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How Far Should a Job Screening Go?

Posted by Cliff on from the where-would-you-draw-the-lnie dept.

SlashSquatch asks: "My sister is getting screened for a programming position with a financial firm. I was alarmed to hear she'll be getting fingerprinted at the Sheriff's Office as part of the screening process. Instantly I conjure up scenes of frame-ups and corporate scandals. I want to know, should this raise a flag? Would you submit to fingerprinting, blood tests and who knows what else (financial, genetic code, and so forth) for a programming position?"

9 of 675 comments (clear)

  1. if it requires latex gloves by DaveCar · · Score: 5, Funny

    then that is too far

    1. Re:if it requires latex gloves by stuntpope · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I have never had a drug screening, nor a physical as a part of employment or prospective employment. Almost all my jobs have been white-collar, office-type of work, with the last 4 being programming and IT. I'm in the USA, maybe it's different in other countries.

      When I took a position that required a military security clearance, I was fingerprinted AFTER I'd already accepted the position. It wasn't done as a screening process during the interview/consideration stage. I wonder how far along in the process this sister is? If she knows she gets the job once she passes the screening, it seems reasonable to me that a financial firm knows whether its employees have a criminal record, beyond expecting the applicant to be truthful on the application.

      I really don't see why the story submitter is conjuring up fears of frame-ups and scandals. Should it raise a flag? A flag signifying what? That the sister will be employed and soon after will have to use the one-armed man excuse as she runs for her life?

  2. I once had to ejaculate in a cup by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    for a job interview, well, I think it was a job interview, I mean the guy in the alley gave me $50 to watch. That makes it a job interview, right? He wanted to know if I could make smalltalk with a lisp then hack my python till it spewed Java. that sounds like a tech job doesn't it?

  3. Re:Ummmm.... No. by Kevin+Stevens · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think the poster is way off. When you work in finance, you get fingerprinted because of SEC requirements (when they investigate insider trading or other wrongdoing, they often fingerprint the documents used so you can't say someone forged your signature). She probably falls under the class of employee requiring this because she has access to some sort of non-public information or real time market data not generally available to the public. I don't see anything to get heated over here. This is standard practice in finance.

  4. How far? by rlp · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd be concerned when they ask "Do you think you're special, Mr. Anderson?"

    --
    [Insert pithy quote here]
  5. Re:Ummmm.... No. by xtracto · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sorry pal, I was about to mod you Insightful (two spare mod points :) but I have seen a lot of comments against fingerprinting and I thought I would better write my comment to "defend" it.

    The first poster (Anonymous Coward) stated it very well, she is working in a Financial Institution. I think the security on those is similar if not better (or worst? depending on POV) than the goverment agencies (CIA, FBI, DOD, ETC) because the information being played with there is *very* sensitive.

    Also, I do not know what is so fucking outrageous about finger prints, my father has a ranch, and when I was younger we went every saturday to pay the pawns theyr week salary, and my dad kept a book for the payments (ala spreadsheet). Some of the pawns didn't know how to read/write, hence my father used their fingerprint as a signature to acknowledge payment. That is a common practice to autenticate people in poor countries. And it is way better thana lousy signature.

    Again agreeing with the AC, I think that, if she does not want to be deeply screened then Finance is not an industry where she should get a job. She might preffer going to Google, Amazon or any standard software shop...

    --
    Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
  6. Re:Ummmm.... No. by shabble · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Both companies seemed appalled that I would turn them down for something so "petty".
    I hope you pointed out that since they think it's so petty, then why should they enforce it on you/anyone?
    --
    http://harridanic.com
  7. Re:It's a financial institution by Deekin_Scalesinger · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I tend to agree with my anonymous colleague. I am sorry to hear that the submitter of this story is alarmed (OK, in truth I am only sorry that the submitter doesn't see the good sense in this practice), but if your sister is going for a position where she has the potential to alter bank records, install backdoors into financial systems, divert funds, etc, then I think that a fingerprint check is totally justified. Good old fashion horse sense and prudence has to be maintained in with some types of jobs, and this is one of them.

    --
    "As the intrepid kobold companion continues his journey, he begins to wonder... if priests raises dead, why anybody die?
  8. Re:It's a financial institution by Score+Whore · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...but your employer can force you to do it to get a job...


    First, if you don't have the job yet, they're not your employer. Second, I don't think you have a very clear idea of what force is. Third, if you don't like the requirements of the job, go work for a dot-com. Nobody is forcing you to work for a bank.