What does a background check involve?
A background check is a verification of a candidate’s information and history. This can include everything from education and previous employment to the individual’s financial situation and any criminal convictions.
The purpose of a background check is to ensure that the candidate is who they claim to be and to reduce the risk of mis-hires. For you as an employer, it is essentially about creating security within your organisation and making more well-informed decisions.
How far back are you allowed to check?
How far back a background check in recruitment can go depends primarily on three factors:
1. Type of check
Different types of checks have different time limits:
- Employment history: It is often possible to verify a candidate’s entire employment history, but the focus is usually on the past 5–10 years.
- Education: There is rarely a clear limitation here. A degree, for example, can be verified regardless of when it was obtained.
- Financial information: Credit checks typically show current and relatively recent history. For example, a payment default is usually only recorded for three years after it is registered.
- Criminal records: In Sweden, it is the candidate who requests an extract from the criminal records register. The extract only shows certain types of offences and for a limited period.
2. Relevance to the role
You may not collect more information than is relevant for the role. For a finance manager, it may be reasonable to review the person’s financial history in detail, whereas the same level of scrutiny is not justified for other roles.
As an employer, you need to make a clear assessment of what is necessary for each role you are recruiting for.
3. GDPR and privacy
The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) sets the framework for how personal data may be handled. This means, among other things, that:
- You may only process data that is necessary
- The candidate must be informed and, in many cases, give consent to the background check
- Data must not be stored for longer than necessary
This indirectly affects how far back you can go. Requesting older information may be more difficult to justify from a privacy perspective.
What is common practice in recruitment processes?
In practice, many companies choose to focus their background checks on recent years, particularly when it comes to employment history. This provides a good picture of the candidate’s current competence and experience without being unnecessarily extensive.
At the same time, there may be exceptions. For roles with a high level of responsibility, for example within finance or security-sensitive positions, a more extensive historical review may be justified.
Common pitfalls to avoid
When working with background checks in recruitment, there are a few things to be aware of:
- Checking more information than is relevant for the role
- Failing to clearly inform the candidate
- Handling personal data in a way that does not comply with GDPR
- Carrying out manual checks without sufficient structure
By avoiding these mistakes, you reduce the risk of both legal issues and a negative candidate experience.
Navigating laws, relevance and data protection in connection with background checks of potential candidates can be complex. That is why many organisations choose to work with a specialised partner.
With experience from over 17 million checks carried out globally, DISA helps companies conduct background checks in a way that is both efficient and compliant with GDPR. Through digital solutions and established processes, you gain a reliable basis for your recruitment decisions without compromising candidate privacy.
At the same time, you gain a partner who understands the importance of quality and long-term thinking in every hire. By working in a structured way with the right support, you can create a more secure recruitment process and give your organisation the best possible conditions to grow.
Everything you need to know about background checks
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Frequently asked questions about how far back a background check can go
In theory, it is often possible to verify a candidate’s entire employment history, but in practice this is rarely necessary. You should always focus on what is relevant for the role. Older experience may be less important if it is not directly related to the position.
Information in the criminal records register is removed after different periods depending on the severity of the offence. Less serious offences are removed earlier, while more serious offences remain for longer. The length of time depends on the type of sentence.
Records of offences committed by a person under the age of 18 are also removed earlier than if the person had been an adult at the time of the offence.
Yes. For roles with greater responsibility, for example within finance or management, it is often justified to carry out more extensive checks and sometimes go further back in time. For less complex roles, a more limited check is usually sufficient.