Terminology used in background check authorizations in the USA.

Factual Questions
1

Oftentimes, when you are applying for a job in the USA, you are asked (read: required) to authorize the company to run a background check on you, often using the terms “character, general reputation, personal characteristics or mode of living”, or something of that sort.

I was wondering if each of these terms has special meaning or if is just a set phrase, and whether a “standard” background check truly covers all of the items above:

Here’s my stab at interpreting the meaning of the terms:

character: Criminal records check, prior employment check/recommendations from prior supervisors

general reputation : a vague concept that would be really hard to objectify

personal characteristics : name, race, gender, DOB, citizenship, health, native language, languages spoken, skills

mode of living : living in an apartment or house? married or single? any kids? living with family? smoker? what do you like to eat? hobbies?

Now, looking at what I wrote above, a lot of those items refer to things that an employer can’t legally use to make a hiring decision.

What’s the straight dope on this phrase?

Are there any organizations that truly can evaluate a person’s “mode of living” in a way that you could make a hiring decision?

How do you quantify or evaluate a person’s “general reputation”? Imaging the following:

HR drone 1: “Well, sir, we looked at all the candidates, and it looks like #2 has the best general reputation, but his character is worse than any except #1. Candidate #1 mode of living is terrible but his character is excellent. What should we do?”
Hiring Manager: What about personal characteristics? Do any of the candidates really shine there?

2

A “background check” will vary in scope, definition and purpose based on who is requesting the check. There is no set standard.

3

My question was really about the terminology.

How would one get a background check on someone’s specific mode of living, as opposed to just running a credit and criminal check?

4

Use a private detective. Again, it comes down to scope definition and purpose. If you are making the request as an individual about someone else, that’s one thing. On the other hand if your background check involves employment, finances, etc., performing a ‘background check’ on someone to include non-merit information so as to determine suitability for a job or a loan, as examples, can land you in hot water.

5

Also, the gummint often wants to know if you’re subject to being blackmailed. That is, are you homosexual? Don’t know if this is done nowadays but it was once a significant part of the “Secret” clearance investigation.

6

When I worked in H/R we ran a simple background check, it cost us $29.00 and included a driver’s abstract, felony & misdemeanor convictions for ten years and outstanding warrents.

I don’t think it covered anything more, but you could pay more and get a more detailed checked. There are many, many different levels of background checks.

I found the best way to check someon out is to call a reference. When I first did this, I thought it was a waste of time, after all, why would anyone put down a reference if they wren’t going to give the applicant a good one. You’d be surprised at the half-hearted, lousy references people will give.

I remember in the 70s when my sister became an FBI agent, they did a LOT of checking. They went around in like a five block radius and knocked on doors at random and asked people if they knew my sister and if so, what they knew about her. Of course that was a long time ago, it’s probably a lot different know, but my mum got a lot of questions from people wanting to know why the FBI was “after” my sister. I guess the FBI said “routine matter,” not “reference check” :slight_smile:

The FBI even knew I had written to Cuba. I was like 8 years old at the time and we had a shortwave, and you know if you hear Radio Cuba you could write to them (or any other shortwave radio station) and they’d send you a DX Card in the mail. So I’d write and collect them from everyone. But they only questioned my sister about the Cuban one.