RLC job offer rescinded (?)

[Fidelis]

I am not trying to say anything negative about anyone or any company so please nobody take it that way. I got a conditional offer from Rotorcraft Leasing, which was rescinded based upon an "irregularity" being found in my background investigation. A couple of days later I got a call from the background investigation company asking to verify some information. They also told me that they had just received the background packet from RLC and begun the investigation today, well after the offer had been rescinded. I have since learned from another source that there is another applicant, with the same first name, who had left information off of his background packet.

 

I strongly feel that I have been confused with someone else and/or that something else went awry beyond my control. A phone call and email has yet to be returned from RLC.

 

I know the differing feelings on RLC. I am not looking for anything negative about any company. My contact with them up to this point has been nothing but positive so that is not my gripe.

 

Does anyone have any idea what may have happened and/or how I might rectify this? Again, I am not looking for bashing in any way. Please feel free to PM me if it is not appropriate to post. I am hoping that someone might be able to shed some light and/or experienced something similiar.

 

Thanks, Mr. Confused.

Edited October 25, 2008 by Fidelis

[FauxZ]

Sounds like you need to talk to someone there. About 98% of the people in charge of hiring I've spoken too will not return calls or emails. The only way to get ahold of them is to contact them and catch them at the right time. If anything, I'd request a written document explaining what those "irregularities" are.

 

While I'm not optimistic, I would think as individuals we would have some right to know what came up in a background check against us.

[Fat Kiwi]

hey Josh,

 

That's not good, u need to find out exactly what the background investigation showed up. If there are problems with information it might follow u around. I just got hired here, have the same first name, and yes, I had employer information missing from my packet but I had been in the Navy for the last 9 years... I was missing my previous employer info and education history.

 

I hope u get this sorted out. RLC seems like a great company to work for.

 

josh

[permison]

Fidelis,

Take a look at the "Fair Credit Reporting Act". You might have some legal action against the reporting agency that incorrectly reported info. This happens all the time. Call the background check company explain the situation and they might call RLC and try to correct the situation. At the very least you have a legal right to know what was in the background check. You also are now able to get a free copy of your credit report.

 

Unfortunetly the credit reporting and background check industries are a complete mess. Anyone can start a back ground check company, there is little training or licensing required. These companies make mistakes 80% of the time and US law does little to correct this. Usually your only recourse is to take them to court.

 

I ran into a similar situation a few years ago and after years of trying to deal with it, I finally hired an attorney and took the companies involved to court and won 10s of thousands of dollars. The info being reported was not mine, they wouldn't even show me the info becuse it was in not in my name but still held me responsible. If you can't get this resolved, go get an attorney.

Good luck

Permison

[Fidelis]

You see, that's kind of where my confusion lies. I have impeccable credit (I actually got a credit report about 2 weeks ago), and I have no other issues in my background to speak of.... all good things.

 

I don't think the issue was with my background investigation.

 

RLC would have received my background questionaire on Monday or Tuesday. It was very early Wednesday morning that I received the call rescinding the offer. Two days later, Friday, the background company calls me and said they had just received the background packet....... so the background packet was sent to the background company to begin the investigation by RLC at least 2 days after RLC rescinded the offer.

 

What inconsistency could there be in the background investigation if the background investigation had not yet begun? And the bigger question, why would RLC send the packet for investigation 2 days after they had rescinded the offer?

 

That doesn't make any sense to me which is why I am confused. You think it's possible that my information got confused with someone else's at RLC? I would call and ask but as of yet the phone call/email to them has been unreturned.

Edited October 25, 2008 by Fidelis

[JDHelicopterPilot]

Contact the background check company. Tell them what RLC said. Find out when the check was started and also if there was something that came up, what was it. You have a right to have copies of all said background check documents related to yourself.

 

Keep trying to get into contact with RLC. Tell them you think there has been a mistake. Explain to them you would like to know what the the problem was so that perhaps you can correct it or help yourself in the future.

 

Also, keep in mind the background check isn't just done by an outside company. It could also be done in part by RLC. That would be in the way of references. Was there any problem with a prior employer or Chief Pilot? For my most recent employer I gave a list of references. They didn't call anyone on that list. In fact they called someone else whom they knew I worked with at my prior employer for a reference. So you just never know.

 

All else fails and it turns out there really was a mistake then perhaps legal action is the way to go.

 

Good luck, I hope you get it sorted out.

