There’s an App for That? Ick!

The Bureau of Justice estimates that one in five adults now have a criminal record that would pop up on a pre-employment background check.  According to HireRight‘s 2009 survey, 93 percent of employers run criminal checks. This is up from 85 percent in 2008.

There is now a free iPhone App for running background checks right from the convenience of your phone! Creepy but true.

But wait, there’s more. The HireRight survey found that 42 percent of employers are now checking credit histories. Given the state of our economy and the difficulty people are having finding jobs, Congress is considering a bill that would prevent employers from using credit reports in their hiring or promotion decisions.

There is often a legislative backlash when employers go too far. Indiscriminate use of criminal and credit screenings is driving the need for greater regulations. Screening practices must support a company’s hiring needs and they must be implemented fairly with all applicants. For example, you cannot screen only male applicants for sex offender status.

Job candidates need to know their rights when it comes to hiring practices. Here is the good news. If you have skeletons in your closet, you are not alone.

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