Help please - credit check for employer

chloe1

I am so embarrassed about my past history, please don't judge, I am already ashamed and trying hard to put it right.

Anyway I have been offered a job for a large financial organisation after months of unemployment. The offer is subject to a credit check. The job doesn't involve me handling money but they do the same check on all employees. My credit is dire due to really bad times a few years ago that I am in the process of sorting out.

All of my credit card debts (there are a few) are now with debt collection agencies, and although I have arrangements set up with them it will still look horrendous I am sure on a credit check. I also had a CCJ against me, but I settled and paid that off last year - but still. I have quite a large overdraft too on my bank account. I am refused any credit (or have been before, I don't ever apply for it now).

What details do they see when they run an employment credit check? I have read somewhere that they don't see everything but somewhere else says they do.

I am likely to fail this check and am absolutely gutted if I do and it costs me the job. I have worked so hard to make payments to my debtors and if I couldn't make them (since being redundant) I have always informed them and they have put my account on hold.

If it is only looking at ccj's or bankruptcy then I will be ok as I have paid off the ccj and haven't been bankrupt. But if they look at defaults, late payments etc then I am in a mess.

Any help or advise anyone can give me, or should I just accept that I won't get the job based on my bad credit?

LauraB89

My understanding is that they only normally check for the big stuff. A lot of the time, they don't actually run the searches on everyone. Even if they do and they reject you, if you speak with them about it and explain your situation they can sometimes make a judgement call.

I hope it all works out for you xx

chloe1

Oh I am praying you are right Laura. I think they will run the check though because it's a banking company. Let's just hope that if I am honest in explaining it all they will make a positive judgement. x

ada-or-ardor

Nobody is here to judge, so please don't worry about that.

I have no practical advice or insight to offer here. However, I think you need to put things into perspective. You have been offered a job, which is wonderful news, and I appreciate how important that would be after a long period of unemployment. You think your credit file does not look good. You have assumed therefore that now you won't get the job. That isnt a fact. Did they explain what the outcome of the credit check would be? Did they explain what they are looking for? Did they say that if you have poor credit history the job offer would be revoked? Without naming the company (not that I'm encouraging you to do so!) Nobody can tell you what decision they will make. I think youll just have to sit with the anxiety and wait until it has come back. Regardless of the outcome, congratulations on the job offer; it is a victory worth celebrating and a fabulous step in the right direction!

For what it's worth, a friend works for a large financial institution and has mentioned in passing colleagues who have debts. Whether these were obtained after applying for jobs, I don't know; but I doubt every financial institution is staffed 100% by people with squeaky clean credit files.

Please try and relax and take whatever this throws at you. You don't need to be ashamed. You have accepted your mistakes and are working to rectify them. If an employer doesn't want you based on debt for a non-financial role, then more fool them :-)

Good luck - I hope it works out for you!

Ada

LauraB89

I used to work for a large UK banking group and I remember hiring someone that had a poor credit history/CCJ or something because they were honest about it and they had made big improvements.

Worrying about it wont change the outcome - I hope that you aren't too worried. I work for a financial institution now as well - it took them 6 months before they checked me!!

x

chloe1

Ada - thank you so much, what a lovely post. I am so happy to get the offer and I suppose that is why I am so worried - I have been unemployed for a while and this job would change things for me so much in a positive way, so I would be so gutted if it didn't work out.

They haven't told me the outcome of a bad credit check yet - I am just hoping that they do give me the opportunity to explain it to them before they make a decision.

Laura, that is also so reassuring - I do intend to be honest with them and just hope that they see that as a positive!

xx

Chrisblue1962

Good Luck Chloe1. Fingers crossed !!

sourcrates

Hi,

When employers do a credit check on you, it's called a "pre employment credit check".

They do not have full access to your report, only the public information sections.

Experian provide an example here :

http://www.experian.co.uk/assets/background-checking/sample-reports/adverse-financial-check.pdf

Poor_Single_lady

Thank you Chloe, Laura, Ada, Sourcrates and Chrisblue. I am sitting with a very similar worry. Although no job offer yet. Congratulations on yours Chloe. Wishing you the best.

I will send my application at weekend and cross my fingers.