subject: What Does a Background Check Company Do? [print this page] What Does a Background Check Company Do? What Does a Background Check Company Do?
When your background is screened in the hiring process, what does a background check company do? Investigating an individual's background is an extensive process, one that involves researching names, addresses, work history, education, and criminal records and this is only for a basic check. Because a human resources department has other duties, background checks for employment are outsourced to a separate company. A background check company offers a large range of services. On a basic level, employment history and education are verified, and criminal records on the state and town level are pulled. An employer, however, may want more information and will request that a background check company conduct a thorough investigation.
A background check company, as a first step in an investigation, searches for all names and addresses used over a particular period of time, and a social security number assists with this. This information not only verifies your identity but it also helps with finding more about your background in an investigation. Addresses, more specifically, help narrow down criminal records, and for a basic background check, records at the town and state level from all places you have lived are pulled.
For certain positions, such as caretaking or teaching, more thorough criminal history is requested, and your fingerprints are compared with a national database.
Verifying your identity also assists with finding more about your education and work history. Because of the economy, those looking for jobs may feel their experience is not sufficient and stretch the truth or make up false degrees, work experience, and references. A candidate may seem good on paper and in an interview but he or she may just be a good salesman with a poor product. A background check company looks into your employment history and education over a certain period and gathers information about degrees, GPAs, skills, titles, and salaries. The employer compares this information to that in a resume or application.
A background check company can do more, however. An employer may request credit history, driving records, a reference check, or drug test. Out of these, credit history is the most controversial, and some states have laws against employers requesting this information. 60 percent of all hiring employers do examine credit history, and if you are applying to any job involving handling money, regardless of career level, prepare to have your credit history pulled. Because identity theft can show up on a credit report, request yours ahead of an interview to check for inaccuracies, and if any are found, dispute them ahead of time.
