Background checks are a thorough method of investigating someone’s past. This could include anyone from your neighbor to the person you are dating to the candidate applying for a position at your company. By using a search service such as CheckPeople, you are ensuring that you have all the known information relating to an individual. But how do these background check sites find your information in the first place?
Public Documents
Much of the information that gets included in a typical background check is already public knowledge. There is so much data available online that is accessible to people who have an interest in finding it. This is why background search sites can easily find data such as birth, marriage, and divorce, court and criminal records, and traffic violations. These are all a matter of public record that is available via web portals in whichever state they occurred in. If it is not easily available, the information will be individually extracted from other sources.
Employment History
Verifying employment records can take a little more effort. Background check service representatives will normally reach out to a person’s past employers to fact check. This will include verifying the individual’s job title, salary, and job responsibilities. These records can sometimes take more time to retrieve, as it may be difficult to get in touch with the workplace.
A reference check is different than a background check because it focuses more on subjective attributes. An employer speaking with a reference will want to hear about a person’s work ethic, ability to work with others, and overall character. The reference check is more about making sure that the candidate will fit in at the organization rather than verifying facts.
Education History
The process of verifying education is similar to that of employment history. A background check service representative will be in touch with the academic institution and inquire about an individual who attended in the past. This tends to be a verification of the dates, degrees, and grade report.
Identity Confirmation
Confirming the identity and contact information of individuals is another component of a background check. When people submit online resumes and applications, the data becomes readily available to the public. This is how databases find people’s home addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.
Driving Records
The DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) has access to people’s driving records, types of cars that they own, birthdays, addresses, and full names. The DMV typically sells this type of information to third-party sources to make a profit, which is also how background check services get a hold of it.
Financial History
Finding out someone’s financial history can be beneficial, particularly if they are applying for a job at a bank or investment institution. It is also a good way to find out if they are unreliable at paying bills or if they have a heap of debt. If you are a landlord performing a background search on a potential tenant, these are all good things to know. You can request to see someone’s rental history and fill out an application to see their credit report. These are available through credit reporting agencies.
Criminal Records
A background check service will obtain criminal records from the national corrections department. If you are wondering about someone’s ability to legally work in the country, the Department of Homeland Security will find out whether they can or not. The search service will also look through county criminal records to see if there are any arrest warrants or charges under an individual’s name. Typically, only the past seven years of criminal activity will show up on someone’s background check, except under extreme circumstances.
Conclusion
In the age of technology, it is difficult to keep much personal information private. Often, the things that come up during a background check are routine and typical. Only occasionally does something arise that would change the outcome of the decision. In this case, it is up to the parties involved to discuss the situation and see if they can get over what happened.
