What to Expect During a Background Check for a Job

Background checks are a common part of the hiring process. If you’re looking for a job and your prospective employer has mentioned wanting to do a background check, you may be wondering what they mean and what the process looks like. Read on for answers to common questions about background checks for jobs:

• What is a background check and why is it being performed?
• Do all jobs do background checks?
• How long does a background check take for a job?
• Does getting a background check mean you’re hired?
• What happens after a background check?

What is a background check and why is it being performed?

When an employer says they want to do a background check, they mean they want to have an outside agency look for information about a candidate to make sure that a candidate is the person they claim to be and that they have the qualifications they say they do. They also want to find out if the candidate has done anything in the past which could prove to be a problem for them as a business.

For some positions, background checks are also required by law. Research from hr.com indicates that the top reasons surveyed employers gave for performing them are protecting the safety of employees and customers (83%), improving the quality of hires (51%), and because they’re mandated by laws/regulations (40%).

Depending on what the company is interested in, background checks might look for different things. Workable offers this list of commonly-reviewed information:

• Employment history
• Education verification
• License/Certification check
• Criminal history
• Driving records
• Credit check
• Drug screening
• Social media activity
• Identity

Not every interview process involves a background check, but they are extremely common. While they may or may not perform background checks on every applicant, SHRM reports that 92% of organizations utilize background checks in some way, with most of them performed during the interview process. While less common, a few employers (15%) perform them again annually, and 10% do background checks when current employees change positions or receive a promotion.

How long does a background check take for a job?

The amount of time it takes for background check results to return can vary depending on the speed of the services involved and the details your potential employer are interested in. For example, checkr advertises turnaround times of 1-5 days for most of their background checking services, but some can take more or less time.

Does getting a background check mean you’re hired?

A prospective employer doing a background check on you isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get hired. However, it can be a sign that the employer is taking you seriously as a candidate. Indeed suggests that a background check is frequently performed towards the end of the hiring process. In a 2020 report, hr.com indicated that a full two thirds of employers wait until after issuing a conditional job offer to conduct a background check. When that’s the case, it’s often the final hurdle you’ll have to clear before being officially accepted.

What happens after a background check?

Hopefully, the background check triggers little or no discussion and is promptly forgotten about. If the background check reveals nothing objectionable or that they consider worthy of their attention, the hiring manager may not mention it at all, or may mention that it came back and looked fine.

Conversely, if it reveals problems with your past behavior, it could cause the interviewer to lose interest. For example this might happen if the check reveals criminal convictions that preclude you from that specific job as a matter of policy, or if the check reveals fraudulent behavior on your part (for example, claiming to have received a diploma from a school that you never attended). Standards vary, and they may or may not explain their reasoning for dropping a candidate in such situations.

A third possibility could involve discussing any emergent issues with the candidate before they make a final decision. This might be more common than you think – about a third of Americans have some kind of criminal record, but this doesn’t necessarily keep them from securing employment. If anything came up in your background check that causes concern, the interviewer might still be willing to hire you after discussing it with you.

Background checks in summary

Background checks are a common part of today’s interview process. They’re used to screen candidates and confirm their identity and qualifications. Job-seekers should expect to encounter requests to have them performed and, if necessary, to discuss any concerns that may arise from them.

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