How extensive are TA/GA/RA background checks?

[meep95]

I posted this in "The Bank" forum as well, but afterwards realized that the people in this forum have probably actually completed the background checks as opposed to the people in that forum just receiving offers. I hope its okay that I double posted!  Anyway, here is the original:

I ask this not because I have some criminal activity or lied on my application.  I recently had a terrible experience with a job offer that required me to do an additional background check throughs company called Hire Right. This company was supposed to check my work history and verify that I worked where I said I did.  I filled out their application form to make sure all the information on there was correct (they upload my resume to their data base).  Soon after, they kept contacting me, insisting they needed proof via pay stubs or W-2 forms that I worked a volunteer (i.e. unpaid) position an unpaid internship (despite the fact that this was unpaid and in fact a practicum though my school), proof of employment for my university (which I never claimed to have worked at, and simply wrote that I attended this university for my undergrad).  Also, they contacted my potential employer and said they could not verify a previous employer despite not asking me for any further verification.  I sent several forms of proof (pay stubs and references) about this previous employer when my potential employer contacted me about it, but Hire Right still insisted I never worked there. I did not get the job because this awful system made it seem like my application was dishonest. 

Basically, I was offered an amazing assistantship but now because of this experience I am very worried that I may have to do a similar background check of my employers and will lose the offer. Most schools I have looked up say they only do a criminal background check.  I have no issue providing reference or anything like that for my previous employers, but I am worried that my valid information will be misrepresented again. I do not want to contact the school about their background check process because that might raise a red flag for them that I was being dishonest or am trying to hide something (which I am not, but I would rather not give off that impression).  Those of you who have gotten assistantships, what was the background process like for you? 

[XYZ1234]

For my TAship, I was not aware if they did a background check on me. If they did it was probably something very basic like a criminal background. I'm pretty sure they did not contact my previous employers. I wouldn't worry about it. If the school has a HR website you may be able to find some information without directly asking them. 

[TakeruK]

Please don't double post. Don't worry about it though---I've removed the extra posting  

Most official background checks can only be done with your permission (or you apply for it and submit the results to the school). So, you would know if you had a background check. I guess a school could unofficially try to look you up via various Internet searches but it's unlikely any Human Resources department will allow them to make a hiring decision based on something like that.

For a background check to work in the US, it is done at the state level and it depends on the state you're in. I recently submitted an application for a background check with the FBI because I am starting a postdoc in Canada and the employer requires background checks in both Canada (country of citizenship) and the US (because I was here for more than 6 months in the last 3 years). These are criminal checks though.

The verification process that you experienced sounds different and I haven't heard of any school using a service like that. Schools are often more understanding of glitches though, so I would not worry about it unless the school asks you to get verified via HireRight again, and at that point you should just let them know what happened last time.

[Quantitative_Psychology]

I have to agree with @BSB825. I have received no background check to my knowledge (kind of odd once you think about it). I know for a fact that they did not contact my previous University where I had been a TA. Universities aren't like most employers. They are pretty relaxed. For example, they also don't do drug tests (or at least none I've ever been to), but an employer desires that kind of information.

[Sigaba]

I recommend following @BSB825's guidance on going to your school's HR website. Make sure you understand if policies applying to employees also apply to TA/GA/GSIs

Additionally, I recommend that read the fine print of the document you sign (digitally or otherwise) authorizing the background check. Look for language that define the scope of subsequent background checks. You want to know if you're authorizing future background checks as well as the current one.

[akraticfanatic]

Do they generally run criminal background checks for a TAship? 

[fuzzylogician]

The answer is probably "it depends", but I don't think they did anywhere I've TAed or taught. 

[ellieotter]

OP, I see you are in the counseling/psych field so I just want to share that when I applied to my PhD in counseling, only one program required a background check due to being "employed" by the school for our GA's. I saw a few schools who said once we were accepted it would be needed for an assistantship..and unfortunately the one I had to go through was HireRight It was pretty low key though, it didn't ask anything about prior employment; just where I lived, my date of birth, the standard stuff.

