Employment checks

Employers often check job applicants' criminal background, including any arrests, charges, convictions, and sentencing information. They usually get county, state, and federal records.

They must ask your permission in advance: If you say no, they may not offer you a job. If you say yes, they may legally choose not to hire you due to a felony record. However, many employers do hire people with criminal records. 

Be prepared with honest answers about your record. And with any steps you have taken to learn from past mistakes, develop new skills, and be ready to work.

If you think an employer has discriminated against you for other reasons, such as race, age, sex, or disability status, you can contact the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for help at www.eeoc.gov, or 800-669-4000.

An employer may require drug tests during and after hiring job applicants. Drug tests show if someone has recently used alcohol, prescription medication, or illegal drugs. They must notify you if testing is part of hiring.

Employers can use several types of drug tests:

• Pre-employment tests. Employers can decide to not hire someone based on drug test results, unless the finding is a prescribed medication — then they can not discriminate.
• Reasonable suspicion and for-cause tests. Employers might issue a test for an employee who shows signs of not being fit for duty or has a documented pattern of unsafe work behavior.
• Random tests. Employers might issue drug tests to all employees at unscheduled times.
• Post-accident tests. An employer may test employees who are involved in an accident or unsafe practice incident.

During the hiring process, employers are allowed to check your credit history, including bank and credit card accounts, unpaid debt, and any collections activities.

Employers have to tell you about credit checks. And they have to give you a copy of the report, if they don't offer you a job based on what it contains.  

You can see your credit report and fix any mistakes before an employer sees it. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228 for these free services. 

It's important to be honest in job applications about your past jobs. Employers will check online records to confirm your employment history.

A hiring manager might also contact a past employer to ask about you. They usually talk to the human resources representative at your past employer.

In most cases, a past employer is allowed to only say the dates you worked, job titles you held, and if you are eligible for rehire. Your job performance or reasons for leaving the job are not discussed.

Most employers will also ask you for job references who will speak positively about your work history. Learn more about references. 

Many employers check job applicants' social media sites, like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and search the Internet. Employers may not want to hire someone who posts angry or discriminatory content, references to violence or criminal activities, or inappropriate videos or photos.

Check to see that your privacy settings limit what the public can view in your profile. You may also want to delete any content that you would not want an employer to see. 

Other common pre-employment screenings include:

• General knowledge. Given to see if someone has skills needed for the job. An example is to solve math problems.
• Aptitude screening. Tests the ability to learn new skills. It can be a written test or a hands-on test where you are asked to do a job task.
• Psychological screening. Tests how people might handle situations at a job. An example is to ask how you would handle a difficult customer or a fast deadline.

These screenings are only given to people who are seriously being considered for hire. So, if you are asked to go through one or more of these checks, that might mean you are close to getting hired.