Background Check Forms Don't Fit Gig Workers
207 posts across 28 communities in the last 30 days; 49% from r/recruitinghell.
“Hi All, I’m in the midst of a background check with First Advantage. It’s taking longer than my last one with them back in 2023. As usual, their customer service team won’t give me or my new job any updates. Has anyone else dealt with them this past year? How long was the…”
“I accepted an offer at a new company, and had to complete a background check as part of the hiring process. no problem - I don't have anything to hide. however, a few years ago, I did some freelancing for a company which I have on my resume and included in my employment history…”
“This shouldn’t be a problem unless the company is running an MVR. [re: Misdemeanor DUI and job offer]”
Job applicants are experiencing significant frustration and anxiety dealing with third-party background check vendors. Common issues include inflexible forms, difficulty representing non-traditional employment (gig work, 1099), inaccurate information, and slow/unresponsive vendor support, creating delays and uncertainty in the hiring process.
SOURCES (60)
“I was laid off around March, I have had some interviews but nothing solid until now. I am at the final stage with a company, got an offer, and just waiting for the background check to happen. The thing is that my resume says that…”
“Hi All, I’m in the midst of a background check with First Advantage. It’s taking longer than my last one with them back in 2023. As usual, their customer service team won’t give me or my new job any updates. Has anyone else dealt with them this past year? How long was the process? And if you had to submit additional documents did it delay your start date? submitted by /u/lemongloww [link] [comments]”
“My license expired on Friday. I already renewed it on Friday, but I only have a paper copy until my new one comes in the mail. Does anyone know how they handle this? Obviously the picture I took shows the license as expired. I sent an email to support, but I'm curious about what they do in this situation. submitted by /u/ailish [link] [comments]”
“Right. Your employer sponsored you. This comment OP is talking about applying as an individual with no employer sponsor and no need-to-know, for the purposes of making themselves more attractive as a candidate to hire. Which is not possible. [re: Did a Secret or Top Secret clearance help you get a job?]”
“wow, did you opt out them to contact current employer? I heard horrible stories HireRight still contacting current employers despite explicitly opted out [re: HireRight background check. I lied on my resume. Got offered the job and now concerned with the background check]”
“I have been waiting for 5 days. And when i call support to check the background check status they say it has not yet been started what does that mean submitted by /u/1_slownavi [link] [comments]”
“Has anyone encountered this? It went from 10/21 a couple days ago to 10/24. submitted by /u/Mchaitea [link] [comments]”
“Protip: When the new job asks when you can start, tell them 2 weeks after the background check clears. Do not give your current employer a resignation until after the bgcheck completes and the new job verified it and has no problems. If I were you, I'd bail early on the current job. [re: Issues with delayed background checks]”
“I'm looking for some honest advice from HR professionals or hiring managers about my situation. I accepted an offer from a new employer, with a start date of Monday, October 26. When I signed the offer, I had approximately three weeks before my start date. The offer was subject to background verification. My understanding was that the screening would be completed during the first week, allowing me to give notice to my current employer the following Monday and complete my notice period before”
“Am I just never going to ever get a job? How often do companies even keep the results of these checks? submitted by /u/ScarDizzy954 [link] [comments]”
“Maybe Im wrong here, but if they never asked you or asked for updated resume you didnt lie or anything like that. If it comes up in background check you can be honest about it. I wouldnt actively tell them you are not working if they didnt ask though. [re: Got offer, but background check approaching, is it over for me?]”
“Idek honestly. My background check report says meets company criteria. The job is a tech job. I had 2 months of date discrepancy and title discrepancies which were addressed. The bg check report my title as intern and my resume had Software engineer. I provided proof that since I worked for those companies during college my title might have been an intern and internship but the duties I performed were that of a software engineer. My report consists of all green flags. The company did raise any i”
“what's the worst that could happen? them saying no? [re: Got offer, but background check approaching, is it over for me?]”
