Should employers be allowed to credit check before hiring

I

I Wear Pants

16,223 posts
Credit checks are sort of ridiculous for a lot of positions.

When I graduate I imagine my credit will be quite poor because I'll have some loans and my parents don't have excellent credit. Has nothing to do with my financial acumen or my skill/work ethic.
Nov 21, 2011 6:41pm
iclfan2's avatar

iclfan2

6,360 posts
I think an employer can do whatever they want. It's a "buyers" market, where there are a ton of people looking for jobs, therefore they can be more picky. It doesn't mean you won't get the job, its just another way of weeding out some of the people. Also, part of the fraud triangle is "pressure". People who owe a lot of money, or are constantly being pestered by debt collectors would be more likely to engage in fraud.
Nov 21, 2011 6:56pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

14,946 posts
Steel Valley Football;982623 wrote:As the one doing the hiring, I can ask to check anything I want to; credit included.
Dont know if this what you are implying as well, but you cannot ask anything you want.
Nov 21, 2011 6:57pm
G

gut

15,058 posts
I Wear Pants;982804 wrote:Credit checks are sort of ridiculous for a lot of positions.

When I graduate I imagine my credit will be quite poor because I'll have some loans and my parents don't have excellent credit. Has nothing to do with my financial acumen or my skill/work ethic.
A) Loans do not negatively impact your credit. Timely payments is actually an excellent way to build a credit rating.
B) Your parents' credit has no impact on your rating.

Credit checks are ridiculous for the majority of non-mgmt and non-finance/acctg positions. But they aren't free and, presumably, if an employer is going to pay for those they have good reason for doing so.

I suspect it's often part of a more comprehensive background search, which is typically outsourced, and the service provider probably tries to throw-in as much as possible to pump-up their fees.
Nov 21, 2011 7:07pm
S

Steel Valley Football

4,548 posts
Pick6;982814 wrote:Dont know if this what you are implying as well, but you cannot ask anything you want.

I can ask anything I want. I don't want to ask anything inappropriate.
Nov 21, 2011 7:27pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

14,946 posts
Steel Valley Football;982848 wrote:I can ask anything I want. I don't want to ask anything inappropriate.
Then you could find yourself in a lawsuit. Have to be very careful what you ask.
Nov 21, 2011 7:36pm
Mooney44Cards's avatar

Mooney44Cards

2,754 posts
Steel Valley Football;982848 wrote:I can ask anything I want. I don't want to ask anything inappropriate.
Ya you definitely cannot ask anything you want, and if you were under the impression that you could ask anything you want, you wouldn't be long for the management position you were in.
Nov 21, 2011 7:42pm
T

Thinthickbigred

4,148 posts
This is republican dogma .. NO Stay out of it. People incure hospital bills , People have hard times ,get laid off etc . People hire nowadays by computer withpout even seeing a person .. i wish Canada was in the south because Id move there
Nov 21, 2011 7:43pm
G

gut

15,058 posts
Thinthickbigred;982864 wrote:This is republican dogma .. NO Stay out of it. People incure hospital bills , People have hard times ,get laid off etc . People hire nowadays by computer withpout even seeing a person .. i wish Canada was in the south because Id move there
What is so evil about it? You can offer up an explanation if you choose. I don't understand why an otherwise responsible person, with a mitigating explanation (hard times, etc..) WOULDN'T want this so as to weed out the people who deserve to be dinged for it.

I'm not a thief and I manage my finances responsibly...hell yeah, check away. I'll accept anything that gives me an edge in the hiring process. Drug screen? Absolutely. Criminal background? Absolutely.
Nov 21, 2011 7:49pm
M

Manhattan Buckeye

7,566 posts
Of course it is ok, if I'm hiring a person I want to see documented evidence of their history. If someone has lousy grades on a college transcript, they can explain it. If someone has a 550 credit score, they can explain it, but in each case I still want to know about it.
Nov 21, 2011 7:54pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

16,351 posts
Pick6;982855 wrote:Then you could find yourself in a lawsuit. Have to be very careful what you ask.

