Unauthorized background check Forum

[Anonymous User]

I had a screener with this firm a few weeks ago, after the screener, their recruiting manager mistakenly sent me an internal email discussing my qualification (in a bad way). She realized her mistake and sent me another email requesting retrieving that email (but how?).
Still got callback and went to the CB last week.The recruiter was probably embarrassed by her own mistake, the whole time when I was there, her attitude was pretty nasty. By the end of my CB, she supposed to send me downstairs as she does for everyone else. I overheard she asked another people to do it since " she doesn't feel like doing it."
The firm was actually ok, but it is not my top choice, plus this nasty recruiter, the next day I sent her an email asking for withdrawing my application.
At the day of CB, I filled in a background check agreement form, which said' for employment purpose' only. Today I received my report from the third-party agency, clearly that recruiter didn't cancel that background check even I already said I don't want to be considered for employment anymore.
I called her, and not to my surprise, she claimed she never got my email, which is odd, since I used the same account sent her like 10 emails and she just didn't receive the most important one.
I have nothing to hide in my background check report, but I feel my privacy be violated and also I don't want that nasty recruiter to look at my personal information. I am not sure what to do at this point, any suggestion is welcome. Thanks.

[Gray]

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[Anonymous User]

0L disclaimer, but my expertise here is having worked for a few years in the background check industry. Since you have completed consent forms, the background check company will proceed with the check unless the firm cancels it, but you can usually get in touch with customer service at the company and stop it.

Just tell them you are no longer seeking employment with the company who requested the check, and that you don't want them to see the results. It happened all the time, we basically submitted the incomplete stuff to the client with a note that said "XYZ indicated that he will not be pursuing the opportunity and requested that we do not release this information." We always erred on the side of applicant privacy.

What types of check were they doing? Education/employment/credential verification + references + criminal record & credit checks is usually the norm.

OP here, the check is education/employment/credential verification+reference+criminal record check.
The firm already received my report so there is no way I can stop them from looking at it.
I have a very clean record so there is nothing I am worried about the record itself. I am just very angry about this recruiter, since she just fucked up again and again.

[sandiego222]

Which firm did this?

[Anonymous User]

Which firm did this?

HaHa, can't say the name.

[slayerhn]

Why not? You already withdrew.

[Anonymous User]

Why not? You already withdrew.

The attorneys from that firm are actually great, so I don't want to say bad things about them.

[wiseowl]

It'd be fun to contact the managing partner of the firm and let loose with all that this recruiter did, but your best move at this point is to laugh it off and move on.

[NotMyRealName09]

Why not? You already withdrew.

The attorneys from that firm are actually great, so I don't want to say bad things about them.

But you're here asking, essentially, whether this breach of your privacy is actionable? In which case, what, you'd sue them? Let it go. It's done, you did give them permission to pull it and even though you attempted to revoke that permission, the timing of it all isn't clear. The cat's out of the bag, they are already bound by law not to use that report other than to evaluate you for employment-which you've already turned down-so what are your damages?

I say just let it go, it isn't anything to worry about even if the recruiter is lying about not receiving your email.

[09042014]

None of this info is private right? You can run this kind of background check on anyone you want.

[BVest]

She realized her mistake and sent me another email requesting retrieving that email (but how?)

Just to answer your side question: Emails sent from a Microsoft Exchange Server account to another Exchange Server account can be recalled (I don't think the accounts have to be on the same Exchange server). Since they use email to deliver the recall request, a recipient who doesn't use an account on Exchange Server receives an email with the subject "Recall: [Subject]" and text of "[Sender] would like to recall the message, '[Subject]'."

[Anonymous User]

do all or most firms do background checks?

[JamMasterJ]

do all or most firms do background checks?

yes. and conflict check

[Anonymous User]

do all or most firms do background checks?

yes. and conflict check

do you think a marijuana arrest that was dropped knocks you out of the running?

[Anonymous User]

Can you tell us how she discussed your qualifications? As someone going through the process I'm curious.

[Anonymous User]

Can you tell us how she discussed your qualifications? As someone going through the process I'm curious.

OP here, in her email, she said to someone else that some part of my credential is bad so the firm shouldn't give me a callback.

[Anonymous User]

do all or most firms do background checks?

yes. and conflict check

do you think a marijuana arrest that was dropped knocks you out of the running?

I don't think so. Unless it is a felony/misdemeanor conviction, it shouldn't be a big deal. One of the firm even said to me don't count marijuana related arrest when answer the their C&F question 'whether be arrested before'.

[Anonymous User]

do all or most firms do background checks?

yes. and conflict check

do you think a marijuana arrest that was dropped knocks you out of the running?

I don't think so. Unless it is a felony/misdemeanor conviction, it shouldn't be a big deal. One of the firm even said to me don't count marijuana related arrest when answer the their C&F question 'whether be arrested before'.

