What is a background check?
A background check is simply a process that an organization or person uses to verify that an unidentified individual is really who they claim to be. This allows an individual to examine and verify the credibility and past, education, criminal record, and other details. This verification process is used not only by individuals and organizations alike, but also by financial and government institutions like banks and even rental companies to ensure that the people they are renting the properties to are indeed who they say they are. This not only helps save the renter money but also gives renters peace of mind because everything they need to know about the people they live with is in the information available to them.
When a person applies for anything, such as a loan, a lease, a credit card, or even a job, one of the most important details they are required to provide is their full name. Most applicants will provide only their first name, but it is vital that the full name is included because this is the detail which will give lenders the ability to verify the full name of the person. If you apply for a job in reception and the human resources manager requires that you provide a social security card, this is the information that will be cross-verified against your name. While most applicants do not realize it, all background checks are made using this very simple step. These background checks are used to verify transactions that occur every day.
Credit History. Background checks will use a person’s credit history to verify their identity. The reasoning behind this is quite simple; if you are applying for a job and the human resource manager only wants to hire individuals that have a good credit score, then you are not going to pass their qualifications. On the flip-side, if you are applying for employment as a receptionist and the company only wants to verify your work history, then having a good credit score is going to do just fine.
Where Do Background Checks Come From? When someone asks what background checks are, another question is how they are done. The information that is pulled from the applicant’s credit history is pulled from publicly accessible sources. This includes everything from court filings to public records. Background checks will reveal if an applicant has been convicted of drug possession or cultivation.
What does a background check include employment records? Yes. Every company must conduct a nationwide search of its employees to verify the information. This means that everything that pertains to a prospective employee’s complete and current employment records will be cross verified. This includes criminal records, past employment records and many other records. When a company performs a nationwide search, it can obtain anything that pertains to an applicant from past employment records to driving records and so much more.
Can I be depicted while working? Some people assume that they cannot be because of their full names. This is false. Although it may take several job applications to be listed, even if one is denied, there are still options to obtain information from the background check of another employee. Usually it will require more than one background check to get the full name of an applicant with a criminal history.
What is a Background Check? And How Many References Does It Take? While references are often part of background checks, not all references are used. Some employers will conduct a verification full name search to find out what a potential candidate’s previous workplaces and/or education level have been. Other times, companies only use reference checks as a means of verifying information provided by a potential candidate. In the case of applicant verification, a company may request a complete history of employment, criminal history reports, and so on.
How Do Background Checks Work? While many people assume that criminal background checks only apply to felonies and DWI charges, this is not the case. Employers and companies do all kinds of background checks. Some even check for previous addresses. Background checks can also be done on applicants based upon their hobbies and educational achievements. While the process may seem complicated, most background checks only require the name, age, sex, date of birth, social security number, and date of employment for an individual to be able to verify information about them.
