your employment experience.
While you should always try to verify any statements made by your references, you should also refrain from asking too many questions until after you’ve received your report. When you receive your report, take a few days to review it carefully. Take notes and highlight any parts that seem suspicious. Then, when you’re ready to meet with your potential employer, you can share the highlights with them and explain why you feel that the information contained within is relevant.
If you believe that your employer does have a sketchy past or that you don’t think that they can handle the responsibilities that come along with the position that you’re applying for, then you may want to rethink your decision to accept their offer.
To Learn More About Employee Background Checks
If you’re interested in learning more about employee background checks, you should definitely check out our guide to hiring managers. We cover everything from how to conduct an effective background check to tips on how to manage a company with employees who have a questionable past or history of misconduct.
