I decided on this topic well before George O’Leary made such a serious gaffe as letting erroneous degrees and incorrect information stand when he agreed to go to Notre Dame. Shame on George for not correcting his own record. And a big embarrassment for Notre Dame not to do its own independent background checking.

If you’re a job applicant in this day and age of electronic checking, a good HR person or recruiter will make exhaustive background checks. Good companies will go the extra mile to check on your recommendations in a variety of creative ways. More than two-thirds of companies conduct some kind of background searches on prospective hires, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, including more than 80 percent of Fortune 1000 companies.

The growth is coming from large companies seeking more complete checks and small and medium-size companies that are using them for the first time.

Now more than ever, it is critical to make sure that your background won’t raise red flags for potential employers. No longer are employers going to be deluded by fancy degrees, patents, significant business accomplishments, and a pleasant demeanor. The prevailing post 9.11 attitude these days is that most successful embezzlers, thieves, moles, and terrorists are most often the least likely suspects.

As Elizabeth Van Ella, CEO of Van Ella and Associates, a 30-year-old background investigation firm based in Chicago, recently told the Washington Post, "Seventy-five percent of all resumes have at least one major falsification. Most states now uphold the Negligent Hiring Doctrine. This doctrine legally recognizes that an employer is responsible for, and can be held accountable for, checking the background and references of any job applicant before placing that applicant in a position of high public contact."

Some activist employer associations are asking that extensive background checks be required for many different kinds of workers, including truck drivers (particularly those who haul hazardous materials), shipping-company employees, private pilots, limousine drivers, construction workers and security guards (especially at nuclear plants). Credit checks are almost always conducted on applicants for accounting and financial positions.

Depending on the responsibilities associated with your new position, there are various levels of background checks. Here is the kind of information that you need to be ready to verify in writing:

Verification of identity. Are you who you claim to be? Individuals who can’t show a recent passport or driver’s license or their social security card often carry out workplace fraud.

County/State level criminal checks. Is there any criminal history in your past that you may have to explain?

Employment history. Are there unexplained gaps in your employment history that may cause suspicion by an employer? Document your dates of employment, titles held, full or part-time status, salaries obtained, and the reason(s) for leaving.

Credit history. This is most important for persons who may be responsible for handling cash or transferring funds.

Motor vehicle record. This is essential for anyone required to drive as part of his or her job description.

Federal/District Criminal Records. Federal criminal offenses are public records that certainly need full explanations.

Degrees/Education. Can you supply transcripts for the degrees that you have from the schools that you have attended? Falsification of education records is potentially an indicator of other issues that interviewers will be addressing.

Personal/Professional references. Is there anything in your past work behavior that may be a "red flag" in hiring for the current position? An example would be giving references who do not return an interviewer’s phone calls or who are reluctant to give full explanations of your previous employment.

Professional licenses/certification. It’s important to provide copies of all certificates that you’ve completed in order to document all of your achievements and efforts in continuing education.

Military records. Is there anything in your military history that requires further investigation?

Other. Drug screening is required in the construction industry and many others. Some employers will check on public notices of bankruptcy or liens that you may have had.

There are no easy resources online to double check that your record is clean. I’d recommend your using "background check" or other pertinent keywords on http://www.google.com or http://www.northernlight.com to find free databases of public information where your name may appear.

Feel free to contact me re questions or concerns about the Brave New World of background checking. Next month we’ll focus on how to effectively use boomeranging in your favor. In the meantime, I can be reached at jlommel@WorkforceAssociates.com

Happy New Year and happy job search!

Other NetWorking with Jane Lommel columns

Home

---

Copyright © 1995-2007 Gary Johnson Communications. All rights reserved. BraveNewWorkWorld, NewWork, NewWork News, Careers in the NewWork World, WITNE, and WITNE: Women in the New Economy are trademarks of Gary Johnson Communications.