What do companies look for in a background check: What does an Employment background Check Show?

What does an Employment background Check Show?

08/18/2022

The ShareAble Team

How-to Articles

Criminal Background

Criminal Background checks uncover a variety of important information that can prove useful to employers looking for quality employees. Through a background check, you can receive information on an applicant’s criminal history, such as felonies and misdemeanors, along with an Identity Check to ensure they are who they say they are. Another component of pre-employment screening is credit checks, which can help you better gauge a candidate’s financial responsibility, such as spending habits and level of debt.

Read through to learn more about what background checks show and how to use this information to make a confident hiring decision.

Remember that this material is intended to provide you with helpful information and is not to be relied upon to make decisions, nor is this material intended to be or construed as legal advice. You are encouraged to consult your legal counsel for advice on your specific business operations and responsibilities under applicable law. Trademarks used in this material are the property of their respective owners and no affiliation or endorsement is implied.

Every new hire offers a new opportunity for increased productivity or revenue, but every person added to your team also presents a new business risk. Performing background checks during your pre-employment screening process can help confirm your hiring decision and can help keep your business profitable and productive.

What does an employment background check show?

People often wonder what actually shows up on a background check. The answer is that it depends on which type of search you order, since there are several different sets of records and data to pull from. Generally speaking, a background check for employment may show identity verification, employment verification, credit history, driver’s history, criminal records, education confirmation, and more.

Employers gather a wealth of information in order to evaluate a candidate’s character and help protect against the wrong hire. Read on to learn the various types of background checks for employment, what they may show, and why they matter.

What does a employment background check consist of?

Although there are many different types of background checks, employers are usually concerned with the top three searches. The most common pre-employment searches include:

1. Identity and Social Security Verification

By searching extensive databases such as the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records, a background check for employment can show whether or not a Social Security number is valid, who it belongs to, and if it’s been used in the past.

Online identity checks may also be used to verify an address, which can be cross-referenced to the information provided by a job applicant to detect inaccuracies.

2.

Credit Report

Credit reports are prepared by credit bureaus who collect information from a variety of sources. For example, credit card companies and financial institutions furnish data to credit bureaus, who in turn maintain records on consumers.

Although credit reporting agencies do not necessarily have identical information, the general categories of information that show on a background check include:

• Identifying Information Credit bureaus can provide identifying information such as name, date of birth, and address.
• Credit Inquiries

Employment credit reports contain a list of past credit inquiries, identifying retailers, financial institutions, and other lenders that have requested a consumer’s credit report.

• Tradelines show accounts established with lenders. It could include the date the account was opened, the type of account opened (mortgage, auto loan, credit card, etc.), the loan amount or credit limit, the account’s current balance, and the borrower’s payment history.
• Public Records Credit reports may show previous bankruptcies.

Credit reports can reveal many potential warning signs in an applicant, especially if your new hire will regularly be handling money. High levels of debt or excessive spending on assets could indicate financial irresponsibility.

3. Criminal Records

If an employer knows—or should have known—about an employee’s relevant criminal background, they may face negligent hiring claims if the employee is accused of further wrongdoing. The information that shows up on a criminal background check may help safeguard business owners by revealing histories of criminal convictions.

Criminal background checks for employment may show criminal offenses at the county, state, and federal levels.

Various offenses which may be reported include:

• Current pending charges
• Misdemeanor convictions
• Felony convictions
• Acquitted charges
• Dismissed charges

Employers should take caution when evaluating what shows up on this form of background check for employment.

Depending on the type of job employers are hiring for, they might require additional information from their candidates and ask for more information on their background check for employment. Further searches include options such as motor vehicle and driving records, employment history, education verification, reference checks, and drug screening.

Why does it matter what a background check shows

The consequences of making the wrong hire are staggering. According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, almost 27 percent of U.S. employers said that just one bad hire has cost their company more than $50,000.

The U.S. Department of Labor supports this claim; according to their reports, the cost of the wrong hire can add up to at least 30 percent of the individual’s first-year earnings. Depending on the position’s salary rate, this can easily exceed tens of thousands of dollars. Why are these costs so extensive Termination expenses. You may be required to pay additional healthcare expenses and, in some cases, face litigation expenses should your ex-employee choose to take legal action. Having to replace a bad hire can also be expensive; you’ll likely need to provide training courses, employment testing, orientation services, and more.

