Employment Background Checks

Reason for Policy

The University conducts employment background checks to promote a safe work environment and to assist hiring managers in making prudent employment decisions based upon comprehensive job-related information.

Policy Text

The University requires background checks on all potential full-time and part-time employees, volunteers, and affiliates, including those who have separated from the University and are subsequently rehired. New-hires who apply for full-time and part-time jobs with the University must authorize a lawful background check as part of their job application and onboarding process. An offer of employment is contingent upon verifying the accuracy of the information provided by the new-hire. The results of a background check will determine a new-hire's suitability for employment at the University. All background checks are conducted by a third-party service provider, HireRight, and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act.

In some cases, a new hire may start work before a background check has been completed. Continued employment is contingent upon the satisfactory results of the background check. The background check does not relieve the hiring department of its obligation to perform reference and employment history checks or obtain copies of degrees, licenses, or certificates required for a specific position.

Procedures

Initiation of Background Check

  • Once a new-hire has been identified for hire, the new-hire will receive an email from HireRight on behalf of the University to complete a background check.
  • The new-hire must follow the instructions in the email from HireRight in order to initiate the background check process. 

Background Check Results

  • HireRight forwards the results of the new-hire's background check to Human Resources.
  • HireRight also informs the new-hire of the background check results for review and the new-hire's rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Act.
  • If the results are satisfactory, Human Resources finalizes the hiring process.
  • If the results are unsatisfactory, Human Resources consults the Hiring Manager and the Office of General Counsel to determine a course of action. At the direction of Human Resources, the Hiring Manager or Human Resources consults with the new-hire to determine the basis for the unsatisfactory results.

For questions regarding the background check process, contact humanresources@usfca.edu or (415) 422-6707.