For most job seekers, the process is time consuming, frustrating and often lengthy, with many hurdles and set backs along the way. Even when you make it to the interview stage; it is likely more hurdles lay ahead from more interviews, a social meeting of the team, psychometric testing, reference checks, police checks, health checks and also an online audit/check of your activities and interests! Unfortunately little of our personal information is private anymore.
In an article on Career Rocketeer, “What a Background Check Can Uncover During Your Job they delve into the subject in some detail, reminding us that whilst we are undertaking our checks on potential employers and managers, the same is being done on us at a very micro level.
In the current climate employers are looking for every hire to count, they are not cutting corners or taking any risks, as they may have been more inclined to do in a booming market where talent was in short supply. Hence the result has been more stringent and personal backround checks job seekers are no doubt experiencing in Australia, similar to those in the US.
The valid concern raised by job seekers is around the invasion of personal privacy and how much delving into people’s personal backgrounds you are considering for employment is reasonable; such as their credit card history, personal interactions and association online and so on. In a previous post we looked at this topic, more from a social media angle in the post ‘Social Media, Recruitment, Discrimination & The Legal Implications’ . When it comes to background checks on someone’s financial position, how much relevance does this have on someone’s work ability, and are they being unfairly discriminated if they dont have a 100% clean record?
As the article by Career Rocketeer states, “in today’s society, nearly every employer conducts a background check on potential employees. Not only does it serve as a way for employers to ensure they’re getting the best candidate possible, but it also is a way for employees to prove they are who they say they are. But what a potential employer can find during a background check might surprise you.”
An article well worth casting your eyes over “What a Background Check Can Uncover During Your Job
We welcome your thoughts and experiences around such personal background checking that is emerging. What is reasonble? Has your personal privacy being violated when job seeking?
2 Comments
This really depends on where you are. Most of the western world has laws and regulations regarding the employers ability to assess the worthiness of their potential employees’ ability to perform a specific job function.
Judging a candidate’s “on line profile” or performing valid background checks may be required or deemed as unnecessary.
In anycase the first thing to do is ask what will be checked and be sensible about what you have available to the public i.e. on the web
As a professional resume writer of over 11 years I agree with these sentiments. I have posted an article on my own site in this regard, but I am surprised at how many job seekers do not consider this aspect of job seeking. I know of at least two candidates that lost their job because of their online profile, one candidate I discovered was involved in a legal dispute and some rather “intimate” photography based on a google search!
it is easy to do, but an online profile is something that needs to be cultivated, and monitored regularly.
Remember, if it is something you wouldn’t want your employers to see, don’t post it! Or at the very least, set your privacy settings so that only a select few can view your photographs and comments.
Regards
Andrea Drew