When do potential employers do background checks

They may be checking to verify that all of your experience listed matches your employment history records. Many job seekers "stretch" their employment history dates to avoid having gaps on their resumes. This isn't a good idea because if the job candidate's background check reveals something different in their work history, employers may see that as a red flag and may reject your application.

If this applies to you, check out our advice on dealing with employment gaps on a resume. During the employment screening, the employer may also verify that you earned the degree s listed on your resume or application. Lying about your education is a serious offense that could get you in trouble so ensure that the education section of your resume is accurate and up to date.

This is straightforward: most employers will check your criminal record before making an offer. The employer may also check your credit history if the position will allow you to have any sort of financial authority. According to the FTC , here are some things employers are not allowed to check for when conducting a background screening on a candidate:.

Civil suits, civil judgments, and arrest records, after seven years from the date of entry. Accounts placed for collection after seven years. Any other negative information except criminal convictions after seven years. The big takeaway?

Doing so will help you maintain compliance, save money and give candidates a more positive experience with your organization. Want to learn more about our background screening services? Let's talk. There are other types of information on the pre-employment background checks that iprospectcheck provides for which the time restrictions do not apply.

For example, the FCRA does not limit how long employment verification information, education information, or credentials information can be reported. How you conduct a background check will affect how much it costs. Most states have central repositories for criminal records and allow employers to submit signed authorizations from applicants to secure the information for a fee.

The information that you find might be inaccurate and not up-to-date. But more importantly, free background check services often fail to meet the legal requirements, like those set by the FCRA we mentioned earlier. The best alternative is to work with a qualified background check provider like iprospectcheck. We offer several different packages to meet the needs of our clients as well as add-on reports. For businesses that need from 25 to 50 pre-employment background checks per year, our prices are as follows:.

These prices do not include set-up fees or third-party fees that might be incurred. If your company anticipates needing employment background reports at a high volume, you can contact us for a quote. When you decide to conduct pre-employment background checks with the help of a third-party consumer reporting agency, it is critical for you to choose the right one.

If you rely on an unreliable vendor, it could expose you to potential lawsuits from your applicants and increase the risks of negligent hiring liability. Here are some tips for choosing the most reliable background check provider. Third-party consumer reporting agencies that perform education verification services must comply with the mandates of the Fair Credit Reporting Act when they gather and report information about applicants to employers and other state-specific and local laws and regulations.

Some third-party providers do not follow the laws governing employment background checks and might return inaccurate, outdated, unreliable information. Working with them can expose you to substantial liability if you rely on the information they provide.

At iprospectcheck, we stay current with all of the applicable laws and fully comply with the requirements of the FCRA. You should choose a background check provider that is able to return accurate, complete reports. This requires the provider to have the skills and resources needed to perform comprehensive background checks.

At iprospectcheck, we have extensive access to many different reliable databases and the necessary skills and training to return accurate and complete background check reports to our clients.

If you look online, you might find vendors that promise to provide instant reports for free. However, these vendors often return inaccurate, out-of-date, and unreliable information that does not comply with the relevant laws.

Using these types of services can result in lawsuits from your applicants. Some employers try a do-it-yourself approach to checking the backgrounds of their applicants.

Trying this can take weeks, and most employers cannot afford delays in hiring decisions caused by lengthy background checks. With this method, you also might not obtain comprehensive information about your applicants.

When you work with iprospectcheck, you can benefit from our advanced research methods and extensive resources. We are able to return reports in as little as a few hours. Depending on your industry, there might be specific regulations that apply to the hiring process. This makes it important to ask any prospective background check provider about its understanding of your industry and the applicable laws and regulations.

When you conduct employment background checks, you must ensure that the sensitive information you handle is protected. Any provider you choose should have stringent protocols for protecting the privacy and security of your sensitive data.

Good providers should use strong encryption technology and should anonymize any personally identifying information they receive. They also should not offshore their background checking services overseas. These types of protections can help to prevent security and data breaches.

Look online to read the testimonials and reviews provided by former and current clients. You can also look for information about the experiences applicants have had when working with the company. Many have opted to use iprospectcheck. At iprospectcheck, we are fully FCRA-compliant and stay current with all applicable regulations and laws.

We have experience completing employment background checks for companies in every state across a broad range of industries, and we feature fast turnaround times of as little as a few hours. The information we provide is comprehensive and accurate, and we have broad access to advanced technological resources and databases to quickly find the information you need.

Finally, we do not offshore our pre-employment background check services and strive to protect the sensitive information of our customers. Doing pre-employment background checks on potential employees is a valuable step in ensuring you are hiring the right candidate for the job. Are you ready to start running FCRA-compliant background screenings on your potential employees? When you partner with iprospectcheck, you can be confident you are receiving the most information at the best price.

Contact us today to learn more about our background check packages and to get a free consultation. And be sure to share this article with colleagues so they can learn how to conduct compliant and efficient pre-employment background checks. Consult your counsel if you have legal questions related to your specific practices and compliance with applicable laws. Thank you! You are now a Monster member—and you'll receive more content in your inbox soon.

By continuing, you agree to Monster's privacy policy , terms of use and use of cookies. Search Career Advice. Advice Workplace Starting a Job. Ways to Fail a Background Check for Employment A background check for a job is more than likely in your future. Learn the common deal breakers for employers. Daniel Bortz, Monster contributor. A background check for employment is customary for many jobs. Related Articles. Browse articles by Find The Right Career Path. Professional Development.

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