The old expression "If you want a job done right, do it yourself" could easily apply to many of the nearly 15 million currently unemployed workers who are considering some form of self-employment. However, for those jobseekers who want to work for someone else and get paid for it, “If you want a background check on yourself done right, do it yourself” may be a more suitable expression.
According to the Employment Situation - August 2009 from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the unemployment rate rose to 9.7 percent in August and the number of unemployed people rose to 14.9 million. With nearly one of ten people unemployed – and another 9.1 million more working part-time because their hours were cut back or they could not find a full-time job – competition for what few available jobs remain is understandably fierce.
With 24 million jobseekers looking for full-time work, employers can and will be very picky when it comes to which applicants they choose out of the deep and talented pool of prospective employees. One popular method employers have of choosing prospective employees is the pre-employment background check. According to 2006 Weapons in the Workplace, a study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 85% of respondents to a survey reported that their organizations conducted pre-employment background checks on potential employees, and nearly all (96%) of those same companies reported using criminal background checks when doing so.
With so much at stake, a simple mistake on a background check can turn the chance of landing a dream job into a nightmare, as it did for one jobseeker who shared the same name, birth date, and social security number with a person whose extensive criminal record would continue to appear during the jobseeker's pre-employment background checks.
Can a background check mistake cost a jobseeker a job? The answer, as in the case of the jobseeker who shared a name and birth date with a criminal, is yes. Jobseekers need to find any and all errors that can appear on background checks, which can include mistaken identities, wrong Social Security numbers (SSNs), identity theft and fraud, and incomplete or illegal information.
One way jobseekers can make sure that their personal background information is accurate is by running a “personal” background check on themselves. Since people are what their personal information says they are in today’s world, prospective employees who will almost surely have to consent to a pre-employment background check would be wise to find out what information will be uncovered beforehand and see that data before their potential employers do. In addition, by performing a “personal” background check on themselves, jobseekers take a pro-active step in their search for employment, stand out from the crowd, and show potential employers they have nothing to hide.
While most background check companies focus only on employers, MyBackgroundCheck.com – a pioneer in web-based consumer‐requested and applicant supplied background check services – offers jobseekers a way to improve their chances of getting hired through “personal” background checks that gives individuals control over their personal information and the ability to share that information with whomever they choose.
For more information on personal background checks, visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1‐800‐503‐2364. To follow us on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.
tahearn@mybackgroundcheck.com