If you haven’t applied for a job in a few years because you have been out of the work force or because you have had the same job for awhile, you might be surprised when you apply for a new job. Most employers today will run an employee criminal check on all of their new employees. If you are asked to give your consent to have a criminal background check run on you, don’t take it personal, chances are that the company has a policy to background check all potential employees.

Why are employers running an employee criminal check on all potential employees? Today the cost of everything is higher than ever before, the result is that most businesses are trying to insulate themselves from losses in every manner possible. One of the biggest causes of loss is employee theft or fraud, regardless of the business. The way that a business can help to protect themselves from these losses is by doing background checks on all of their potential employees.

By doing a background check on employees, employers are looking for potential risks associated with that person. For instance, if the individual has a criminal record that includes theft, fraud, or embezzlement the company will likely want to steer clear of the individual. Most companies are looking for charges, arrests, or convictions associated with crimes that will put their business at risk. If you will be using a company vehicle or driving for your job, they may also pull your driving record to see what sort of moving violations you have been ticketed for in the last several years.

Most employers only look back five to seven years when they are conducting an employee criminal check. What this means is that if you were convicted of something 10 years ago they are not going to see it. If you have committed a crime and have been charged or convicted with it, your potential employer is going to see it and your chances of getting the job decreases exponentially.