According to an article from the Charlotte Observer, more employers are looking at credit reports during pre-employment background checks, and jobseekers should realize that what they don't know about their own credit reports can and will hurt them.

The Charlotte Observer reports that – especially in a recession – a crippling cycle of unemployment can be created as more companies pull credit reports as they decide what people to hire, a process that can lead to a “Catch 22” situation during background checks where jobseekers need jobs to improve their credit, but can't get jobs because their credit is poor.

According to a 2004 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, nearly half (43 percent) of companies nationwide said they “always” or “sometimes” checked credit reports of jobseekers, the Observer reports, as compared to a similar study in 1998 in which only one-quarter (25 percent) of companies said they “regularly” or “sometimes” checked credit reports of jobseekers.

While only a few states have passed rules limiting how companies use credit reports during background checks on jobseekers, a bill currently in the U.S. House called the ‘Equal Employment for All Act’ (H.R. 3149) would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to prohibit the use of consumer credit checks against prospective and current employees during hiring or firing processes, thus preventing employers from using credit reports as part of pre-employment background checks. However, employers counter that checking credit reports helps companies fully assess jobseekers during pre-employment background checks, especially those who may have access to finances, the Observer reports.

A credit report is a summary of information about a person’s financial history collected by three main credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – and checked by employers, banks, insurers, landlords, cell phone companies, and utilities, among others, before they do business with that person.

Although, according to ConsumerReports.org, consumers find roughly 13 million inaccuracies on their credit reports each year, more than 40 percent of the consumers surveyed by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) hadn’t checked their credit reports for errors. Another recent survey by the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) showed that 79 percent of credit reports contained errors of some kind, and over half (54 percent) contained personal information that was misspelled, outdated, or otherwise incorrect.

Jobseekers in particular are advised to check their credit reports so they know what information employers will see BEFORE they see it. The same goes for their criminal background checks. The last thing jobseekers need, especially in these tough economic times, is to have a mistake on their credit report or criminal background check cost them much needed employment.

MyBackgroundCheck.com – a pioneer in consumer requested and applicant supplied “personal” background checks for individuals – offers a service that jobseekers can use to take control of their own personal information and make sure their credit report and background check information is kept up-to-date, accurate, and secure from identity theft and fraud. For more information about how “personal” background checks can help jobseekers find employment, please visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364. To follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.

tahearn@mybackgroundcheck.com

Along with cover letters and résumés, jobseekers in the 21st century will also have their participation in phenomenally popular social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Twitter looked at during pre-employment background checks.

According to a June 2009 CareerBuilder survey of more than 2,600 hiring managers, almost half (forty-five percent) of employers reported that they used social networking sites to screen potential employees during background checks, twice as many as the 22 percent who viewed social networking sites in 2008. In addition, eleven percent of employers planned to start using social networking sites during the background check process.

The survey also revealed that the most popular social networking sites for employers who conducted online searches during background checks of job candidates were Facebook (29 percent), LinkedIn (26 percent), MySpace (21 percent), and Twitter (7 percent).

With regard with a particular industries, the survey found jobseekers looking for work in Information Technology (63 percent) and Professional/Business Services (53 percent) were the most likely to have social networking sites screened by potential employers during background checks.

In another finding that should make jobseekers reconsider posting what may be deemed inappropriate material online, the survey showed that over one-third (35 percent) of employers reported they had found content on social networking sites during background checks that caused them to reconsider hiring the candidate. Examples of this "inappropriate" content from jobseekers included:

• Posting provocative photographs or information (53 percent)
• Posting content about drinking or using drugs (44 percent)
• Bad-mouthing previous employer, co-workers, or clients (35 percent)
• Showing poor communication skills (29 percent)
• Making discriminatory comments (26 percent)
• Lying about qualifications (24 percent)
• Sharing confidential information from previous employer (20 percent)

On the positive side, 18 percent of employers said they found content on social networking sites during background checks that led them to hire the candidate, including profiles that showed: the personality to fit within the organization (50 percent), professional qualifications (39 percent), creativity (38 percent), solid communication skills (35 percent), well-roundedness (33 percent), good references from others (19 percent), and that the candidate had received awards (15 percent).

For better or worse, jobseekers in today's Internet Age must realize that their job interviews and background checks can last 24 hours a day and 7 says a week due to the inter-connectedness and easy availability of social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Twitter, among others.

