What will a background check show up for employment?

[Michelangelo1975]

Hi!

Just been offered a great job & they want to use a third party data agency to take employment history etc.
10 years ago I resigned from a company where my bully ex-boss was trying to pin a whole load of issues in a dept on me - basically they wanted to put me into an investigation process. I had raised some issues about them & I felt that they were trying to chase me out.
I had another job lined up & was ill with stress so I resigned rather than go through that crap.
Been at another company for 9.5 years & current one for 0.5 years since then & done well.
Now I'm worried what this firm MIGHT dig up at this old place. Friends think I'm being stupid but I still carry a lot of scar tissue from it.

Any thoughts here? Will old place even have records on me anymore?

Very unlikely it will bring anything nasty up. I would expect that they company will just confirm your dates of employment, possibly that you resigned? I don't think many companies give out much more than that.

Thanks - I realise I'm probably worrying about nothing. It is a relatively senior job & I'm just a bit freaked out about this investigation company doing the checks.

Friends seem to think that they will go back 5-7 years maybe.

Background checks are fairly standard in a lot of companies these days; I work in financial services and have had them for both my previous two jobs, conducted by different providers.

In terms of how far they'll go back, it depends what scope the company have given them. But for employment checks, it generally is just confirming start and end dates, possibly reason for leaving and job title.

I really wouldn't worry.

Unless it was something like financial irregularities or safeguarding concerns, relevant to the new role, it is unlikely to reveal much other than to confirm when you worked for them.

how far back did they go for yours out of interest?

@LIZS

Unless it was something like financial irregularities or safeguarding concerns, relevant to the new role, it is unlikely to reveal much other than to confirm when you worked for them.

Nah nothing like that fortunately enough. We had a clunky method of transcribing data from machines onto paper by hand as automated system didn't work. Mistakes all over place & boss accused me of ignoring it basically.

Even HR were gutted when I went but small firm & all powerful (and very dodgy) boss. They had nearly gone to prison in a previous job...

@Michelangelo1975

how far back did they go for yours out of interest?

10 years for both I believe.

Just got the questionnaire in & they have only asked for 1 year!!

7 years addresses but 1 years employment (which in fairness covers current & previous places).

They're really just looking for outright, basic lies - about when you worked for someone, job title, whether you resigned or were invited to leave. They won't pick up anything like what you've discussed.