So how do modern business owners get a more complete picture of their job applicants to avoid a bad hire

There are several different pre-employment screening services that employers may use when trying to make a hiring decision, and what shows up on a background check will vary depending on which service is chosen:

1. A traditional background check company may provide a wealth of information including military records and license verification. Although they may be thorough, these packaged services are usually costly and time-consuming, forcing small business owners to pay for exhaustive background checks that may not be necessary.
2. Online people searches are a do-it-yourself form of background checks that show public information obtained online. Employers may type a job candidate’s name into a search engine and check for results on business pages or social media sites. While these searches are usually free, such types of background checks consist of information that may be unreliable, out of date, or out of context.

ShareAble for Hires offers reliable, trustworthy, and comprehensive pre-employment screening that can help you have a more complete picture of your job applicant. Through our low cost employment background checks, you will receive access to criminal reports, credit history, and identity verification, you can confirm your hiring decision and verify if your applicant meets your criteria.

Know Your Applicant’s Background with a Criminal History Check

Keeping your business safe should be a priority, and running criminal background checks on job applicants can protect your company, employees, and customers.

TransUnion data shows that nearly 1 in 4 employment background reports contain a criminal record. If you’re hiring for a position that requires direct contact with the public or handling cash, sensitive financial data, or sensitive personal information, it can be especially important to check your applicant’s criminal report.

ShareAble for Hires scours 300 million national and state criminal records. Our criminal reports glean information from Most Wanted databases, the Sex Offender Public Registry, and criminal databases from 43 states.

Because there are many legal regulations regarding the use of criminal reports while hiring, it’s important you conduct a background screening process that follows federal and state laws. ShareAble for Hires criminal reports offer FCRA-regulated data, providing you with the relevant criminal history information needed to effectively screen potential employees.

When you use ShareAble for Hires for background checks, you’ll receive a criminal history report that includes search results from:

1. 300 million criminal records
2. Felony and misdemeanor criminal records from state and local jurisdictions in 43 states
3. Most Wanted databases
4. National Sex Offender Public Registry
5. Records from federal agencies, including:
   • The Drug Enforcement Administration
   • The FBI
   • Homeland Security
   • The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,
   • Marshals, the U. S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control

Get a Picture of Your Applicant’s Financial Situation with a Credit Report

Why should you consider a job candidate’s credit report Bad credit isn’t enough reason to dismiss a candidate, but the financial patterns and habits shown in their credit history might better indicate a candidate’s fitness. Getting a more complete picture of your applicant’s financial background can help you better determine the risk. You may decide to have stronger financial criteria for applicants who will be regularly handling money, and a credit report can be useful in determining the financial trustworthiness of your applicant.

Employers often use credit history to gauge a job applicant’s level of responsibility, but good money habits can also be important to specific categories of companies and positions. Does the position in question involve the handling of money Will your hire have access to the company’s sensitive financial information Knowing whether a candidate manages their finances responsibly can help you determine if they’ll handle your company’s finances responsibly as well.

ShareAble for Hires draws its credit reports from TransUnion, a trusted, reliable credit reporting agency with over 40 years of experience.

When you use ShareAble for Hires for pre-employment background checks, you receive a credit report that includes:

1. Recent employment history*
2. Verification of name, address, and social security number
3. A summary of active accounts and credit lines
4. Any debts incurred, including credit card debt, mortgage and car payments, and student loans
5. Payment history

*Not all employment history may be available or contained within a credit report.

Identity Verification Confirms Your Applicant is Who They Say They Are

Identity theft reached an all-time high in 2016. New data from Javelin Strategy & Research shows an estimated 15.4 million consumers were impacted by some type of identity theft. That means almost 1 in 16 U.S adults were victims of identity theft in the past year alone.

What does this mean for your business As an employer, you should be confident that you know exactly who you’re hiring. To ensure job applicants are straightforward and forthcoming with their histories, it’s essential to verify their identity.

ShareAble for Hires offers built-in identity verification with each screening package so you know your applicant is who they say they are. Applicants enter their information into the system and answer a series of personal questions to confirm their identity and grant consent to screening.

The process is done entirely online so you can screen whenever it’s most convenient for you. All applications and reports are kept on your employer dashboard so you can manage and refer to applications in one place.

