Pre-employment Polygraphs For Government Positions

Positions such as * Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Technicians, Park Rangers, Armored Car, and Security Guard employees often are given a polygraph.

Employers only use polygraph tests in the hiring process for specific positions that have access to sensitive information or require advanced security clearances.

Typically, polygraph testing is only a pre-employment requirement for roles that require upstanding moral character. If you want to work with topics like national defense, nuclear development, immigration, or pharmaceuticals, you may expect to take a polygraph test to confirm your trustworthiness.

Government agencies need polygraphs for their potential employees. Public safety and trust are paramount when considering hiring a new employee. Naturally, the backgrounds of potential employees will be investigated. Using a polygraph is an excellent tool to check the honesty where sensitive information is involved. Working for the government in any capacity requires high integrity and trust. If you’re already a police officer and are offered a lateral or higher position, you may also need to take another polygraph.

When you take a polygraph for a government position, you will be interviewed by the examiner and asked a range of background questions. You will have opportunities to tell the examiner if there is anything in your past that you have not disclosed in your application. The examiner’s job is to gather as much information from you as possible so you can pass the exam. If you hold any information back knowingly, it will likely cause problems on the polygraph exam, and you may fail it.

Due to the nature of the information handled by many government executives and contractors working on national security matters, only those individuals deemed trustworthy and unlikely to compromise sensitive plans and information are allowed access to such information.

* Government positions only