Is Background Check Done Before

You lot did it. You nailed the interview—or many interviews. Yous gave them your A-game and they gave you an offer. Nice! And as almost an bated, the recruiter says, "The offer is contingent on a background check, but I don't anticipate any problems."

"Ok, yeah, sure," you say, nonchalantly. But within, you panic. For whatever reason, you lot start to worry. The worry may grow to fearfulness and then you're in full-blown freak out style, searching the Cyberspace for answers for every possible scenario. You're asking complete strangers online, "What happens now?" "What if they find XYZ?" "What exactly are they looking for?" And even, "I totally lied on my awarding! Am I doomed?!"

Deep breaths, friend. Nosotros accept some answers for you.

The groundwork screening process has many pieces. As you moved through the interview procedure, at some betoken (generally after an offer) y'all were provided with a disclosure that a groundwork check is going to be requested past your prospective employer, and you signed an authorization, permitting your future employer to await into specific areas of your life via a tertiary-party consumer reporting bureau (CRA). The employer decides what types of background checks will exist done, which are generally consistent by position, and the employer's cess of your background screening will exist entirely different than those reviewed for some other candidate.

Video: Everything You Wanted to Know About Groundwork Checks

In the U.S., the Fair Credit Reporting Human action (FCRA) has strict guidelines most how an employer through a CRA, or a groundwork check company, tin can request a background check. The FCRA and land laws also provide consumers' rights as they pertain to information contained in their criminal, and credit groundwork reports in general.

That'south the short answer. Now allow's take a await at these things piece by piece.

It'southward not like Television

First, information technology's important to empathise that at that place isn't ane source of data about you lot. Groundwork checks aren't like those Boob tube crime dramas where the gal with swift calculator skills sitting in a nighttime room can pull up everything about you in the glimmer of an center. CRAs source data through various means—calling employers and universities, looking up public records, and even, when required by sure jurisdictions, physically going to courthouses to think information. This process is usually completed in a few days, but can sometimes take two weeks or more than and is contingent on returned phone calls, a court's public record estimator systems functioning properly, holidays, even government shut-downs. If you've lived, worked or gone to schoolhouse in multiple states or overseas, the procedure can take longer.

Understandably, both you and your future employer are broken-hearted to get the results. The CRA works as speedily equally possible to assemble all the requested data in the shortest time possible keeping in mind that that the information has to be matched to you and complete and up to appointment to be reported. To learn more about how long a background check should have, take a look at this fun video.

Here'due south what they look at:

Based on HireRight's 2018 Benchmark Report which surveyed over half dozen,000 HR professionals, the most popular types of background checks are criminal or other public records searches, verifications of previous employment and/or references, identity, instruction and motor vehicle records. If your job will exist in banking, finance or any position where y'all'll be handling coin, the employer may have the CRA study your credit history. You may also be screened for drug and alcohol utilise. What the CRA checks is up to the employer, then that list may vary.

