Criminal Background Checks and Social Media Screening
Many companies considering applicants for hire or promotion are now routinely undertaking criminal background checks and often credit checks as part of their verification process. They confirm employment and education history, consult references, and validate applicants’ information provided during interviews.
An additional type of verification is becoming commonplace: internet reviews of applicants’ postings and photos on sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Flickr. Data is mined from social networking and professional websites, as well as blogs, wikis, and video/picture sharing sources. Job applicants must approve all these forms of screening, just as they would for criminal and credit background checks.
The verification process makes a great deal of sense: In order to safeguard the workplace, screening to ensure an applicant does not have a history of aggressiveness or violence, or discriminatory or unlawful activity, seems logical. Fortunately, should a person have made poor choices in the past that have resulted in a criminal record, pardon services exist to help that individual get a pardon to remove that record from searchable databases and ensure it does not show up when reviews are undertaken.
This process is often outsourced to third-party agencies that cross-check the details of the applicant’s history. The focus is predominantly on information taken from an applicant’s resume: the person’s name, education, email address, and location. Having a specialized, disinterested third party perform such checks seems better. Even though the prospect of having social media screening seems unsettling, candidates should realize that most employers are already conducting such reviews.
When employers work with companies that perform social media background screening, applicants are presented with reports on the information found. Then applicants can challenge the legitimacy of the information (just as they can with a credit check) or know what might be hurting their employment prospects. The process seems to be providing a service not just for employers, but also for job applicants.
Pardon Services Canada can assist with criminal background checks, as well as removing a criminal record through obtaining a Canadian pardon (record suspension) and acquiring a US entry waiver. A knowledgeable client specialist will provide a complimentary private consultation to answer any questions, keeping all information strictly confidential.
