When going for drivers jobs small to medium sized companies do they ever do reference or employer checks on dates etc?
I met a couple of guys who said they don’t only large companies that are well paid permanent positions do the full checks.
They said usually you go for the interview and you literally have the job starting next day or week so they don’t have enough time or resources to do checks.
Interesting. I’m speaking for agencies in this post. Some do do background checks, others not! On my cv, I’ve s t r e t c h e d a couple of jobs to cover jobs that did not end so well. I’ve never had a problem, a couple of agencies have asked me for details of ex employers, so I’m guessing that it was their intention to check. But either they never did, or they needed a driver and didn’t bother confronting me about it.
Most of the time, it’s just more effort to do the checks than they are willing to put in.
I used to work for a large chilled company then I got a job with a large supermarket but the supermarket didn’t bother chasing up the references I gave them, why I don’t know.
Because even in this day of communications technology, interviews are still done the old way. Attitude/appearance. If the interviewer likes what they see, and you tick the right boxes… it takes time (and money) to chase up the past of prospective employees.
I can understand that when someone has a pile of cvs, they wouldn’t bother digging. But when your about to offer someone a job, why not check that what they are telling you is true?
The other thing is that they always want a driver yesterday
Since I started driving no company has ever contacted any of the people I’ve put down for references.
I have 25 employees and whilst I’ll take someone on pretty much immediately based as jbaz says, on attitude and appearance and of course the interviewee’s words that actually they are pretty amazing 
. However, we do run an in-depth background check as we move high value loads, and if that comes back several weeks later with negatives, then that’s it. We are clear on that point at the interview stage.
albion:
I have 25 employees and whilst I’ll take someone on pretty much immediately based as jbaz says, on attitude and appearance and of course the interviewee’s words that actually they are pretty amazing
What’s an in-depth background check ?
use a name:
albion:
I have 25 employees and whilst I’ll take someone on pretty much immediately based as jbaz says, on attitude and appearance and of course the interviewee’s words that actually they are pretty amazingWhat’s an in-depth background check ?
References, convictions, financials.
albion:
use a name:
albion:
I have 25 employees and whilst I’ll take someone on pretty much immediately based as jbaz says, on attitude and appearance and of course the interviewee’s words that actually they are pretty amazingWhat’s an in-depth background check ?
References, convictions, financials.
References? Mine are a1. Convictions? I could come unstuck here, as I did 12 years 
financials? I would definitely come unstuck here! I drive trucks for a living, Wouldnt do that if I didn’t have to 
It’s as much about if you are open to coercion as much as past history. A criminal conviction does not mean automatically been ruled out, nor does a bad financial history - so many people have a history of debt that it isn’t as much problem as it used to be.
Someone I used to know done HR and he said simply the company do not have the time or cost is far too much to chase up for references.
Think about it just like disclosures they take several weeks and some large employers don’t employ anyone until the checks are 100% complete then they hire.
I started a driving job put the disclosure in after I started disclosure came back with conviction and they accepted it but were annoyed I didn’t disclose it as I had advice from solicitor you do not have to disclose. It’s not the the criminal act in question, but its your application is seen as incomplete! like missing information like date of birth or previous address if you get me, which I was surprised. If I simply put my conviction in it would of been accepted as most low end convictions are acceptable.