What Job Seekers Need to Know About Background Checks
Sometimes it’s simply signing your name to consent that the potential employer will pull XYZ files; other times it’s completing drug or other tests before moving forward in the hiring process.
Most candidates in the job market simply comply with whatever is asked of them during this process. I mean, who wants to say “no” to a potential employer?
Yet, saying “no” could possibly protect your privacy in some cases. Research has shown time and time again that employers fail to comply with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines when conducting background checks.
So, to offer more insight on the trends in today’s background searches, global employment screening resource EmployeeScreenIQ has released a new report. The “The Unvarnished Truth: 2014 Top Trends in Employment Background Checks,” details employers’ practices when conducting background searches—key pieces of information that job seekers should know to better understand what is and what is not acceptable in this part of the hiring process.
Shall we dive in?
Key Findings
More than Your Record
Almost half (45%) of employers surveyed said that job candidates with criminal records are not hired due to their indiscretions a mere 5 percent of the time or less. This means that a bad record isn’t the only thing that can hinder an applicant from moving forward in the hiring process.
According to the report, similar past survey results,” this finding again supports employers’ longstanding assertions that they often look beyond an applicant’s criminal past and that qualifications, references, and interviewing skills also greatly influence hiring decisions.”
What does this mean? 1) Don’t automatically discount yourself just because you have a criminal record. How you perform in other areas may be the difference between you moving forward or not.
Know Your Rights
The report revealed that 66 percent of employers continue to ask candidates to self-disclose past criminal convictions on job applications, with 78 percent asking at some point during the hiring process. “This continues despite the EEOC’s recommendation to refrain from asking for self-disclosure on the job application in addition to state and municipal laws that outright ban the practice,” the report says.
Know your rights. It’s easy to be hesitant about skipping seemingly “required” information on a job application. But, depending on your state’s laws, you may not have to fill out certain areas pertaining to background checks.
“If a particular state or jurisdiction has banned employers from asking the question on the application, they simply can’t ask it on the application. They can however ask it later in the process and the candidate should absolutely answer honestly,” explains an EmployeeScreenIQ worker.
Know your state’s and jurisdiction’s laws when it comes to background checking. If laws do ban employers from asking these questions on job applications, you don’t have to answer them. Yet, always be honest if the question is asked later down the line (and permitted by law to be asked on the job application) to avoid issues with falsifying your application.
Side note: The laws I’m addressing in this section of the article don’t pertain to background checks, just self-disclosure of information. Although you don’t necessarily have to disclose this information on the job application (depending on the state/jurisdiction), the report said that employers do appreciate knowing and only 8 percent of respondents indicated that job candidates are automatically disqualified when they self-disclose a criminal conviction prior to an employment background check.
Organizational Violations
The report notes that nearly 40 percent of employers do not send pre-adverse action notices to candidates who are not hired based in part on a criminal conviction. And this, the report explains, is a direct violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a federal statute, and puts organizations at risk for class action lawsuits and other legal actions.
Keep this information in mind, especially if you have a criminal record. If you are denied for a job and don’t receive a notice, you may have a lawsuit on your hands (or should I say the employer’s hands?).
Monitor Your LinkedIn Profile
Of the 38 percent of employers who do social media/online background checks, 80 percent check LinkedIn. Make sure your profile is professional and up to date.
Be Honest
The point of a background check is to ensure a candidate is being truthful of his/her background. Don’t lie on your resume; it will only prevent your chances of being hired.
The report found that half of all respondents reject 90 percent or more candidates when lies are discovered on their resumes. And another 23 percent of employers estimate they hire candidates only 11-20 percent of the time after finding resume distortions.