How to prepare for a Background check?
Before understanding how to prepare for a Background check, let us first understand what is a background check and what are the items that are included in it.
What is Background Check?
A check that is being done on the individual in order to know the history of the person. It is done to make sure that the person employed is safe for the organization and the people who work there. In this, the criminal records, school records, previous job records (if any), credit history, medical records, etc are to be checked.
Here is the list of most common reasons for the background checks
- Criminal records (84%)
- Employment history (72%)
- Identity (67%)
And here is the list of less common reasons for the background checks
- Driving records (49%)
- Education verification (49%)
- Professional qualification verification (42%)
- Credit history (28%)
How to prepare for a Background check?
Knowing the importance background checks hold and how many employers will conduct one before officially hiring the person, we can not overlook the little details that we are supposed to pay attention to. Here are the little yet important things to prepare for a background check
Social media these days help the background checks companies to gain the perspective about the individual and sees what kind of stuff they share on their social media profiles. These days it is very much common for the potential employers to have a look on the person’s social media profiles so if there is something the individual does not want the employer to know, he or she can hide or delete the certain content or can go to the privacy settings and only make those content public which the person want the employer to know about. Social media profiles play an important role to know about the thinking patterns, beliefs of the individual, what he or she likes, his or her views on certain things which helps the employer to know how much the individual will fit in the organization and if the potential employee and organization’s views match in terms of personal and organizational growth. Keeping a regular check on the social media profiles will help the individual prepare for a Background check if and when it will happen in the future. It will also protect the individual from the elimination of the selection process. Also, background checks can happen anytime while being in the organization.
2. Academic history
One of the main things that employer verify while hiring the candidate is the academic history of the person. It is always advisable to keep the digital copies of your academic records handy so that when the employer asks for your academic history, you can provide a copy of it instantly. A good record in the academics definitely helps the person get the job easily as it signifies the dedication and consistency one possess and it also states that in the initial days of working hard, the person did work hard. It is considered to be a very important trait. Maintaining a good academic history prepare for a Background check that is to be conducted by the employer in the future. Person’s good academic history also represents that the person has maintained good performance and will be able to do that for a longer duration. The kind of consistency which is needed in the organizations. It also helps prepare for a Background check.
3. Past employment
Past employment means how the person was doing in his or her previous job. A lot of things are measured from the previous job like, person’s attitude towards work, other employees and organization, person’s approach while performing a job, person’s equation with all the people that are present in the organization. To prepare for a Background check one must always have some references of the past employment. Like, the phone number of the previous boss or employees or someone to verify that the person worked there. It is very important detail, and someone who already has the job experience must not refrain from providing these details as it plays an important role in getting the job. The employer makes sure that he or she verifies from the previous employer about the attitude, work ethics that person follows, his or her approach towards other people and work and how efficiently and effectively does the person work and how motivated he or she feels in order to get the work done and contribute for the growth of the organization while fulfilling his or her own personal growth.
4. Be honest
Honesty is indeed the best policy and it is always advisable to be fully honest while giving an interview or filing an application for the job. To be honest, is the quality very rare these days and one of the most important that the organizations look for. So the best thing you can give to the organization in your very initial days is, to be honest about everything that you say or do. Be honest about where you come from, what your abilities are, what you can and can not perform, how much you can push yourself, about your education, career, credit records and past employments. It is very crucial for the employer to know about the surrounding its employee is coming from so that he or she can give you the best job available for you and thereby you can also help yourself getting the best job available for you in the organization. It smoothens the process and helps you prepare for a Background check.
5. Let your references know they would be contacted
And the last part in how to prepare for a Background check is to let your references know that they would be contacted as a part of formalities that is to be done by the company in order to select the final candidate for the job. Let your references know they would be contacted in order to get the background check done. This also helps you prepare for a Background check and also ease the process as the person would be aware in advance that he or she might be contacted. Not just the individual will be aware but will also make sure to take calls from an unknown number. The use of references and contacting them is actively done during background checks as it ensures that the person has some accountability and is not a fraud. It also lets the person take some responsibility for what he or she says and does and helps them prepare for a Background check.
Here we end our list of How to prepare for a Background check. Background checks are indeed very important for the employer in order to select the best suitable candidate for the job and the background checks are equally necessary for the employee as well as it helps them keep a check on themselves.
If you have read t till here, we would like to presume that you liked our blog so please do not mind sharing the same with your colleagues or friends who are currently looking for a job. This will help them prepare for one.
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