Washington Post: “How much an employer can find on an employee is entirely dependent on the company, the services they use, the time they’re investing and what they consider to be important. Assume employers know everything and be prepared to shape the narrative, business experts said. An employer might just double check to make sure a candidate worked at a company for a specific period of time and nothing more. Conversely, it could seek information on a person’s role, responsibilities, work relationships and online presence, as well as publicly available information that could include criminal charges, information about a person’s income, debt, financial troubles or property ownership.

And of course, anything a candidate publicly posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs or other personal websites is fair game. That means an employer might discover a candidate’s political views, whether the person has voiced controversial statements or the groups to which they belong. “We are living out loud,” Lee said. Employers could know “anything.” Beyond using verification services, employment databases and Internet search tools, employers may uncover additional details by calling a candidate’s former employers. As a result, they may discover dirt about soured employment relationships, project failures, shortcomings or personality conflicts…”