Background check is taking a bit longer than I would like.

billwill

I interviewed for a job last Saturday at Autozone. My cousin works there, and she tells me that the boss was very impressed with me, blah blah blah, and that basically she's pretty sure I got it.

The same day of the interview, he called my reference and also did a background check on me.

However, it's been six days, and the results of the background check still aren't in. I've only worked two jobs in the past, and I have no criminal record or anything like that.

Is this normal length for a background check? Why might it be taking this long?

[Michael]

When I worked a recruiting job at a large corporation, it usually took 1-2 days for the background check to come back. But like I said, that was with a large corporation, not an AutoZone store, so I guess it could vary quite a bit. Also, I just mean the criminal background check took 1-2 days. Some people also use "background check" to mean the same as checking references/previous employers/criminal background check, which can take a lot longer. I often had to call previous employers or references 3+ times and leave messages only to have them call back 2 weeks later and tell me they have no idea who the applicant is.

Just be sure to call your potential employer to let him know you are still interested in the job and you'd like to know how your application process is going. That always got me to shove people's application to my "things to do right now" pile.

TL DR

You can go to the local police department and do it yourself in 5 minutes. It will also make you look proactive to management if there are any other applicants still in the running.

Raneados

it also depends how deep they're going for their check

if you're trying to go for a police department job, for example, your background check is quite intense and will take several weeks

your place might be doing more than a simple "check for illegal shit/credit check" thing
it might be sitting on some dude's desk while he plays hide the fist with a secretary
many many reasons




don't freak out, give it some time, there's a million reasons why it's taking a while

if you've done nothing wrong then you'll be fine

jedikuonji

Don't panic yet.

The length of time for the check can depend on several things including, but not limited to, the place doing the check, the intensiveness of the check, and what specifically the check involves. I know at my current work place a background check usually takes between 10 and 14 days to receive but I think 9 to 13 of those days is the place we use sitting on it because we use their cheap option.

Darkewolfe

Sometimes a check that should only take X amount of time will take 2-3X because of "unforeseen complications" i.e. "someone accidentally threw away the piece of paper." No reason to panic.

VisionOfClarity

Mine took over a week because they were also verifying my employment and my one internship boss was not answering his work phone (it was budget crunch time in the city's finance dept, they didn't take any calls except budget ones for a week) so they called me to get another number.