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A background check is a process in which the specifics of an individual's past history are revealed for the purposes of employment or obtaining classified information. 1 Reasons
They are frequently conducted to confirm information found on an employment application or résumé/ curriculum_vitae. They may also be conducted as a way to further differentiate potential employees and pick the one the employee feels is best suited for the position. In the United States, criminal background checks are required for those wishing to purchase handguns as a result of the Brady Bill becoming law, and for anybody working in positions with special security concerns, such as trucking, ports of entry, and airline transportation. Other laws exist to prevent those who do not pass a background check from working in careers involving the elderly, disabled, or children.
2 Possible Information Included
The amount of information included on a background check depends to a large degree on the sensitivity of the reason for which it is conducted--eg, somebody seeking employment at a minimum wage job would be subject to far fewer background check requirements then somebody applying to work for the FBI.
- Criminal and incarceration records.
- Driving and vehicle records. Employers in the transportation sector keep insurance premiums down by hiring those with a clean driving record--eg, those without a history of accidents or traffic tickets.
- Drug tests are used for a variety of reason--corporate ethics, measuring potential employee performance, and keeping workers' compensation premiums down.
- Education records. These are used primarily to see if the potential employee had in fact received a college degree. There are reports of SAT scores being requested by employers as well.
- Employment records. These usually range from simple verbal confirmations of past employment and timeframe to deeper
- Financial information: Individuals with poor credit scores, lienIn law, lien is the broadest term for any sort of charge or encumbrance against an item of property that secures the payment of a debt or performance of some other obligation. Liens can be consensual or non-consensual. Consensual liens are imposed by a cos, civil judgmentJudgment or judgement implies a balanced weighing up of evidence preparatory to making a decision. A formal process of evaluation applies. A judgement is expressed as a statement, e. S1: 'A is B' and is usually the outcome of an evaluation of alternativess, or those who have filed for bankruptcyBankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organisation to pay their creditors. A declared state of bankruptcy can be requested or initiated by the bankrupt individual or organisation, or it can be requested by may be at an additional risk of stealing from the company.
- Licensing records. A government authority that has some oversight over professional conduct of its licensees will also maintain records regarding the licensee, such as personal information, education, complaints, investigations, and disciplinary actions.
- Military records. Although not as common today as it was in the past fifty years, employers frequently requested the specifics of one's military_dischargeA military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. An honorable discharge can occur for several reasons: the contracted period of service is finished; an order of a superior or military court decide.
- Social Security Number. A fraudulent SSN may be indicative of identity theftIdentity theft is the deliberate assumption of another person's identity, usually to gain access to their credit or frame them for some crime. Less commonly, it is to enable illegal immigration, terrorism, espionage or changing identity permanently. It ma, insufficient citizenshipCitizenship is membership in a political community (originally a city but now a state), and carries with it rights to political participation; a person having such membership is a citizen . It is largely coterminous with nationality, although it is possib, or concealment of a "past life".
- Other interpersonal interviews. Employers will usually wish to speak with potential employees' referenceA reference is something that refers or points to something else, or acts as a connection or a link between two things. The objects it links may be concrete, such as books or locations, or abstract, such as data, thoughts, or memories. In semantics, refers to gauge employability. More intensive background checks can involve interviews with anybody that knew or previously knew the applicant--such as teachers, friends, coworkers, and family members.