[permison]

Good Point JD, It could well be that they could have found something else on their own. One other thing could be that they just needed an excuse to not hire you for anything and the background check was an easy excuse. The could be low on funds and starting a hiring freeze. They could have lost a contract and filed your spot with a longtime employee who would have been laid off otherwise. In anycase keep trying to reach RLC. What have you got to loose? You already lost the job.....

[Fidelis]

Thanks guys for the insight. Believe me, I have been going over tons of scenarios in my mind. I do know pilots at RLC and I can't think of anything but positive that they might have to say about me, or anyone else, known or unknown, they might call as a reference. My current employer sings my praises and is even willing to write a letter of recommendation. I am on great terms with my previous Chief Pilot as well.

 

This would be totally understandable if I could think of anything at all and I'd live with the consequences of my actions/inactions. Because I can't think of anything at all, it's really disheartening.

 

I will indeed follow-up with the background investigations company. That's a great idea. I still don't understand why RLC would send them the BI packet after rescinding the offer. I will continue to call RLC as well. I'm not trying to be a pest. I just want to know full well that it is not an error.

[mechanic]

I have been reading that some companies are doing myspace, facebook, and tagged etc.. type searches to try and get a deeper look into the type of person they are looking at hiring. If you have a wild page on a simular site? That might influence a perspective employeer to look elsewhere.

 

Just a thought.

[Fidelis]

I've read the same thing about employers doing web checks, etc. But me, I'm about the most clean cut person out there.....I don't even drink alcohol. Nothing even remotely close to that kind of stuff. I'm pretty boring in that regard I guess. Wife, kid, and church on Sunday. I honestly have no concern with someone checking me out completely.....until now I guess. Thanks for the help though guys.

[Oil Pilot]

If the paperwork was in the mail to the background check company and they found out other information through their own checking, you would have probably found out prior to the "Official" background check being conducted. That sounds like what happened.

 

Like others said, they may have needed to slow down hiring or something like that. I know a lot of people have been hired there lately in preparation for the Air Log deal. I would think they would have just told you they needed to hold off on further hiring if that was the case.

 

This is a very small industry. Who knows what information they found.

[Oil Pilot]

http://helicopterforum.verticalreference.c...showtopic=10047

 

Your comments in that thread aren't exactly angelic. Does anyone formerly in that flight department you said was worthless work at RLC? Does anyone in that flight department know the chief at RLC? There are any number of scenarios where someone could have spoken against you and no one wants to bring someone on who is going to cause dissent among other pilots.

 

Like I said, small industry. You never know when you might be burning a bridge you may need later. My guess is whether you know it or not, you have rubbed someone or a group of people the wrong way and it is causing a problem now.

 

You'll get on somewhere if you have the time.

[BellDriver]

I read through the other postings that you made Fidelis. They were pretty damning. If you talk that way on the internet I could only imagine how you could rub people the wrong way in person. Sounds like you didn't have any direct problems in your last jobs, but did you talk behind your co-workers back like you did on this forum? Looks like throwing other people under the bus has finally come arouond to bite you in the butt.

[FlyNHighNFast]

Fidelis: Good luck man! But as Oil Pilot said, it's a small industry. Before posting anything in a forum or even when sending an e-mail, stop and read it from the perspective of the intended audience and how it would sound to someone that should not see it in the first place.

 

Best Regards

[Fidelis]

Once again, thanks guys. That does give me something to think about. Concerning the LE posts, I just don't think that was it. Quite honestly, even though I don't support the program I referenced in those posts, I don't have a bad relationship with anyone there or anywhere. My opinion is actually in line with many of my counterparts, especially where I am at. I just don't think that my having an opinion in one area would have much bearing on my worthiness in another area....especially when there are similiar operations that I do support. That would be akin to someone liking ERA over Evergreen and vice versa. You can have differing opinions, even strong ones, and still benefit one another. I've got to say that I've learned the most from people who didn't think exactly like me.

 

I went back and re-read all my posts in that forum. I think that a lively discussion between dissenters is a good thing. While perhaps not the popular opinion, I did not talk behind anyone's back, but I did talk from genuine experience. Could that have affected me? I hope not but perhaps.

 

Anyway, I'll keep truckin' and we'll see what happens.

[airdoggy]

I went back and re-read all my posts in that forum. I think that a lively discussion between dissenters is a good thing. While perhaps not the popular opinion, I did not talk behind anyone's back, but I did talk from genuine experience. Could that have affected me? I hope not but perhaps.

