Ask HN: Company wants SSN when applying? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Company wants SSN when applying?

6 pointsflylib9 comments

The company is Booker (http://www.booker.com) why do they need this? I have been applying for plenty of jobs lately and this is the first one that asks my SSN on the initial application

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From the web: People are required to provide their SSN for tax returns and federal loans, credit applications, government programs, financial institutions, employers and the Department of Motor Vehicles, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Social Security numbers are also required for credit reporting companies. However, physicians, dentists, utilities, potential employers, employment recruiters, temp agencies and schools often ask people for their SSN. Some retailers, pawn shops and other businesses also ask for these numbers, and while there is no legal requirement to provide your Social Security number, no law prevents them from refusing to do business with you if you refuse.

Personally, I do not provide my SSN in most cases where it is requested. I usually ask why they want it and then decline.

It's odd and invasive on a preliminary application, especially if asked without explanation.

The explanation may be perfectly logical (e.g. if there were financial responsibility in the role and they wanted to run your credit), but the appropriate time for something like this would be after the initial qualification. (All employers, obviously, will eventually need your SSN to report your income to the IRS.)

A move like this is reasonable to interpret as a signal of the kind of company you'd be working for if you joined -- placing their process above your personal privacy. In my experience, the UX of the hiring process has almost always been a very strong indicator of the company UX.

As mentioned in my post on the main thread, I am pretty sure it's for the immigration legality. Credit checks take some money (not much but not free) and also minimally hurt the check-ee, no one runs them on applicants who are not otherwise hired. It may have more to do with their legal counsel insisting on gathering necessary data ahead of time than their preference for process over privacy. (also nice to run into you again on a thread and I love your app)

Ha! (and thanks!!)

... This is totally logical but I still would never answer it personally. I almost never answer questions that make me uncomfortable during a hiring process and have never been dinged for it AFAIK. I guess everyone has their own thresholds.

I used to work in a couple other industries where it was pretty standard practice so it doesn't make me terribly uncomfortable, as long as I know who to sue if my SSN ends up on pastebin.

Quantity of bureaucracy is my heuristic for how normal it is to ask this question, though this can vary.

Used to be pretty much standard after Immigration reform in the late 80's. Might have faded with online applications but could be a useful filter to screen candidates without a right to work in the US.

Refuse to give it. Apply someplace else.

Even if it's a job that requires a background/credit check, then they should (at the end of the process) make an offer contingent on passing the credit check.

Don't give out your SSN until you're at the offer stage.

http://www.realfreemarket.org/blog/2012/05/24/headhunters-de...

thanks, I exited out right after I saw it ask for a SSN

Fairly normal for a lot of jobs in other industries. I haven't seen it much at the online application stage in development openings, but most companies after a certain stage are required confirm the legal working status of their employees in the US, which at some point or another will require a SSN or other identifying information. Unless they looks like a particularly sketchy outfit then don't worry too much.

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