Former employers impact on background checks

[eli4625]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IN

I was forced to resign from my position with a company. I was informed by them that I would have 7 days until they "posted" information that would negativly effect any background check. My question is what can a company post and how can you find out what they post. Couldn't a company post anything, especially if the split was not pretty?

 

[cbg]

I don't know what "posting" they are referring to, but when called for references they may say anything that is true, that they honestly believe is true, or that represents their honest and supportable opinion.

 

[eli4625]

Put down not to call

Now I know putting down on a application not to call your former employer is not good, but if you do that, then when they do a back ground check, what is being checked? The impression I was given that something would show up when a background check was done. What is all involved in a background check? Can we do a back ground check on our selfs to make sure the information is correct? I know there are criminal back ground checks and credit checks, but is there another type?

 

[cbg]

There are all manner of background checks. There are credit checks, criminal checks, RMV checks, educational checks...the list goes on.

All background checks are not created equal. There is no central data base that employers go to, to leave notes about employees and that other employers check. If that is the impression you got, your impression was wrong.

Whether any given information will show on a background check will depend entirely on how thorough a check is made. It can be as little as confirming dates of employment with past employers to a check for security clearance and everything in between.

There are as many ways to do a background check as there are employers. Not all employers do the same check; not all employers even run the same check for different jobs.

 

[eli4625]

So basically..

We are kinda screwed? There is no way to do a self background check and know for sure what a former employer will say about you? Oh well with the age of technology this is what it has come to. Thank you for your assistance and information.

 

[Beth3]

There are agencies where you can check your credit history and any criminal convictions. As to references provided by former empoyers, cbg is entirely correct. There's no secret site where employers post info about employees. I can't even imagine such a thing. Like cbg, I haven't a clue what your employer meant when they said they would wait 7 days until they posted information about you. Perhaps that's the length of time it takes in this organization for term papers to end up in your personnel file?

Absent an employer's own HRIS (Human Resources Information System) and personnel files, there's no where to post any information about the circumstances of your departure.

 

[eli4625]

Okay

No he was pretty clear, his statement was you had best be finding a job in the next week because after that any background check would reflect poorly. I also thought that background checks were of criminal action (court cases, arrests, judgements) and then the credit background check. Again thanks for the info, this has been driving me nuts all week.

 

[cbg]

While there are ways you can do a background check on yourself, the only way to know for certain if you get the same information an employer will, is if you ask exactly the same information the employer does.

He may have meant that it would take that long for him to update your personnel file and HRIS system so that after that, your file would reflect a poor recommendation from him.

 

[eli4625]

types of checks

Can we do our own background check on us? I mean I know I can do a credit check, but can you do a criminal check also? Would speeding tickets, failure to stop type stuff show up? What about finacial judgements and bankruptcy? Are those criminal or credit? When an employer does one, are they looking for things you have been convicted of or tickets or such? I have been at the same job so long, my last time doing apps, I don't recall background checks even being done? Also, on a number of job apps now they are asking if you have gov't security clearance? What is that?

 

[cbg]

You can run any kind of check on yourself that you like. But what an employer is looking for depends entirely on the employer. Not every employer is looking for the same thing.

 

[ecmst12]

Personally, I think your former employer is jerking you around.