Why Personal Background Checks Are Important Before Being Employed

Globally, companies are always on the lookout for trustworthy employees and prospective hires to manage their sensitive information. These prospective hires, as potential representatives of the organization would also carry the company’s reputation with them. 

When making a hiring decision, organizations rely on various methods that allow them to make an informed call. For example, they may have detailed interview processes that assess a candidate’s mettle and integrity. In addition to this, it has also become a widespread practice for these companies to also run background checks. 

These background checks are a crucial step in evaluating the risk of bringing a new person on board the organization and allow the organization to make an educated hiring decision. Conducting a criminal history search that is tailored to the requirements of the position not only helps to lessen the chances of an on-the-job incident but can also help organizations avoid or defend potential negligent hiring lawsuits.

With this in mind, career experts recommend that individuals run personal background checks on themselves to see what information an employer may stumble upon during this screening process. 

Once this information is acquired, the candidate can take steps to navigate this process. In essence, by checking your background, you can prepare yourself for questions or identify any mistakes in your information. Read on to find out about the important uses for a personal background check. 

Why You Should Do a Personal Background Check

There are numerous benefits of conducting a personal background check. As mentioned previously, the most cited reason is that it is useful to know what information pops up when a prospective employer decides to screen you. This practice is one that they would lean on to help provide insights into your past activities. 

For example, some employers have strict policies on prior convictions. Thus, knowing what a potential employer may see when running a background check on you might help you assess and decide which organizations you should apply to, based on their company policy and your qualifications.

In addition to the above, if there is something in your records that you worry may affect your eligibility as a viable candidate, you can develop an explanation that provides more context or helps the employer understand the situation better. 

In addition to this, organization surveys have concluded that a prospective hire performing a personal background check and explaining the steps they have since taken to rectify the issues highlighted in said check indicates a higher level of proactivity and honesty.

Conducting a personal background check also allows the individual to gain the necessary insights to begin the expungement process if the background check indicates a crime or felony. An expungement is a type of legal proceeding in which a first-time offender of a prior criminal conviction seeks that the records of that earlier process be sealed or destroyed, making the records unavailable to the general public. The types of felonies that can be expunged in some states vary from others, but this is a useful piece of information to keep in mind. 

In the same vein, you can correct any mistakes that you come by while reviewing your records. These errors could vary from incorrect details on your resume (such as your education or employment history) to false court cases pending against you. Depending on the errors you come by you can take steps to correct them with the concerned department, site, or organization. 

When Should You Conduct a Background Check?

Experts opine that individuals should run a personal background check at the time of putting together their resumes so they can crosscheck information that is publicly available accordingly. The resumes would provide a checklist of sorts that can be used to corroborate information that might be available in the public domain. 

Who Will Perform the Personal Background Checks?

There is no standard background check per se, and this process can vary based on the employer or position. Typically, an organization would run a background check as one of the final steps before hiring. 

When conducted correctly, an organization would partner with a background check company that complies with the law and does not breach the law in any manner. These companies would have a comprehensive and legally sound background check policy in place.

What Should I Look for When Choosing a Service Provider?

Many companies offer pre-employment background screening services. When picking a background check service provider, ensuring that the company is well versed with the process is critical. This means that the company must be aware of the sources to turn to and understand what information may be inaccurate. The services that they offer are legally compliant and the information they provide to you would be accurate and up to date.

The Types of Records You Can Find by Doing a Personal Background Check

Where you conduct your background check and the sources you look into will determine the kinds of records that you can find. Depending on jurisdictions and the privacy laws of the land, examples of the information in background checks include criminal records, educational history, credit history, social media history, work authorizations, etc. 

How Much Does It Cost?

Costs for these background checks vary based on the type of check run, but basic criminal background screenings could be anywhere between $20 to $100 per candidate. 

Important Uses for A Personal Background Check – Bottomline

The digital age has increased the average person’s access to all forms of information rapidly. Now, although the jury is still out on whether this powerful access is a boon or bane, we cannot deny its value. With just a few clicks, it is easy to review specific data about individuals, or more importantly yourself. Forewarned is forearmed, so ensure that you run a personal background on yourself to prepare for possible queries that come your way at your next place of work.