Background investigation for employment purpose has become a common thing. Most of the companies favor going with such checks, considering the growing security threats.Employers often do just some basic inquiries for lower positions. But, the checks are conducted through professional service providers for sensitive and high-up positions.

Background investigation report can include various aspects starting from the authentication of applicants certificates to the details he submitted regarding his/her history. It can also include the verification of the applicant’s social security number.

What does the Law Suggest?

The employers want complete detail regarding the applicant through these reports. These background checkings are essential to be conducted absolutely according to the stipulated laws. However, it’s a fact at the same time that the federal regulations meant for conducting the background checks often vary from state to state.

Hence, be it about normal background checks or high-end criminal history check, the employer should comply with the state or federal laws thoroughly. In fact, conducting the background check is mandatory for certain sensitive positions as per certain federal laws.For example, conducting criminal history check is considered essential for the positions that involve working with children, women or senior citizens.

Similar regulations are also applied for the positions involving the security of sensitive matters. In fact, the employers don’t mind going through the social media histories as well for such important positions.

What are Checked Basically?

It has been seen on many occasions that the applicants stay confused regarding the nature of background screening process that their employer will conduct. Well, most of the

employers in modern times prefer going with the professional employment screening services.

These service providers basically check the authentication of various details like driving records, vehicle registration details, credit records, criminal histories, social security number, academic background, salary details, histories of bankruptcy (if any), etc.

Higher stages of Inquiry

The next step or the higher level of these authentication processes involves enquiring character records, medical histories, proprietorship details, police histories, records of state licensing, reports of drug tests, etc.

Apart from this these employment screening services also sometimes prefer going with personal references, histories of incarceration, etc. If the position is sensitive, the employer may also love to go through the sex offender list.

Mostly these service providers gather information through public databases. In certain occasions, they might also visit the physical source, like the universities, the past companies, referred people, rent house owners, etc for a better reference. However, it is here to mention that the employer has to take the written permission of the applicant regarding such checking processes prior going for it.

How much the criminal conviction matters?

In many occasions, people those have been earlier convicted for some reason get frantic about such background check processes. They fear that such checks might affect their candidature. However, they don’t need to fear as federal law suggests that one can’t just cancel the candidature of a person based on his criminal background.

Forget about the cancellation, one can’t even discriminate someone just because of his criminal history. Anyway, federal law allows the employers to have the criminal histories of a person going back any years.