Employment Verification
With your consent, your futurity employer can contact by employers. A CRA volition contact the employers listed on your resume or application to verify the dates you lot worked and the positions you held. They may also contact references yous have provided to define performance and character.
Helpful tip: Having by paystubs and/or W-2s handy volition speed along the screening in the event the CRA is unable to achieve your old employer or the organisation is no longer in business. In most cases, yous're welcome to redact your compensation.
Education/Licenses
Similar verifying past employment, the CRA will contact the educational or licensing institutions you lot take listed to verify your course of report and degrees earned. They volition as well research any professional licenses to ensure that they are all up to date, provided your prospective employer finds that they are necessary for the position.
Note that many educational institutions do not respond directly to requests for information. Instead, they subscribe to an educational reporting provider. These providers verify student records, transcripts and degrees and protect against artificial information supplied by "diploma mills."
Helpful tip: Just like verifying employment, you might be asked to provide a copy of your transcript, document or degree.
Criminal Record
The CRA may search for criminal records from local, regional and federal authorities. How far back in history they become is determined by the FCRA or the state; The FCRA and several states restrict the reporting of convictions that occurred more than than seven years agone unless sure exceptions are met.
Helpful tip: If asked by your prospective employer information technology's best to be honest and disembalm upward front whatsoever criminal convictions on your record. Giving your future employer a heads upward about what they might detect and the context of your criminal history tin help them as they decide what to practise with that information. Chances are good they will appreciate your transparency.
Identity
The identity search verifies that you have a validly issued ID and that your name is assigned to that ID number. The search is performed through various sources, depending on the state where your ID was issued. You may be asked to provide your commuter license or passport.
Motor Vehicle Record
Whether you will drive a company car, a delivery vehicle or a long-haul truck, if your part involves driving, your time to come employer will likely bank check your motor vehicle record (MVR). This volition exist necessary in lodge for them to insure you in their vehicles.
Helpful tip: In the same vein of criminal convictions, it's best to have a discussion with your prospective employer and disembalm annihilation on your MVR that might raise a ruby flag. Parking tickets won't come up, just infractions like speeding or driving related crimes like DUI will.
Drug Utilise
If your time to come employer requests a drug screen, you volition go to a collection site (a clinic or a lab) and provide a sample (urine, saliva or hair). The drugs the lab will screen for are dictated by your future employer. Many states have legalized marijuana, either medicinally or recreationally, but are non consistent regarding an employer's demand to accommodate marijuana use and so depending on your country and your prospective employer, that may or may not be an consequence. Illicit/street drugs volition show upwards. Prescribed medication will equally well. If you are asked nearly a doctor-prescribed medication, y'all need not disclose your medical history, but y'all may need to provide proof of a prescription from your medical professional. HireRight'due south 2018 Benchmark Survey asked most applicant excuses for failing a drug screen. If you want a expert laugh, cheque out the answers hither and hither.

Pants on burn down:

HireRight's contempo Criterion Survey revealed that a whopping 84% of employers found a lie or misrepresentation on a resume or task application—at all levels of the organization. That'southward a lot. Whether it's mistakenly listing incorrect employment dates or completely fabricating a caste, your future employer will likely discover it. What to do?

Come up clean. (Y'all may be sensing a theme hither.) Simply be up front about it. If you worked someplace a decade ago and accidentally listed the duration of employment as a year and information technology was actually six months, explain the honest mistake to your recruiter. Life is long and sometimes our memories aren't that accurate. These things happen. It may not adversely impact your offering.

If there are things on your resume that are out-right fiction, every bit painful equally it may be, consider telling the truth. The employer volition find out anyway. Belated honesty may cost you lot this detail opportunity. Or, if, for example, yous don't have a degree but you lot have pregnant relevant experience, the recruiter may be able to work with that.

This could be a expert time to adjust your resume accordingly to avoid running into inaccuracies in the futurity.

And what if…?

You can request a copy of your groundwork written report. If an employer finds misrepresentations or negative elements in your background check, it's upward to your future employer to decide what to do with that data. The CRA does non decide whether you are hired, nor does it make recommendations. If the negative aspects of your study do indeed impact your offering, your prospective employer has a legal obligation to inform yous of the potentially adverse action and give you the opportunity to dispute the accuracy or completeness of the findings straight with the CRA. Within 30 days, the CRA will then investigate the disputed data with the source and volition notify you lot of the results. Should y'all notwithstanding exist unsatisfied, you lot have the option to include a brief statement to rebut the findings.

For a complete breakup of each political party's obligations and your rights in the background screening process, read the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

It's understandable that the time during your background screening tin feel like limbo. But armed with proper information, you can know that what is establish is done and so fairly, accurately and with your best involvement in mind.

Now, get out at that place and get that job!

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HireRight is a leading provider of on-need employment background checks, drug and health screening, and electronic Form I-nine and E-Verify solutions that help employers automate, manage and control background screening and related programs.

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