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What do Employers Look for in a Background Check

Puja Lalwani
Background check includes your criminal history, credit rating, qualification details, work experience.
Finding the right job has been difficult, but you've finally found something you know you will be able to do well. The pay also seems right. However, not everything depends on your choice, as several companies perform detailed background checks to ensure that they are hiring the right candidate for the job.
It is natural, as the company's profile and future is at stake, and it largely depends on the kind of employee it hires. If you want to clear the background check without any hassles, here's a detailed look into the process, that will help you furnish the right information and ensure that the job is yours.

Why is it Necessary?

A background check is performed by a company to check your credibility as an employee. One may consider it to be an invasion of one's privacy, however, some part of this process is essential on part of the employer.
There are federal laws that put a limit on the details that can be drawn from the process.

  • This process is vital when as an employee, you are required to be trusted with sensitive information, or to deal with important financial transactions. To ensure that you are trustworthy enough to be able to handle such a position, it is crucial to conduct the process.
  • Even generally, a certain amount of trust is required on the employee, to ensure that you will be able to live up to, and uphold the reputation of the company you will be part of.
  • The number of cases of fraud are on the rise. A lot of people are not honest about their qualifications or other such details on their resume. This may be because of the severe competition, as well as due to the lack of availability of good jobs. To ensure that such a situation is evaded, a background check becomes essential.

What Companies Look for in this Process?

Several companies require you to fill out specific forms that will help them conduct this process. It is your job to fill out the form honestly, and provide genuine details if you really want the job.
Any failure on your part to provide authentic information will lead them to believe that you are a dishonest person, and you may ultimately have to lose your potential job.

Personal Information

The personal information you provide to a company when applying for a position there is verified by the company. Your identity and your educational qualifications are all verified. For this purpose, transcripts will be collected from your college, to ensure that you actually possess a degree you claim to hold.

Professional Information

Based on the information provided regarding your employment history, details are extracted regarding your salary, date of joining and resigning, and also your position.
In addition, you are required to provide at least 2 references, who will be able to speak about your professionalism on the job, the kind of impact you have left behind on your company, your management style, communication skills, and your general attitude towards work. Some companies may even require you to produce an employment verification letter.

Criminal Record

An employer is likely to check if you have any kind of criminal record. Criminal background checks include details regarding any type of conviction, on account of felony or any other charges, driving records to check for any violations, arrests without conviction, and the possibility of your presence in the sex offenders registry.

Credit Report & Financial Status

Your credit report will be checked in order to draw out details of your current financial status by looking into civil judgments, mortgages and debts, tax lien, charge-offs, and a record of multiple collections.
Employers may consider the fact that, if you are plagued by financial problems, it may lead to certain misdeeds on the job. To conduct a check into this, they may require your authorization.

Social Security Number

The verification of a social security number is important to establish that you are legally permitted to work in the United States. Also, whether or not the social security number is genuine is looked into.
As mentioned earlier, the key to clearing any kind of background check and getting a job is honesty. You ought to make sure that you provide the right information to them. Any false information will not only affect your possibility to get the job, but will also affect your reputation as a potential employee for any company.