Years ago, a company's ability to check references was mostly limited to two things: access to the telephone and enough time to make the calls.
  Most references involved calling personal and business contacts a candidate had provided to the potential employer.
  Those days have changed.
    With the advent of the internet, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) which defines information as a consumer report, other legislation, and the birth of services which specialize in providing extensive pre-employment background assessments, companies have the ability to know a lot about you before you are extended a job offer.
  Why are companies so exhaustive in their hiring process?  There are several reasons but in truth, accessibility of information is a major factor.
 Information is more accessible these days, but in some ways it is also more restricted.
  What a past employer can legally say about a former employee has become limited and no employer wants to be sued for providing a bad reference.
Because of that, other sources of information have become even more valuable to employers.
  In addition, companies have a responsibility to exercise reasonable care to protect their other employees and customers from harm and this includes taking care in who they hire.
  If injury or harm occurs at the hands of an employee, a company might be found negligent if due diligence was not exercised in the hiring process and easily accessible and important information was overlooked.
  Another reason for the focus on references is that hiring is time consuming and expensive.
  It's risky as well.
  A bad hire can cost a company a lot of money.
  Training and turnover are costs, not benefits.
  A long-term and productive employee means success.
  Companies want assurances that they have made the right decision and references ease their mind.
  As the saying goes, "the best indicator of future success is past performance" and the reference check is one more piece in filling in the puzzle.
   So, what are they going to check?  What can they check?  Every company has different policies and standards, but a complete reference check may include the following:  THE RESUME/APPLICATION:  Studies have shown that up to 40% of resumes are exaggerated or "fudged".
  Some have outright lies.
  A reference check will often reveal those omissions or falsifications, so it's always best to be honest and include all employers, positions held, and the correct dates of employment.
  If a discrepancy is uncovered, you may knock yourself out of contention or may even be terminated if the misrepresentation is caught after you're on board.
  Take as much care filling out the application as you did writing your resume as well.
  Make sure that whatever you put on an application is consistent with what is on your resume.
  SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: If you don't have one then the IRS will be quite interested in knowing you.
 In addition, identity theft is becoming an increasing problem, so social security traces are more important than ever.
VERIFICATION OF LICENSES:  If you need to be licensed in your profession, a verification of that license will be sought.
  PERSONAL REFERENCES: Some companies request personal references but frankly, they carry little weight and are of dubious value.
  If you can't find 2 or 3 friends or relatives to say "nice" things about you, you have far bigger issues to deal with than finding a position.
  BUSINESS REFERENCES:  They usually fall into the category of one of the following:  Supervisors, Colleagues, Co-workers, or Customers.
  All are appropriate.
  The ones who carry the most impact in a positive way are past managers to whom you reported.
  Before listing a reference, personal or business, let the reference know you want them to act as a reference for you and know what they plan to say.
  Letters of recommendation can also act as part of the reference, but be aware that the employer might also call the person providing it to verify or get more information.
  A call ahead forewarning the reference that they might expect a call is a good idea.
    EDUCATION:  Be prepared to prove it.
  Have a copy of your diploma or even your transcripts, but also make sure the college or university will verify your degree.
One of the most common deceptions on a resume is to misrepresent having a degree or inflating a GPA and companies have become wiser.
  VERIFICATION OF INCOME:  Past income is another common exaggeration.
  Some companies will request last years W2 form or a copy of a very recent pay stub.
DRUG TESTING:  It's fairly standard these days, so be ready for this to be part of the final screening process.
  DRIVING RECORD:  This is most common in companies where you will be on the road or using a corporate vehicle.
  Go to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) in your state and get your record.
  Correct any mistakes.
   CREDIT CHECK:  Credit checks are common, especially when you will have a position related to a company's finances or will have company credit card for expenses.
  However, they are done on a pretty general basis these days for a variety of reasons such as concern that a person's financial situation might impact their ability to do their job.
  There will generally be a release you've signed to allow this check to take place, either as a standalone release or as part of your application.
  If there is no request to release this information, then legally it should not be checked, but if there is a release requested, you can be pretty sure that your credit history will be examined.
  There are 3 major credit reporting entities, TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian.
  They do make mistakes.
  Order your credit record and work with them to "fix" any errors.
  CRIMINAL HISTORY:  Most applications will have a line querying you about your criminal history.
  State laws vary as to whether and what crimes can be used to deny employment, so you should check with your state to see what those laws are.
  Most people do not admit they have a criminal history on an application if they do.
  They are hoping nobody will find out and while this is sometimes true, they are often denied the job strictly on the basis that they lied about it.
  The criminal history check or court record can show arrests, any criminal record.
and also civil actions.
  Each state varies in its accessibility of records and how to go about obtaining information, so do some investigation of what applies in your state if this is an area of concern for you.
  MILITARY SERVICE:  The branch of the military you served in can release and discuss: name, rank, salary, assignments and awards.
  MEDICAL RECORDS:  These are private and not accessible as is also true of Workers Compensation records unless you provide written authorization to a specific request.
  However, companies rarely if ever require this in the standard interviewing process.
A final consideration is information on the Internet.
  The growth in alternative networking has been good and bad.
  Sites like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Linkedin, etc.
can be and are checked by potential employers with increasing regularity.
  Keep that in mind.
  Pictures of you that are explicit or give a glimpse of you "under the weather" or partying like a rock star, though perhaps a hoot for your friends, DO NOT have that impact on your future boss.
They won't see the humor.
  So, be careful of what you post and not just in pictures but also in comments and posts you initiate.
Not all companies are this exhaustive, but many are and the list grows daily.
 Prepare for the reference check now in order to make the hiring process as seamless as possible for both you and your future employer.
  Mark Ste.
Marie Copyright 2009