It has been my understanding that an employer cannot ask for your social security number until they have made you an offer of employment (at which time they use it to verify your eligibility to work in the U.S., etc.). And so, I have been advised from many sources (inc. job counselors as well as things I've read online from government webpages) not to provide it on a job application.

With this in mind, is it legal for an employer to do a background check before they offer employment? I have in mind a job application I just filled out that asks for this information--apparently they want to do a credit/background check before they even call me for an interview?? I declined to provide information such as my social security number (I simply typed "will provide upon offer of employment" into the box, my usual reply to this request), and I have a feeling they will not contact me simply because of this. Are they allowed to require me to submit to a credit check possibly before I even know they are interested in me?

Thanks.

Your understanding is at least slightly incorrect. While you are not required to provide an SSN prior to an offer of employment, no law prohibits the employer from asking.

Neither does any law prohibit an employer from doing a background search prior to an offer of employment.

But are they allowed to eliminate me from their list of applicants simply because I decline to give the information?

Short answer. Yes, they may.

Longer answer is still yes, but I want to explain how interviewers work.

When I post a job... I get a ton of resumes. Literally a ton.

The first culling of the pile is actually kinda easy... I am looking for ANY reason to throw the resume and/or application away.

Spelling errors... gone. Grammatical errors, funky pink paper, resumes that arrived in shiny folders, resumes that were multiple pages long for an entry level position, applications that didn't have everything filled out, or resumes without cover letters... all went into the round file.

And it is perfectly legal. I am trying to take the mountain of applications and turn it into 5 interviews. When you didn't fill out that line in the application, you gave them a reason to pass you.

I would be very surprised if you got a call... unless you have a personal contact or something.

Spelling errors... gone. Grammatical errors, funky pink paper, resumes that arrived in shiny folders, resumes that were multiple pages long for an entry level position, applications that didn't have everything filled out, or resumes without cover letters... all went into the round file.


Me, too, cyjeff. "funky pink paper" BWHAHAH!!!!!
Add to that the unprofessional email addresses. "hotchick80"? Um, no. :p

In some industries a background check before hire is a must and I must have your SSN in order to do that (public safety, education, health care, child care, banking, etc.). If you refuse to provide it, I can't do the background check and therefore can not hire you. In some cases this may be company policy, but in others it it is actually governed by law. Either way, you make your choice.