| Post 9/11 the world as we knew it changed forever. | | | | rise in the use of background checks: |
| With the ever-present threat of terrorist attacks, the | | | | * Following the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, |
| world has become filled with distrust and suspicion. | | | | Federal Law and in some cases the State Laws have |
| With the increased emphasis on security issues | | | | made background checks mandatory for certain kinds |
| today, it has become commonplace in almost all | | | | of employment in order to enforce tougher and |
| sectors, for companies and employers to take extra | | | | more thorough screenings of new job applicants and |
| caution by running employment background checks | | | | even current employees. |
| into the credentials and records of potential | | | | * On the heels of major corporate scandals such as |
| employees. Background checks are not limited to just | | | | Enron, even top management and CEOS of |
| new applicants; even current employees may | | | | corporations are no longer exempt from scrutiny and |
| undergo background screening to help employers in | | | | also subject to screening and checks into their |
| their decision making such as the promotion of | | | | background. |
| employees. | | | | * In professions dealing with children, the rise in |
| While companies cannot be blamed for being extra | | | | incidents such as child kidnapping and child abuse have |
| vigilant in the face of such threat, employees are | | | | necessitated criminal background checks of applicants |
| generally not comfortable with the idea of having | | | | in order to protect the innocent children from such |
| some stranger run a personal background check. It | | | | predators. Some laws also facilitate this screening, |
| can feel very intrusive when employers dig out | | | | such as the Federal Law of National Child Protection |
| episodes from the employees' past, which should | | | | Act, which authorizes state officials to access the |
| have no bearing or relevance to their qualification and | | | | FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) |
| suitability for the job at hand. If you are a potential | | | | database to perform background checks on job |
| candidate faced with a similar situation, you have | | | | applicants. The same is true of professions dealing |
| every right to question the necessity of such | | | | with elderly or disabled persons. |
| personal background checks, and to have a say | | | | * In certain sectors, the use of falsified documents |
| about what information can be covered in the | | | | to get a job is on the rise. According to estimates, |
| background report and what cannot. Of course, if | | | | some 30% to 40% of the applicants' resumes are |
| you have not broken any law or have any blemish on | | | | forged in some way or another. In such cases, |
| your record, you have nothing to fear from these | | | | background checks can help weed out the unqualified |
| routine background screenings. | | | | from the qualified candidates. |
| Below are further reasons why there is a marked | | | | |