You filled out the job application, signed a few forms, aced the interview and offered the names of several references.
Now the company knows everything a boss could want before making a job offer, right?
Maybe not.
Employers concerned about the inside scoop on job candidates increasingly are turning to a bevy of online options before making hiring decisions.
Has she ever declared bankruptcy? Is he divorced? Is he rude to his neighbors? Does she really have the master’s degree listed on her resume?
The answers usually are a but a few keystrokes away.
Although companies have conducted background checks on applicants for decades, computer technology now makes the inquiries quicker and cheaper.
A simple Internet search turned up a slew of companies willing to dig for dirt on job applicants. Backgroundsearches.com, Hirecheck.com, Backgroundchecks.com and Accesschecks.com all offer pre-employment screenings. That’s in addition to the specialized services some sell to customers looking for information on their boyfriends, wives and nannies.
“The industry has really blossomed over the last four or five years,” said Renee Svec, marketing manager at Hirecheck in St. Petersburg, Fla. “They’ve definitely gotten faster, and it’s definitely pulled the prices down because a lot of our data sources are now electronic.”
Irving, Texas-based Backgroundchecks.com allows employers to type a candidate’s name and date of birth into a database for an instant look at the person’s criminal record in Texas. The price for a single inquiry is $4.25.
“It’s taken sort of the FedEx approach to criminal records,” CEO Craig Kessler says.
Many employers are checking candidates more thoroughly in the wake of highly publicized incidents of workplace violence, Svec says. If they hire someone with a violent criminal history who later assaults a client or co-worker, companies could be held liable for “negligent hiring.”
“That’s what employers a lot of times are using background checks to avoid–those lawsuits,” she said.
A survey conducted last year by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 69 percent of employers perform some kind of background checks, while 61 percent check employees’ criminal records and 56 percent look at driving records.
All that investigating doesn’t compel job candidates to reveal every detail of their private lives to prospective employers.
Companies conducting background checks must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which spells out applicants’ rights. So employers must specify what information they intend to research, get written permission from candidates, and explain how applicants can appeal if they are rejected because of a check.
It’s not enough for an employer to ask for authorization for a vague, blanket background check, says Neil Martin, a Houston employment lawyer with Gardere & Wynne.
Many companies break the rules, often inadvertently, and open the door to lawsuits and potential fines, he says.
A sound strategy for job seekers is to become familiar with those areas that employers can investigate and then to be truthful, says Deron Zeppelin, director of government affairs at the Society for Human Resources Management.
He recommends that applicants get copies of their own credit reports before job hunting to scrutinize the document for discrepancies. They should consider not only details that could trouble bank loan officers approving a home mortgage but also those that could raise the eyebrow of an employer.
“You need to make sure that your credit report is up-to-date and accurate,” Zeppelin said. “It’s easier to do that on the front end than to have to worry about the repercussions down the road.”
