DOJ Background Process Forum

[Anonymous User]

I recently accepted a position at DOJ, and I am now going through the background check process. I've read and heard conflicting things on the background process, so I am hoping someone can clear it up for me. Is the 1-3 month process the entire background/suitability process, or is just the provision process and the more involved interviews, investigation, etc. happens later?

I ask because I am trying to determine how to determine when I tell people at my current firm about accepting the offer. My original plan was to tell people only after learning I had passed the background/suitability process. However, the sf-86 asks for a "supervisor" at my current firm, which presumably means that person will be contacted through the background check process. If that person is going to be contacted in the next 1-3 months while I am still at the firm, I obviously want to tell them my plans before they are contacted by someone at DOJ to complete the background check. However, all else being equal, I'd prefer to only tell my firm after I know the background check process is complete.

Thoughts?

[Anonymous User]

You're probably best off talking to either the people who hired you or someone associated with the background check directly. I know my office always tells people not to quit their current job until the background stuff is done, so they're well aware that this is a bit of a balance.

FWIW, I got hired in late November, turned in the e-qip in early December, did my own interview with the investigator in late December/January, and got scheduled for my drug test in February. The earliest dates I can track down for people on my app being contacted is March and April. That said, I had a longer period between getting hired and starting than most people, so I didn't have a clear distinction between provisional approval and completion of the whole thing, and didn't start until after the whole background check had been completed. (That's why I can't say whether other people being contacted came before/after the suitability determination.)

I should add I'm not sure they ever actually contacted my current supervisor, but I was clerking at the time (and used my judge as a reference) so I wouldn't have been paying attention to it in the same way that you are.

[Anonymous User]

I recently accepted a position at DOJ, and I am now going through the background check process. I've read and heard conflicting things on the background process, so I am hoping someone can clear it up for me. Is the 1-3 month process the entire background/suitability process, or is just the provision process and the more involved interviews, investigation, etc. happens later?

I ask because I am trying to determine how to determine when I tell people at my current firm about accepting the offer. My original plan was to tell people only after learning I had passed the background/suitability process. However, the sf-86 asks for a "supervisor" at my current firm, which presumably means that person will be contacted through the background check process. If that person is going to be contacted in the next 1-3 months while I am still at the firm, I obviously want to tell them my plans before they are contacted by someone at DOJ to complete the background check. However, all else being equal, I'd prefer to only tell my firm after I know the background check process is complete.

Thoughts?

Did your position require you to take polygraph ?

[Anonymous User]

You're probably best off talking to either the people who hired you or someone associated with the background check directly. I know my office always tells people not to quit their current job until the background stuff is done, so they're well aware that this is a bit of a balance.

This is solid advice. I had the same experience. I think I remember talking to the HR specialist handling my background check process and telling her that I would prefer that the office not contact my current employer (law firm/supervisor listed on my sf-86). However, I can't remember whether I initiated that conversation or whether HR reached out to me. Either way, HR was extremely helpful throughout the process, and I don't think you should hesitate to reach out in your case.

As for timeline, I got hired in early October, submitted my e-quip materials about a week later, got scheduled for my drug test in late October, was granted a waiver (after partial completion of my background check) in November, arrived for orientation in December, then did my interview with the investigator in January. The waiver part terrified me, since i had to leave my firm job, knowing that DC was still conducting my background check. I didn't tell my firm i was leaving until late November, after I had a start date, since at that point there was no turning back.