“So I worked in my first job ever from November 2021 to March 1st 2025, then got laid off. My father died in April, and because of that I took a very very long gap and had some mental health stuff going on, so I took a long break. But in February of 2025 last year, when I was still employed, a manager from a company reached out to me an interviewed me and liked me, but paused hiring for the role because of the company pausing hiring. 2 months ago, after almost a year plus, they reached out and sa”
“So I worked in my first job ever from November 2021 to March 1st 2025, then got laid off. My father died in April, and because of that I took a very very long gap and had some mental health stuff going on, so I took a long break. But in February of 2025 last year, when I was still employed, a manager from a company reached out to me an interviewed me and liked me, but paused hiring for the role because of the company pausing hiring. 2 months ago, after almost a year plus, they reached out and sa”
“My maiden name has only been asked for in regards to background checks. Im guessing the same applies to all name changes. Someone correct me if im wrong. Trying to learn. Can you 100% erase an old name for background checks and such? [re: Deadname on License… any advice appreciated]”
“Looking for advice on handling an employment history question on a HireRight background check. I worked in a university research lab for about two years and listed it as a single entry on my resume covering that full span. The reality is more layered: First ~10 months(2 semesters): Informal involvement as a student, no appointment, no pay. I was around the lab working with my professor, and did an independent study course with him for one semester as well . Next ~12 months: Formal volunteer appo”
“I've never heard of a background check for any job also seeing your mva background info unless you are becoming a driver for the company otherwise it's very sketchy to have to explain to a company about tickets and a car accident, both of which are no ones business [re: Molina Healthcare Background Check]”
“Before starting any job, you have to submit a background check. Of course, I’m never worried about that part because I try my best to be a good noodle. HOWEVER, 2 tickets popped up and I had to explain myself. Also, since this is a hybrid job, one of my last tickets was a collision and my car was wrote off and I canceled my insurance. Haven’t been driving since, thus not needing car insurance. They have been resolved and paid for. I’m not sure if I paid for the first ticket.. it was 2 years ago,”
“Hi all, I received an offer from my #1 company and they are doing a background check through TrueScreen. They ask for the basic information but the only thing I have concerns about is the employment portion. I didn't lie about my employment or titles but when filling out the employment portion of the form, it asks for managers, titles, and phone numbers. Does this mean TrueScreen will call my past managers to ask about performance, character, etc.? I'm nervous because one of the managers”
“When Certifying on unemployment it asks to post wages earned the week of. If I'm doing Uber eats do you put your gross wages or your net wages. I'm thinking I would put in what I earned than subtract expenses being miles driven. Tyia submitted by /u/beegz25 [link] [comments]”
“Hi guys, After months of freelancing, I decided to go back to the corporate world and finally landed a job after months of interviews. I got the offer and they did a background check on me and there was a discrepancy on some employment dates and also my job title. The company that offered me a job wanted 10 years of employment verification and my 2 oldest jobs, the company changed hands and they don't have any formal record of me anymore but someone there who picked up the phone verified my”
“Got an offer revoked due to a past termination. Is it possible to try again at a later date? Or is this the end of the road? The screening team said “You are not prohibited from applying for our positions the results of this background screening will be taken into consideration for any future applications.” Has anyone been in a similar situation or saw something similar play out? submitted by /u/Iatethecofeez876 [link] [comments]”
“Got an offer revoked due to a past termination. Is it possible to try again at a later date? Or is this the end of the road? The screening team said “You are not prohibited from applying for our positions the results of this background screening will be taken into consideration for any future applications.” Has anyone been in a similar situation or saw something similar play out? submitted by /u/Iatethecofeez876 [link] [comments]”
“So, by the time I am applying for jobs in a hospital setting it will have been 4-6 years since this happened so there's a potential that when employer verification is run this particular company will have flagged me as "not available for re-hire". It was a remote job in a different field where I was over-reporting my hours and got caught and fired. I regret doing that, a lot. Im just trying to figure out the best way to handle it moving forwards. Do I put that role on my resume? or”
“I accepted an offer at a new company, and had to complete a background check as part of the hiring process. no problem - I don't have anything to hide. however, a few years ago, I did some freelancing for a company which I have on my resume and included in my employment history in the background check. the third party conducting the background check was unable to verify that employment, and it's because (I had honestly forgotten) that it was a freelance gig so I wasn't an actual empl”
“I worked at my first company from July to November 2022 and my second company from July to August 2023. But I mentioned the second job till November on my resume and selected September in the HireRight form. My relieving letter shows 31st August as my last working date. It’s been almost 3 years, and I have no contact with the HR team anymore. I only have my offer letter, first month’s salary slip, and relieving letter. Now they’re asking for HR contact details and an experience letter, and I’m h”
“Hi everyone. I have been selected in one of my dream company, and its my first job ever. They are getting my bg check from first advantage. I filled the application with them on 9th Oct, and I did a silly mistake, ie, I don't have legal last name and over the call for a different form my HR informed me to use initial of my first name in last name. And I did the same for first advantage background check application. They raised 2 queries for it, and I answered honestly. And they are taking li”
“Ok. I’ve been looking at background reports for 5 years. I guess the company I work for doesn’t. However one company I worked for in security asked for my w2s and that’s how they checked my employment history. [re: Am I fucked for background check?]”
