Credit Reports in Hiring

Credit Reports in Hiring

I had an experience with a prospective employer pulling my credit report. It was a couple of years after my mother had passed away. She owned property in Missouri and we moved to Kansas for me to take a job about 7 years prior to me applying for this job. She eventually needed long term care, and she had no resources to pay for that care. I took a loan out on her property to pay for her care, and when I went to sell the property to pay the loan, the bottom had dropped out of the real estate market and I had to default on the loan. That of course impacted my credit score and showed up when this employer pulled my report. When they asked me about the report, it created so much angst for me that I turned the job down. I did not feel like my credit report was a true reflection of my value as a person or a prospective employer. Do you agree with me, or was I making too much out of the situation?

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APA

Your feelings about the situation are valid, and turning down the job in response to the employer’s focus on your credit report reflects your values and boundaries. Credit reports, while useful in assessing financial responsibility, do not always provide a full or fair picture of someone’s character, capabilities, or worth as a potential employee. In your case, the circumstances surrounding the credit issue—caring for your mother during a challenging time—demonstrate responsibility, compassion, and sacrifice, which are qualities that many employers would value more highly than a credit score.

Was Turning Down the Job Justified?

Your decision was not about the credit report itself but about how the situation made you feel. If the employer’s focus on your credit report made you feel judged unfairly or undervalued, then…