Conclusion

Finding an honest, responsible and trustworthy employee is no simple task, but ShareAble for Hires makes it easier. Make faster, better-informed hiring decisions with ShareAble for Hires pre-employment screening services. With criminal reports, credit histories, and identity verification delivered to you in minutes, you’ll have the information you need to support your hiring decision.

What Do Employers Look For In A Background Check

Many professionals pass difficult job interviews, only for employers to ultimately reject their applications due to what was found during a background check.

With all the time and effort you put into every other aspect of the job-search process, it’s also prudent to learn what a background check entails.

This article will discuss what a background check is and what information employers can and cannot delve into. You’ll also learn what steps you can take to prepare for the process.

Key Takeaways:

• A background check is a way for employers to learn detailed information about a candidate before extending a job offer.

• An employer can check for employment verification, criminal/motor records, and public social media activity.

• An employer is not allowed to check for political affiliation, school records, or medical records.

• When preparing for a background check you should check your own records for any red flags, set social media profiles to private, and just be honest to your employer about anything.

• What Is an Employee Background Check?
• What Employers Can Check During a Background Screening
• What Employers Can’t Check During a Background Screening
• The Employee Background Check Process
• How to Prepare For a Background Check
• Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs

Show More

What Is an Employee Background Check?

Background checks are a standard way for employers to learn detailed information about a candidate before extending them a formal job offer.

Hiring managers can learn a bit about an applicant’s background through their resume and what they divulge during interviews.

However, there’s plenty of missing information that is useful or downright necessary to know before deciding whether a candidate is the right fit.

Hiring, onboarding, and training a new employee can be a costly process. Even with at-will employment, firing a worker can disrupt a business’ operations.

For these reasons, background checks are a useful preliminary tool to identify a potential employee’s red flags before it’s too late.

What Employers Can Check During a Background Screening

Some common pieces of information that employers are legally able to look into are:

1. Employment verification. Applicants who lie about their job history are often immediately disqualified. A prospective employer may call into your previous jobs to ask about your dates of employment, essential duties, and performance.

   However, they’re very unlikely to try and confirm every bullet point in your resume. Employers just want to know that you really worked there and were roughly as useful as you’ve claimed throughout the application process.

2. Education. Most universities have online tools that will allow employers to check if your diploma is real, as well as if your major and years of study match the education section on your resume.

3. Criminal records. The importance of a candidate’s past criminal activity differs from employer to employer. It could be crucial to know for some careers, such as in childcare.

   Whatever the truth is, employers will inevitably learn about it during the background check. For this reason, it’s best to just be forthright with any criminal history you may have.

4. Work eligibility. Employers are legally allowed to ask you to present documents proving your identity and authorization to work in the United States.

5. Credit checks. If an applicant is applying for a financial position and shows a long string of bankruptcies, then they may not be the right individual for the position.

6. Motor vehicle records. If you’re applying to be a truck or taxi driver, an employer will likely want to check if you’ve caused any accidents in the past.

7. Social media activity. There is a complex web of laws that dictate how social media activity can influence an employer’s decision to decline a candidate for a job.

   However, just know that many professionals have lost their jobs due to foul language, hate speech, and other negative material on their social media profiles.

8. Drug or alcohol test. Although this test is technically separate from the background check, it is something that employers may ask you to do. These tests are common if your job involves heavy machinery, driving, or highly technical tasks.

What Employers Can’t Check During a Background Screening

When a company conducts a background check on you, they aren’t allowed to ask, learn, or decline you a job offer based on:

1. Political affiliation. If possible, you should document the incident if your employer even mentions that they know your political views. Unless, of course, you’re personal friends with them and discussed it outside of work.

2. Worker compensation. Companies aren’t allowed to learn about your previous salary until after they extend you a job offer. Even after you’re hired, you should treat it as a red flag if your employer asks about your previous compensation.

3. Disabilities. Just as is the case with political affiliation, employers who are even aware of any physical disabilities that you haven’t willingly disclosed to them are in violation of multiple state and federal employment laws.

   The only way they could indirectly glean this information is by asking you to perform a physical exam. Even then, they’re only allowed to measure if you’re physically able to perform the job’s essential duties, not whether you possess a disability.

4. Various credit/criminal information. Yes, we did mention credit and criminal checks as something that many employers perform during a background screening.

   However, there are many pieces of information that they may not be able to learn, depending on the location of the job. You should look into your state-specific laws if you’re interested, but details that employers generally can’t look into include:

   • Bankruptcies over ten years in the past.

