How do Background Checks Work

Each and every employee in a company holds certain responsibility towards its goodwill and the job assigned. Therefore, an employer would always want to hire an employee who has all the qualities of a true, honest and fair employee. Unfortunately, the world today is filled with people who can deceive the employer by providing incorrect or misleading information about themselves. The necessity of conducting a background check in the United States has increased all the more after the 9/11 attacks! Therefore, an employer usually conducts a criminal background check for employment of prospective employees.

Employee Background Check

While conducting interviews, each and every candidate would portray his/her best skills and qualifications. They will use words that please the employer, information that suits the employer's need... even if what they are saying or showing, is not true! Conducting a background check helps the employer match the information provided by the candidate, to what shows up in a background check. Therefore, cross checking the information provided by the employee helps the company obtain a secured clearance that the person is not associated with any criminal offense or anything that is illegal in the eyes of the law! So, what all information can be cross checked? Some of the most commonly checked information included in a background check is as follows.

• Social Security Number
• Credit Reports
• Education Records
• Driving and Vehicle Records
• Criminal Records
• Drug Test Records
• Neighbor Interviews
• Character References
• Past Employers and their references
• Medical Records
• Personal References
• Court Records
• Vehicle Registration
• Sex Offender Lists
• Bankruptcy
• State Licensing Records

Not everything mentioned in the above list is checked for all job types. The higher the responsibility, the more strict is the background check.

How are Background Checks Conducted

While some employers conduct in-house background verifications, there are some on the other hand, who hire a third party to conduct background checks! Other options include certain web based service providers like Intelius, Net Detective, U.S. Search, Crimcheck, Veromi, etc. These allow the employer to access their database in exchange of some money. There are many laws that come into play when conducting a background check on employees, especially by a third party! This is so because the information obtained may be sensitive to public domain. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), keeps a check on the use of information collected by the third party for background checks. The employee has the right to know about the process of background checks, and must agree to the same in writing! Usually a signature of the candidate is taken, wherein he / she agrees to the background check being performed on him / her. Also, if the results of the background check, leads to not hiring the candidate, then the candidate must be presented with the "pre-adverse action disclosure", along with a copy of the rules and regulations of the FCRA, and the "notification of adverse action letter." It is also the candidate's right to know about the source of adverse information which has led to the non-selection.

There are many websites online which would advertise for 100% free criminal background check. It is best to avoid such sources as they may not abide by the rules and regulations what the FCRA and the law demands. In fact, checking the candidate's social networking profile is one of the best ways to check for the authenticity of the information provided. As per surveys conducted by Vault in 2007, 44% of employers were accessing social networking sites to verify the information of the applicants, whereas 39% of employers were checking on employees that currently exist! Yes, a background check can be done even after joining the organization. Each and every state has different rules when it comes to conducting background checks. You can check the same for your state, and make sure that you don't mislead the employer just for getting the job. Or you might have to face the consequences later. Good luck!