If you are looking to rent a new house or apartment, you may be asked, as part of the application process, to submit to a background and credit check.  We are here to let you know what goes on behind the scenes when landlords are screening a tenant.

Here is some information that might turn up:

1.       Your Criminal History

Landlords want to make sure that you will be an easygoing and reliable tenant.  Making sure that you do not have a tumultuous background ensures that you will be a good addition to the rental community you are joining.

Landlords will likely not be interested in minor issues such as parking or speeding tickets, so don’t get nervous!  They are just ensuring that you won’t disrupt other tenants and that you are likely to complete your lease without incident. They are searching for someone that is likely to treat their property and other tenants with respect.

If your landlord runs a criminal background check, take it as a good sign!  Other residents have likely gone through the same check.  The community you are about to join is more likely to be a safer place to live!

2.       Your Credit Report

If you are asked to report your income and undergo a credit check, this is because your potential landlord wants to know that you can reliably pay your rent as well as handle the other expenses attached to renting a property.

Your landlord can estimate the true cost of your apartment and house; this includes not only rent, but also utilities, local taxes, parking and other fees.  Just because you have taken into account your rent and deposit may not mean you are financially able to take on the property.  A financial and credit check will allow your landlord to determine if you are a reliable tenant who can take on this financial burden.

Don’t worry!  Just like with background screening checks for job seekers, you are allowed by law to obtain a copy of your credit report to check for errors and to know what your landlord knows!

3.       Your Relationship With Past Landlords

A thorough screening service that your landlord hires will also contact your past landlords and references.   Again, your landlord is not trying to pry into your personal life.  The screening service your landlord hires is only trying to establish that you are a reliable tenant, have respectful habits, and are likely to abide by the terms of your lease.

Landlords that use a reputable screening service do so for your protection as much as theirs.  You can be sure that if you are asked to undergo a background and credit screening that your landlord has high standards for all his tenants, that he or she values safety and respect, and that he or she is proactive when responding to potential issues or problems.

Congratulations on joining a safer and happier community!

Do you have a question about background screenings or the hiring process?  Contact Us.

The post FAQ: What shows up when you do a background check on potential tenants? appeared first on JDP.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a reference:

Pick someone who can advocate for you.  The person you pick should be well-spoken; the type of person that won’t panic when asked a hard question and someone who can speak clearly and with authority.

Pick someone who is on your side.  The person you pick should have your best interests at heart and want you to succeed.  They should be honest, but know and celebrate your strengths.  This person may not always be your direct superior, but in fact may be a coworker, client, or mentor.  You are free to pick any one with whom you’ve worked closely.  Make your choice count.

Contact your reference before including them on your application.  Because you gave your reference the heads up, they won’t be caught off guard.  They will give you a polished reference rather than stammer through unprepared.  This also gives you a chance to make sure all your contact information is up to date and accurate.  Not only is contacting your reference beforehand a professional and courteous practice, it may be a great opportunity to discuss with your reference how best to represent you!

Many people are honored to be asked to be a reference and want to do a good job.  You can discuss with this person exactly what strengths you want to present so you can tailor the recommendation for that position.  You may also find out some strengths you didn’t even know you had!

On no account should you make up a reference.  When a reputable employment screening company verifies your employment, they will also verify employment of your reference to make sure that person did indeed work with you.  If you forge a reference by making up a reference, providing the name of a person who did not actually work with you, or misrepresent their position, you will be sending a red flag to your potential employer that you are not to be trusted.  A false reference may be worse than no reference at all!

Do you have a question about background screenings or the hiring process?  Contact us!

The post FAQ: Will my employer really check my references? appeared first on JDP.

You ask for work references in the hiring process for a reason: to gain insight into your job candidate as an employee.  To overlook these, or to treat references as a mere formality, may result in a bad hire as reseach done by CareerBuilder.com has demonstrated.  A study of 2,500 human resource professionals revealed that references were only contacted roughly 80% of the time.  One third of these hiring managers had found fake references listed on resumes.  Furthermore ⅔ of references contacted did not review the candidate positively.  It was also discovered that many references did not know they were being listed at all.

If you are not checking references, you are missing out on a wealth of revealing information.  Make sure that you not only contacting references, but making the most of the information references may be able to provide to you.  Beyond verifying employment, here are some questions that you may want to ask:

1. Did the employee get along well with peers and managers?

2.  Did the employee go above and beyond what was being asked?

3.  Were there any issues regarding attendance or tardiness?

4. Why did the employee leave this position and did he or she leave on good terms?

5.  Would you hire this employee again?

A quick, brief call can save you a lot of grief down the line.  It may also reveal that an employee that looks mediocre on paper may actually be a jewel of your workforce.  References may be able to tout the best qualities of an employee better than the job candidate himself or herself.  In either case, the only way to find out how your candidate works in real life conditions is to investigate or allow a qualified employment screening service to do the heavy lifting for you.  You will be glad you made the investment.

The post 5 Questions To Ask Employment References During the Hiring Process appeared first on JDP.