What’s your point [re: Am I fucked for background check?]
“Yeah but I’m in a full time mba program and this is applying for an internship [re: Am I fucked for background check?]”
“did they deny you [re: Background check wants 7 years of employment history?!]”
“Applied to job and had workday parse my resume. It pulled everything right, or so it seemed, so I submitted. I finished an interview and am advanced to final round. I happened to go back into the portal and saw that the dates that were parsed were pretty off vs the resume. Like it has one of my positions ending in 12/2026, which clearly I wouldn’t lie about. I’m kinda unsure how I made it through without anyone noticing but now I’m worried that when it comes time for background check I’m fucked.”
“Hey there. I live in a legal state and they sent me the lab order for a drug test. On the bottom is a section listed services. Does this mean they are not going to test for THC. May be a dumb question but I just wanted some feedback. submitted by /u/Scary_Individual3842 [link] [comments]”
“Talk to your company about the situation first. See if you can submit a different proof, like transcripts, if they can call the registrar of the school you graduated from, etc. Second, figure out where they sent the diploma and either collect it from there, or get a new copy sent. [re: Canadian in the US: Lost job, must return home, no savings. Need help navigating debts (CAN/US)]”
“I was offered a position with a city government and received an email on October 1st with instructions to complete a background check as the next step in onboarding. I completed it and sent a follow-up email, but I haven't received any response yet. It's been a little over two weeks now. Is this kind of timeline normal for government roles? Should I follow up again, and if so, who should I reach out to? submitted by /u/Soft_Eggplant_370 [link] [comments]”
“If you can pass a background check, this is probably the best option. I worked for Scoot and so did a friend of mine who left a religious institution with no money to his name. [re: Grad student (f, 30s) unemployed, homeless]”
“I just accepted a job offer but realized I presented one of my jobs as being from May - July 2024 instead of May - Aug 2024 will this hurt my offer if it comes up in a background check? submitted by /u/sboguy [link] [comments]”
“Just work off your last payslip and dont send W2 with the return. [re: The company I worked for in 2025 closed and never sent w2s]”
“Hey everyone, I just received a job offer and I realized I accidentally listed the start date for my most recent job as one month earlier than when I actually started. Is this likely to be a big deal in the employment verification, or am I overthinking it? submitted by /u/DistinctOrdinary4927 [link] [comments]”
“I finally received a job offer with a great company. When applying to the position months ago, I used a resume that included 2/4 total jobs that I've work (the omitted ones were not relevant to the job posting, so I left them out for conciseness). Now I'm doing onboarding and the background check for the new job through HireRight. They're requesting information about my last 5 years of employment, which includes those 2 jobs I left out. I'm a bit scared about this because in one”
“How long after the level 1 disclosure being sent to company, does the full background check process take to complete? submitted by /u/FoxVisible4679 [link] [comments]”
“The reference check part is wild. Contacting your current employer is already risky enough without them spilling client details that have nothing to do with verifying you. That's the kind of thing that gets agencies dropped fast if the client ever finds out. The citizenship comment alone should have been a red flag to walk away right there. No recruiter worth dealing with would use that as a bargaining chip on pay. You did the right thing cutting them out. Sucks the trial got postponed but b”
“I was recently hired at a job and have to do a sterling background check. The only concern I have is the title on my resume does not match with my official title. Although it was not a falsification, I was simply just describing the true nature of my position. On Sterling, should I just put the official title? What is the likelihood it gets cross referenced to my resume? Also, If a job starting month is off by 1-2 months potentially (I genuinely can’t recall what my starting month was) is that g”
