{"id":120,"date":"2021-10-21T02:46:32","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T15:46:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.vetting.com\/?p=120"},"modified":"2023-03-14T14:41:07","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T03:41:07","slug":"common-pre-employment-background-check-misconceptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.vetting.com\/common-pre-employment-background-check-misconceptions\/","title":{"rendered":"Common pre-employment background check misconceptions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Navigating the workforce can be daunting, and misconceptions regarding background checks the hiring process can complicate the process. Today, we\u2019ll be looking at seven common misconceptions and explaining the truths behind them. Let\u2019s dig in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. A Criminal Record Means No Hire <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granted, a criminal record reduces career opportunities, but certainly not to nil. People with a criminal record will likely be unable to enter the workforce in fields of security, management, politics, medicine, law and childcare because of the sensitive or high-risk nature of these fields. However, the Human Right and Equal Opportunity Commission advocates against discrimination, and champions equality in hiring and in the workplace. There are many workplaces in which a criminal history can be understood and the applicant accepted.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Lying In A R\u00e9sum\u00e9 Can Cover Up Background Information <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some job applicants think that they can throw background screeners off-track by misrepresenting themselves in their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s. Examples of this can be adding a qualification they have not attained, using phony references, omitting criminal history etc. This is common among those who had poor experiences with previous employers, or those who have criminal records. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lying on a resume may seem easy, but any decent vendor will unveil the truth, and the applicant is guaranteed to be passed over. It\u2019s simple: dishonesty in the workplace isn\u2019t something any employer is looking for. If an applicant is found to have misrepresented themselves on their resume to boost their chances, the discovery of this will lead to them missing out on the job and irreparable damage to their professional reputation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Social Media Profiles Are Off-Limits for Background Checks <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a common misconception, especially among job applicants with unsavoury online habits. They may assume that recruiters won\u2019t check out their social media profiles. Although this may have been true in the past, recruiters are now sensitive about employees\u2019 online behaviour, because they know this can impact their brand in one way or another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, most background checks focus on criminal records, education or previous employment. However, some recruiters now ask background vendors to comb through applicants’ social media profiles. Any questionable behaviour such as abusive or profane posts and indecent pictures or videos can cause them to reconsider their hiring decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Background checks only look for criminal history <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many reasons a candidate might be unsuitable for a job, and a criminal history is only one of them. Adequate pre-employment screening should include immigration status, reference checking, educational background, job history and, depending on the nature of the employment, even driving record and credit history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Great references negate the need for background checks <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great references are a brilliant tool to check whether a candidate might have adequate qualities for a role, but these must be thoroughly validated to ensure that they are factually correct. Favourable references alone are not enough to ensure that someone will be a great hire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Having no background check policy in place, or not using it for every new hire, is okay <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running a background check on a candidate being considered for one position and not on a candidate being considered for a similar position would be considered discriminatory and opens that employer up to legal recourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. An applicant cannot question background check findings <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candidates have the right to appeal criminal record check findings through the Human Right and Equal Opportunity Commission if a mistake has been made. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a nutshell, those are the seven most common pre-employment background check misconceptions. For employers, some of the misconceptions can create avenues for lawsuits. For job applicants, these misconceptions can cause them to engage in behaviours which can reduce their chances of getting hired (eg. lying on their resume). Therefore, both employees and job seekers need to seek factual information about pre-employment background checks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For information about how you can find out more about pre-employment background checks, visit Vetting.com<\/a><\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vetting.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Entering or changing positions within the workforce can be daunting, and misconceptions regarding background checks\u00a0within\u00a0the hiring process can complicate things. We’ll look at seven common misconceptions and the truths behind them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":212928187,"featured_media":1295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"yes","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[725753171],"tags":[725753147,725753164],"class_list":["post-120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vetting-com","tag-background-checks","tag-employee-screening"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t