What Happens During an Employment Background Verification?
<p>Even if you haven’t embellished your <a href="https://www.trueprofile.io/member/resources/update-resume" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resumé</a> with a few creative “tweaks”, just the thought of undergoing a pre-hire employment background verification makes even the most innocuous candidate think twice. Did you rant out on Twitter recently about something? Will they find out that you walked out on a job when you were in your teens? </p> <p>Will every piece of your online and offline footprint be examined with a fine tooth comb during a background verification and how deep do verification experts really delve? Before you delete all of your social media accounts and send gifts to former bosses, keep reading to find out what actually happens during an employment verification process. </p> <h2>Consent</h2> <p>There are a lot of laws that cover privacy in different countries. What is acceptable to one may be illegal in another country while another one might not even address the issue. In this age of international firms hiring across borders, your consent as an applicant is important. You most probably will be asked to sign a &#8216;letter of authorization&#8217; or consent for the investigation to happen.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_248121134-1024x683.jpeg" alt="Employment Background Verification" class="wp-image-10191" title="Employment Background Verification" srcset="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_248121134-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_248121134-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_248121134-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_248121134-1200x800.jpeg 1200w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_248121134.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Background Check Word Cloud on Blue Background</figcaption></figure> <h2>What is in your resumé?</h2> <p>Your educational attainment, employment history, and professional skills are what qualified you for the position you are applying for. These are the items that are checked off when doing <a href="https://www.trueprofile.io/member/resources/trueprofile-background-screening-means" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">background screening</a>. It depends on industry practices whether they are vetted thoroughly or just cursorily. For industries where lives are at stake, it makes sense that the verifications that are done are of the most stringent standards. For example, healthcare regulators in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region depend on a Primary Source Verified (PSV) report on the documents submitted by an applicant.</p> <h2>PSV Reports</h2> <p>A PSV report generated by the DataFlow Group and <a href="https://www.trueprofile.io/member/resources/how-to-verify-your-degree-with-trueprofile-io" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TrueProfile.io</a> undergoes the highest standard of verification. Each item on the document that you submitted is authenticated directly from the source. The &#8216;source&#8217; means the organization that produced the document itself. This means that each TrueProof or PSV report gains <a href="https://www.trueprofile.io/member/resources/how-i-got-a-job-abroad" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">instant trust from GCC regulators</a> as being the real deal.</p> <h2>A test of character</h2> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="684" src="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_95979936-1024x684.jpg" alt="Employment Background Verification" class="wp-image-10193" title="Employment Background Verification" srcset="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_95979936-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_95979936-300x200.jpg 300w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_95979936-768x513.jpg 768w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_95979936-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_95979936.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Character checks is not just about how likeable you are.</figcaption></figure> <p>Some companies will delve into credit and criminal checks. This is particularly true for industries where integrity is of the utmost importance. For example, some banks in the Philippines will look into the <a href="http://thebankbox.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-negative-data-bank.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Negative Data Bank (NDB)</a> of a potential bank officer. A bank officer may handle cash and other cash items and any past misdemeanors concerning money is a big red flag. Criminal records are likewise a mandatory component in some background checks.</p> <h2>Medical history and drug use</h2> <p>Some countries permit investigation into this, while others will not. What’s certain is that if you undergo a Medical exam prior to getting hired &#8211; I don’t need to state the obvious. This is, of course, acceptable in jobs where you need to be healthy and of sound mind. A good example is the <a href="https://www.osmaviationacademy.com/blog/medical-requirements-for-pilots" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pre-employment medical checks of pilots</a>. They need to pass the vision test and should not be color blind, among other things.</p> <h2>Social media history may be a factor</h2> <p>It depends on what a company needs, but your social media history might be looked into. This is particularly true for conservative organizations like banks, media, and churches. Usually, though, social media presence is not part of pre-employment history for most companies.</p> <p class="has-small-font-size">Want more advice on getting that dream job? Get tips from our TrueProfile.io <a href="https://blog.trueprofile.io/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blog</a>!<br></p> <h4>If you are not signed up to TrueProfile.io yet, sign up now!</h4> <div class="is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons"> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background" href="https://sso.trueprofile.io/register" style="border-radius:50px;background-color:#00497a;color:#f5f5f5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sign up</a></div> </div> <p></p>