Background checks

The Kingmaker

Don't know if this is the right thread, but I was wondering what the situation is with companies carrying out background checks on potential employees.
I got into trouble 13/14 years ago, and have not been in trouble since. I got a criminal record for it.

I was turned down for a job recently after they did a background check. They would not tell me what the problem was. Can I expect this to be a trend?

Peregrinus

They won't get a report on your convictions, prosecutions, etc, from the guards unless you authorise it in writing, and you would know if you had been asked to do this.

On the other hand, if by "I got into trouble" you mean you were convicted of an offence, and if your convcition was reported in the newspapers, then there's a sporting chance that anyone who Googles your name will find out about your conviction (unless you have a pretty common name, and the details given in the newspaper reports are not enough to link you with person convicted). Google your own name and see what comes up.

So it depends, basically, on whether prospective employers are going to ferret around for this kind of stuff. And that probably depends, to some extent, on what kind of jobs you're applying for.

Whether the conviction, if found out, will be a problem for you also depends, of course, on what you were convicted for. An offence involving dishonesty is obviously going to be a problem for any prospective employer. Pissing in the street, not so much. And it was thirteen years ago. If this was at a time when you were young and stupid more employers may be inclined to disregard it.