background checks in finance industry

[gdl203]

your "friend" uh... wink wink

 

[oman]

haha

believe me i wish i was qualified for this position, i'm just a lowly shmuck who hasnt even entered the workforce yet

 

[dragon8]

He should cosult with his previous attorney/solictor/barrister that assisted him in the case to see if its been expunged or what.

Depending on what is asked on the application I would reveal it if it asks "have you been convicted of a crime." If asks for felony conviction then no.

 

[oman]

solid advice all around - thanks a lot, folks. i'd entirely forgotten how helpful this forum can be, and yall's helpfulness has inspired me to start giving a little back to the community rather than just posting snarky comments once every few months

 

[suited]

Originally Posted by oman

apparently this firm - again, a software consultancy - is required to do an extra level of background checks to meet the stringent security requirements of their financial-sector clients makes perfect sense because i'm sure the role would have access to large volumes of terribly sensitive data
You'd be surprised. I know a guy that had a bg check, including fingerprinting, for a large financial firm and something didn't show up on his record that should have been there. Well, it might have shown up and they didn't care enough to mention it and hired him anyway - but I doubt it. The bg check you're referring to might be more in depth, but I honestly think these things can sometimes be hit or miss depending upon the severity of the conviction, the town it occurred in, how long ago it was and the procedure used to conduct the bg check.

 

[imschatz]

You can always ask?

Place an annonymous phone call to one of the more senior HR staff and ask. Something along the lines of "I am up for a position within your organization, and am aware of an impending background check. Are we required to list things like (detail the dui as much as you feel necessary)?"

 

[gnatty8]

Originally Posted by tj100

Agreed; the DUI is not an issue - lying about it (i.e. not disclosing if asked) could be.

Cannot agree more. I interviewed a guy a year ago, fantastic candidate, energetic, great credentials, experience. Had HR make an offer. About 3 weeks later comes back he had 2 DUI convictions, but had lied about them on his formal application. The DUI would not have been a dealbreaker, but the falsification was. Someone who lies on a job application is not starting our relationship out from a position of trust. I'd always recommend disclose and be honest.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by gnatty8

Cannot agree more. I interviewed a guy a year ago, fantastic candidate, energetic, great credentials, experience. Had HR make an offer. About 3 weeks later comes back he had 2 DUI convictions, but had lied about them on his formal application. The DUI would not have been a dealbreaker, but the falsification was. Someone who lies on a job application is not starting our relationship out from a position of trust. I'd always recommend disclose and be honest.
Quoted for emphasis.

 

[Pennglock]

How was the question asked, gnatty?

Obviously an outright lie would be bad.. but if there were any room for interpretation, say they asked:

"other than traffic violations, have you been convicted of a crime"

I wouldn't volunteer the DUI information.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Pennglock

How was the question asked, gnatty?

Obviously an outright lie would be bad.. but if there were any room for interpretation, say they asked:

"other than traffic violations, have you been convicted of a crime"

I wouldn't volunteer the DUI information.
The apps I've seen ask the applicant to list any and all convictions.

 

[ter1413]

 

[veneto]

1) Most employers want to know all convictions, not just felonies.

2) Background checks by private employers essentially amount to public records searches. The company doing the search has a very good chance of pulling up the conviction.

3) People and companies understand DUIs. It doesn't excuse them, but even very conservative employers recognize the difference between your first DUI and your first battery conviction.

Based on those facts, I say disclose up front and avoid trouble down the road.

 

[ter1413]

Originally Posted by veneto

1) Most employers want to know all convictions, not just felonies.

2) Background checks by private employers essentially amount to public records searches. The company doing the search has a very good chance of pulling up the conviction.

3) People and companies understand DUIs. It doesn't excuse them, but even very conservative employers recognize the difference between your first DUI and your first battery conviction.

Based on those facts, I say disclose up front and avoid trouble down the road.

that^

 

[gnatty8]

Originally Posted by Pennglock

How was the question asked, gnatty?

Obviously an outright lie would be bad.. but if there were any room for interpretation, say they asked:

"other than traffic violations, have you been convicted of a crime"

I wouldn't volunteer the DUI information.

That's the point, err on the side of disclosure. If I recall correctly, the question was worded something like "In the last 7 years have you ever been convicted of any crime?" So yeah, it was an out and out lie. However, if the question were worded as you put it above, I would still counsel someone to be truthful and honest. It's not like they'll take your word for it and not run the background check just because you answered no. They will run it, and conclude that your answer to the question was intended to obfuscate/mislead, and they will likely not hire you because of it. If it is outside the window of time given, since most will ask for convictions in the last 7 years, then no, the friend can truthfully answer no. Similarly if one was convicted of a misdemeanor and the question specifically refers to a felony, then the friend could answer no. However, in your hypothetical above, a reasonable person should be able to understand that a DUI conviction is not the same as speeding.

 

[Quadcammer]

Originally Posted by suited

If he has a DUI, I would not put that on the application. Worst case scenario they do the check and find it, you could say that it was expunged and you were under the impression that you didn't have to list it.

That is horrible advice.

if it was expunged, it wouldn't show up on a background check in the first place.

Be upfront.

Tell them/include on application.