Just thought I'd share my experience!

[meep95]

1 hour ago, ellieotter said:

OP, I see you are in the counseling/psych field so I just want to share that when I applied to my PhD in counseling, only one program required a background check due to being "employed" by the school for our GA's. I saw a few schools who said once we were accepted it would be needed for an assistantship..and unfortunately the one I had to go through was HireRight It was pretty low key though, it didn't ask anything about prior employment; just where I lived, my date of birth, the standard stuff.

Just thought I'd share my experience!

Thank you! Do you mind sharing which school used Hire Right? Did you have any problems with it? 

[ellieotter]

10 hours ago, meep95 said:

Thank you! Do you mind sharing which school used Hire Right? Did you have any problems with it? 

Of course! It was Central Arkansas, the school I ended up accepting an offer at! The only issue I had with it is that somewhere between me submitting it and it getting to the psych dept Admin Assistant, it went missing and delayed my official acceptance letter for a bit. Luckily I saved my online receipt and the lady was able to find it somehow. Other than that technical error, I didn't have any problems with the actual process of the check. A litten aggravating but hey, at least I still get my assistantship lol  

[meep95]

1 hour ago, ellieotter said:

Of course! It was Central Arkansas, the school I ended up accepting an offer at! The only issue I had with it is that somewhere between me submitting it and it getting to the psych dept Admin Assistant, it went missing and delayed my official acceptance letter for a bit. Luckily I saved my online receipt and the lady was able to find it somehow. Other than that technical error, I didn't have any problems with the actual process of the check. A litten aggravating but hey, at least I still get my assistantship lol  

hmm okay. I've already sign the contract or official acceptance, and they said they would email me about a background check sometime in July. They didnt mention Hire Right though so I'm really hoping its not that, and just a normal background check.

[meep95]

On 3/12/2017 at 8:28 PM, ellieotter said:

OP, I see you are in the counseling/psych field so I just want to share that when I applied to my PhD in counseling, only one program required a background check due to being "employed" by the school for our GA's. I saw a few schools who said once we were accepted it would be needed for an assistantship..and unfortunately the one I had to go through was HireRight It was pretty low key though, it didn't ask anything about prior employment; just where I lived, my date of birth, the standard stuff.

Just thought I'd share my experience!

Turns out it is HireRight...I am really hoping it is the same experience you had. I would be devastated if I lost this assistantship because of this horrible company. Additionally, I already rejected all my other offers so if something does go wrong I have no other options. 

[ellieotter]

9 hours ago, meep95 said:

Turns out it is HireRight...I am really hoping it is the same experience you had. I would be devastated if I lost this assistantship because of this horrible company. Additionally, I already rejected all my other offers so if something does go wrong I have no other options. 

Awe I'm sorry to hear that! The filling out the check went smoothly and took like 2 seconds. I just made sure to keep my receipts showing I had paid for the check just in case it went missing. Best of luck to you!!

[jimsourcer]

It sounds like HireRight didn't do their due diligence. In my experience, background screening providers should make a number of attempts to verify past employment and if they can't verify via phone or email to the organization, they should then ask the applicant for some kind of proof of employment.

I've had some experience with AccuSource for background screenings in the past and have never run into this problem.

[fortsibut]

On 3/12/2017 at 6:12 PM, akraticfanatic said:

Do they generally run criminal background checks for a TAship? 

I was a GA/TA in my MA program and they did run a background check on me before the paperwork was finalized, and I asked for a copy of the resulting documentation because I was curious.  It indicated that they checked for a criminal record over the past seven years.  I'm not sure how widespread that is, but I attended a state school in NY.  Offhand I can't remember if they did a credit report or anything like that but IIRC it was just a criminal background check.  I certainly didn't have to go through anything as intensive as meep did.