Background Check

[gbpack]

I recently just was offered a job but can be taken away if my background check comes back and they do not like something. I am absolutely freaking out about my DUI I recieved two years ago while I was a junior in college. I just cant stop thinking about it because i really want this job. The job is for a production manager position so no driving will be involved and no company car will be used and they never asked me about my driving record in the interviews nor was it in the job description or job duties at all. I guess my question is if my driving record didn't matter to the company then why are they doing a background check on it because i know they will because it said it on the paper i signed letting them do a background check on me. just dont see how they could hold that against me if no driving wil be involved. I just feel like all hope is lost and i know i am going to be getting that phone call taking my offer away. I just dont feel confident at all anymore. please give me your thoughts

[yellowcal]

Typically if it is a minor infraction and is your ONLY infraction it will be overlooked if you qualify for the job in other ways. It happened 2 years ago and if there is nothing else it shouldn't affect your chances however they can use their own discretion when it comes to things like that.

[gbpack]

thanks for the quick reply, yeah i mean I am a good person, no felonies or mistermeanors or anything like that, just made a stupid mistake one night in college and would never make the same mistake again. I should have just told them but hopefully they do not hold it against me.

[laisla]

my classmate was arrested for simple possession years ago, he still was able to get a volunteer job at an elementary school that did a background check on him. just cross your fingers for this one

[gbpack]

Oh I am, i am praying non stop. They have already offered me the job and told me my starting date, salary, and benefits but they can always take away the offer. Everyone is telling me not to be worried and that I will be fine but I am just having a bad feeling about it. well see how it goes.

[yellowcal]

If they think you are qualified enough and have already offered you the job, I think you are in and can quit worrying. Good luck!

[gbpack]

yeah thats what everyone has been saying i have been talking too!

[Caldus]

I think you will be fine. This is mainly for their own information usually. I mean how often do they actually reject people because of their background check? It happens, but not because of some minor incident 2 years ago. For something like that, it's just nice for them to know a little bit about your record before you come in to work.

[gbpack]

Yeah thanks caldus! I should be getting a call from them today or tomorrow hopefully and will let you guys know how it goes. Hoping for the best

[yellowcal]

Fingers crossed for you!! Good luck!

[jacques]

If they think you are qualified enough and have already offered you the job, I think you are in and can quit worrying. Good luck!

 

Thats not necessarily true. I was in a situation similar to your's where I was told that I had a Position working for the dept. of Homeland Security. I was IN, the job, salary finalized in writting, But there was a catch, It all hindered on the backround check. This was being done by The Dept. of Treasury which oversee's Homeland Security. Turns out I didn't get the job, even though I thought I was a shoe-in. The Reason for the turn down, I owed back taxes.

Never count your chickens before they hatch... A DUI is a Misdemeanor and I gaurantee you they have found it. The question now is whether the company as a whole accepts that. If they asked you about your criminal record on the job app. and you negleted to tell them about it, than you'll be rejected for lieing to them. You can't hide anything from a potential employer. The reason why you can't is because a simple google check on the web will show the DUI. There is no such thing as privacy anymore, you have to assume everyone knows everything about you and maybe some things you aren't even aware of (for me it was back taxes).

[Sami Sue]

If they asked you about your criminal record on the job app. and you negleted to tell them about it, than you'll be rejected for lieing to them. You can't hide anything from a potential employer.

 

This is the most important part. If you lied, then you are most likely out. Just tell the truth - ALWAYS. If this job doesn't work out, when you fill out the background check release for future prospects, just tell the interviewer/HR person, that you have a DUI from 2 years ago. Ask how this fits with their hiring policies. Honesty is the best policy. You need your employer to trust you.

[gbpack]

I live in the State of Wisconsin and your first DUI isn't a midemeanor, your first one is a traffic violation with a fine. Know your facts before posting... and they did ask me if i have committed a crime, meaning felonies or misdemeanors which i havent had anu so i didn't put it down and marked it no. They never asked me about any traffic violation in interviews or app nor was it in the job requirements so why would i tell them... dont ask don't tell, now if they do ask me for an explanation after the background, i will obviously give an explanation.

 

And Jaqcues, your position was for a government job not to mention dept of homeland security...you will be put through the most extensive background check out of everyone... this job is for a production manager trainee position as it will be my first job out of college

[Sami Sue]

If it is a traffic violation, they most likely won't even see it. Traffic offenses do not appear as part of most background checks. Since it's not a driving job, they probably aren't concerned with your driving record.

 

I worked HR for a company that had contracts with school districts, so I handled a variety of different background checks, in addition to our own. Some even ask if you have ever been arrested - regardless of whether or not charges were even filed. So watch out for those kind of questions - unless the DUI didn't involve an arrest.

 

Good luck to you! I hope you've got it.

 

Sami

[gbpack]

No they will see it for sure because in the sheet i signed, it said they will be doing a background check on my driving record,criminal record, and consumer credit report...now im sure they do this with everyone after they offer them a job...thats what i dont understand, if the job doesnt involve any driving, the use of a company car, or wasn't even in the job description, why does it matter... I mean, i could see if you had 2 or more DUI's being a problem, but i made a mistake and hopefully they wont use it against me.