   • Civil suits and arrest records after seven years from date of entry.

   • Accounts placed for collection after seven years.

   • Most other negative information (excluding criminal convictions) after seven years.

5. School records. While a job can verify which school you went to and earned a degree from, they won’t be able to see your full record. They are not able to see the grades you received in your classes. This rule can also go as far back as high school.

6. Military records. An employer can not see a person’s medical records. An individual can disclose that information to a potential employer, but the employer will not be able to know more unless you tell me yourself.

7. Medical records. medical documents are private documents with privacy ensured by the doctor-patient confidentiality. You may disclose any medical problems with your employer if necessary, but they will not be able to access any medical records in a background screening.

The Employee Background Check Process

When conducting a background check on a candidate, employers may choose from two different methods.

These methods are:

1. Use a third-party service. Specialized companies such as iprospectcheck can run an employee background screening on behalf of an employer. Both the employer and the third-party company must follow the background check rules dictated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

   To ensure compliance, employers must:

   • Give notice to the candidate that they will be completing a background check.

   • Obtain the candidate’s consent to perform the background check.

   • Provide the candidate with a copy of the “Summary of Consumer Rights under the FCRA.”

   • Provide the candidate with the name, phone number, and physical address of the agency producing the background check report.

   Additionally, employers must follow the Adverse Action Notification Process (AANP) if they decide to reject a candidate as a result of what was found during their background check.

   This includes sending them a document that explains exactly what information was found that denied them the job, as well as informing them of where they can receive a copy of the report.

   Employers should also include a copy of the most current document titled, “Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.”

2. Do it themselves. Companies may be able to find the information they’re looking for by searching through online databases, public records, and by calling previous employers. However, there are mountains of laws that employers could unwittingly break by conducting a pre-employment check on their own.

   It’s illegal to deny applicants a job or even perform a background check based on factors such as race, gender, or disability. They also should not be asking you any personal questions during the job interview or over the phone.

   Asking a candidate about their medical or financial history can put companies in serious legal trouble, even if it’s information they’ve shared publicly on social media or through other means.

Most reputable employment-screening companies will be able to complete the check within 3-5 days.

This time can range between a few minutes to multiple weeks, depending on factors such as the location of the candidate and county courthouse operations.

How to Prepare For a Background Check

It’s a misconception that you can’t prepare for a background check. There are plenty of steps you can take to improve your chances of passing a pre-employment screening.

The most important ones are to:

1. Review your records. Make sure to obtain copies of your credit report and driving records. This way, you can dispute any incorrect information ahead of time or prepare explanations for details that your employer is likely to ask about, such as major traffic violations.

   You can obtain a free record of your credit report through major credit bureaus such as Equifax and Experian. In some states, you may be able to view your driving records online through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website.

2. Curate your social media profiles or set them to private. Employers may look up your social media profiles to spot any possible red flags. Either delete posts with excessive foul language and questionable pictures or change their privacy settings so that outsiders can’t view them.

3. Prepare records of your previous jobs and academic history. If a company asks to see your college diploma or proof of past employment, you want to be able to hand it over quickly. The longer you wait, the more suspicious they may become of you doctoring documents.

4. Inform your references ahead of time. If you’ve given a prospective employer your references’ contact information, you should let them know they might be called.

   If they’re surprised and called out of the blue, they might not have time to recollect experiences that they’ve had with you. You also need to make sure you have their consent to be a reference in the first place. It would be disastrous for an employer to call a past employer who doesn’t have anything positive to say about you.

5. Be honest. In almost all cases, being honest throughout the application process will save you time and lead to the best results. There’s no point in hiding your criminal history, as employers will doubtlessly look into it after your interview.

   You also don’t want to spend years building a career, only for it to come crashing down when your fraudulent qualifications or employment history are discovered. If an employer turns you down because of your honesty, you can simply move on to the next job listing.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

What might a background check reveal? • BUOM

March 24, 2021

Before you officially begin work, your employer may first require you to go through a selection process. One way to make sure you’re a suitable candidate is to go through a step in the process called a background check. During background checks, the employer can learn a lot about your track record. In this article, we will discuss what can be revealed in a background check to help you prepare for your next background check process.

What is a background check?

Background checks are a common pre-employment screening method that employers use to learn more about a candidate’s background and ensure they hire candidates who align with the company’s values ​​and policies. Although employers use other screening methods such as referrals and recommendations, background checks give them a better idea of ​​your personality. Some companies conduct their own background checks, while others may hire third-party companies to do it for them.

