Finance applications 'could be subject to credit checks'

Job applicants in the finance sector may find that a credit history check is part of the application process in the sector, it has been suggested.

Neil Munroe, a finance expert from Equifax, has stated that those hoping to enter the financial world ought to check their credit history is in order.

If you're going into a position where there's finance involved, it would probably seem appropriate that the employer checks your credit history, Mr Munroe, who is the external affairs director, remarked.

Credit history is therefore not only important for one's personal life, but for new employment opportunities as well, he indicated.

He also urged graduates to ensure their finances are in order when leaving university to help them in the recruitment process.

According to ClickAJob chief executive Yngve Traberg, background checks are essential to ANY job application, sometimes in great detail depending on the role requirements.

A credit check is obviously necessary for reassurance of an applicant's financial integrity, he says, no financial institution could really afford not to insist on one.

Other industries have similar requirements, he continues. So to be sure, any recruitment company worth its salt needs to be meticulous in running checks, particularly for ID.

Personal references, psychometric assessments, and skills tests are further checks few employers are willing to do without, and rightly so, Mr Traberg insists.

It's not unlike choosing your baby-sitter.

Any applicant begins as a total stranger, he emphasises. So the first objective is to evaluate trust. How confident is it possible to be about handling money for example, or the sensitive issue of looking after customers?

Checks are here to stay, so we had all better get used to them, he says.