Of course you can. An employer can definitely choose not to hire a candidate due to information found on a pre-employment background check. If the potential employer is going to perform a pre-employment background check they do have to inform you and obtain written permission, but any information found can have an impact on their hiring decision. Given that fact, it is important to know what may appear on your background check prior to giving authorization. Having a record is often not enough by itself to deny you a position; lying about your record on the other hand almost always does.
Information found on a pre-employment background check can prejudice the employer regarding hiring decisions. Keep in mind though, that an employer is obligated by law to provide you with a copy of your background check and inform you of the reason for the decision. If they are refusing employment based on information contained on your pre-employment background check, you have the opportunity to appeal anything that is incorrect on the background check. Also, usually unless the crime is specifically related to the performance of the job for which you are applying, you should not be denied a position. This generally applies to theft convictions in financial institutions and drug convictions in any position of authority or that could have access to controlled substances. In those instances an employer is more than justified in refusing to hire based on information contained in a pre-employment background check.
If another candidate applied that was simply better qualified, the prospective employer has no need to explain choosing to hire the more qualified candidate regardless of the background check information.
Since it is relatively easy for a company to deny having based a decision solely off of a background check, it is usually not worth pursuing the matter. The truth is that criminal convictions don’t look good on job applications. No matter how stellar your resume is otherwise, a criminal record is often something that employers won’t look past. Even blue collar jobs have gotten stricter with regard to new hires. Liability issues for those companies have forced them to implement policies like random drug testing, to combat the number of accidents that are drug related. The current poor economy doesn’t help matters, so if you have incorrect information on your background check you may want to take the steps necessary to remove it. Pursuing record expungements can also be a good idea.
Information found on a pre-employment background check can prejudice the employer regarding hiring decisions. Keep in mind though, that an employer is obligated by law to provide you with a copy of your background check and inform you of the reason for the decision. If they are refusing employment based on information contained on your pre-employment background check, you have the opportunity to appeal anything that is incorrect on the background check. Also, usually unless the crime is specifically related to the performance of the job for which you are applying, you should not be denied a position. This generally applies to theft convictions in financial institutions and drug convictions in any position of authority or that could have access to controlled substances. In those instances an employer is more than justified in refusing to hire based on information contained in a pre-employment background check.
If another candidate applied that was simply better qualified, the prospective employer has no need to explain choosing to hire the more qualified candidate regardless of the background check information.
Since it is relatively easy for a company to deny having based a decision solely off of a background check, it is usually not worth pursuing the matter. The truth is that criminal convictions don’t look good on job applications. No matter how stellar your resume is otherwise, a criminal record is often something that employers won’t look past. Even blue collar jobs have gotten stricter with regard to new hires. Liability issues for those companies have forced them to implement policies like random drug testing, to combat the number of accidents that are drug related. The current poor economy doesn’t help matters, so if you have incorrect information on your background check you may want to take the steps necessary to remove it. Pursuing record expungements can also be a good idea.
