Hello Fairies,

29 Comments

1. AnonymousMay 3,2025 at 2:45AM UTC

   You should request a copy of the background check report, especially if it was conducted by a third-party agency, as you have the legal right to review and dispute any inaccurate or misleading information under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). If you haven’t received it already, follow up with the company in writing, politely and professionally, asking for clarification and a copy of the report. Document your outreach, and if they continue to ignore you, it reflects poorly on their process, not you. If you suspect the report was incorrect or the process unfair, consider speaking with an employment lawyer for guidance. Most importantly, don’t let this derail your confidence.

2. AnonymousMay 3,2025 at 4:20PM UTC

   I appreciate your response. I have requested the background report as suggested. I’m learning a lot on this platform. Thank you.

3. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMay 3,2025 at 4:47AM UTC

   First off, background checks have nothing to do with "great reviews" or any other kind of reviews.

   Background checks typically encompass criminal history, verification of education and verification of employment dates and titles.

   Background checks are typically only conducted if a company is interested in making you an offer. Did you interview with this company? Did you receive a verbal offer from them? This again, is typically done before a company will pay for a background check.

   I would be more concerned that this may be some sort of scam to get your personal info like your SSN.

   They cannot run the background check without your permission - did you consent to the background check?

   If you did, you should be able to contact the background check company and receive a copy of the report - most companies don't do background checks themself - they farm that out to third party companies. You have a right to dispute negative findings if you do not think they are legitimate. If you don't think there should be anything negative on there, you may be the victim of identity theft.

4. Barb HansenMay 3,2025 at 12:27PM UTC

   As always, Joan, your response is excellent. I always learn something from your replies, and I wanted to say thank you. :)

5. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMay 3,2025 at 8:43PM UTC

   You are welcome and thank YOU for your kind words, Barb. That's what this community is about - trying to help each other when we can.

6. AnonymousMay 3,2025 at 4:17PM UTC

   Thank you Joan, your response gives me relief. Everything you stated were my initial thoughts. I never had prior conversations with this employer and I know that before they do things like that, they would let me know they are interested in me would inform me of other processes that would follow.

7. AnonymousMay 3,2025 at 4:19PM UTC

   they would let me know they are interested in me * and* they would also inform me of other processes that would follow.

8. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMay 3,2025 at 8:42PM UTC

   If you have not inteviewed with this company, then I would be concerned this is a scam attempt. Good catch on your part.

9. Alexis GladstoneMay 3,2025 at 12:39PM UTC

   Did you just apply or did you interview and get to the offer discussion? They can't conduct a background check without personal information like your SSN so if you didn't provide that at any point, it wasn't a true background check as they are normally conducted.

   If you were in that part of the process, and if this is a role with fiduciary responsibilities there may have been something that was off.

   I would request a copy of the report to ensure that everything on it is actually tied to you. Just like credit reports can have erroneous information (mine had a state I never lived in) , so can background checks.

10. AnonymousMay 3,2025 at 5:17PM UTC

    I applied early this year. Never had a conversation with this company except this email. I have requested a background report as suggested by you and the others. Thank you for your response

11. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMay 4,2025 at 6:04AM UTC

    Just make sure that you don't provide any confidential information if they request it to send you copy of the report - my concern is this whole thing is a scam attempt and there is no legit background check company.

12. AnonymousMay 4,2025 at 4:00PM UTC

    I sure won’t. :)

    Thank you Joan.

13. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netMay 3,2025 at 1:37PM UTC

    Have you ever been arrested?

14. AnonymousMay 3,2025 at 4:12PM UTC

    No, never.

15. AnonymousMay 3,2025 at 4:16PM UTC

    Please know reviews and background checks are not interchangeable. If anything did not match between your application such as educational info, your GPA, or a credit score below what they may require if you have financial responsibilities, or something in your driving record if your job requires you using a company vehicle or a rental car, not to mention any arrests or traffic violations, there are a host of reasons you may not have passed. This is the company’s requirements but it doesn’t reflect all companies. Each company sets their own standards. And use 3rd parties, most likely, to conduct them. Email your recruiter, copy HR, and the person who delivered the news requesting a copy of the report. Something in your background did not pass their requirements. Go back to your application, did you maybe put in incorrect info that didn’t match? Either way get a copy and scour it to make sure to check if anything didn’t match the application so you can fix the issue should it arise again. I’ve had all kinds of things pop up in background checks. I’m a former recruiter and 3rd parties managed them and even hired someone who had a criminal offense. The company loved him and hired him.

16. AnonymousMay 3,2025 at 5:11PM UTC

    So the email has a”donotreply” email address. It’s impossible to respond to that email. I have been looking for the application in my inboxes but found nothing which is weird. I’m quite confident of my application and my record which is why I’m concerned. I found a way and as others have commented, I requested the background report. Keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks for your response.

17. AnonymousMay 3,2025 at 5:13PM UTC

    *I found a way to contact them through a professional site* Getting their contact was a hassle as well.

