What Would Make You Fail A Background Check

In that location are many reasons a job candidate might neglect a groundwork bank check, some more problematic than others. If the candidate failed a groundwork check after a job offering, it doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't hire them.

Following these five steps will help yous brand an informed decision while post-obit your visitor'due south hiring guidelines and all applicable laws.

You think you've finally found the perfect person for the job. Until, that is, negative results of the groundwork check come up through. When an otherwise splendid candidate fails that check, an of import decision is ahead: accept or turn down the applicant.

Understanding why the person didn't pass the groundwork check helps yous brand an informed decision and ultimately leads y'all to the best solution for your company. Employment screenings can assist protect yous against everything from unexpected performance issues to risky on-the-job behavior.

However, a "failed" background check, or an alert on the results, doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't hire the candidate. When yous implement the right strategies, nether some circumstances, you tin confidently proceed with the offering.

In this article, we'll cover the most common reasons a person may fail a background check. You'll need to act compliantly, stick to your company policy, abide by federal as well equally local laws, and follow essential procedures.

What Are The Reasons For A Failed Background Check?

What causes a blood-red flag on a background check? There are plenty of reasons a person may not laissez passer a groundwork cheque, including criminal history, pedagogy discrepancies, poor credit history, damaged driving record, false employment history, and a failed drug test. We explore each of these reasons here—some are definitely more than problematic than others.

Criminal History

Roughly 77 one thousand thousand Americans have a criminal record that must exist reported as part of an employment groundwork check, according to the National Briefing of State Legislators. Whether you can hire the person despite his or her tape depends on several factors, including manufacture-specific regulations as well every bit the position he or she is seeking. Under certain circumstances, denying a job to an individual with a criminal history may exist considered discriminatory.

Education Discrepancies

When a person is struggling to secure employment, the desire to fluff a resume tin can exist intense. An education verification background cheque tin identify claims that don't lucifer upward with reality, including a job applicant's college education history. If the candidate didn't attend a specific college or obtain a degree or document as maintained, you lot'll want to hash out the discrepancy.

Poor Credit History

Non all background checks include a credit review, and some jurisdictions profoundly restrict them. If you lot're allowed to pull the reports, though, and spot high debt, a slew of delinquencies, and collection accounts, yous may be concerned nearly the applicant'southward integrity and financial responsibleness, peculiarly for candidates applying for direction or finance positions.

Damaged Driving Record

A motor vehicle report (MVR) may turn up speeding tickets or other moving violations. When driving is part of the position's duties, this will be a serious matter. Checking a candidate's driving tape may help you avoid any legal and insurance consequences that tin arise if the employee were to go into an accident while on the clock or backside the wheel of a company-owned vehicle.

False Employment History

One in three Americans aren't honest about their work feel and dates of employment, co-ordinate to a 2019 GoBanking Rates poll. One of the reasons y'all wanted the person to come on lath may exist that piece of work feel. A history of doing the same or similar chore at a different visitor for a certain number of years is attractive, so when you discover that the person wasn't exactly truthful on the resume, you have sound reason to deny employment.

Failed Drug Test

Illicit drug use by employees can be a major liability. If the results of a pre-employment drug test indicate that the person has used an illegal substance, this could be grounds for excusing him or her from the pool of prospective employees. Screening policies ensure consistency across all new hires, and then if the candidate fails the drug test and hiring is contingent on passing, that person may exist out of the running. For candidates using marijuana for medicinal purposes, be sure to discuss with your legal counsel before taking adverse action on the basis of a failed drug examination.

What Practice Y'all Do When Your Candidate Failed Their Background Check?

When reviewing a candidate'due south groundwork check results to brand an informed determination nigh whether to hire, it's of import to follow the police. Review your company'southward employment screening policy, as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) guidelines, and follow agin action steps as per the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and local fair take a chance hiring laws, such as ban-the-box laws, that may utilize.

In the event the person failed the groundwork check after job offer, follow these five steps for an arroyo that is systematic, clear, and legal:

Step 1: Consult Your Policy

Your employment screening policy should outline everything that goes into a background check, including Social Security Number verification, past employment and teaching verification, reference checks, criminal history, motor vehicle records, and (where permitted) credit history. You will need to attach to those terms carefully and as with each candidate.

Step 2: Send A Pre-Agin Action Find

If you're considering non hiring the applicant based on the results of the screening, yous'll demand to let that person know with a pre-adverse activity notice, along with a copy of the groundwork check and a copy of "A Summary of Your Rights Under FCRA". (Download templates and forms here.) This gives the candidate the chance to review results for accuracy and respond to any of your questions regarding the data discovered from the study.

Footstep 3: Allow Your Candidate To Respond

This is when you give the applicant the opportunity to discuss the bug that the background screening brought to light (5 to x business days, depending on your jurisdiction). For example, it'south entirely possible that the candidate had been a victim of identity theft and thus has a damaged credit history. Or the person has a valid explanation for an employment history discrepancy. You'll only know when the person tells you.

Step 4: Make A Determination

Every bit long as you stick to your company's policy also as employment guidelines ready out by the EEOC to bear individualized assessments, you lot're set to hire the candidate or not. If you lot do offering the person the position, you lot've completed the initial background cheque procedure.

Step 5: Ship An Agin Action Find

If you decide to not hire the person because of what you discovered, federal police mandates that you transport a concluding agin activity letter to the person (some refer to it incorrectly equally a "failed groundwork check letter of the alphabet"). In it you lot volition explain that the findings of the background cheque are your reasons for the rejection. Information technology is extremely important that you stick to the letter of the police force, particularly when the screening pulls upwardly a record of criminal history, as it will aid mitigate risk of potential fines and legal action against your company.

Cover of GoodHire guide about what to consider when you decide not to hire.

Bad News, Good Solution

A comprehensive employee background bank check helps you make informed decisions. While the check may reveal negative items that raise red flags, those issues don't always need an firsthand hard pass. Base of operations your decisions using accurate information and reliable information; conducting targeted screens and individualized assessments; and encouraging open and honest dialogue with your candidates.

Background checks are indeed vital to hiring high-quality candidates, just the process of getting everything in society can exist difficult. Information technology must be washed compliantly and systematically, from when to starting time the check and go consent, to agreement what's legal and what'south not, then to effectively manage the last decision. This is not the fourth dimension for errors, and you lot should take intendance to document the process throughout.

To help, GoodHire offers built-in tools and capabilities to help y'all manage employment screening easily from start to finish. Every cheque includes online digital consent; an integrated adverse action menstruum that accounts for federal, state, and local laws for both your and the candidate'due south locations; and tools for individualized assessments. Considering these are inherently complicated matters, information technology's crucial that you comply with your ain policy also as local and federal restrictions. GoodHire is designed to exercise just that, which makes your job of hiring a qualified candidate easier—and can make a hopeful job applicant who may not accept a clear groundwork cheque very happy.

GoodHire's background check platform makes it easy to order reports and review results.

Disclaimer

The resources provided here are for educational purposes simply and exercise not institute legal advice. We advise you to consult your own counsel if you take legal questions related to your specific practices and compliance with applicable laws.

About the Author

As GoodHire'south managing editor, Sara Korolevich produces educational resources for employers on a diverseness of employment screening topics, including compliance and screening all-time practices, and writes about GoodHire'southward company and production news. Sara's experience stems from 20+ years working as a B2C and B2B PR and communications professional.