Background checks

[kenton_07]

I recently received an offer from a Goldman Sachs company and there is a background check. My gender marker has been changed on my license and so has my name. I've had top surgery and completely and totally pass. I have to put down my former name for the background check but the HR person I have been in contact with and did my interview with doesn't know that I changed my name or that I've transitioned. Should I tell her or what exactly should I do? I just don't know what personal info will come up in the background and credit check such as revealing that I used to be female.

[Simon]

I wouldn't tell them unless I was asked about it. Then if I was asked I would be very matter of fact and state that I didn't inform them prior because I see it as a non-issue.

There is a good chance something will pop up if they do extensive background checks. I went to the DMV a few weeks ago and as usual when they ran my SS number my old name popped up. The officer was polite and said that it's on there because of either a large purchase I made or past medical bills. They couldn't say for certain why it's there but it is. I've come to the conclusion that in many if not all cases this will pop up from time to time. Handle it with grace and everything should be fine.

[Jack_M]

You should put down your former name, but I wouldn't draw attention to having done it personally. Not putting a former name down could look not like you're lying per se, but withholding truth, which can look just as bad. Some change their name for less justified reasons to try and hide criminal pasts. If you get red flagged for that it could just draw more attention to you.

Best of luck with the offer/job! I'm sure that if you've been given the offer that you've sold yourself enough to the company that they won't let something like this retract their offer. And if they were to do so, then they're not somewhere worth working for anyway! Also, anything HR discovers about you can only be shared if relevant to the job. That would be things like them discovering a criminal past and you're supposed to be handling money. Or you have mobility issues yet set to work hard manual labour. Anything else they can't, or at least shouldn't share unless relevant to position, which of course being trans isn't! I'm starting work at a place I worked at before changing my name and yet they're still sticking to this rule. Of course people I worked with before are going to know, but anyone new will only find out from either myself or other employees, HR cannot tell them.

[spacerace]

Congrats on your job offer - Goldman Sachs is a financial company, right?, so I would fill out the background check form with everything up front. Their background check process is probably quite extensive given the nature of their business.

[kenton_07]

Thanks everyone. I didn't inform the HR person and just put the previous name down so whatever. I'm just curious, do you think my previous gender will show up? I changed my name on my social security card and I checked M on the form when I changed it instead of F and nobody said anything to me about it.

[tgchar21]

Another option for those who wouldn't have any relevant records under their old name (this would mainly apply to young transitioners who wouldn't have these kinds of records established before their name change) is in the space put down something like "none that any relevant records are under" to avoid outing yourself (in such a case, like if someone was adopted as a child, you usually don't even have to put the former name down; but because of prevalent TS discrimination putting that statement down "covers" you in case they want to be pushy). If they have a practical reason for knowing your former name (e.g. if they need to know it to properly verify your work or educational history, or if you have ANY criminal history under the name*) then they'll probably need to know sooner or later. *If that's the case that's where you can face legal troubles for omitting the name. In the case of credentials under the old name they'd probably assume you were faking the degree or work history (which is quite common) when the check under your current name fails and refuse to hire you on those grounds.

[aleon515]

Another option for those who wouldn't have any relevant records under their old name (this would mainly apply to young transitioners who wouldn't have these kinds of records established before their name change) is in the space put down something like "none that any relevant records are under" to avoid outing yourself (in such a case, like if someone was adopted as a child, you usually don't even have to put the former name down; but because of prevalent TS discrimination putting that statement down "covers" you in case they want to be pushy). If they have a practical reason for knowing your former name (e.g. if they need to know it to properly verify your work or educational history, or if you have ANY criminal history under the name*) then they'll probably need to know sooner or later. *If that's the case that's where you can face legal troubles for omitting the name. In the case of credentials under the old name they'd probably assume you were faking the degree or work history (which is quite common) when the check under your current name fails and refuse to hire you on those grounds.

I believe that these kinds of things are likely to come up in something Goldman Sachs does. If it were some little teensy company might work....The bigger the company though the more likely they are to have fair policies.


--Jay

[ELY_M]

Did you change your gender with social security? 

I had my gender changed on DL and social security. 
I just accepted a job offer and they ran background check on me. 
nothing came up about my gender.  I got copies of papers from company who do background checks. 

[Arch]

Who did the background check, the employer or another company? At any rate, these checks are designed to turn up criminal activity, not gender changes.

[kenton_07]

I'm really not sure what my gender is with social security. I put male when I went in and changed my name on it and they never questioned it so I'm not sure. I'm not sure if Goldman Sachs does the background check or if a different company does. Either way, I put down my former name and just didn't say anything about it. Hopefully nothing comes up but if it does, then whatever. I was researching Goldman Sachs and they actually provide health benefits for transgender individuals. They cover hormones and I think even surgery which is pretty cool to know. They are also one of the only major firms in the industry that is very open about their support for the LGBTQ community.

[tgchar21]

Who did the background check, the employer or another company? At any rate, these checks are designed to turn up criminal activity, not gender changes.

If the background check is contracted out to another company (which if the case you should know because they are required by law to give you a notice) or they're pulling a form straight from a criminal bureau another option is to put down on the form sent to HR something like "available to authorized personnel only" or "will explain directly to the background check company" and give your former name directly to whoever needs to know it (the disadvantage is it may slow down the check a few days if you're looking to start work immediately, and you yourself will also need to answer the reply when they ask). Incidentally, in the UK the government agency who performs criminal history checks has formalized a similar procedure for the TS community (in the States there is no central source for checking criminal history, hence we have a hodgepodge of state/local agencies and private companies who perform the searches). Also, I recall someone on the MTF side saying she tried this tactic once and it worked well (the check cleared and no one making a hiring decision learned about her TS status).