18. AnonymousMay 4,2025 at 1:46AM UTC

    Great! Request a copy. Something is amiss. And I hope you find the answer.

19. AnonymousMay 4,2025 at 7:23AM UTC

    did you only apply for the job and not get an offer? it's bizarre they would send you an email like that, especially if there was no offer as i would think you would need to consent to a background check???

    even more disturbing is that you would know if you have anything in your background that was going to look bad and your post is indicating that there isn't anything you know of (it seems like someone would know if there was).

20. AnonymousMay 4,2025 at 1:31PM UTC

    Sounds like click bait of some sort. I wouldn't respond further.

21. AyianMay 5,2025 at 12:11PM UTC

    I once was rejected for housing based on a background check that pulled up someone with the same name, but lived in a different state. Most companies use third party background check companies and the cheap ones can have a lot of errors. Do verify that the email came from the company you interviewed with. If it checks out and you were waiting on your background check to clear with a pending offer, try making a phone call instead of email.

22. AnonymousMay 5,2025 at 12:34PM UTC

    It's not about your reviews at work. It's about what showed up in your background screen. Something about your driving record, criminal history or whatever didn't align with their policies. You should have first received a pre-adverse action letter followed a week later by an adverse action letter and this should have included a copy of the results of your actual background screen. Start with reaching out to the background screening company.

23. Coach Jenn HassanMay 5,2025 at 1:39PM UTC

    That must have been incredibly frustrating—and confusing. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. You have every right to ask for clarity, especially if you’ve always maintained a strong professional record. Sometimes background checks include outdated or inaccurate information, or even identity mix-ups. If the company won’t respond, you might consider requesting a copy of the background report directly from the provider (they're required to share it under the Fair Credit Reporting Act in the U.S.). Don’t give up—this doesn’t define your worth or the value you bring.

24. AnonymousMay 5,2025 at 11:20PM UTC

    If I read this right, and by working my way through the comments and what appear to be your answers to questions, you never interviewed with this company; you only applied, but got an email from a no-reply address [within that same comany's domain???] informing you that you failed the background check. Therefore, they never offered you a position, which is when the background checks often occur, because that is usually a separate process that requires specific permissions from you. The company will send you a form, which you must sign and return, so I assume you would remember that step. Comprehensive and criminal background checks cost a company anywhere from $60-$100, depending on whether it is a local or a federal check, so I am guessing they are using public records and social media, if they did anything. By all means, forward the contact you found a copy of the email you got and ask them to send you a copy of what they saw, or why the email was sent. If you are no longer a candidate, they should say that, not make some excuse about you being a person with no integrity.

    One thing to note for you and all people seeking jobs right now is that I have heard some heartbreaking stories about people who overshare personal stories or political rhetoric on social media. So, unless you want to work for a company that aligns with your feelings on those topics, it is not a good idea to overshare publicly while searching for a job. This is especially true if you have posted negative remarks about your job, boss, or coworkers. It is also true about divulging medical or family issues, which stress you out.

    When you contact the person within the company, only share your name (the name you applied under) and the date you applied. Nothing else should be shared. As others have said, this may be a phishing exercise by someone preying on people desperate to find specific types of jobs. Your name and date of application should be enough for the recruiter/HR person to look up your application status. If they sent you an application ID, you can include that too, but do not give them your social security number, address/phone number, or any other personal information.

25. AnonymousMay 6,2025 at 12:35PM UTC

    If you google me - I'm a 1930s porn star!!! Google yourself and see what you learn.

26. AyianMay 6,2025 at 1:04PM UTC

    Oh that's wild! ?

27. EmpoweredGirl832429May 7,2025 at 2:30PM UTC

    The background check looks for legal and character issues, not how you performed at your previous jobs.

28. AnonymousMay 9,2025 at 4:07AM UTC

    Quick update: I reached out to the company requesting for the background report as advised by the comments. I got the following:

    “Hello, as previously stated on your other tickets, no such background check was completed for your candidacy, and this company has no personal information regarding a background check on file for you. While you were unfortunately not selected for this position, a recruiter has been in touch with the above clarification and an assurance that your disqualificaiton was unrelated to any background check items. Best of luck in your future job search.”

    What tickets? What replies? Such a vague and misleading information.

    I wrote back to them, requesting for a clarification on the tickets and replies and I got the same exact email message.

    Seems like a scam. I marked the email thread as a spam.

    Just thought to share the update with you all.

    Thank you fairies for your support.

29. AnonymousMay 9,2025 at 12:19PM UTC

    In my experience, updates to a system are often called "tickets," which only mean any update to the application or the process. This could mean any time a recruiter or a hiring manager viewed/evaluated the application and distributed it, or made a decision. My guess is that when they decided to pass on it, they checked the wrong box for the reason, which selected the "failed background check" form letter. I doubt they have any background check information on you, but if you still feel concerned about what it might say, you can request your own to verify you haven't had something pop up that needs to be removed.