Criminal Background Searches

 

The majority of companies now subject job applicants and existing employees to criminal background checks, 80% of companies according to surveys. A combination of 9-11 and a growing problem of workplace violence, and fraud is largely responsible for this trend. Technology and the Internet has also greatly steamlined the process, making it much easier to do background checks. Although larger companies are far more likely to run criminal background checks, 70% of smaller companies are also checking criminal records. A growing number of companies, mostly in the information technologies are requiring security clearances for software engineers and computer programmers due to greater concern over cyber terrorism. Criminal background checks where a security clearance is required are far more intrusive and will usually include a criminal background check on the spouse and other family members of a potential employee upon which they base their hiring decisions. If you're married to a convict, you can probably forget about passing a security check, even though you may have a clean record. Background checks are required by Federal or State law for certain occupations such as jobs working with children, law enforcement, defense contractors, and any Federal employment.