Some jobseekers are taking pro-active steps to stand out from the crowd by ordering "personal" background checks on themselves to show potential employers. MyBackgroundCheck.com – a pioneer in providing consumer requested and applicant supplied background checks on individuals – can help jobseekers provide employers with accurate and current information in a safe and secure manner.

For more information on how personal background checks can help jobseekers gain employment, please visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364. To follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.

tahearn@mybackgroundcheck.com

Until recently, Bozeman, Montana required jobseekers looking to work for the city to reveal all of their passwords and logins to social media networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube – and to email accounts such as Google and Yahoo – during background checks. News of the requirement created such a controversy over privacy rights that the city’s practice of reviewing information found on password-protected sites has since been suspended pending “a more comprehensive evaluation.”

According to reports, a news station in Montana was informed about Bozeman's background check policies from an anonymous individual. Jobseekers for Bozeman city posts were required to sign a background check waiver requiring applicants – in addition to undergoing usual criminal records search and past employment reviews – to list their involvement with online websites “to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc.” The city form then offered three lines for applicants to list websites, their user names and login information, and their passwords.

Not surprisingly, the requirement raised questions concerning the privacy rights of applicants. Bozeman officials were receiving an e-mail a minute about the background check policy while an online poll tallying more than 5,000 votes found 98 percent of the respondents thought the policy was an invasion of privacy. In addition, Article 2, Section 10 of the Montana Constitution reads “the right of individual privacy is essential to the well-being of a free society and shall not be infringed without the showing of a compelling state interest.”

Initially, the Bozeman City Attorney was quoted as defending the background check policy: “We have positions ranging from fire and police, which require people of high integrity for those positions, all the way down to the lifeguards and the folks that work in city hall here. So we do those types of investigations to make sure the people that we hire have the highest moral character and are a good fit for the city.” The city has since ended the policy which “appears to have exceeded that which is acceptable to our community.”

Regarding the city's former background check requirement, officials from online social networking website Facebook.com – which currently has more than 200 million active users worldwide – were quoted as saying the Bozeman policy “is a violation of Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, which received feedback from users and was ultimately approved in a site-wide vote.” This proves once again that while some employers favor using social media sites for employment background checks, the process does come with certain risks and liabilities.

Whatever their opinion on privacy issues, jobseekers in today’s job market should expect a thorough background check that could include a criminal record search, resume validation, and even a credit report. While social networking sites probably should stay off limits, employers will have plenty of information left in the background check to ponder. Jobseekers should do their best to make sure that the information found in background check reports is current, accurate, and secure from identity theft.

One way to accomplish this goal is with a Self Background Check – a background check that is ordered by an individual and for the individual. Self background checks help jobseekers keep the information that will be viewed by potential employers mistake-proof and error-free. While most background check companies only service employers, MyBackgroundCheck.com specializes in personal background checks for individuals to use as jobseekers, tenants, students, volunteers, and everyday consumers. For more information on self background checks, please visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364.

Contact Us @ MyBackgroundCheck.com

tahearn@mybackgroundcheck.com

Follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter

According to a recent LA Times story, some of the 14 million unemployed jobseekers currently looking for work are caught in a vicious cycle of being behind on bills after losing a job and then having the bad credit created by the job loss spoil any chances of finding new employment. The story outlined cases of recruiters rescinding job offers after performing background checks and finding credit histories marred by overdue credit card payments, impending home foreclosures, or bankruptcy protection filings. A credit report review done during a background check has become a high hurdle for jobseekers to jump in a terrible job market.

To avoid future trouble, companies are using proactive background checks to gain insight into how jobseekers conduct their personal lives, since many believe that is how they will also conduct business. For these employers, examining credit reports during background checks helps them hire the best employees. Some staffing experts claim that money problems uncovered durnig background checks can be a sign of bad work habits in a jobseeker, while a good credit history means a worker is more likely to be trustworthy and reliable, two important traits for U.S. companies that lose billions – with a median loss of $150,000 – to employee theft annually.

