Most adults have undergone an employee background screening check before, but few really understand what the process involves or what to expect. We explain what happens behind the scenes during a check, what’s normal, and what’s abnormal.
People often have reasonable questions about background checks, such as what information they include, how far back the checks go, and what rights they have if something uncovered is deemed a risk. The answers vary depending on the circumstances, so it’s best to ask about the specifics prior to giving consent. However, the following are some basics that every person should know.
First, most of what’s called “background checks” are essentially entering an individual’s identifying information into various databases and examining the results that turn up. Depending on the types of screening, those databases could include local, state, and federal criminal records, credit records, driving records, and so on. To prevent “false positives” due to a shared name, it’s important to provide as many identifying details as possible.
Next, there’s no simple answer for how far back employee background screening looks. It depends on the type of check and the relevant state laws. For example, some states allow employers to see criminal records from up to seven years ago, others extend it to ten years ago, and others do not restrict the lookback period at all.
However, employers in all states must adhere to the regulations set by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA.) The FCRA prevents employers from prying into every aspect of candidates’ pasts and outlines the procedures they must follow if they decide to decline employment based on something in a background check. This procedure includes notifying the candidate about what information raised a red flag and giving them an opportunity to dispute it, among other things.