Further Questions: Does your institution require job applicants to submit their SSN on online job applications?

This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know how to handle being asked for a Social Security Number (SSN) as part of an online job application. So we asked people who hire librarians:

Does your institution require job applicants to submit their SSN on online job applications? How should applicants handle this if they wish to keep that information private until later on in the process?

Our employment application asks for a SSN, but only because as a county library we use the employment application that is used by all county agencies. If a candidate opted not to provide it on the application this would not prevent them from being considered for a position with our library. I would advise someone not to provide a SSN if they did not feel comfortable providing it. There is plenty more that needs to go into a strong application than a SSN.

– Jason Grubb, Director, Sweetwater County Library System

We do not ask for SSN until a person is hired and completing the necessary paperwork. I would leave the information off the application.

– Kaye Grabbe, Lake Forest Library

We only require an SSN upon hiring, to do a basic background check. Our older application forms had a spot for SSN, and many applicants simply wrote in, “Available upon hiring.”

 – Marleah Augustine, Adult Department Librarian at Hays Public Library