That is State law in some states, that mj can't be asked about

[blurbz]

I'm not going to excuse the recruiter's unprofessional behavior, but I think your judgement here needs to be questioned. If you like the lawyers and you like the firm and you like the market, why pull your application because you don't like the recruiter? The recruiter likely doesn't have a ton of say in the hiring now that you're at the callback stage (at my firm, the recruiter facilitates the discussion but the hiring committee, made up of lawyers, makes all of the decisions). Once I got to my firm, I never talked to the recruiter again until I started helping on the recruiting process--it's not like you're ever going to work with her directly for sustained periods of time. I think, if the recruiter was the only reason you bailed on the firm, you may have shortchanged yourself.

[El Pollito]

I'm not going to excuse the recruiter's unprofessional behavior, but I think your judgement here needs to be questioned. If you like the lawyers and you like the firm and you like the market, why pull your application because you don't like the recruiter? The recruiter likely doesn't have a ton of say in the hiring now that you're at the callback stage (at my firm, the recruiter facilitates the discussion but the hiring committee, made up of lawyers, makes all of the decisions). Once I got to my firm, I never talked to the recruiter again until I started helping on the recruiting process--it's not like you're ever going to work with her directly for sustained periods of time. I think, if the recruiter was the only reason you bailed on the firm, you may have shortchanged yourself.

OP said it's not his top choice regardless.

[blurbz]

I'm not going to excuse the recruiter's unprofessional behavior, but I think your judgement here needs to be questioned. If you like the lawyers and you like the firm and you like the market, why pull your application because you don't like the recruiter? The recruiter likely doesn't have a ton of say in the hiring now that you're at the callback stage (at my firm, the recruiter facilitates the discussion but the hiring committee, made up of lawyers, makes all of the decisions). Once I got to my firm, I never talked to the recruiter again until I started helping on the recruiting process--it's not like you're ever going to work with her directly for sustained periods of time. I think, if the recruiter was the only reason you bailed on the firm, you may have shortchanged yourself.

OP said it's not his top choice regardless.

I get that. Maybe I'm out of touch since I interviewed in the heart of a recession. I know I would have taken an offer with a firm that wasn't my "top choice" if I didn't get an offer from my top choice, even if I didn't like the recruiter. If the economy has improved such that candidates this year don't need to worry about that, then more power to them.

[Anonymous User]

I'm not going to excuse the recruiter's unprofessional behavior, but I think your judgement here needs to be questioned. If you like the lawyers and you like the firm and you like the market, why pull your application because you don't like the recruiter? The recruiter likely doesn't have a ton of say in the hiring now that you're at the callback stage (at my firm, the recruiter facilitates the discussion but the hiring committee, made up of lawyers, makes all of the decisions). Once I got to my firm, I never talked to the recruiter again until I started helping on the recruiting process--it's not like you're ever going to work with her directly for sustained periods of time. I think, if the recruiter was the only reason you bailed on the firm, you may have shortchanged yourself.

OP said it's not his top choice regardless.

I get that. Maybe I'm out of touch since I interviewed in the heart of a recession. I know I would have taken an offer with a firm that wasn't my "top choice" if I didn't get an offer from my top choice, even if I didn't like the recruiter. If the economy has improved such that candidates this year don't need to worry about that, then more power to them.

OP here, sorry I didn't make it clearly. The firm was not my top choice, and also the day after I did my CB with them I got an offer from another firm, which is probably the same level as this one, so I thought: finally, don't need to deal with that recruiter anymore!
Now I look back it is pretty immature for me to do that, even with other offers in hand.

[Desert Fox]

I'm not going to excuse the recruiter's unprofessional behavior, but I think your judgement here needs to be questioned. If you like the lawyers and you like the firm and you like the market, why pull your application because you don't like the recruiter? The recruiter likely doesn't have a ton of say in the hiring now that you're at the callback stage (at my firm, the recruiter facilitates the discussion but the hiring committee, made up of lawyers, makes all of the decisions). Once I got to my firm, I never talked to the recruiter again until I started helping on the recruiting process--it's not like you're ever going to work with her directly for sustained periods of time. I think, if the recruiter was the only reason you bailed on the firm, you may have shortchanged yourself.

OP said it's not his top choice regardless.

I get that. Maybe I'm out of touch since I interviewed in the heart of a recession. I know I would have taken an offer with a firm that wasn't my "top choice" if I didn't get an offer from my top choice, even if I didn't like the recruiter. If the economy has improved such that candidates this year don't need to worry about that, then more power to them.

OP here, sorry I didn't make it clearly. The firm was not my top choice, and also the day after I did my CB with them I got an offer from another firm, which is probably the same level as this one, so I thought: finally, don't need to deal with that recruiter anymore!
Now I look back it is pretty immature for me to do that, even with other offers in hand.

eh not really.

[blurbz]

Not immature with offers in hand. If you're not going to consider the firm, there's no harm in withdrawing. Best of luck.