What Does an Employment Background Check Consist Of?

By Ryan Sommers

Employment Background Check (BGC) is becoming very common nowadays. Not only employers, but employees too are conducting background checks before joining a company. An employer may conduct an employment background check at any time; it can be pre-employment, periodic employment check, promotional check.

Increasing Demand

There are multiple reasons for the rapid rise in employment background checks and employers no longer rely on blind instinct.. Negligence in hiring is a reason; if an employee hurts anyone in the company it becomes the employer's liability, this has become the reason for them to be cautious. One negligence can make the company suffer from bad reputation, lose wealth and business.

Data theft is one of the biggest concerns of any company, one the company hires an individual, and he can access critical information with which that individual can easily harm a company's reputation. In addition, increasing terrorist attacks, incidents like 9/11 in the US and more recently in Mumbai have resulted in strict security policies and Identity verifications.

Client Requirement

Most clients outsourcing their business to venders have agreement for background verification check of every employee who will work for the project. However, if there is nothing to hide, then a background check should not be matter of concern. However, some may not be comfortable with the fact that outsiders should be investigating into their personal affairs.

Aspects Probed

An employment background check can have a multiple verification requirements, starting from verifying social security number to complete details of a potential employee. Initial check consists of current & previous address, previous employment, educational certification, criminal records, drug addiction, driving records, character references, credit records, medical records, sex offender lists, etc. It is even heard that off late employers are searching social networking sites like Orkut, facebook for individual profiles.

However, there are some codes of law for background verification checks, though this only applies to background checks done by outsiders commonly called "consumer reporting agency" by the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. This law is not applicable if the background checks are done in-house.

Consumer Report

A "consumer report" or background check report cannot contain bankruptcy report more than ten years, civil suits & judgments, arrests after seven years, paid tax liens after seven years, disputed or accounts which were placed for collection after seven years, any other negative details cannot be reported after seven years, though there are no limits for reporting criminal records. An employer can ask for any details about a potential employee, there are no restrictions on it.

Importance

A recent survey has confirmed that more than 60 per cent of job seekers present false data to make their profile look impressive and mostly it's about their educational background. Hiding criminal or civil cases are also another instance. Showing or not showing some falls or any previous employment. It has been noticed that many consultancies create vague companies to show experience.

To avoid this kind of misinterpreted data background check is very essential for every employer. Through appropriate information provided by proper background checks, employers immensely reduce legal and employee problems - making a more careful, proper applicant screening process.

Ryan Sommers is the editor of consumers-guides.org - A guide that reviews and rates the [http://www.consumers-guides.org/backgroundcheckreviews/]best online background check services.

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