Background checks
Background checks are comprehensive evaluations conducted to assess an individual's history and character, often required for various jobs in both the public and private sectors, especially those involving significant responsibility or trust. These checks have gained heightened importance in the United States following security concerns from terrorist activities, leading employers to seek assurance about the integrity of potential hires. They help verify the accuracy of applicants' resumes and uncover any possible risks, such as past criminal behavior or issues related to trustworthiness.
Commonly required for positions such as law enforcement, military roles, and sensitive governmental jobs, background checks can also be utilized by parents hiring childcare providers and by volunteer organizations to ensure the safety of vulnerable populations. The depth of a background check can vary; it may include verification of Social Security numbers, criminal and credit histories, and even interviews with past employers and neighbors. More thorough investigations are conducted by private investigators or government agencies, focusing on extensive personal histories and contacts. Ultimately, background checks serve as a key tool for enhancing safety and reducing liability in a variety of contexts.
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Background checks
Since the United States has undergone dangerous terrorist attacks, emphasis on safety and security has dramatically increased, and many jobs in the public and private sectors now require background checks. In some instances, background checks are done to determine if there are any indications of corruption or blackmail by organized crime or foreign governments. Employers are also concerned about the possibility of job applicants providing false or inflated information in their resumes, so many employees require that such information be verified through background checks.
People applying for positions involving major corporate or government responsibility, or who are in other positions of trust, are required to undergo background checks. Examples of those who might undergo background checks include employees of financial institutions; law-enforcement officers on the local, state, national, and international levels; military personnel who handle sensitive and classified information; people in high-risk positions, such as White House staff members; candidates for court offices; and scientists working on classified projects.
Background checks are often made by employers to ascertain whether prospective employees have any troublesome facts about their lives that they wish to hide and that may make them security risks as employees. At an entirely different level, parents might require background checks for prospective nannies. Such checks might uncover information about a prospective employee’s history of abusive behavior. Background checks are also used by volunteer organizations to reduce their liability, especially in organizations whose volunteers work with youth.
The most thorough types of background checks are usually made by private investigators who are contracted by major businesses, police departments, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the military, and other government agencies. The information they gather is more extensive than that gathered for employees who do not represent possible security risks, such as child-care workers or volunteers.
Background checks can be long, involved, and complicated processes of acquiring as much information as possible about people. The details that background checks cover may range from verification of applicants’ Social Security numbers to complete and thorough investigations of their histories and acquaintances. Information may be acquired from such sources as school records, criminal records, motor vehicle records, credit records, drug tests, and bankruptcies. Information from sex-offender lists, worker’s compensation claims, and property ownership may also be searched. In addition, character references are also sometimes investigated; past employers and coworkers are contacted, and neighbors are interviewed to provide information about the ethics and morals of the people being investigated.
Bibliography
Butler, Teresa, et al. Background Checks and Investigations of Applicants and Employees: Four Steps to Basic Compliance with Federal and State Laws. San Francisco: Littler, 2002. Print.
Clark, Brian J. and Sarah Fucci. "Pro-Employment Background Checks: Considerations for Employers When Screening Prospective Employees." Venable, LLP, 27 July 2023, www.venable.com/insights/publications/2023/07/pre-employment-background-checks-consider. Accessed 20 June 2024.
Dickinson, Philip D. Hiring Smart: How to Conduct Background Checks. Brentwood: Smith, 1997. Print.
Kagawa, Rose, et al. "Effects of Comprehensive Background-Check Policies on Firearm Fatalities in Four States." American Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 192, no. 4, 4 Jan. 2023, pp. 539-548, doi.org/10.1093%2Faje%2Fkwac222. Accessed 20 June 2024.
Nixon, W. Barry, and Kim M. Kerr. Background Screening and Investigations: Managing Hiring Risk from the HR and Security Perspectives. Burlington: Butterworth, 2008. Print.
Wilkins, Brian, ed. Criminal History Records and Background Checks: Elements, Considerations, and Recommendations. New York: Nova, 2015. Print.