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Working Knowledge

A Monthly Column about Life on the Job
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 By Elisa F. Topper
American Libraries Columnist

Elisa F. Topper is director of the Dundee Township (Ill.) Public Library District and a career consultant. Contact her at working@ala.org.

Column for June/July 2004


Checking Out Background Checks


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I am among the finalists for a position in a public library and am getting nervous about the fact that they want to conduct a background check. Colleagues tell me this is becoming standard practice in many organizations. Is this true? What kind of information do they want to know, and is there anything I can do to prepare?

—Nothing to Hide
(but Nervous Anyway)

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You are correct that background checks for potential employees are becoming standard practice for many organizations (especially for schools, but it's fairly common for public libraries too). The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse attributes this trend to overall heightened security measures, child abuse and abduction laws, a rise in negligent-hiring lawsuits, and the infamous corporate scandals of 2002. Add to this the fact that an estimated 30-40% of job applications and résumés include some false or inflated facts, and you can begin to see why employers are taking a proactive stance.
    That said, I can certainly understand feeling anxious about someone poking around in your personal records, especially when what turns up may be misinterpreted, irrelevant, or even wrong. However, be assured that no one can obtain your personal information without your written consent, and know that by doing a little preparation and checking of your own, you can take steps to protect yourself. Good luck!

What does a background check actually check?
It varies. Some simply verify a social security number, while others are much more involved. Among the information that may be checked: vehicle registration; bankruptcy; property ownership; past employers; personal references; and driving, credit, drug-test, education, medical, criminal, court, workers' compensation, or military records. As you will note, many of these are public records.

What can't be included?
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which sets national standards for employment screening, places limits on some types of information, such as civil suits and arrest records after seven years. But the FCRA doesn't apply to checks conducted in-house by an employer—only to those performed by an outside agency. See www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs11-pub.htm for more information.
    You should also know that checking your credit history is often standard because an employer can use it to assess your level of responsibility. The “employment report” is a version of a standard credit report but doesn't include your credit rating or your date of birth.
    If you do submit to a background check, here are some steps you can take to ensure the information turned up is accurate:
  • Order a copy of your credit report from one of the three reporting agencies—Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion (www.equifax.com, www.experian.com, www.transunion.com)—to see what information is being disseminated.
  • If you have been involved in any type of court case, obtain copies of the legal proceedings and verify the information in those records.
  • Check your driving records for accuracy; computer errors do happen.
  • Ask to see a copy of your personnel file from your former employer. Even if you no longer work there, many state laws allow you access.
  • Do your own background check—hire a company to uncover the same type of information that an employer may find out. However, be careful about using online companies for this service: There are over 465 such companies on the Internet, but only approximately 100 of these are considered reputable. (See "Holes Found in Cheap Background Checks," by Greg Burns in the April 11 Chicago Tribune.)

Additional Resources




(c) Copyright 2004 American Library Association