What We Overlook: Background Checks and Their Implications for Discrimination: Background checks

Background check practices are not readily conceptualized as "tests," but they can lead to both disparate impact and disparate treatment. This commentary focuses on the use of criminal background histories and credit reports in personnel selection and the subjectivity of their evaluation. These are widespread practices that have generated considerable public controversy over the past several years due partly to their discriminatory effects, yet they receive little attention from academic researchers in I/O psychology.