False. You can ask anything you want. Certain questions just have to be prefaced with the answer is optional and answering will not affect your employment
Nov 21, 2011 8:06pm
I

I Wear Pants

16,223 posts
LJ;982890 wrote:False. You can ask anything you want. Certain questions just have to be prefaced with the answer is optional and answering will not affect your employment
If we say that they cannot be used for employment/not employing a person then why do we even allow them to be asked? I mean, because companies aren't just going to ask questions because they like asking questions.
Nov 21, 2011 8:12pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

16,351 posts
I Wear Pants;982895 wrote:If we say that they cannot be used for employment/not employing a person then why do we even allow them to be asked? I mean, because companies aren't just going to ask questions because they like asking questions.

Informational purposes. Have you never filled out an app or applied online to a larger company? They all do it.
Nov 21, 2011 8:14pm
W

wghfan

744 posts
Simple answer, NO.
Nov 21, 2011 8:27pm
justincredible's avatar

justincredible

32,056 posts
LJ;982890 wrote:False. You can ask anything you want. Certain questions just have to be prefaced with the answer is optional and answering will not affect your employment
"Ma'am, your answer to this question will not affect our decision in hiring you, but if you were to be hired would you find yourself inclined to blowing me?"
Nov 21, 2011 8:29pm
S

Steel Valley Football

4,548 posts
Mooney44Cards;982862 wrote:Ya you definitely cannot ask anything you want, and if you were under the impression that you could ask anything you want, you wouldn't be long for the management position you were in.

Tell me what I can't ask. I'll bet anything you come up with is something I would not want to ask.
Nov 21, 2011 8:31pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

14,946 posts
LJ;982890 wrote:False. You can ask anything you want. Certain questions just have to be prefaced with the answer is optional and answering will not affect your employment
If you put that it is optional to answer you can ask anyting.. I figured that was a given.
Nov 21, 2011 8:55pm
S

Steel Valley Football

4,548 posts
LJ;982899 wrote:Informational purposes. Have you never filled out an app or applied online to a larger company? They all do it.
He's extolling wisdom on this subject from where? Still in college??? He barely even HAS credit.
Nov 21, 2011 9:00pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

14,946 posts
Steel Valley Football;982920 wrote:Tell me what I can't ask. I'll bet anything you come up with is something I would not want to ask.
what are some things you would ask?
Nov 21, 2011 9:18pm
dwccrew's avatar

dwccrew

7,817 posts
LJ;982632 wrote:Anything in financial services yes. Otherwise not really needed.
justincredible;982634 wrote:+1.
What about for OC mod positions? Credit checks there too?
LJ;982890 wrote:False. You can ask anything you want. Certain questions just have to be prefaced with the answer is optional and answering will not affect your employment
Boom! Moder-tatored
Nov 21, 2011 9:24pm
S

Steel Valley Football

4,548 posts
Pick6;983004 wrote:what are some things you would ask?
Anything I want to. Weren't you reading the thread?
Nov 21, 2011 9:32pm
F

fan_from_texas

2,693 posts
LJ;982890 wrote:False. You can ask anything you want. Certain questions just have to be prefaced with the answer is optional and answering will not affect your employment

Are you sure this is true? My guess is that many employers are not permitted to ask questions relating to various protected categories, nor do I think it's probably wise to do so even if they're technically permitted (e.g., religion, national origin, etc.). I would think that any employer asking a female applicant whether she plans to get pregnant soon and quit is exposing himself to liability.
Nov 21, 2011 9:37pm
F

fan_from_texas

2,693 posts
To the OP, I think a credit check is perfectly reasonable. If there are 1,000 applicants for a position, there's no realistic way to give a thorough review to each. So you weed out based on factors to get it down to a manageable number (gpa, school rank, years of work experience credit, etc).
Nov 21, 2011 9:39pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

16,351 posts
fan_from_texas;983050 wrote:Are you sure this is true? My guess is that many employers are not permitted to ask questions relating to various protected categories, nor do I think it's probably wise to do so even if they're technically permitted (e.g., religion, national origin, etc.). I would think that any employer asking a female applicant whether she plans to get pregnant soon and quit is exposing himself to liability.

Yeah its legal. Many companies have the optional surveys at the end of online apps or the bottom or back of paper apps. Like I said it has to be optional and cannot determine employment
Nov 21, 2011 9:40pm