Here, you’ll hopefully find everything you need to know about background checks as a candidate. Get answers to the most common questions about background checks during recruitment and employment.
Are you in a recruitment process and on your way to securing a new job? Congratulations! To begin and complete your background check, simply click the link in the text message or email you received from us.
You’re also welcome to learn more about background checks and how we work at ToFindOut before getting started! Just scroll down!
Background Checks with Integrity and GDPR Compliance
At ToFindOut, conducting background checks with integrity and in full compliance with GDPR is our top priority. We place the candidate’s personal privacy at the core of our processes and report content, strictly adhering to all requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
During our research process, candidates have access to a personal web portal. This portal includes:
- An individual question forum.
- Updates on the report’s progress and completion.
- A copy of the candidate’s own report.
Your privacy matters to us every step of the way!
Frequently asked questions about background checks in recruitment and employment:
Can you prepare for a background check? Does it include contacting references? Can you decline a background check? Candidates undergoing a background check often have questions, so we’ve compiled answers to the most common ones here.
If you’ve received a letter stating that ToFindOut has conducted a credit check on you, it likely means you are participating in a recruitment process with a potential new employer. You should have been informed that all candidates in the process would undergo a background check.
As part of the background check, we review publicly available financial information, referred to as economic control data. This review is conducted using credit reporting agencies.
We send you a notification copy to inform you that a financial check has been carried out via the credit agency’s database, as required by law.
ToFindOut acts as an independent party and does not take a stance, evaluate, or advise employers on individual cases. As a candidate, it’s best to address this question directly with your prospective employer. You may also want to read the section “What Happens if Something is Found in the Background Check?” below.
Before a background check begins, you must confirm that you’ve read and understood the process. At this stage, you also provide your consent for the background check to proceed. You may withdraw your consent at any time and request a personal copy of the report.
What Does GDPR Say?
However, employers have the legal right to conduct a background check even without your consent, in accordance with GDPR (see “Are Background Checks Allowed Under GDPR?”). If the employer’s interest in processing your personal data outweighs your interest in protecting it, they may proceed with the background check without your approval. This is not a practice ToFindOut endorses, as we firmly believe that a clear and transparent relationship benefits both you and your potential employer from the outset.
How Should You Handle This?
If you choose not to proceed with the background check for any reason, we recommend discussing your concerns with the person responsible for the recruitment process. Keep in mind, however, that many employers today, due to their security policies, may choose not to hire candidates who have not completed a background check.
However, if you know that something may appear in the final report, it’s a good idea to inform the responsible recruiter in advance. Based on our extensive experience, employers often appreciate being made aware beforehand. Being proactive about such information can benefit you, regardless of the circumstances.
In most background checks, a so-called media search is not included. These searches are only conducted as part of more comprehensive background checks, typically reserved for executive roles like CEOs and board members.
If a media search is part of the background check being conducted on you, it will be explicitly stated in the information you receive before you provide your consent.
We want to emphasize that ToFindOut generally advises all employers against using Google or social media searches as part of their recruitment process (outside the scope of a formal background check). Information from social media or search engines often cannot be validated, and protecting your privacy is a priority for us.
All information collected by ToFindOut is public, meaning we only search for data that is openly accessible. If no discrepancies are found during the background check, that will be reported. Similarly, any discrepancies discovered will also be included in the report provided to the employer. ToFindOut does not evaluate or interpret the information; it is presented objectively and factually. Decisions about whether the results impact your potential employment are solely made by the employer.
No Universal Rules
Employers vary in how they view and handle discrepancies. There are no universal rules about how your background might influence a hiring decision, with a few exceptions. Certain industries and roles are subject to legal requirements and directives that restrict hiring individuals with specific discrepancies.
If you are aware of potential issues that may arise in your background check, we encourage you to discuss them openly with your prospective employer. Starting your professional relationship with transparency is always a good approach.