[Sami Sue]

I can only speak from my experience, but I had employees sign a disclaimer releasing all of those things, and we only ran criminal history. Many of those forms are drawn up by a lawyer and are meant to be applicable in all positions. You might actually want a credit check on your prospective CFO. You definitely want a driving record for those using vehicles. Rather than have many different authorizations, the company makes you release all of it.

 

This isn't to say there aren't employers who will do it all. But these checks cost them money, so if it isn't essential for the job, they typically don't pull it.

 

I am keeping hope for you!!

 

Sami

[gbpack]

yeah I understand where your coming from but I had to put my license number on the sheet i signed so i am just assuming they will run a check on my driving record which worries me...geez the things you regret doing when your in college...dont drink and drive people

[JadedStar]

This is the most important part. If you lied, then you are most likely out. Just tell the truth - ALWAYS. If this job doesn't work out, when you fill out the background check release for future prospects, just tell the interviewer/HR person, that you have a DUI from 2 years ago. Ask how this fits with their hiring policies. Honesty is the best policy. You need your employer to trust you.

 

Yes. If you lied on the application, even if it is a misdemanor that wno't normally disqualify you it would likely cause you to fail background. I am not sure if you said you did disclose it or not. It is an automatic disqualifier at my company if someone checked "no" to the question, even if you said no to traffic violations. Reason is because the application is a legally binding document.

 

Each state is different, you say in your state it is a traffic violation but i am almost certain it is considered a felony in the state i live in, so i can't elaborate on Wisconsin. My last company DUI's were a disqualifier even for non driving jobs. At my new cmopany if the incident doesn't show in the regular background check (and again in my state a DUI would as it is not charged as a traffic violation) it wouldn't matter if it were traffic if the job isn't a sales job that requires driving.

 

It is really hard to say with any certainty how this will turn out because one would think major companies would all have a similar system but they don't. I have had candidates shocked and devastated when they fail our background check becuase they worked for our competitors before with the same issues and were passed.

[JadedStar]

Have you checked on this to be sure? I don't know of many locales that log a DUI as a traffic violation.

Maybe you have already checked, but if not I would just to be sure.

[gbpack]

yes i checked and I am right on being a traffic violation and I highly doubt a first offense is a felony for a DUI in any state if any...I have never heard of the first one being a felony and i have done some extensive research on it....Im curious to why a DUI is an autmatic disqualify from your company especially if driving isnt involved... From my understanding, a company cant hold that against you if no driving is involved for the job...people make mistakes and just because someone has a DUI doesnt make them a bad person

[melrich]

From advisers at BusinessWeek,

[yellowcal]

Considering your job was dealing with homeland security of course the regulations and standards are going to be higher and if you have anything on your record your chances are pretty slim to get the job. As for most typical jobs a background check is just security for the employer.

[JadedStar]

DON'T LIE, DON'T TELL. Whatever you do, don't lie about a conviction if a prospective employer asks about it on an employment form or during an interview. If you do, and your boss were ever to find out after it you were hired, you'd be kicked out the door in a jiffy -- for lying. "The person could probably be fired immediately," Shiu says.

 

 

Out of the entire article mel posted the above is the most important take away. Also about only being able to ask about a conviction. They can ONLY ask you to list convictions. And if you say 'no' and were convicted, even a misdemanor (unless the application only asks for felonies, this varies from company to company), it can and will most likey be, a disqualfier.

 

I have a friend who just got a job with a major firm who had a DUI so obviously they are not always a disqualfier. As for it being a felony or not, i am going on what was told to me by others, I have not had a DUI and have never researched it so I cannot say with 100% certainty if that is accurate. the people who told me seemed to know as they had one on their record. Not sure why they would want to tell people they had a felony if it were a misdemeanor, but that is neither here nor there since it isn't my issue nor is it my reason to know.

 

Unless the application asked for the info I wouldn't disclose it. If you did disclose it on the app that still isn't necessarily an automatic turn down. Often in cases like this the person conducting the background check will call for some details.

 

I do not personally conduct the background checks for the company i work for now, we hire external company to do this for us, but i did it at my last company. I am not entirely sure if a DUI would disqualify someone for candidacy because I am not privvy to the reasons why a candidate was declined except in certain cases when it is challenged. the candidate gets the transcript that shows the reason for the decline and if they call me to challenge it then i get the information and work with the background agency to see what i can do to determine if a mistake were made. I do know, however, it will disqualify a candidate with a position that requires driving.

[gbpack]

yeah thats why I didnt disclose it to them because it wasnt on the app and they never asked me about it in any interviews but I was just suprised when it said on the sheet they were doing a background check on driving records because the job doesnt involve any driving or the use of a company car...

[melrich]

Well if they didn't ask then I don't think it was your duty to disclose. If it comes up, read the article above for some good tips on how to handle the question.