Why do employers use background checks?

Employers use background checks to make sure you are who you say you are. While you can claim that all of the information in your application materials is correct, some employers need to prove that your applications are honest to make sure they can trust you, for security purposes, and to make sure you meet their qualifications. For example, if a company needs a highly skilled person to do a particular job, they want to make sure you’re honest about your authority. Background checks are especially important in industries where employers must trust employees with important assets or sensitive information.

Windows programs, mobile applications, games – EVERYTHING is FREE, in our closed telegram channel – Subscribe 🙂

Although all types of companies require background checks, this method of verification is most often used in the following industries:

• Education: Teachers, administrators, professors

• Home contractors: electricians, plumbers, construction workers

• Financial services: Real estate specialists, accountants, bankers, insurance specialists, financial planners.

• Public service: Administration, police officer, corrections officer.

What can be found in the background check?

The following items may appear in the background check:

Credit report

Although this part of the background check may not be useful for many jobs, employers hiring employees who will handle company money may find a credit report applicable. By looking at your credit report, an employer can see how many accounts you have with creditors and whether you have a bankruptcy history. When looking for someone who can handle money well, employers can use this to determine if you have large debts or spending problems.

Identity check

For background checks, your employer will ask for your social security number. During the verification process, they use databases or services to ensure that the number you provide matches your identity. They can even see other places where you used your social security number before. This step of the verification process also helps employers find out if you have provided them with the correct address. Before applying for a job, you can check if the address on your driver’s license or ID matches your current place of residence.

Convictions

An employer can find out about any previous criminal convictions through a background check. Things like pending charges, misdemeanor convictions, felony convictions, dismissal of charges, and acquitted charges are displayed in this screening process. Having this knowledge is important for companies that have any concerns about liability. Before background checks, the employer may also require you to fill out a form stating if you have any past or pending payments.

Driving record

When applying for a position that requires you to drive heavy machinery or a company vehicle, your employer may check your driving record. For example, employers wishing to hire truck drivers, school bus drivers, or city bus drivers may conduct such background checks. They can see information about any previous accidents you’ve been involved in or tickets you’ve received. From here, the employer can decide whether the candidate is trusted to comply with driving laws during work hours.

Educational History

When an employer requires a candidate to have certain educational experience, employers may do some research to find out if applicants are being truthful about their degrees. Keeping a record of your academic transcripts or diplomas can greatly speed up this process for your potential new employer. If you are a student who has attended multiple schools, let them know about any transfers or changes.

Work history

A background check can prove that you are honest about where you worked. One of the common ways employers do this kind of background check is by contacting your previous employers directly. Prospective employers should ensure that the information you provide on your application materials matches that of your previous employer. If you ever need to remember your seniority, review your old tax forms to accurately remember your employment dates. Similarly, it can be very helpful to keep a master copy of your resume that includes all of your work experience.

Other pre-employment screening methods

Here are some other common ways employers screen candidates before formally offering them a job: is to conduct telephone interviews. Instead of inviting you into the office right away, hiring managers tend to have short phone calls with a large number of candidates before deciding who moves on to the next part of the interview process. During this pre-interview, the hiring manager may ask you basic questions about you and your intentions to apply to their company. When a hiring manager wants to interview you over the phone, prepare for the following questions:

• Tell me a little about yourself.

• How would your previous employer describe you?

• Why are you interested in this position?

• Why should we hire you?

• What do you know about our company?

• What are your strengths?

• What is your weakness?

• What are your career goals?

• What are your salary requirements?

• Do you have any questions for me?

Pre-employment testing

Employers may require candidates to answer a series of questions to measure their competence. These tests can help employers learn more about you and your ability to complete a particular project or task. Here are some common pre-employment tests you may encounter while looking for a job:

• Job Knowledge: Employers use these tests to see if you know enough about the position you are applying for.

• Physical ability tests: These help employers know if you have the strength and stamina to do manual work.

• Personality Tests: When an employer is looking for someone who can fit in with their company culture, they may want to know more about your personality type.

• Emotional intelligence tests: Those who score well on these tests tend to have the skills to build relationships and control their emotions.

• Cognitive ability tests: Employers can find out if you have the cognitive ability to perform tasks that require complex thinking, logic and reasoning.

