Checking a job applicant’s credit score is among the many ways employers are checking up on prospective employees to get a better idea of their personal history and how responsible they are. Unfortunately, in today’s tough economic recession there are plenty of job applicants out there who are both fiscally responsible and suffering from the fallout of job loss, home foreclosure and mounting debt as families try to stay afloat financially with less money coming in.
That’s why it’s important for those employers who are doing a credit check on their job applicants’ to keep a few things in mind:
1. Does the job the person is applying for deal with company finances, personal information or include a security clearance? Consider whether the job in question would be performed to the same level of professionalism by someone with less than stellar credit.
2. Pay close attention to the rest of the application and the other results from a pre-employment screening that is performed on the job applicant. Nobody likes to be judged on just one aspect of his life, and no job applicant should be judged based solely on a number. Instead let your instinct, careful review of all documents, and the interview guide you.
3. Be aware of the law. It is unlawful to deny someone a job based solely on his or her credit score.
4. If you’re on the fence, be honest about your qualms. Talk to the applicant a little more, and see whether the details and recent life history they give lines up with what you found in your background check.
