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This post provides good information for job seekers as well as for employers who are new to the hiring and background check process.
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Background checks are an important tool for employers. They help employers to improve the quality of their hires. However, hearing they’re going to have to submit to a background check can be scary news for job applicants. It can be disconcerting to a person to know that a potential employer will deeply scrutinize their affairs. But from an employer’s perspective, employment screening checks help in finding the perfect candidate for a job role.
In order to get ahead of the game, job applicants should carry out background checks on themselves. Then they can be prepared to explain negative past actions and also correct discrepancies that might arise in the process.
Read on to learn how to conduct a background check.
Personal Background Check Process
When a person does a personal background check, the goal is to look for information about himself or herself that might pop up when an employer looks into their record. Here is the process required for a personal background check.
Criminal Record Check
There are many online databases where people can find out about their criminal past. In Australia, doing a national police check can help one find out about their criminal record. Once the applicant knows about previous crimes, he or she can be better equipped to give a good explanation and reassure employers on his or her potential as a good fit.
Although it rarely occurs, wrong criminal records may pop up. This is usually due to minor mix-ups, but it can also happen if a person changes his or her name. In these cases, an applicant can take the necessary actions to rectify the error before potential employers do their criminal history background check. A criminal record check can be a state-based one like a Victoria police check or it can be a national police check.
Social Media Check
In today’s world, employers make use of social media to take a peek into the private lives of potential hires. This is important considering one post or comment can cause a firestorm of bad press for employers. To ensure that their social media profile is clean, job applicants should do the following:
✔ Use Google to look up their names to find out what pops up. If anything unsavory turns up, they should take steps to clean up their online presence.
✔ They should also look at all their social media accounts. Do they look professional in them? Have they posted inappropriate pictures or comments there?
✔ Everything that looks bad should be deleted so it doesn’t pop up when employers do their checks.
Credit Background Checks
In the financial sector and also government agencies, the financial records of potential hires are important. This is because employers need to weed out candidates likely to engage in theft or fraud. In Australia, the three main credit reporting bodies are Equifax, Experian, and Illion. By submitting their identification, job applicants can get a copy of their credit report.
Educational and References Checks
Work history and education are crucial for employers when making hiring decisions. It’s even more important in today’s world, considering many applicants lie about such information to gain an extra edge.
Part of the applicant’s responsibility is ensuring that the information they provide is correct. That’s why applicants should confirm their positions and duties in previous work environments. They should also make sure that they provide the right educational details when applying. If not, employers can easily weed out dishonest applicants through background checks.
Other Checks
Depending on the job role, other background checks might be required. Some of these might include professional license checks, identity verification, driving record check, and so on. It’s the applicant’s responsibility to know the relevant background checks and check them out accordingly.
Using a Reputable Background Check Company
Running a personal background check can be stressful. Moreover, it’s easy to miss out on important checks. But a reputable background company can apply their expertise to help carry out a comprehensive background check that can help a job applicant identify his or her lapses.
Conclusion
Background checks are here to stay as a tool among employers. But by running background checks on themselves, job applicants can be better prepared to provide explanations about lapses in their past. Moreover, they can also work toward correcting errors that could otherwise cost them their dream job.
