Job offer received pending background check - will I fail it?

talkto

This might sound like a silly question. Alternatively, I could be right to be concerned. I just don't know.

Following a three-stage interview this week, I was offered a full time permanent job in a customer service role for a multinational tech company. They told me that the official offer of employment is pending a background check, which they will perform early next week. My concern is that due to a lack of income over the past three years I am currently paying €15/week to one debt collection agency in regards to an account I have with a particular bank (total amount I owed the bank was approx €1400 and half of that is now paid off.) I am currently in the process of being referred to a debt collection agency with regards another account I have with a different bank, which is in arrears of about €400. I am liaising with that bank at the moment to resolve that debt. I also usually end up paying my monthly mobile phone (€45) bill late. I am also currently two months behind paying a hire purchase loan payment of €60/month with regards to a product I purchased a few years ago.

To summarise, I accrued bank account debts of approximately €1,800 (about €700 of this I have now paid off) and I tend to be late with making two other monthly payments which total approx €105/month. These were all debts I built up while I was still in full time employment, when I unexpectedly found myself out of work and became unable to pay them off. I would obviously be able to pay them off once I start receiving this new full time income.

Besides these financial issues, I have no concerns whatsoever regarding the background check. But I don't really know anything about background checks so I am not sure whether this is going to be a roadblock to receiving an official job offer from the company.

Does anyone have any inside info that could help me out?

Thanks.

Kimbot

The background check wont be based on your finances or anything of the sort. Generally its about crimes you may have commited.

talkto

I'm concerned because if you do a google search for "job offer background check" they all seem to mention credit checks.

Daenarys

If you had to submit bank account statements/credit card statements then that's all they will look at, they won't delve any further than that. That was my experience anyway and that was a background check for a role that controlled a few million dollars of company spend.

I'm confident you'll pass it no problem; you'll get the job and this time next year you'll be in the black

talkto

Daenarys wrote: »

If you had to submit bank account statements/credit card statements then that's all they will look at, they won't delve any further than that. That was my experience anyway and that was a background check for a role that controlled a few million dollars of company spend.

I'm confident you'll pass it no problem; you'll get the job and this time next year you'll be in the black

That sounds like good news. Thanks!

davo10

Did you give them authority to do a backround check? Was it a condition of the offer? If you have and it is, backround check companies are adept at picking up everything about you providing you have given consent for them to do so. Some companies consider a potential employee is financial distress a liability particularly in positions where they are open to customer influence or where they have access to client/employer accounts.

talkto

I wouldn't exactly call it "distress," but I guess that's their call and I'll find out soon enough either way.

I haven't expressly given permission for a background check to be done but I would assume that refusing them permission to do one would instantly void the job offer.

Musicman2000

Normally they will check what you have on your CV, previous employment , qualifications etc. Garda clearance if needed . I have heard of people that handle large amounts of cash getting a credit check done. Background check companies can only check what you have on your CV .

davo10

talkto wrote: »

I wouldn't exactly call it "distress," but I guess that's their call and I'll find out soon enough either way.

I haven't expressly given permission for a background check to be done but I would assume that refusing them permission to do one would instantly void the job offer.

I don't mean that in the derogatory sense, "distress" is a bank term for loans that are non performing or in arrears of the original payment agreement.

Turtle-TM

There are very limited circumstances that you can be asked to complete a Garda vetting form. This is limited to working with children or vulnerable people, or in a government department I believe.

Personally I would not give any company I was hoping to work for any of my financial history or personal history. They can have my cv, previous employer details and they can check that as they wish. That's it.

davo10

Turtle-TM wrote: »

There are very limited circumstances that you can be asked to complete a Garda vetting form. This is limited to working with children or vulnerable people, or in a government department I believe.

Personally I would not give any company I was hoping to work for any of my financial history or personal history. They can have my cv, previous employer details and they can check that as they wish. That's it.

And you don't get the job....

Turtle-TM

davo10 wrote: »

And you don't get the job....

Plenty more out there. Why would you want to work for a company that want to know private details about your life that they have no legal right to ask you for

davo10

Turtle-TM wrote: »

Plenty more out there. Why would you want to work for a company that want to know private details about your life that they have no legal right to ask you for

Plenty you say? Even more potential employees out there. I understand your concern, I wouldn't be enthusiastic about it myself, but if the job is offered subject to a backround check, then a refusal means you are out the door. If that's no problem for you, it's even less of a problem for them, they just offer the job to the next person and everybody is happy.

Keane2baMused

There are some companies that do a credit check, one in particular I know of but for good reason.

However in this case the background check is most likely just your employment history. They need permission to access financial details.