Question: Have you received a request for a Social Security Number (SSN) to submit with your resume to a prospective employer as a requirement?

A Potentially Real Problem: Providing your SSN to a prospective employer when you have not become an employee, nor selected as an applicant/candidate.

I received this question recently, but several months back before I took on another contract, I received several requests from several companies (third party and an employer representative) to provide my SSN # with my resume. This could be a potentially real problem. In these times when we are emphasizing security and privacy protection, to have some companies or third party companies requesting for an individual’s SSN just to submit a resume, when you have not been selected as a candidate for an interview, could lead to potential problems and is unnecessary.

As a manager who has reviewed over the years a hundred or more resumes in a given month, there is a real problem with the above. With individuals trying to get back into employment, competing for contracts, others wanting to change jobs, the competition is tremendous. Just think of how many resumes could be sent to a company (and not the hiring company) with a SSN. It could be hundreds, thousands? Yes, at one time we filled out applications for jobs for a company, and still do, and on that application you sometimes had two provide a SSN. But that was directly for or at the company. In one case, I was asked for the last four digits for tracking purposes.

I have had a secret clearance, signed confidentially agreements, had background checks including finger printing for the Educational system, and drug tests, which I had no problem providing my SSN once I was selected as a candidate or identified by the hiring company as a potential employee. And in the industries that I have worked in, I would expect several of the above to be executed.

We talk about identify theft; the above process is the closest thing to directly providing an opportunity for it to occur. You now have potentially two to three individuals and companies (and their databases) that now have your SSN and you have not even been selected as a candidate but have submitted your resume for CONSIDERATION. What is done with the SSN when the person is told that their resume was not accepted to arrange an interview?

In my two instances, I chose not to provide my SSN with my resume but indicated I would after being identified as a candidate for the position by the hiring company. I know and understand the potential problem that I indicated above, do you? I would like to know what you think, and what is your solution to the problem as you compete for contracts or employment? What does HR/EEO think about this activity and its implications? What is the reason, or justification, for the request at the time it is being requested? Hey, does anyone see a problem with this trend?

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