Background checks are an important part of the hiring process for many businesses. They are meant to help employers decide who to hire and make sure that the people they do hire are trustworthy, reliable, and qualified for the job. But how do background checks actually work, and what kind of information do they find?

The background screening rules and regulations shaping recruitment trends in the US are creating a landscape of litigation minefields. The years ahead for employers on US soil promise tightening controls on the information allowed to be made available on job applications for pre-employment checks as well as criminal record investigations. In this article we’ll look