• Integrity Tests: These tests measure your trustworthiness and integrity, which is important for roles that handle company funds and confidential information.

• Skill Tests: Employers can learn more about your skill set and determine if you have the experience and ability to do a good job.

references

Employers may ask you to list a few professional and personal references they can contact to see what other people have to say about you. When you can find a few people who can vouch for you, it can prove that you are capable of building constructive relationships with others. When employers are looking for a hardworking and efficient employee, they may turn to a previous employer or your manager.

Social media

Employers who want to protect their brand reputation can run your name through a search engine or social media platforms. When posting on social media, be mindful of the content you share and try to keep all content on your platform professional and respectful.

Drug test

The drug test tells employers if you have used any illegal or illicit drugs over a period of time. Companies in the healthcare, education, automotive, manufacturing, public and private security sectors typically test for substances. The most common drug tests that employers use include the following:

• Urinalysis

• Saliva test

• Blood test

• Hair follicle test

  900 22

• Sweating test

• Breathalyzer test

Habr

72% of Russian residents faced security checks during employment, and 74% of candidates for vacancies in the IT field. This is a common practice, but not all job seekers understand what exactly employers are looking for and why. We will talk about this in our article.

Every second company in Russia checks candidates before hiring. In Western organizations, this figure is much higher. According to SHRM statistics, 92% of US employers check not only applicants for open vacancies, but also their current staff: 15% arrange annual checks, 13% – in emergency situations, 10% – when they decide to promote or transfer an employee to another job.

What they check and what they want to find

According to a study by hh.ru, in Russia they most often check information from the applicant’s previous jobs and whether the candidate has a criminal record – these data are of interest to more than 60% of employers. Every second employer examines social media accounts, 46% verify the authenticity of documents, 44% collect data on financial reliability: debts, traffic police fines, bankruptcy, 18% check the candidate’s relatives for a criminal record. Lie detector is used by only 6% of companies.

Organizations employing more than 500 people, much more often than small organizations, check whether a candidate has a criminal record – this is done by 89% of employers, as well as the authenticity of his documents and financial situation. They also use a polygraph – in 11% of cases.

Western countries have a similar practice, but there are some peculiarities. A recent SHRM study found that in the United States, a criminal history check is the most common pre-employment screening. In 2021, candidates were screened as follows:

• 83% of employers – for a criminal record,

• 57% of companies – for drug use,

• 2

• 26% viewed candidates’ social media and collected information about them in search engines,

• 25% clarified the creditworthiness of applicants,

• 7% conducted the so-called honesty test, which assesses the candidate’s propensity to steal, aggression and sabotage.

Why companies need this information

Hiring mistakes cost companies a fortune. According to the American Association of Personnel Management, the total cost of hiring and adapting a new employee can reach 200% of his annual salary.

According to a CareerBuilder study, 75% of US employers lose an average of $17,000 per wrong hire. A third of companies believe they are making the wrong choice due to over-reliance on applicants who provide false information about their skills and qualifications. Employers have grounds for such statements. According to the American consulting company Checkster, 78% of candidates lie when applying for a job:

• 60% of applicants exaggerate their skill level,

• 50% overestimate their experience,

• 49% falsify exam scores,

  90 022

• 41% promote themselves at their previous job,

• 40% lie that they studied at a prestigious university,

• 33% lie about their achievements.

Alexander Vysotsky

Founder of the international EdTech-IT company in the field of education Visotsky Consulting

In our company, the security service starts checking only if the candidate has successfully completed the test task, passed the final interview with the manager, and we plan to put him on a trial period. We usually ask the applicant for contacts of three former managers in advance for recommendations. We learn the following from them:

• what position the candidate held,

• how successfully he coped with his duties,

• what specific achievements and results of his work,

• how well this person had professional skills and knowledge,

• why they broke up.

Next, we check candidates through a special service of counterparties “Kontur.focus”. We are usually interested in whether the applicant participated in bankruptcy proceedings, whether he has unpaid legal claims, except for minor traffic police fines, whether he participated in court cases as a defendant. If you participated more than three times, then we start to have questions. We are also interested in whether the candidate is engaged in a competing type of activity.

There were practically no cases when we refused for the above reasons. But once they did not listen to the recommendations from the former employer and very much regretted it. We were told that the employee leads an unhealthy lifestyle. But we took a chance and took it for a trial period. We work remotely, we use the Time Doctor program, which takes screenshots. We saw that the employee smoked weed during working hours and sent videos and photos of the process to friends. Our company has a loyal system: first we make a remark, and only then we proceed to more decisive actions. But we said goodbye to this employee immediately.

