E-QIP/background check

[Anonymous]

My agency does this and unfortunately my boss got the form before I had a final offer. Without that final offer in hand I wasn't planning on telling her I was leaving. Luckily for me it all worked out with the interim clearance and then the OPM investigation, but I wasn't happy with the way it went down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My agency does this and unfortunately my boss got the form before I had a final offer. Without that final offer in hand I wasn't planning on telling her I was leaving. Luckily for me it all worked out with the interim clearance and then the OPM investigation, but I wasn't happy with the way it went down.

What happened when your boss got the form?

[Anonymous]

I work for FDA and went through same process about a year ago. I assume position is for public trust investigation which is what FDA usable uses.

Yes, your fingerprints need to be completed before you get the final offer. They run them against fbi database so whoever said don't get fingerprinted was wrong as HR won't give you your final offer without your fingerprints since they can't run you through FBI database. Your public trust doesn't have to be complete before you start work. It can take up to 6 months after you start before they call you for your interview and I did my interview at my office at FDA.

As for the scantron forms that OPM sends out, there is inconsistency from person to person. I even asked multiple investigators and they seemed to not know and said they don't always know timing but in general, sometimes the forms are sent out very quickly, other times it'll be months after you give the names. They sent the forms to my previous employers to the names I listed on my e-Qip. So if whomever you listed as POC for your current job, that's who it will be addressed to. Interestingly, they never sent any forms to my personal references or references for places I've lived, only to places I worked.

I understand that you don't want to tell your company until you have a final offer but unless you have something bad coming up on your FBI check, tentative offer will become final. Make sure you've discussed salary as I know a few prospective ppl were surprised by Salary on final letter (first time being discussed). At some point, you'll have to tell your current boss and employment and would recommend now as you're far enough long in process. Wouldn't it be even more awkward if they receive an opm form about you with no heads up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My agency does this and unfortunately my boss got the form before I had a final offer. Without that final offer in hand I wasn't planning on telling her I was leaving. Luckily for me it all worked out with the interim clearance and then the OPM investigation, but I wasn't happy with the way it went down.

PP here. This happens all the time at FDA. If you think you'll get final offer before opm sends out form, you may be wrong. I say wrong cause timing of opm forms comes from a separate office in Penn so the fingerprints getting checked into FBI database is handled by FDA whereas sending out opm forms is opm. Sometimes opm forms go out first, sometimes it's months later after fingerprints and final offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My agency does this and unfortunately my boss got the form before I had a final offer. Without that final offer in hand I wasn't planning on telling her I was leaving. Luckily for me it all worked out with the interim clearance and then the OPM investigation, but I wasn't happy with the way it went down.

What happened when your boss got the form?

Luckily we have a great relationship, but she came into my office with the form, asked what was going on. I told her I had a tentative offer for the job but was waiting for the firm offer before giving notice and didn't expect her to get anything from OPM yet. She was happy for me but it was private sector so if they wanted they could have just let me go right then. I think I ended up getting the firm offer shortly thereafter and gave 3 weeks notice. I'm still friends with my boss and consider her a mentor so YMMV.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I looked back at the email I got from HR with the tentative offer and it says that I will be contacted by the fingerprinting office to schedule fingerprinting and once that clears they will send me the final offer and start date. The person from the fingerprinting office is the one who sent me the E-QIP/OPM stuff. So does this mean the OPM background check doesn't have to clear to get the final offer, just the fingerprinting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I looked back at the email I got from HR with the tentative offer and it says that I will be contacted by the fingerprinting office to schedule fingerprinting and once that clears they will send me the final offer and start date. The person from the fingerprinting office is the one who sent me the E-QIP/OPM stuff. So does this mean the OPM background check doesn't have to clear to get the final offer, just the fingerprinting?

Correct. Only need fingerprint to clear FBI database before you start. As mentioned above, public trust investigation (investigator/opm forms) can and frequently is completed or even started after you start the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I looked back at the email I got from HR with the tentative offer and it says that I will be contacted by the fingerprinting office to schedule fingerprinting and once that clears they will send me the final offer and start date. The person from the fingerprinting office is the one who sent me the E-QIP/OPM stuff. So does this mean the OPM background check doesn't have to clear to get the final offer, just the fingerprinting?

Correct. Only need fingerprint to clear FBI database before you start. As mentioned above, public trust investigation (investigator/opm forms) can and frequently is completed or even started after you start the job.

Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

OP, i was working at HHS for almost 2 years (1 yr 9 months) when my background check went through. it came back twice rejected because i didn't put names of the supervisors for 2 temporary seasonal mall jobs (i didn't remember, it was a very long time ago), and i listed a personal reference twice for the address verification.
there was also a period of a few months when OPM records got hacked so that also slowed down the process because they were not running any background checks till they figured out the damage.