Even if a background check shows a clean criminal record, many employers still aren't willing to take a chance on a jobseeker with bad credit. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, U.S. companies lose in average 5 percent of their annual revenue to employee fraud, 90 percent of which is from misappropriations like pilfering. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) estimates that up to 50 percent of employers, including the U.S. government, run jobseeker credit checks. For example, applicants for security officer positions at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will be refused if a background check turns up more than $7,500 in past-due debt, delinquent taxes, or late child-support payments.

In most of the U.S., screening jobseekers with credit reports during background checks is legal as long as it is disclosed to applicants, who must give permission for a credit check to be run. Even with bad credit, most jobseekers agree to a background check since they believe any job offer would be lost if they refused. Most companies use reports produced for them by major credit bureaus. Federal law permits employers to see if jobseekers are paying their mortgages, credit cards, and bills on time, but does not allow them to see overall credit scores and they must notify candidates if they are rejected because of credit.

While no clear connection between credit history and job performance has been found yet, evidence exists that some information used by employers contains errors. In 2004, over one-third of companies surveyed by SHRM said they found inaccuracies in the credit histories they pulled on jobseekers. For that reason alone, jobseekers need to be aware what information will be contained in background checks performed on them, including criminal histories and credit reports. Since today’s bad job market can be even worse for those with bad credit, jobseekers are advised to run a “self background check” to see what information employers will see – before they see it – to help them find work.

While most background check companies only service employers, MyBackgroundCheck.com – a leading provider of consumer-requested background check services – has performed background checks on over one million individuals, including jobseekers, in the past year. For more information about our Jobseeker Background Check package, visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364.

Contact Us @ MyBackgroundCheck.com

tahearn@mybackgroundcheck.com

Follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter

According to a recent story on CNN.com, jobseekers are resorting to unconventional methods to stand out, which isn’t surprising with unemployment at its highest rate in 25 years and more than five candidates battling for each job opening in the United States.

A survey compiled by online jobs site CareerBuilder.com that quizzed 2,500 hiring managers and human resources professionals showed that almost a fifth (20 percent) report seeing more unusual tactics from jobseekers this year, compared with 12 percent last year. These "tactics" are as varied as they are amusing:

• A wife created a Web site to draw employers' attention to her jobless husband.
• One candidate sent a hiring manager a shoe with a resume to "get my foot in the door."
• Another wrapped his resume like a present to show that his skills were a "gift to the company."
• A laid-off worker rented a billboard featuring his photo and the words: "Hire Me."

However, jobseekers need to realize that while unusual job search antics may attract the attention of hiring managers initially, the search for actual employment is taking longer and is more competitive than ever.

Jobseekers need to take proactive steps that also show their professionalism. One way jobseekers can increase their ability to get hired is with a "Self Background Check." Many jobseekers are proactively conducting background checks on themselves to verify information, correct mistakes, and market the results on their resumes to stand out from other candidates.

In today’s recruitment world, pre-employment background checks are a favorite tool used by hiring managers, regardless of the position or industry, and more often than not decide who is offered a job. Below are three major benefits of becoming a prescreened candidate with a self background check.

It’s Easier…

Many job seekers get an uneasy feeling when they hear the words "background check." While the thought of employers learning all about their past can be uncomfortable, if jobseekers perform the background check on themselves they can ease their mind about what a potential employer may discover. More important, any mistake jobseekers find on their records may be corrected before someone reviews and misinterprets the error, thus avoid the tragedy of a potential employer running a background check, seeing incorrect information, and a jobseeker missing out on a great job opportunity.

It’s Faster…

The process of finding the perfect candidate for a job can be time-consuming. Hiring managers typically advertise open positions, collect resumes, conduct interviews, and perform background checks before making their hiring decision. If an employer sees that a jobseeker already has a thorough background check completed, that jobseeker stands a better chance at landing an interview by eliminating a step in their recruitment process and saving the employer time and money.

It’s Better…

By conducting a self background check, a jobseeker can stand out from other jobseekers by marketing the background check directly on a resume. Since employers and recruiters receive and review thousands of resumes, a jobseeker can demonstrate a serious commitment to a job search by indicating that he or she has performed a self background check.

While most background check companies only service employers, MyBackgroundCheck.com is a leading provider of personal background checks for individuals to use as jobseekers among other reasons. For more information about our most popular jobseeker background check package, please visit us at www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364.

Contact Us @ MybackgroundCheck.com

tahearn@mybackgroundcheck.com

Follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter