根据工作类型，您的信用记录可用于确定您的可雇用性。

越来越多的雇主正在使用就业背景调查服务，包括信用记录调查，以确保他们做出良好的招聘决定。

对于小型企业、大型企业，甚至共享经济中的公司，背景调查是标准的最佳实践。如果您正在申请一份新工作，您很有可能会被要求在此过程中的某个时间点同意接受背景调查。

除了验证您的身份、搜索犯罪记录和检查您的驾驶记录外，雇主还可以选择进行信用检查，具体取决于您的职位、您将在哪里工作，以及通常是否带有受托责任。

信用检查不同于信用评分。您的信用评分只是衡量您整体信用状况的三位数；信用报告提供有关您的信用记录、余额、可用信用和过去付款的详细信息。请务必注意，当出于就业目的而要求提供信用报告时，您的信用评分不会提供给雇主。

信用检查主要针对具有财务责任的角色或员工可以不受监督地获取现金或贵重物品（包括商业机密）的情况。

为什么雇主要进行信用检查？

雇主进行信用检查有两个主要原因：安全和责任。

安全性：出于安全目的，信用报告有助于验证个人的身份和背景，这两者都是背景调查的重要组成部分。

责任：干净的信用报告表明良好的财务责任。雇主正在寻找诚信的候选人，他们可以信任他们履行职责。

证明个人整体财务责任的信用记录对于寻找具有此属性的候选人的雇主可能很重要。

雇主可能会在您的信用报告中看到哪些潜在问题？

审查您的信用报告的雇主可能会将以下内容视为潜在问题领域：

• 就业历史：虽然信用报告上的就业信息可能非常不准确，并且很少用于招聘决策，但错误或相互矛盾的信息可能会被潜在雇主视为可能存在的问题。

• 逾期付款： 逾期付款的模式是一个很大的危险信号。它可以向潜在雇主表明有关您性格的任何事情，包括无法预算和无法按时完成。

• 冲销和收债：如果您超过 180 天未付款，债权人可能会冲销您的贷款。然后，他们可以尝试自己收款或将债务出售给收款机构。您的信用报告中出现此类活动会向您的雇主传达可能的财务困境、潜在的安全风险以及不负责任。

• 止赎：从大问题中走出来是具有挑战性的。您需要准备好解释导致这些选择的原因，以便让潜在雇主更加放心。

• 留置权：留置权是不负责任的另一个标志，也表明您没有足够的机智来谈判和解。

• 诉讼和判决：债权人可以就未偿债务起诉您，这些诉讼将在您的信用报告中保留七年。

您可以做些什么来准备信用检查？

首先，深呼吸。大多数雇主都明白坏事会发生在好人身上。他们中的许多人可能都经历过自己的信用问题。请记住以下内容：

• 如果他们正在对您进行信用检查，那么他们对您感兴趣。如果您还没有给他们留下深刻印象，他们就不会花时间或金钱进行筛选。那是好消息。

• 您可能担心的许多事情甚至不会影响雇主。在大多数情况下，他们主要是在寻找可能使您失去该职位资格或构成不可接受的风险的彻底不诚实或财务不负责任的迹象。

除此之外，您可以做三件重要的事情来减轻过程中的压力。

首先，定期检查您的信用报告，以便了解其中的内容。

《公平信用和报告法》赋予您每年从三大信用局中的每一个获得一份免费信用报告的权利。充分利用这一点；这是你的信息，所以要对它负责。运行您自己的报告意味着您在雇主看到之前就确切地知道其中的内容，并让您有机会为可能出现的任何问题做好准备。

其次，修复您发现的任何错误。

信用报告包含错误的情况并不少见。（这就是您需要定期检查的原因。）直接联系信用报告机构以消除差异。

第三，确保您提供给雇主的所有信息都是诚实和正确的，这样信用报告就不会出现任何意外。

信用检查作为更大筛选图片的一部分

信用检查只是更大的就业背景筛选过程中的一部分。根据雇主和职位的不同，您可能希望检查您的机动车报告、社会安全号码或犯罪记录。

如果您曾在美国境外生活或工作，您可能需要接受国际背景调查。上述建议适用于所有这些检查；自己运行报告，修复任何错误，并始终对任何潜在雇主坦诚相待。

良好信用的重要性

并非每个雇主都会检查您的信用报告，但做好准备很重要。最终，您能做的最好的事情就是对财务负责，包括：

• 按时支付账单

• 明智地管理债务

• 谈判和解决任何悬而未决的问题

即使您的信用报告不那么出色，也不要担心。没有什么会永远留在您的信用报告上；通过勤奋和努力，您将来可以拥有一份干净的信用报告。

More and more employers are using employment background check services, including credit history checks, as a way to ensure they’re making good hiring decisions.

For small businesses, large businesses, and even companies in the sharing economy, background checks are the standard best practice. If you’re applying for a new job, the chances are good that you’ll be asked to consent to a background check at some point during the process.

In addition to verifying your identity, searching for criminal history, and checking your driving record, employers may also have the option to run a credit check, depending on the role, where you will be working, and often whether it comes with fiduciary responsibilities.

A credit check is different from a credit score. Your credit score is simply a three-digit measure of your overall credit health; a credit report provides details about your credit history, balances, available credit, and past payments.   It is important to note that your credit score is not provided to employers when a credit report is requested for employment purposes.

Credit checks are predominately conducted for roles with financial responsibilities or where an employee has unsupervised access to cash or valuables, including trade secrets.

Why Do Employers Run Credit Checks?

Employers run credit checks for two primary reasons: security and responsibility.

Security: For security purposes, credit reports help verify an individual’s identity and background, both of which are essential components of a background check.

Responsibility: A clean credit report indicates good financial responsibility. Employers are looking for candidates with integrity who can be trusted to fulfill their duties.

A credit history demonstrating overall personal financial responsibility can be important to employers looking for candidates who possess this attribute.

What Potential Concerns Might an Employer See on Your Credit Report?

Employers who review your credit report may view the following as potential problem areas:

• Employment history: While employment information on a credit report can be highly inaccurate and is rarely used in hiring decisions, wrong or conflicting information could be seen as a possible concern by a potential employer.

• Late payments: A pattern of late payments is a big red flag. It can indicate any number of things about your character to a potential employer, including an inability to budget and an inability to meet deadlines.

• Charge offs and debt collection: Creditors may charge off your loan if you have not made a payment in over 180 days. They can then attempt to collect themselves or sell the debt to a collection agency. The presence of this type of activity on your credit report communicates possible financial distress to your employer, a potential security risk, as well as irresponsibility.

• Foreclosures: It’s challenging to put a positive spin on walking away from big problems. You need to be prepared to explain what led to these choices in order to put a potential employer more at ease.

• Liens: Liens are another sign of irresponsibility as well as an indicator that you have not been resourceful enough to negotiate a settlement.

• Lawsuits and judgments: Creditors can sue you for unpaid debt and these suits will stay on your credit report for seven years.

What Can You Do to Prepare for a Credit Check?

First, take a deep breath. Most employers understand that bad things happen to good people; many of them may have experienced credit issues of their own. Remember the following:

• If they are running a credit check on you, they are interested in you. They wouldn’t spend the time or the money to do the screening if you hadn’t impressed them already. That’s good news.

• Many of the things you might be concerned about won’t even phase the employer. In most cases, they are primarily looking for outright dishonesty or signs of financial irresponsibility that may disqualify you for the position or pose an unacceptable risk.

Beyond that, you can do three important things to take the stress out of the process.

First, check your credit report regularly so you know what’s in it.

The Fair Credit and Reporting Act entitles you to obtain one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. Take advantage of this; it’s your information, so be responsible for it. Running your own report means you know exactly what’s on it before an employer sees it and gives you a chance to prepare for any questions that might arise.

Second, fix any errors you find.

It’s not at all uncommon for credit reports to contain errors. (That’s why you need to check yours regularly.) Contact the credit reporting agency directly to clear up discrepancies.

And third, make sure that all the information you provide to the employer is honest and correct so that the credit report doesn’t include any surprises.

Credit Checks as Part of the Bigger Screening Picture

Credit checks are just one piece of the bigger employment background screening process. Depending on the employer and the position, you might expect a check of your motor vehicle report, your social security number, or your criminal history as well.

If you’ve lived or worked outside of the United States, you may need to undergo an international background check. The above advice holds true for all these checks; run the reports yourself, fix any errors, and always be upfront and honest with any potential employer.

The Importance of Good Credit

Not every employer will check your credit report, but it’s important to be prepared. Ultimately, the best thing you can do is to be financially responsible, including:

• Paying bills on time

• Managing debt wisely

• Negotiating and settling any outstanding issues

Even if your credit report is less than stellar, don’t fret. Nothing stays on your credit report forever; with diligence and effort, you can have a clean credit report in your future.