What causes a red flag on a background check Reddit

Starting a job this week but had to sign off on a pretty thorough background check. Me keeping my job is contingent on me passing this check. This has me worried. I didn't leave my last job in the greatest of standing and part of the background check included a line about gathering performance review info from previous employers. I signed off on the paperwork early last week, but understand background checks can take a while. For my own peace of mind, I'd like to ask HR if the background check is complete, however I'm worried by asking I'll be raising a red flag. If any HR people could give me insight if this would be a red flag to you, I'd appreciate it!

A candidate at my company was dismissed at the background-check stage (or just before) when a member of the team noticed that she claimed to have earned a degree that didn't exist at the college from which she graduated. Basically, the candidate said she had earned a BS in accounting from a university. The team member (who went to the same university) says, "Wait a minute. That school doesn't have a BS in accounting; only a BA in business administration." So the candidate gets tossed. Important to note—the tossed candidate DID attend the university, DID earn a business degree, and DID have experience as an accountant.

Anyway, I'm just curious about other stories where background checks, due diligence, or careful resume reviews caused a candidate to get dismissed.

This is such a good question. Here are some thoughts- and for context I've started several companies, hired a lot of people, and consequently spent a lot of time thinking about how to develop positive cultures.

-The CEO/boss/whatever drives a conspicuously expensive car. I can elaborate why this is a tell if anyone cares.

-If it's a private/family company, do a Google search for '[company name] defendant' and '[company name] plaintiff'. If the company has been sued, or is in the habit of suing others, that can be a red flag- although something there are legit reasons for either. But it's something worth paying attention to.

-If when you are asked to come in for an interview, you are not treated with total respect for your time- for example, if you find yourself waiting for extended periods for an interview because 'so and so is in a really important meeting'. Similarly, if you are not offered at least water and/or coffee if you're in for several interviews. I once interviewed at a place for seven straight hours with no break, no food, not even a glass of water. Fortunately I wasn't offered the job as it was at Michael Milken's firm... before he went to prison.

-If the company brings alcohol into the office for 'end of week' sessions on a regular basis. I know they can be fun but it's a stupendously bad idea for all kinds of reasons and if leadership hasn't figured that out then I'd think twice before joining.

-If when you're visiting the company for the first time and you pass someone in a hallway, do they smile and acknowledge your presence with a nod or maybe a hello, or do they ignore you? It's a small thing but very telling about the workplace culture. Similarly, do people seem 'healthy and energized' or 'grey-faced and tired'?

-ANY 'bait and switch' deviations from representations made during the recruiting process vs actual terms/conditions.

-If it's a job in a manufacturing or distribution facility, is it messy or tidy? Messy, cluttered facilities are indicative of poor management, plus they can be dangerous.

-As others have noted, any B.S. about 'oh people like to work late' or stuff like that used as pressure to get you to put in extra hours.

-Last, pay attention to your gut feel. If something feels 'off', it probably is.

Edit: Thanks for all the nice comments, and for those who disagree, well, I'm just sharing my perspective. I'm pasting in my answers to a couple of follow-up questions re cars and beer:

Re cars: There are obviously exceptions, but in my experience leaders who are focused on the external indicators of their personal success will orient their behavior and decisions towards their own benefit versus benefiting the entire company and/or other employees. In more extreme cases- which unfortunately are not uncommon- these people tend towards the narcissistic personality type, which means they will tend set their direct reports against each other rather than encouraging and fostering collaboration and display other behaviors that make for a miserable workplace. I know, kind of a big leap from a fancy car... but I've been at this for almost 40 years and it's amazing how patterns tend to repeat. And for clarity I'm really talking about 'conspicuously' expensive- not a nice Mercedes or whatever, but a Bentley, Ferrari, that sort of thing.

Re alcohol: So.... as someone noted elsewhere, sometimes these can be good/useful/fun. In fact, they start that way when companies are small- and I used to do them regularly. But... here's why I stopped doing them. In a group of 100 (actually, a lost less than that) or more, you're going to have some folks with alcohol-management issues. So you're creating a company-sponsored regular event in which they have the choice of either not participating- and thereby missing out on the networking etc- or being in an environment where everyone is drinking. And for those who haven't figured out they have an alcohol problem, you're basically helping them pre-game for the evening. I've seen people knock back three beers in 20 minutes... and then realized they will be driving home. Is it my responsibility to ensure they don't drink too much? No. But is it a good idea for me to enable it? And, finally... for those who think I'm a prude or whatever... if it's your company, you regularly provide alcohol at company events, everyone knows old Bill often hits it a bit hard before heading home, and Bill happens to kill someone on his drive, you are completely, unutterably fucked. Quite aside from the whole 'gee am I partly responsible for what happened' guilt thing, the family of the person killed will get a contingent litigator and they will come after you for literally everything you have- easily $20 million or more per person.

Why are my background checks failing?

Why does it say Level 1 on my background check?