Administrative Offices
Section 4:3 Pre-Employment Screening & Background Checks
Last Updated: 02/2007
Applies to: Administrators, Faculty, Staff
Related Policies: Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring,
Drug and Alcohol Testing
POLICY
As part of the process of weighing applicant qualifications and determining his/her suitability for open staff and faculty positions, the College requires background checks of finalists for a position. Because of the legal implications of these processes, the Office of Human Resources coordinates the collection of all such information.
Background checks should be completed in advance of an offer of employment; however an offer may be made contingent upon the successful completion of all applicable background checks. All applicants are asked to complete an application and sign a release form authorizing the appropriate checks.
Any applicant who refuses to sign a release form is no longer considered eligible for employment. Applicants are also expected to provide references from former employers as well as educational reference information that can be used to verify academic accomplishments and records.
Any applicant who provides misleading, erroneous or willfully deceptive information on an employment form or resume or in a selection interview is immediately eliminated from further consideration for employment with Bethel College. If such dishonesty is discovered after employment, the employee will be discharged.
PROCEDURES
- Hiring departments should contact Human Resources after the employment decision has been made. Before appropriate background checks and screenings can be initiated, an Employment Application must be completed and a Release Authorization must be signed by the applicant and on file with the Office of Human Resources. These can be obtained from the Office of Human Resources or downloaded from the Human Resource Policies and Forms web page.
- Background checks and screenings ordinarily take approximately four days to complete.
FIRST CHECK SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER VALIDATION
Bethel College will conduct a social security number validation to verify an applicant’s identity. If the applicant’s social security number is not valid, was issued before the applicant was born or belongs to a deceased person, the applicant will be given a chance to produce proof of the validity of his/her social security number before s/he is eliminated from the hiring process. Should this situation arise, Bethel College suggests that the applicant contact his/her local Social Security Office.
ADDRESS VERIFICATION
An Address Verification Report will be conducted to verify current and previous addresses of the applicant. This report will also reveal any discrepancies in information provided by the applicant. Failure to disclose current and previous places of residency on the application may result in rejection for employment with Bethel College.
CRIMINAL RECORDS
All faculty and staff applicants are required to disclose on the Bethel College application if they have been convicted of or served time for a felony. If they have, they are required to describe the situation on the application. The Office of Human Resources reviews the information for job-relatedness and time since convictions.
Process
National criminal databanks are checked, detailed court records are checked for current and/or recent county (ies) of residence and applicable state Sex Offender Registries are checked.
- Results are usually received in 2-4 working days following the initiation of the checks by Human Resources.
- Once received, a representative of Human Resources will provide notification to the hiring manager of employment eligibility based on the results.
Applicants will be automatically rejected if they disclose or if criminal records reveal that they have felony convictions in the last seven (7) years. However, exceptions may be made in truly rare instances where the conviction does not reflect on the suitability of the applicant. Felony convictions that occurred further in the past for any crime that makes an individual completely unacceptable for employment at Bethel College are also grounds for rejection. Misdemeanors may affect applicants’ suitability for employment and will be reviewed by human resources, the hiring manager and applicable senior administrative officers on a case by case basis.
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND DRUG SCREENS
The College requires post-offer, pre-employement medical exams and drug screens in circumstances where the nature of the work renders it appropriate or where Federal law or regulation requires it. Post offer pre-employment medical examinations are a condition of employment for positions that include physical tasks among the essential job functions. Pursuant to the Department of Transportation regulations and the Motor Carrier Act, post-offer, pre-employment examinations and drug screens are required for all prospective bus drivers and randomly after employment as a condition of employment.
Process
Departments should contact Human Resources for assistance in such cases. The College reserves the right to select the examining provider.
REFERENCE CHECKS
Information obtained from checking references is used to: 1) verify the accuracy of employment; 2) verify and/or identify job-related accomplishments, skills, abilities, and characteristics that help establish the applicant’s qualifications for employment; and 3) evaluate and ensure the applicant’s overall suitability for the position in question.
Process
- Hiring managers are encouraged to have Human Resources contact previous employer references. Human Resources is available to provide guidance to hiring managers on obtaining references. In instances where hiring managers prefer to do the reference checking, Human Resources can also provide guidance.
- When considering a current College employee as a final candidate for a campus position hiring managers are encouraged to contact the Office of Human Resources for the purpose of obtaining information regarding the employee's performance record as contained in the personnel file. This information may be reviewed with a representative from the Office of Human Resources upon request.
- The hiring manager should advise the employee prior to contacting the candidate's supervisor to obtain additional information regarding the employee's work performance.
The following findings may result in rejection for employment:
- Dates of employment significantly disagree with information given on the employment application or resume.
- Job titles/duties and/or wages significantly disagree with what was given by the applicant.
- Reason for termination significantly differs from what was given by the employer.
- The previous employer indicates unsatisfactory performance, attitude or behavior.
CREDIT CHECKS
Applicant credit history is very important to Bethel College in determining financial qualifications for employment consideration in positions that will have fiscal responsibility, such as:
- Handling cash
- Managing a budget, an account or making significant financial transactions on behalf of the College
A history of personal financial irresponsibility as demonstrated by four or more instances of any one of the following events in the past 24 months may be reason for disqualification.
- Uncollected debt that is written off by creditors
- Accounts sent to collection
- Public record judgments (Tax liens and public judgments for civil action)
- Bankruptcy
The College is aware that occasionally there are extenuating circumstances such as divorce, death, medical crisis, extended unemployment or business dissolution that may affect an individual’s credit history. Since credit records are only one component of Bethel’s comprehensive hiring process, applicants will not be disqualified on the basis of previous credit history alone.
DRIVING RECORDS
A safe driving record is very important to Bethel College. All applicants for positions that involve driving and all applicants who will be granted access to Bethel vehicles are considered drivers, either essential or nonessential. As a result, Bethel College will complete a motor vehicle background check on all final applicants who are considered drivers. Any one of the following events or combination of events in the past 12 months may be reason for disqualification or discharge of essential driver applicants or employees. Similarly, the following events or combination of events in the past 12 months may be reason to prohibit driving access, or revoke driving privileges for nonessential driver applicants or employees.
- Suspended or revoked license
- Driving while under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI) charges
- Moving violation in last 12 months
- Maximum amount of points allowed in a state, depending on violation type
In accordance with this policy Bethel reserves the right to check driving records every six months.
EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS CONFIRMATION
Various positions at Bethel require one or more higher education degrees. In addition, applicants may have additional job-related licenses, certifications or other credentials that are significant for the position. Bethel College reserves the right to verify all levels of education and credentials. If the College is unable to confirm education or other credentials, prior to being disqualified the applicant shall be given the opportunity to furnish any and all documentation that would verify education and credentials. Failure to produce the requested documents may result in immediate disqualification.
