A different kind of background check

I had to fill out a background check for a new job last week and they asked all the normal questions, home address and employment history for the past seven years. The questions were exactly as you might expect, but I thought they missed a real chance to get know me better. 

Yup, I think employers and credit agencies all ask the wrong questions. They miss the important things. 

Here’s what they should ask instead: 

–Do you sit down and eat breakfast or do you skip breakfast?

–How many times have you entered the 12 items or less aisle in the grocery store and tried to sneak through when you really had 20 items? 

–How many times were you late picking up your son or daughter from school or practice? How many times were you the last parent to show up? 

–Do the local police know you on a first name basis and I’m not talking about seeing Jim or Joan at the local restaurant or convenience store, but actually having them come to your house? 

–How long has your car sat parked without moving in front of your house? Up on blocks? (You know who you are?)

–When you’re late for work, how do you count being late? Via seconds, minutes, hours, or days? 

–Do you open your presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

–Hot dog or hamburger? Catch-up or Mustard?

–Paper money or plastic card?

–You win the lottery tomorrow, what’s the first thing you buy?

–Money is no object. How much do you give the homeless guy who greets you on the street?

–Mickey Mouse or Winnie the Pooh? Dogs or Cats? Batman or Superman? McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys or Chick-fil-A? Pepsi or Coke? Apple or Microsoft? City, suburbs, or rural?

–If you were arrested with no explanation, what would your family and friends assume that you had done?

–Name the top five movies, television shows, and books of all time?

–When playing a board game with family or friends and you lose, how do you greet the winner? Shake hands and congratulate him or her? Leave without saying anything? Throw the board game over and storm out of the room, claiming the game was rigged?

–How do you set up the toilet paper, over or under?

Yup, these answers would really get to the crux of the issue. It would certainly be a different kind of background check, but the questions would really get to the heart of a person’s character? What do you think?