RSM Resources

When it comes to an executive job search, the Internet can be a tremendous tool to uncover new career opportunities and research potential employers.

However, many recruiters use that same resource to find background information job seekers may not disclose in resumes or interviews. As that practice escalates, so does the risk for errors that can damage a candidate’s reputation or career.

"There are scores of stories of people who have had their job searches — or long-term ability to make a living — derailed by error-filled background checks," says Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a California-based organization that raises consumer awareness of how technology affects personal privacy. "Even after they’ve informed a prospective employer that the background report is in error, it’s often too late."

Driven by modern-day terrorist threats and more frequent incidents of workplace violence and fraud, online background checks are no longer an optional human-resources activity. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), for example, reported that 80 percent of private employers conduct criminal background checks on job seekers. Another study by ExecuNet, a job search and networking organization for senior professionals, noted that three out of four recruiters use online search tools to find additional information on candidates. In that study, 26 percent of recruiters said they had eliminated job applicants from contention based on information uncovered online.

Experts say online checks are popular because they are a quick, relatively inexpensive way to uncover a lot of information. But the focus on speed can often lead to serious mistakes. In a speech she recently gave to the National Association of Professional Background Screeners, Givens cited several examples where careless online screening caused serious harm to job candidates:

• A community center director was fired after an erroneous news story reported he had been arrested for soliciting a prostitute. The story quickly circulated on the Internet, eventually making its way to Mugshots.com, an online site that helps the public identify fugitives from justice. The newspaper and local police department admitted the error, but the lingering electronic trail of misinformation crippled the man’s ability to secure a new job.
• Another man, who previously had worked as a telecommunications professional, was mystified that promising interviews repeatedly turned into dead ends. When he finally decided to purchase two online background checks on himself, he discovered that an out-of-state criminal with a lengthy arrest file had used his name and identity. The job seeker, homeless and working part-time as a department-store stocker, has spent several years trying to separate his name and proper credentials from negative online records.

Job seekers do have some protections when prospective employers conduct formal background checks. For example, candidates have the right to receive an "adverse-action" notice if an employer turns them down based on credit or employment records. But Givens says existing law, which links to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, doesn’t cover nonprofessional or casual online background searches such as a basic search-engine query on a person’s name.

"If an employer doesn’t use a third-party search, the law doesn’t require them to disclose anything about the background check," Givens says. "Even if something negative does show up on a paid check, an employer can circumvent the rules by simply telling the applicant that a more highly skilled person got the job. If the negative information was wrong, that applicant will never get a chance to correct the record."

Are you in the market for a new position? If so, here are steps Givens and other experts suggest taking to decrease the odds of unpleasant surprises from online background checks.

Run a check on yourself. While it sounds simple, employment professionals say this is one of the most important steps you should take before embarking on a job search. Start with a basic search-engine review. Enter your name and city of residence, which may yield a surprising amount of information from public media and government records. For a more advanced search, Givens recommends using a paid search tool, such as Mypublicinfo.com, to uncover most of what an employer would see in a formal screening.

"When I did this on myself, I learned that there were a lot of people across the country with my formal name who had criminal records," Givens says. "As a job seeker, that should raise concerns about potential problems if a paid background screener does a sloppy job."

Clean up mistaken reports. If your self-report reveals errors — in your credit, employment or legal records — take immediate action to rectify those issues.

Speed is important, because it can take months to investigate your requests with government or regulatory agencies. For example, getting a "certificate of innocence" from a local court to correct a wrongful record can be a frustrating, back-and-forth run from one court office to another before cleaning your slate.

Decide when to address actual problems. While many background checks may uncover erroneous information, the majority do provide accurate details. If you are preparing to change jobs and know that something in your personal or professional history will raise red flags, experts say you face a choice: disclose immediately when applying, or wait it out in hopes of sparking interest on the basis of your skills and accomplishments.

"I actually asked several senior HR professionals about these options recently, and I got opinions on both sides of the issue," Givens says. "Some said that immediate disclosure with any mitigating details was the best approach. Others, however, said it would be smart to disclose as late in the process as possible, because companies have gotten so risk-averse that early disclosure would eliminate the candidate because he or she looked ’complicated.’"

Enhance your online portfolio. While background checks typically look for hard legal and employment history, experts say you shouldn’t overlook the opportunity to burnish your online image. If you are a leader in a professional organization, for example, find ways to write position papers, give speeches or take on visible leadership roles that the business or mainstream media record. A more sophisticated approach is to put up a personal profile on sites such as LinkedIn.com and then seek referrals or endorsements of your current and past work performance from colleagues and associates.

By following these tips, you can best position yourself against unexpected problems when seeking your next career move.