When you are looking for a job, you know the routine. Fill out an application, knowing that a background check will be done.
Some places get it done quickly while others take a while.
Employers are all different.
Here you are waiting for the results and wondering about them.
How do you know what the results are?
How do you know if you have failed the background check?
Let’s take a look and see.
Contents
Use of Background Checks
Background checks are used to ensure safety, legal compliance, potential liability issues, and company fit for employers.
Those employers may have an in-house team that researches potential candidates or works with a third party to gather relevant information.
The length of time a background check takes depends on the type of information needed.
Some can be obtained instantly while others can take up to five days or even longer.
Typically, the more thorough the screen, the longer the process can take.
How do you know if you failed a background check?
You might apply, give your consent to a background check, have it run, and then not hear from the employer.
Did you miss out on that job because of the background check or for some other reason?
If you pass a background check, you will usually know it because the employer will move forward with hiring you.
Legal Requirement to Notify Applicants of the Results
Employers who disqualify applicants based on background check findings are legally required to notify those individuals.
An employer cannot run a background check on you without your consent, so that employer cannot use those findings to disqualify you from consideration without notifying you.
If you did not pass the background check, then the employer is required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to let you know.
If the employer makes an adverse decision, the company must go through additional steps, including:
- Notifying you of the decision in writing
- Providing you with the name and phone number of the company that prepared the background check report
- Including a disclaimer that the background check company did not make the decision
- Letting you know that you have the right to contact the background check company to dispute any inaccurate findings
The Reality of the Situation
In reality, in spite of what the law states, an employer might still choose not to notify you that you failed the background check.
Of course that wasn’t legal, but how often does an applicant actually press the issue?
As a felon, you already know the drill and how this works.
An employer might simply not notify you.
You could make the assumption about the outcome.
Are you really going to call and confront that employer? Probably not.
You have applied for other jobs and had the same thing happen.
Confronting the employer probably won’t change anything.
You still won’t get the job. And you will have to keep looking.
A bummer, but it happens. So be prepared.
Can You Run a Background Check on Yourself?
If you want to be prepared for the results of a background check, you can run a background check on yourself.
Not only can you run a background check on yourself, but it is highly recommended to do so.
As a felon, you need to know what a background check will show.
Then you can be ready, so that when you don’t hear anything from a potential employer after a background check, you will have a better idea of what that means.
You can arm yourself with the information needed to be successful in applying to get a job.
Felon applicants can accomplish that by using the right resource to run a background check on themselves.
Don’t hesitate to consult an attorney as part of the process.
Take action and don’t risk a chance on the results.
Recommended Action
Remember that resources are available to get the instant results you need, and it does not have to take a long time.
Remember to be smart about it and go into any situation prepared with the information that can make a critical difference in being successful.
Regardless of a felony conviction, it is important for you to be honest in disclosing any criminal history.
Revealing felony convictions provides you the opportunity to explain your situation and describe the circumstances of your crime.
When you apply for a job, you might not pass the background check.
The employer may not inform you of the results. It is not the end of the world to fail the background check.
There are other jobs available with different employers.
Try to learn from the experience.
Consider what went well in the application process and what didn’t.
Use that to your advantage next time.
It is not about the mistakes you make but in how you recover from them that makes all the difference.
So what do you think about this blog post about how do you know if you failed a background check?
Have you or someone you know failed a background check?
Did the employer let you know?
What was that like and what happened? Please tell us in the comments below.
