Inaccurate background checks?!

Post Reply New Topic

From Clark Howard:
http://www.clarkhoward.com/bungled-back ... -job-offer


Bungled background checks could cost you a job offer

Unfortunately, incorrect background checks that confuse people of same or similar name are costing job applicants that all-important job offer.

Some months ago, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported a decorated military veteran (with no criminal record) named Mark Johnson was unable to get a job offer at a trucking company because his file was married to that of a pedophile.

More and more employers are using automated background checking services that bungle information about the people they're supposed to be researching.

You have a right to correct things on a report, but there's no clearinghouse to guarantee that if you correct it with one group, every single other organization running background checks will also correct it. You have everything from mom-and-pop operations to big data companies doing background checks, according to the newspaper report.



Has anyone had a problem with this?

In the U.S., there are a few big background check services that most of the big companies (Walmart, Target, supermarket chains, etc) use on potential employees -- and you (individuals) can pay $20-50 to do a background check on yourself. Might be worth it.

In the netherlands, background checks are done based on personal ID numbers rather than names, so this kind of mess-up is almost impossible.

Aside from that, most companies only require and ask for a "statement of behaviour", which is a paper from the department of justice that you didn't perform any criminal act relevant to the job (so speeding tickets are ignored if you aren't applying for a truck driver/taxi or similar), which you apply for, check and hand in yourself.

I think background checks have to be HEAVILY regulated. There's lots of erroneous information floating around which could cause people jobs. There's lots of people with identical names, and nearly identical birthdates.

I think people should really look into researching background checks VERY thoroughly. It's peoples' livelihood you're talking about!

The prospective employee MUST be given an opportunity to explain his/her self should some negative information turn up. It's VERY possible that it is inaccurate.