What is a Consent to Background and Reference Check?

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A prospective employee may interview well, but it's always a good idea to make sure you really know who they are before you make the hire. Having a job applicant sign a Consent to Background and Reference Check gives you permission to check up on their application information and background.

Use the Consent to Background and Reference Check document if:

You're an employer who wants permission to run a background check on information a prospective employee provided
You'd like to check to see if an applicant has a criminal record
You're going to speak about an applicant's past job performance with their former employers
You want to protect your company against future claims of invasion of privacy from employees or prospective employees

When your prospective employee signs a Consent to Background and Reference Check, you'll have their permission to confirm the information they provided on their job application and check their references. The Consent clearly explains what you plan to check and how you'll gather that information. A signed Consent to Background and Reference Check protects you and your company if an applicant later claims you unfairly invaded their privacy. If you choose, you can also get permission to run a criminal background check. Not all types of employment need to run a criminal background checks, but if it's relevant to the job (e.g. a security guard), you'll have the option to include it in your Consent to Background and Reference Check.

Hiring? Visit Rocket Lawyer's Guide to Human Resources for more information about the hiring process.

Other names for this document: Background and Reference Check Authorization

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