A background check is simply a process that an organization or person uses to verify that an unidentified individual is really who they claim to be. This allows an individual to examine and verify the credibility and past, education, criminal record, and other details. This verification process can be used by individuals and organizations as well as financial and government institutions such banks and rental companies to verify that the people they rent the properties to are who they claim to be. This not only saves renters money, but gives renters peace-of-mind because they have all the information they need about the people they share their homes with.
A person applying for any type of loan, lease, credit card, or job requires that they provide their full name. Most applicants will provide only their first name, but it is vital that the full name is included because this is the detail which will give lenders the ability to verify the full name of the person. For example, if you applied for a job as a receptionist and the human resource manager requires you to provide a social security number, your social security number is the information that is going to be cross verified against your name. While most applicants do not realize it, all background checks are made using this very simple step. These background checks are used to verify transactions that occur every day.
Credit History. Background checks will use a person’s credit history to verify their identity. The reasoning behind this is quite simple; if you are applying for a job and the human resource manager only wants to hire individuals that have a good credit score, then you are not going to pass their qualifications. If you are applying to work as a receptionist, and the company wants to verify your work history only, then a high credit score will be fine.
Where Do Background Checks Come From? When someone asks what background checks are, another question is how they are done. The information that is pulled from the applicant’s credit history is pulled from publicly accessible sources. This includes everything from court filings to public records. If an applicant has been convicted of anything including drug possession or cultivation, this will definitely come up during a background check.
What does a background check include employment records? Yes, there is a requirement that every company perform a nationwide search on its employees in order to verify the information. This means that everything that pertains to a prospective employee’s complete and current employment records will be cross verified. This includes criminal records, past employment records and many other records. When a company performs a nationwide search, it can obtain anything that pertains to an applicant from past employment records to driving records and so much more.
Can I be depicted while working? People assume that they can’t be because of their full names. This is false. It may take more than one job application to get listed, but even if one is rejected, there are still ways to have information pulled from a different employee’s background check. Usually it will require more than one background check to get the full name of an applicant with a criminal history.
What is a Background Check? And How Many References Does It Take? While references are often part of background checks, not all references are used. Employers may conduct a full name search to verify the education and work history of potential candidates. Other times, companies only use reference checks as a means of verifying information provided by a potential candidate. In the case of applicant verification, a company may request a complete history of employment, criminal history reports, and so on.
How do background checks work? Many people believe criminal background checks only apply for felonies or DWI charges. This is incorrect. Employers and companies do all kinds of background checks. Some even check for previous addresses. They also research applicants based on their hobbies and what their educational achievements are. Although it may seem complicated, background checks require only the name, age and sex of the applicant to verify their information.