 

I was wondering why "Rotorcraft Leasing" contacted me about some postings you made.................hunhhh!..........Just kidding! Hope everything works out, but remember "they're watching you".

[lowvis]

Hey Fido,

 

First realize that RLC did not offer you a job, they mearly offered you a chance to interview and fly with them. If they were to like what they see, you would then start class the next day or so. You still would not get a job offer until they had seen you in class and in the cockpit long enough to know that they wanted to invest in you.

 

Also realize that this is a small industry and everyone knows everyone else, or knows someone who does know someone. My guess is that someone thought that your personality or some other trait did not fit well and blindsided you. It happens a lot. My guess is that RLC said that something in your "background" came up, not in the official check itself.

 

Also realize that there may be others that know of you, but not personally and word speads and next thing you know you don't have an interview anymore.

 

Anyhow good luck, keep your nose clean and maybe try and apply some places that no one knows you and see what happens.

[lowvis]

Fidelis,

 

also noticed a post you made back in January, stating that you would have 1000 hours in Six months, how much did you have then, 6-700? Maybe someone who knew you also questioned your ability to log that much time in only six months? Just a thought.

[Oil Pilot]

You can state that Era is better than Evergreen or one LE agency's flight department is better than another without directly insinuating it is due to the Chief Pilot or other members of the unit. If you really want to throw out insults like you did without any backlash, you might want to look at the Just Helicopters Original Forum and forget about using the Fidelis nickname.

 

You feel like that's not it, but I would be willing to bet that rubbing someone the wrong way is what led to all of this.

[Fidelis]

Again, thanks for the info (but not so much the stone throwing). The fact is that I have, and will continue to be the best pilot that I can be, and the best person as well. Mistakes? Yes, of course. Things I would say differently? Sure. Regrets? Absolutely.

 

Can we all answer yes to those questions? Probably. Granted, you may not be looking for a job. I understand all that. I do appreciate all of the pointers and will continue to do my best in the future.

 

To clarify, I do understand the difference between the offer to interview and the actual offer. Didn't mean to present it in a different light. I assumed that most people knew that if given the interview they tell you to expect to stay for the training class. It's presented almost as a "check the box" type thing at RLC. I know I'm not the only one that has seen it that way, but you are right.

 

Lowvis, as for being able to get to 1000 hrs in six months. My post was back in January (I had already been a CFI for several months) and despite my high hopes no, I didn't make my forecast but I didn't purport to either. I have been fortunate that I have been able to fly several hours per day many times.... Not all the time but quite often. I did recently meet my mark though and I don't think it is unusual for a flight instructor to reach their 1000 hr mark in the time I have (average 50 or so hours a month instructing). I have neither been fast nor slow. Probably like most have experienced, some months are good, some are bad.

 

Hey, I'm not trying to drag out this string (or become a punching bag). All comments have been well taken and appreciated. I don't get the opportunity to get on this board all the time so if I don't respond in a timely manner, please don't think much of it.

Edited November 6, 2008 by Fidelis

[permison]

 

Lowvis, as for being able to get to 1000 hrs in six months. My post was back in January (I had already been a CFI for several months) and despite my high hopes no, I didn't make my forecast but I didn't purport to either. I have been fortunate that I have been able to fly several hours per day many times.... Not all the time but quite often. I did recently meet my mark though and I don't think it is unusual for a flight instructor to reach their 1000 hr mark in the time I have (average 50 or so hours a month instructing). I have neither been fast nor slow. Probably like most have experienced, some months are good, some are bad.

 

Fidelis,

Your going to get a lot of people who question things that you did. For some reason people in this industry assume the way they did or do things is the only way. Just let those things roll off your back. I never ceased to be amazed how single minded some people in aviation can be. Hang in there, your going to have to pound on some doors but just be persistant. Not everyone will open for you. Just think of it as thier loss not yours.

Permison

[rotormandan]

Fidelis,

 

also noticed a post you made back in January, stating that you would have 1000 hours in Six months, how much did you have then, 6-700? Maybe someone who knew you also questioned your ability to log that much time in only six months? Just a thought.

 

 

I would say that 300-400hours in 6 months would average. At a really busy school with a heavy student load, a willing instructor might be able to hit a little more. You almost have to fly that much just to make a paycheck worth living off of with all the student loans kicking in.