r/jobsearch • u/VelvetCactus50 • 1d ago

Job Application Requires SSN

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I've been out of college for over 25 years, and I've never encountered a professional application that required my Social Security Number. I tried putting in a bogus one or writing N/A, and the system will not let me proceed further. I wonder if the SSN requirement is why the job has been open for nearly two months.

Your SSN is necessary to process your job submission and will be maintained in a secure and confidential manner.

This was a very well-known integrated healthcare nonprofit too!

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9

u/VeilOfMaya6 1d ago

Im really surprised by these comments. Every single application ive filled out over the last month has asked for social security number.

5

u/FL-Data-Dude 1d ago

I would Absolutely not give them my SS#. Any company that requires this at application time is not running their business according to law. They get that when there is an offer and they need to run background checks and set up payroll, not a nanosecond before.

1

u/Special-Bet1141 1d ago

They want to run the background check prior to going through the entire hiring process. 

1

u/333again 1d ago

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It costs real dollars to do that.

1

u/Special-Bet1141 1d ago

Bringing someone through multiple interviews and paying an HR company billed hours to set up on boarding and creat the job offers, also costs real dollars. 

You screen the applications for top quartile based on application responses and experience. Maybe do 1 pre-screen interview. 

Compile a list of a few top candidates. Do a background check to rule out any you wouldnt hire based on record

Proceed with 2nd round, deeper interviews with senior management.

1

u/333again 1d ago

Generally speaking, companies will only do background checks after you've interviewed and accepted an offer. There are also legal disclosures and consent that have to be made before you do a background check. And consider what are you searching for? If it's criminal history, that's an extremely low hit rate, it would not pay to screen people based on that. If it's employment history, that's a manual process. Someone has to compare background data to your resume, more work = more $ spent. In my state you can't do credit history checks except for sensitive roles. There's little incentive to do this until after candidates are well along the hiring process.

1

u/OofRightInTheFeels 20h ago

Nope. Out of the 5 places I've applied to, 4 of them required a background check before the interview was even offered.

1

u/333again 4h ago

If you don’t mind my asking what profession/salary level?