When it comes to landing a job, sometimes it seems as if Big Brother is watching.
Hiring managers may go far beyond basic reference checks and drug tests to size up candidates. As the economic downturn deepens, companies anticipate a rise in the numbers of falsified resumes they receive as some applicants anxious to land jobs stretch the truth about their credentials.
“Employers are using every channel available to get information on potential employees,” says Michelle Moylan, an HR specialist with CheckPoint HR in Edison, N.J.
Deep background checks that even include credit checks and searches for information on social networking sites have become more common in the past five years. Companies that hired based on false information no longer want to take chances.
“No longer can an employer say It’s not our fault or We didn’t know,” says Moylan. “Companies have legal and fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders, stakeholders, employees, clients, communities and other organizations to make the most sound business decisions they can, and that includes who they elect to hire.”
Jason Morris, president of the background check company employeescreenIQ in Cleveland, Ohio, says the need for greater scrutiny is necessary. Morris says his company has discovered that as much as 56 percent of resumes contain at least one discrepancy, meaning what’s reported on a resume does not jibe with facts that are verified in the process of checking out candidates’ previous employment and education.
Employers are getting information from both official and unofficial sources. For example, the National Association of Colleges and Employers found in a recent survey that almost 17 percent of employers reported plans to use social networking sites as part of their recruiting efforts. In a similar survey conducted in fall 2006, 11 percent of employers reported such plans.
Morris says the use of online networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn is controversial because there is no way to verify that profiles were created by their supposed owners. The fact that companies look at social networking sites still sends out a message to users about being cautious with information they make public.
Background checks don’t end when you land the job. Anish Desai, president of Risk Management Services, a division of outsourcing company HOV Services based in Chennai, India, says that 2008 saw an increase in continuous criminal monitoring of employees. This service allows employers to check on employee criminal records every six months to identify at-risk behaviors.
“Crime in the workplace can endanger employees and cause business performance issues such as legal liability, turnover, financial loss and unfavorable publicity. Employers have to be much more proactive,” says Desai.
So what should candidates expect when they agree to a background check? Here’s a quick rundown.
Consumer credit checks
It used to be that only individuals working with cash or the federal government needed to agree to credit checks, but now they’re becoming much more widespread because they offer insight into spending habits and money management. Candidate may have to explain negative information.
Criminal checks
Beyond national criminal checks, employers are going after reviews of felony and misdemeanor records at the county courthouse level to gather conviction information going back at least seven years.
Degree checks
For a long time, applicants assumed that employers would never check their education credentials. Not any more. Employers are even determining if a candidate attended an accredited program or a diploma mill, with no academic study. Because experts warn that the prevalence of resume fraud rises as the economy worsens, more employers are likely to do more degree checks.
Homeland security check
Some companies such as employeescreenIQ offer checks that cross-reference an applicant’s name against more than 45 worldwide databases of known terrorists, fugitives, individuals, organizations and companies considered to be a threat to global and national security.
Identity verification
Even if you present a driver’s license and Social Security card, you can still expect a company to verify the validity of those government-issued cards. That search may also identify past addresses and aliases.
Income verification
Applicants often exaggerate the roles and responsibilities of previous positions to gain an undeserved competitive advantage. Companies such as HOV Services confirm the three most recent jobs an applicant has held over the past seven years, along with dates of employment, job titles, salary and re-hire eligibility.
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