How to Prepare for an Employment Background Check

Experience and education are the two things job candidates will misrepresent their resumé most often. Even influential people are not immune to the temptation to lie about them. Prominent figures like Scott Thompson, former CEO of Yahoo, embellished some college degree data, leading to his premature termination.

According to UnMask.com, employment background checks have the following main components: education verification, reference checks, employment history verification, and professional license verification.

Reputable employers will carry all of these out, so it’s not a good idea to lie on your resume. You can’t blame any company – any new hire is an investment they want returns on. According to recent reports, 33 percent of resumes contained erroneous job descriptions, and 29 percent showed inaccurate employment dates.

1. Things to Know About Criminal Activity Checks

Criminal record checks are the first thing that comes to mind when you think of background screening. They are the most significant and most challenging type of inspection a prospective employer can run on a job candidate. A person’s criminal history affects job qualifications, job performance, and a company’s security and safety.

2. Types of Records

There are three types of criminal records: county, state, and national. A lot of companies rely on national databases only. These consist of several state and county criminal record repositories and are usually maintained by data brokers. Wise employers do not rely on federal checks alone because they tend to be incomplete. The FBI found half of all criminal records were incomplete in a random audit.

To create a state database of criminal records, local jurisdictions are obligated to report individuals’ criminal records to the state. This might lead you to believe there is a stable and reliable source of state criminal records.

After all, it’s only logical to draw such a conclusion. In reality, however, authorities cannot execute this process properly because of staffing, administrative, and technical issues, leaving lots of gaps in state records.

3. Downsides

Employers who only use state data can miss unreported convictions, dismissed cases, and pending cases. This is because records can take years to reach state databases of criminal records.

County checks are the most challenging and time-consuming, but also the most reliable check form. County databases are updated and highly accurate. Attentive employers will run checks for each county where a job candidate has lived. Statewide and national checks are an excellent way to supplement county records because they will reflect offenses committed in different states.

4. Checking Driving History

Any company will want to hire a responsible driver, especially if driving is part of the job. Traffic accidents or tickets are a red flag if a candidate is being interviewed for a delivery job, for example. Even if the position doesn’t require MV operation, an employer will want to make sure their staff is safe on the road.

Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) are a great source of information to check someone’s driving record. They also help employers confirm names, addresses, dates, birthplaces, and other necessary identity information.

While DUI and reckless driving are felonies, they do not surface in criminal records in many states, but you can see them in MVRs.

5. The Last Component: Credit Reports

The last component of employment background checks is credit reports, which contain information about an applicant’s financial operations. This report will show if and what loans someone has taken out, if they pay their bills regularly, or if they’ve ever filed for bankruptcy.

According to the EEOC, credit reports should not be used for employment-related purposes. Men and Hispanic and African-American applicants are more likely to have low reports, risking unlawful discrimination in the hiring process. Industry experts and employers disagree with the watchdog. They find credit report data can be of paramount importance in certain situations.

Either way, employers should make sure credit checks are needed before ordering them. These are only recommended for financially responsible upper-level positions, such as senior management. They are also advisable if the person will have direct access to non-monetary assets or cash.