Pre-employment Background Check

Pre-employment Background Checks: What Do They Show?

The majority of employers employ a pre-employment background check at some point during their hiring process. The industry and the sensitivity of the position determine the extent of the screening. In industries that handle finances like those within the banking industry, they might delve into your financial records/credit ratings. Some might check your criminal records, and even ask for a medical exam. Just how extensive is the verification and what results do they show potential employers?

Pre-employment Background Check
All applicants go through pre-employment onboarding.

Identity check

This is the most basic of all pre-employment screenings and usually forms the basis for a more thorough background check. Your employer will check the legitimacy of the document you’ve provided to ensure that you are indeed who you say you are.

Educational attainment

There are some people who embellish their CV. In fact, it’s estimated that over half of CVs contain falsifications. For example, there is an enterprising businessman who thought his “life experience” fully qualified him for a Masters Degree, so he bought one online. He thought that just because he paid money for it, that it is legitimate – it’s not.

Particularly for diligent employers or jobs within high-risk industries, the majority of employers will want to or will be required to verify the authenticity of your documents and check from the source. This means that your university will be contacted to check that all of the information, including the field of study and grade, matches their records.

Employment history

There are businesses who verify your employment history based on your submitted resumé, while others take a deep delve. Depending on location, your previous employer may be asked to confirm your job title, length of employment, job responsibilities, and even your salary.

Some potential employers might look at your credit report or income tax submissions for sources of income too. What’s important is that any information that you present to an employer undergo no enhancement or alteration.

Pre-employment Background Check
Employers will scrutinize your credentials.

Reference check

We’ve talked about character references and employment checks, of which can be classified as part of a reference check. It digs deeper than just asking for the employment history, though. Conducting a reference check also involves investigating whether a potential employee is fully fit for the role he is applying for. Former employers may be asked questions about a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as their skills and abilities. Again, the depth that a reference check can go to depends on the employer’s location, but a quick chat with a previous manager can help you to understand more about the competencies of the candidate you are considering hiring.

Licenses and Directorship

Specialized positions that require you to acquire a license from a governing body require scrutiny. This is also true for directorship positions. Imagine the financial fallout that would result from a bank’s shady board member approving loans for his own businesses. Similarly, imagine the havoc that a surgeon with fake credentials could wreak. This is why Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region members require a DataFlow PSV report for their healthcare professionals which can be secured via

Criminal records and good standing in the community

Law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, and healthcare facilities will likely conduct investigations on the character of an applicant. This doesn’t just include references, but also any criminal records, as well as their good standing. To illustrate, GCC member countries require a Good Standing Certificate for their healthcare professionals. A licensing body or an applicant’s last employer can issue these.

Social Media presence

This is a new inclusion in background screening and not all employers will look into your social media presence. Again, this varies from country to country: in some places auditing an applicant’s social media accounts is par for the course and for others it’s frowned upon. Be careful what you post, especially on public forums!

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