We will provide all information as soon as the entire background check is completed. All information is compiled in full in a report, and you will be informed as soon as the report is available to you via your login page in our portal.
If you know that something will appear in the background check – whether it’s payment defaults, incorrect information, previous offenses, or anything else – we recommend that you tell your potential employer about it yourself.
By “laying your cards on the table,” you show that you have nothing to hide and that you promote an open and honest dialogue about the issue. You will have the opportunity to explain in your own words what happened and how you view the situation.
Preempt the result
If it feels uncomfortable to bring it up, consider this: If you preempt the result of the background check, the report will serve as confirmation of your honesty, rather than new information for the employer. ToFindOut can never promise or influence whether the result will impact the employer’s attitude toward your future potential employment. But one thing we know – honesty almost always pays off.
ToFindOut does not retain the information for more than 14 days after the report is completed; after that, all information is deleted. We also encourage all of our clients to not retain the information.
We never process what GDPR considers sensitive data, such as information about ethnic origin or sexual orientation.
For more information, please feel free to review our privacy policy.
If something in the report is incorrect, you can request a correction. If you contact us about an error in the report, we will double-check the information. If the error is due to incorrect data in the authorities’ system, you will need to contact them for a correction.
Contact us directly at info@tofindout.se or 08-611 10 20, and we will assist you further.
Everyone who has undergone a background check via ToFindOut receives an invitation to complete a survey. The survey contains questions about your experience with the process and covers everything from how and when you were informed about the check to your thoughts on your potential new employer.
The survey is not about evaluating the content or result of your specific background check, but rather about your opinion on the process itself. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary, and you will, of course, remain anonymous.
We at ToFindOut greatly appreciate your participation in advance! Your experience with the background check is very important to us and your future employer.
In some background checks, reference verification is included. This means that ToFindOut contacts employers of the people you have listed as references. In this contact, we verify that the individuals are, or have been, employed at the company or organization and confirm that the listed position is correct. We never contact your references directly.
If the background check being conducted on you includes reference verification, it will be clearly stated in the information you receive before the background check begins.
CV verification means that we contact your previous employers and educational institutions to verify that the information you have provided in your CV is accurate.
When information about your education is reviewed, we do not check your grades. However, in some cases, your position may require a security clearance, meaning the role requires a specific security classification. This type of review is governed by the Security Protection Act and is called a basic investigation. It may include verification of grades, certificates, references, and other information. If you are not applying for a position covered by the Security Protection Act, this will not apply to you.
To be stated in the information you receive
CV verification is not part of the most common, basic type of background checks. If your CV will be reviewed, this will be clearly stated in the information you receive before the background check begins. The same applies to security clearance.
We care about your privacy – if we need to verify your current employment, we will do so in a way that does not reveal that you are seeking a job.
No, you cannot do that. It would be unreasonable to assess oneself. We occasionally receive this question from individuals/candidates who want to show that they have a “clean background check” as part of their job application. However, ToFindOut only works with companies and organizations that use background checks as a decision-making tool in a recruitment process or other business contexts, where the background check is part of their policy and compliance work.
If you are not receiving a verification code, you can try the following steps:
– Check your spam folder.
– Update your inbox (Send/Receive).
– Double-check the email address you entered during login – is it spelled correctly?
– Make sure the email address is the same as the one you provided in your CV/to the employer.
First, check if the information provided by the employer during the order (email address and personal identification number) is correct. The easiest way to do this is by contacting the employer directly.
If the information is correct and it still doesn’t work, contact our support team who will assist you with troubleshooting the issue.
Please note: To log in, you can choose either BankID or a verification code as your authentication method. If you choose a verification code, you need to enter the personal number in the format YYYYMMDDXXXX.
If the employer has ordered an international check, you cannot log in with BankID. Instead, log in using only your date of birth in the format YYYYMMDD.
More questions?
In our FAQ, you can find answers to even more frequently asked questions about background checks in recruitment and employment! (In Swedish)
