Background Check: Be Prepared for What Future Employers Might Find

Do you know what to expect when applying for a new job? Most job seekers are under the impression that employers only check the references listed on your resume or application. This is an inherently false assumption. A recent People Search News article reported that more than 80% of all business now performs comprehensive background checks on all potential employees, compared to less than half that number 10 years ago. Also, the size of the business does not necessarily determine if a pre-employment background check will be performed.

"Many companies, regardless of size, now use online data brokers to perform background checks on employees. Employers can get a comprehensive background report in less than a minute for under $40. This is not only cost-effective, but extremely convenient," said People Search News.com editor Guy Dubleche.

Employers can also not rely wholly on the interview process or references listed on a resume or job application to gauge a prospective employee. Therefore, a majority of employers are using online background checks to gauge a prospective employee's character and work ethic before making the decision to hire them.

What is in a Background Check?

First off, many people like to associate the term "background check" with criminal records. True, if a person does have a criminal background that information is likely to show up on a background check, but a comprehensive background check contains much more information than that.

According to the Web site PeopleFinders.com employers can obtain the following information when performing a background check:

? Age

? Addresses and phone numbers (20 year history)

? Real property ownership

? Aliases and maiden names

? Known associates

? Possible relatives

? Neighbors

? Marriage and divorces

? Bankruptcies and liens (judgments)

? National criminal records

? Employment history

How do Employers use this Information?

Employers use the information in background reports to get a picture of your character and trustworthiness. Besides the basics like past salary verification, work history and address history, employers can make general assumptions about your character based on information found in a background check. For instance, bad credit or late payments may lead some employers to believe that you are un-reliable. Also, employers may look at your address history and work history to determine if you are stable individual.

Before performing a comprehensive background check on a prospective employee, employers must get the written consent of the candidate. Also, by law, anyone using information from these reports as a reason for denying you employment must tell you and give you the contact information for the agency from which the report was obtained. You can use this information to dispute any inaccurate information.

You also have the right to request a copy of your background report from the company performing the check. It is a good idea to hold onto these reports for future reference whether you were hired or not.

It is also good practice to obtain a copy of both your credit report and background report before interviewing for a job. Knowing exactly what appears on both your background and credit reports will ensure you are fully prepared to answer any questions that may arise from a prospective employer.

So, what can you do?

Though no one has a crystal ball, you can increase your chances of getting a great job and rewarding career by keeping up-to-date on the information in your credit and background report. This way, you can dispute any unnecessary items before your interview with the background check company. In addition, if you know you may have had some credit or background troubles in the past, it is best to be up front with a potential employee about it.

Founded in 2006, People Search News is a Sacramento, California based non-commercial online source for people search and people finder related news and information.