Resume check

By Maria Zate

August 16, 2000 Web posted at: 2:25 PM EDT (1825 GMT)

VENTURA, California (The Ventura County Star) -- Ever been tempted to stretch the truth on a resume? Think again. More companies than ever are doing background checks.

Laura Russell, owner of IMIData Search, Inc., confers with an employee. IMIData Search performs criminal background checks.

In light of recent news from the county of Ventura and lawsuits against companies for employees' actions, don't be surprised if you're asked to consent to a background check the next time you apply for a job.

"Just a few years ago, less than 5 percent of companies did any type of checking," said Jeanine Husted, a principal at Partners in Human Resources and Safety, a consulting firm in Camarillo. "Today, more than 50 percent of employers do background checks. It's essential now because of increasing court cases involving companies and employees."

County supervisors approved a policy last week to begin checking criminal backgrounds for all new hires, in light of the case against Kevin DeWitt -- a former county employee who lied about his doctorate degree and prior felony convictions. He was sentenced to jail and three years' probation.

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Before the DeWitt case, only one-third of the 7,000 county employees were required to have criminal checks.

Companies that specialize in doing background checks use many sources to get information on applicants. This includes calling previous employers, verifying educational information, running criminal conviction and civil case searches, and even checking credit histories.

But is all this research an invasion of a job applicant's privacy?

Not at all, said Laura Russell, owner of IMI Data Search Inc., a Thousand Oaks company specializing in background research.

"The job applicants have to sign a consent form authorizing the background check," she said. "But criminal records are public information. And when we call an applicant's prior employer, we don't ask personal questions."

Since its founding in 1988, IMI has completed more than 800,000 background checks for employers, charging from $10 to $50 for a rundown on an individual. Its current clients include 1,000 companies across the nation, such as Amgen, AMR (parent corporation of American Airlines), Southern California Edison, Hyatt Hotels Corp., and Montgomery Ward.

"Background check companies are really an excellent resource for their cost," said Husted at PHRS.

If negative information prevents a person from being hired, that applicant is allowed to review all of the research materials to dispute any facts. But Russell said that in her 12 years of doing business, "only a handful of people have disputed the information found on them."

Honesty is the best policy when it comes to your job application or resume, she said: "Even if you were convicted of a crime or felony, that doesn't mean you won't get the job. Don't cover it up because it's eventually going to surface."

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