In today’s job environment, job seekers have to hit the ground running. And human resources are always trying to stay one step ahead, to get to the truth about candidates.
One of the first things a job seeker usually does will be to try to clean up their social networking profiles; they will be frantically deleting embarrassing photos, offensive language and information that could make judgment and character an issue with employers.
They hope and pray that this will be enough to protect their online reputation from mistakes that should rightly be buried. Unfortunately, that may not be enough.
Human resources departments now look a little deeper than just a social media footprint when recruiting and hiring job candidates. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), employers now have the right to request consumer and credit reports before hiring you, even as a contract employee.
What things will a human resources department see when they perform a credit check on you?
In this infographic from LawQA.com, there is now a better answer. It shows you exactly what is and is not counted in these consumer and credit reports, as well as background checks.
Some things they won’t get in these reports:
- Medical or health records
- Information, such as taxes and collections, from seven years ago or more (however, that does not include criminal records—they will appear in most background checks!)
- Purged convictions
Even though, this leaves an enormous chunk of data in the hands of potential employers! Many of this data can be used to make the hiring decision. In a recent report from CBS News, human resources pros often look for five pieces of information from background checks or similar credit and consumer reports:
- Education
- Licensing verification
- Credit history
- Employment verification
- Criminal history
By reading this infographic carefully, you can learn exactly what information a human resources department can obtain on you. You can also perform a background check on yourself (Ovation Technologies provides a criminal background check for only $20!), checking for mistakes, erroneous information and other things that can be corrected, before it is too late!
Infographic after the jump…
Now that you know, you can see human resources can receive a pretty perceptive look into your past. Not every employer or human resources department will call for these reports, but many do. Keep in mind, employers cannot discriminate against you based on information in these reports, unless the info will directly impact the performance of the job.
Have background checks, credit or consumer reports ever prevented you from getting a job? We would like to know! Join the conversation in the comments below!
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