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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
What
Will a Professional Background Check Tell an Employer About You?
ROCHESTER,
Mich. (Jan. 14, 2010) -
Almost all of us can relate to the experience - when filling out a
job application you are asked to sign a consent form, authorizing a
prospective employer to conduct a background check on you.
Your
life - including credit history, credit scores, driving record,
etc. - has become an “open book,” with much that you once
deemed “private” now accessible to many. More ominous still, any
inaccuracies - of which you may not even be aware - could be
undermining your efforts to land new employment.
What
“must know” information do you need to ensure your background
check is an employment tool and not a hindrance?
First,
you should be aware that a prospective employer must gain your
written permission in order to conduct a background check associated
with your employment application. And if they wish to communicate
with your associates, neighbors or friends, they will need you to
sign off on what is known as an investigative consumer report.
What's
included in an employee background check? The Fair Credit Reporting
Act sets the standards for screening for employment. At a minimum, a
background check will verify your social security number. However,
employers are generally seeking additional data on employment
history, educational credentials, credit history and possible
criminal background.
While
there are obvious privacy concerns related to such requests,
employers (arguably) have at least some justification in their
“need-to-know” efforts. According to the Privacy Rights
Clearinghouse, a consumer rights organization, areas of employer
inquiry and concern might include:
-
False or misleading data offered by
job applicants, e.g., fictitious employment or educational credentials
-
Negligent hiring lawsuits brought
against an employer as the result of an employee causing harm to others
-
Federal and state legal requirements
for certain positions, e.g., those related to contact with children or
the elderly
-
Fallout from corporate scandals
Please
note there is information that cannot be disclosed in a background
check. An example is school
records,
which are confidential and cannot be released without the consent of
the student.
Although
you cannot be discriminated against because you filed for bankruptcy,
note that bankruptcies
are
a matter of public record and it will show up on a background check.
Criminal
history -
The laws vary by state - some states don't allow questions
pertaining to arrests or convictions beyond a certain point in the
past. Others only allow consideration of criminal history for certain
employment positions. This information does typically appear on a
complete background check.
Also,
employers cannot request medical records and are not allowed to make
hiring decisions based on an applicant's disability. They may only
inquire about your ability to perform a certain job.
So,
What Are Your Next Steps?
The
best way to prepare for a background check is to be proactively aware
of any potentially damaging information that an employer might find.
Consider using a reputable third party to obtain an exhaustive
background check on yourself. For example, the report generated by
background and reference-checking experts Allison & Taylor
(www.allisontaylor.com)
evaluates over 30 different categories in your background history.
If
you find false data about yourself in your background check, there is
a written process for having such data removed. Contact the nearest
Consumer Reporting Agency for details of this process.
Equally
important, ensure that your resume and job applications are truthful
and accurate. Even if you land the job with a falsified resume, it's
not worth it being uncovered at some later point and ruining your
employment history.
Know
that if you are ultimately not hired as the result of information
contained within a background check report, the employer must offer
you a disclosure that includes a copy of both your report and your
rights. They must also serve you notice that they have decided not to
hire you and inform you of the name and location of the nearest
Consumer Reporting Agency, as well as information on how to proceed
in disputing the report (should you choose to do so).
In
summary, it pays to conduct your own due diligence in accessing and
potentially acting upon the same data that an employer accesses about
you. The career you save may be your own.
#
# #
Media
Contact:
Jeff
Shane
JeffShane@AllisonTaylor.com
248.672.4200
Final
Note: Allison
& Taylor, Inc. - Company Profile
Allison
& Taylor, Inc. and its principals have been in the business of
checking references for corporations and individuals since 1984.
Allison & Taylor, Inc. is headquartered in Rochester, MI. For
further details on services and procedures please visit
www.AllisonTaylor.com.
Allison
& Taylor: Find
us on Facebook,
and Follow
us on Twitter!
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