In a Resumelab study, 93% of respondents said they knew people whose resumes contained false information, and 56% of respondents themselves distorted the facts:

• 25% exaggerated their work experience,

• 21% came up with official duties,

• 16% overestimated the experience,

• 15% exaggerated the level of skills,

• 10% told lies about the level of income.

Most often, false data was found in the resumes of people who work in business, finance and IT. Education workers were less likely than others to distort information about themselves.

The most common reason for cheating, which occurs among a third of applicants, is a long period of unemployment; 18% of candidates lied because they thought they would not get caught. 17% believed that they were not qualified enough for the chosen position, another 17% wanted to receive a higher salary.

All this explains the desire of employers to carefully check applicants. But sometimes employers look for background facts that aren’t on the resume, but that might be incompatible with certain jobs. Fraud convictions, debts, and bankruptcy are barriers to work related to the management of a company’s financial assets. Also, checks are carried out to make a psychological portrait of the candidate. To do this, HR managers monitor social networks.

Maria Kharchenko

HR Director of the accounting service “Button”

We study all candidates, whether they are cleaners or developers, for administrative and criminal offenses. During the interview, we ask the candidate a direct question: is there something in his biography that a security check will reveal? We understand that in a person’s life there could be moments of crisis, difficulties with paying loans, or something like that. And it is the reaction to this question that tells us more than the test itself. If an employee confesses to offenses, and the Security Council confirms his words, we understand that he is honest with us. In this case, we can accept him for work, even taking into account the ambiguous results of the check. But if the candidate is deceiving from the very beginning, he has no chance of getting into our company.

Once we had to turn down a qualified developer. We asked him the same question. He assured us that everything was in order, and the check revealed a six-figure debt to banks. We asked why he didn’t warn us. The candidate called the debt a trifle that he did not remember during the interview. For us, this is an indicator of the reliability of a specialist. If a six-figure debt is a trifle for him, then how will he treat confidential information, material values, his own and others’ mistakes?

But honesty does not always guarantee a candidate a place in our company. We can turn a blind eye to minor offenses, such as failure to pay a traffic police fine, a one-time missed loan payment, or facts from the past of relatives of the candidate. But multiple offenses always strain. We cannot afford to consider such applicants, because working in an accounting service requires access to personal and financial data of clients. We have very strict criteria for selecting employees.

The past is not a sentence

Not always an imperfect biography becomes an obstacle to employment. In 2021, 85% of HR managers and 81% of US executives said that employees with a criminal record perform as well or even better than employees without a criminal record.

68% of HR managers said they value the candidate’s professional qualities more than the background spots,

53% of HR professionals said they are ready to hire people with criminal records0003

47% of HR managers and 38% of company executives believe that people should be given a chance to return to normal life by providing them with jobs,

41% of HR managers believe that asking such questions is tactless.

Security personnel make decisions based on limited information about the candidate. Therefore, mistakes in our work are inevitable. We recently hired a person for one of the leading positions in the company. He admitted that he had lived in the United States illegally for three years. He tried to emigrate, but he did not manage to make documents, so he returned to Russia. We were unable to verify the history of his stay in the United States and advised the management not to take such an applicant, since he had to work with documents of special secrecy. The management decided otherwise: the company requested references from former employers, they were positive, and the managers hired a person. And they did the right thing, the employee turned out to be trustworthy, and suspicions were in vain. And that’s okay. Our job is to advise, not make the final decision.

Security officer of a federal digital company who asked not to be identified

What the laws say 65 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. The authenticity of these documents can be verified through open databases.

The originality of the passport – on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, TIN – through the website of the Federal Tax Service, diploma of education – in an educational institution. The candidate requests a criminal record certificate independently from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Information about enforcement proceedings can be found on the website of the bailiffs.

The applicant may also be asked to fill out a questionnaire, which sometimes includes questions that are not directly related to professional competencies: about the working biography of parents, dual citizenship, attitudes towards alcohol and drugs. In order to start processing such a questionnaire, the employer is obliged to obtain written permission from the candidate in accordance with Part 2 of Art. 13.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

The employer does not have the right to refuse employment because of information obtained during the test, which is not related to the professional qualities of the candidate.