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Expected Practices in Background Checking: Review of the Human Resource Management Literature

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Abstract

In recent years we have seen a growing attention to the issue of background checks. Research on pre-employment inquires suggests that job candidates engage in extensive misrepresentation of academic and work credentials listed on resumes and job applications. An employer who fails to perform a thorough background check on a prospective employee may be vulnerable to the charges of negligent hiring or employment discrimination. Based on a review of the scientific and professional literature in human resource management, we defined expected management practices in background checking including the need to understand the job requirements, methods of background checks, the extensiveness of the background checks, the role of the application forms, and the use of interviews. Recent legal cases are also included to illustrate what practices are or are not defensible.

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Notes

  1. Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

  2. Although the court was presented with the evidences showing that the former employers would have revealed negative employment information (e.g., one of the aide’s patients (with no history of seizures) suffered a seizure under the aide’s sole care), the evidences were not required by the court.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Business Administration, Kent State University, P.O. Box 5190, Kent, OH, 44242-0001, USA

    Julia Levashina

  2. Krannert Graduate School of Management, Purdue University, 403 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN, 47906, USA

    Michael A. Campion

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  1. Julia Levashina
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Levashina, J., Campion, M.A. Expected Practices in Background Checking: Review of the Human Resource Management Literature. Employ Respons Rights J 21, 231–249 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-009-9111-9

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