Released on: March 24, 2008, 4:36 am

Press Release Author: DIYA SOOD

Industry: Industrial

Press Release Summary: The purpose of personal background checks is to get a feel
for the applicant's character. Personal and professional references are a good
starting point, however, experts in the investigative field caution employers on
using this method solely. Prospective employees are obviously going to give
references of people whom they trust will provide a good character reference for
them. Those references may not necessarily be fabricating information regarding the
applicant; they simply may not know pertinent information about him or her.

Press Release Body: The purpose of personal background checks is to get a feel for
the applicant's character. Personal and professional references are a good starting
point, however, experts in the investigative field caution employers on using this
method solely. Prospective employees are obviously going to give references of
people whom they trust will provide a good character reference for them. Those
references may not necessarily be fabricating information regarding the applicant;
they simply may not know pertinent information about him or her.

Another method employer's use is obtaining a credit report on the prospective
employee. While privacy advocates argue the necessity in reviewing credit reports,
many employers find them to be full of important information. An employer can
determine what types of credit accounts the applicant has open and their history of
paying bills on time. For some employers, this is a good indicator of how
responsible of an employee he or she will be. Employers also may draw a correlation
between credit history, job performance and employee retention. Though these
conclusions are heatedly debated, according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act,
employers do have the right to investigate much of a person's credit history as a
pre-employment tool.

Credit reports also contain pertinent job and address information. Some employers
and private investigation firms use credit reports as a means of cross-referencing
information supplied on the employment application. Though credit reports contain
much needed personal information, they should be used in conjunction with other
personal background check methods in order to have a well-rounded view of the
applicant's character and ability to perform the job duties.

This type of consumer report also contains information that may be valuable,
although legally questionable, to the employer. Age and marital status are data that
are often reported. Employers should already be familiar with privacy and equal
opportunity legislation and be careful not to discriminate on the basis of these
facts. The purpose of performing personal background checks is to ensure the safety
and security of the company and violating Federal laws is out of the question.

Identity theft, criminal prosecutions, outstanding debt and bankruptcies are all
examples of information that can be acquired through a personal background check. As
an employer, it is your responsibility to only gather what information you need;
information gathered should be directly related to the safety and quality of the
company and more specifically, the job performed. For example, if a company needs to
hire a receptionist, it might not be necessary to know whether or not he or she has
filed bankruptcy recently. Other than using that as a tool to judge character, some
information gathered through personal background checks may not be relevant to the
position.

If an employer should require a more extensive background check, things such as who
someone has dated, use of alcohol or drugs or personal lifestyle can also be
obtained. Usually when a firm investigates a person's background, they may interview
neighbors, friends, associated, former co-workers and others to gain a picture of
the person as a whole. Some of the information may be of interest to the employer
and some may be irrelevant. It is important when hiring an investigator, to let them
know specific information you are looking for.

When investigating a prospective employee's background, it is vitally important to
be honest about your intentions. Federal law requires employers to provide separate
consent forms for each type of investigation to be conducted; it is also good
business practice to be forthcoming about these matters. Background checks on
employee's can save companies money by avoiding potential lawsuits, theft, and
costly employee retention. It is usually best to outsource the work to a private
firm, if the information is very detailed. For some employers, searching at the
local or state level is much more cost-effective and may produce the results they
need without outsourcing.


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