What Are Background Checks and Why Do They Matter

If you’re applying for a new job or even an educational course, you will probably be asked to complete a background check. These checks are in place to ensure that you are who you say you are and that you are of good character. Workplaces are becoming increasingly concerned with the quality of the people that they hire. It’s perfectly reasonable for employers to not want to employ convicts and criminals, especially in sensitive jobs.

In this article, you will find out what background checks are and why they’re so important to employers:

What Does a Background Check Consist Of?

A background check has many stages, including a criminal record check, referencing, and identity verification. The criminal record check is perhaps the most important part of a background check because it eliminates candidates with criminal records from the hiring process. According to the team from dbschecks.org.uk, an individual or an employer can apply for their own criminal record check. It might be easier for you to apply on your own for future job applications. It will save your employers time and money if you present one with your initial application.

Following the criminal record check, you will be required to undergo referencing. This involves you giving the name and contact information for your previous employer and potentially personal referees, such as friends and family. In addition, you will have to present proof of your identity, which could be your passport, driver’s license, or birth certificate. You will also need to provide your bank information, so your identity can be confirmed and so that HR can upload your information onto their system.

Why Do Background Checks Matter?

Criminal Records

While people who have criminal records are not necessarily bad people, in professional environments they are less than desirable [particularly if they will have to work with sensitive information]. A criminal record check rules out any candidates that have criminal convictions. In the United Kingdom, once a conviction becomes spent, then it won’t be included in a person’s criminal record. Only the most serious offenses [which never become spent] remain.

Identification Purposes

A background check confirms that you are who you say that you are. Unfortunately, a lot of people try to falsify their information to hide their past. Fortunately, there’s very little that gets past an identity verification check. By providing your passport information, bank details, information about where you studied, national insurance number, and the names and contact details of former employers, employers are able to get a complete image of who you are as a person and confirm your identity.

Lies and Deceit

Background checks rule out any lies and deceit. A lot of people falsify information about themselves during the application process, including claiming to have gone to universities and colleges that they didn’t. In the U.K., people have gone to prison in the past after lying about their qualifications and being found out. The background check process ensures that people are fully qualified and aren’t exaggerating their abilities.

Whether you’re an employer who wants to know more about the background check process or a person that’s applying for a job, this article provides all of the information that you need to know. Make sure that you’re always honest when you’re applying for a job because as this article shows: You can’t get away with lying.