“Hi all, Super excited that I just got a new job offer and signed the letter this morning! My current job is draining me, and the prospect of moving on is huge. I have to go through the background check process, and I realized that my current company has been putting my nickname as my legal name this entire time (for over a year). My W2 and internally they’ve been reflecting it as my nickname. Social security number is obviously correct and what not though. Is it possible that the background chec”
“i am so excited to start my new job - it starts in 2 weeks and my hireright background check is like 81% complete. I gave them the info yesterday. I am trying to think if that is a good or bad sign? also i am nervous because i have some like traffic tickets (just something about my license plate bc i drive a euro car) but its not a job that requires me to drive. do these things matter?? idk why i am so nervous its just the fear of not knowing what matters to them and what doesn’t submitted”
“It’s a temp job and I’ve already been working for days but still need to get this done by next week And i apologize i understand basically the same picture has been posted before but I never see any follow up submitted by /u/The_RealWG [link] [comments]”
“Context: on my CV, two of my positions were listed with about three months more than I actually worked at each. It wasn’t on purpose. Those jobs were a couple of years back, and I had the dates wrong in my head. Once I checked the official documents, I realized I’d worked there for fewer months than I thought. That gave me a lot of anxiety during the whole process. I was checking every email from HireRight and from HR at my new company in case they needed another document. Timeline: HR told me i”
“I violated our companies code of conduct and was fired for it. I'm worried that for future jobs when they do a background check they are going to see I was terminated for cause. I've lied to a lot of them and said it was a RIF. Am I screwed or is everything going to be fine? submitted by /u/Delicious_Alfalfa_69 [link] [comments]”
“Every background check seems to ask if I was fired. I recently got an offer revoked because of this. submitted by /u/WordTimely8559 [link] [comments]”
“I had an offer that was revoked by a large corporation. Is it possible to one day reapply and get a new offer? submitted by /u/WordTimely8559 [link] [comments]”
“I had an offer that was revoked by a large corporation. Is it possible to one day reapply and get a new offer? submitted by /u/WordTimely8559 [link] [comments]”
“Some background checks look for felonies in the past 7 years. If that is your case, and enough time has elapsed, who knows, it might work. [re: Has anyone successfully reapplied to a company after failing the company background check earlier?]”
“Failed backround check on employment verification lol any advice to stay positive? Really felt bad right now I put the wrong date now job offer on the line.. submitted by /u/hardydre [link] [comments]”
“Say you apply for a role with Company A, didn't pass their background screening for whatever reason (criminal record, drugs, etc). Have you seen anyone reapply and then get hired? submitted by /u/ScarDizzy954 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all, just wondering if Tesla verify with all previous employers? I heard some of my friends say they only do background check and criminal check? submitted by /u/Unlikely-Good6658 [link] [comments]”
“I'm highly upset. Cisvie background company requested for me to provide documentation of my employment, because they couldn't verify it. I sent them my W2 at 12. They completed the background at 3:30 saying they couldn't verify employment even after I sent proof. My start date is now on hold and I'm highly upset. Has anyone gone through this? submitted by /u/Charming-Insect5661 [link] [comments]”
“has anyone seen this happen to them? I knew I made a mistake, but it wasn't anything nefarious or criminal. I just made some errors resulting in the gov client being mad and pulling credentials and accounts. Since then, I have tremendously learned and improved. submitted by /u/ScarDizzy954 [link] [comments]”