Abbott: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

Abbott Laboratories was founded in 1888 by Dr. Wallace Calvin Abbott as the Abbott Alkaloidal Company in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago. Today it is a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker ABT, and it is headquartered in Abbott Park, Illinois, in the northern Chicago suburbs. In 2013 the company separated its research-based pharmaceuticals business into a standalone company, AbbVie, leaving Abbott focused on its remaining healthcare portfolio.

Abbott describes itself as operating four businesses of roughly equal size: diagnostics, medical devices, nutrition, and established or branded generic pharmaceuticals sold outside the United States. Familiar product families include diabetes care and continuous glucose monitoring, cardiovascular and structural heart devices, neuromodulation, point-of-care and laboratory diagnostics, and nutrition brands used in hospitals and homes.

The company reports serving people in more than 160 countries with a workforce of roughly 114,000 colleagues, and independent references put its recent headcount at approximately 115,000. That scale includes manufacturing plants, research and development centers, distribution sites, and commercial offices on multiple continents, supported by a large global supplier base.

Job families are correspondingly broad. Abbott hires manufacturing and production operators, quality assurance and quality control specialists, laboratory scientists and technicians, regulatory affairs and clinical research professionals, engineers across design and process disciplines, field service and clinical specialists who work in hospitals, sales and marketing teams, supply chain and warehouse staff, and corporate functions such as finance, legal, information technology, and human resources.

Company culture and employee programs:

Abbott emphasizes long-tenure careers, internal mobility across its four businesses, and structured early-career programs for recent graduates and interns. Because the company operates in regulated environments, training in quality systems, good manufacturing practice, and safety is a standard part of onboarding for plant and laboratory staff. Benefits, shift differentials, and site amenities vary by country, business unit, and facility, so candidates should confirm specifics for the location they are applying to.

Yes. Employers in the healthcare products and medical device industry, including Abbott, are legally permitted to run pre-employment background checks on job candidates provided they follow applicable federal, state, and local law. In the United States, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs consumer reports used for employment, setting rules for disclosure, written consent, and adverse action. Candidates applying outside the United States are covered by local employment and data protection law instead.

Abbott is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is standard among large regulated healthcare manufacturers. The scope of an Abbott background check may vary by role, business unit, and country, and positions with access to controlled substances, hospital environments, sensitive research data, or financial systems often involve additional checks.

The Abbott hiring process typically begins with an online application through the company careers portal, followed by a recruiter screen for candidates who meet the posted requirements. Interviews usually run in multiple rounds and can include a hiring manager, team members, and for technical roles a panel or a case exercise. Some manufacturing and laboratory positions involve a site visit or an assessment. Candidates who receive a conditional offer are generally asked to consent to background screening, and many roles also involve pre-employment drug testing or an occupational health review before a start date is confirmed. Timelines vary by country, business, and seniority.

How long a check takes depends on the searches ordered, court and institution responsiveness, and whether international history needs to be verified. Domestic criminal and identity searches often complete within a few business days, while education verification from overseas institutions or multi-country employment history can take substantially longer. Candidates looking for more detail can review background check turnaround times.

The employer sets the scope. For a role at a global healthcare manufacturer like Abbott, a background check may include some or all of the following:

The disclosure and authorization documents provided during onboarding describe the searches that actually apply to a specific position, so it is worth reading them closely.

Lookback rules depend on the search and the jurisdiction. In the United States, the FCRA generally limits consumer reporting agencies from reporting most adverse information older than seven years, with exceptions for criminal convictions and for positions above a salary threshold, and a number of states impose stricter caps. Outside the United States, local law governs instead, and some countries restrict criminal history checks far more tightly. Education and employment verifications are not limited in the same way, since they confirm information the candidate provided.

Abbott does not publish a detailed policy about applicants with felony convictions, and hiring decisions of this kind are typically made case by case. Employers generally consider the nature and seriousness of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and its relevance to the duties of the role, with positions involving controlled substances or hospital access reviewed more carefully. Many states and cities have enacted "ban-the-box" laws that restrict when criminal history may be raised during hiring. Candidates are encouraged to be accurate on their application and prepared to discuss context if the subject comes up.

Candidates are generally asked to provide written consent on a standalone disclosure form before a check is initiated. Be prepared to supply full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number for United States applicants or the local equivalent identifier elsewhere, and address history, along with accurate employer and education details for verification. Providing precise information helps route searches to the correct jurisdictions and institutions and reduces delays.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the United States federal law governing how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information for employment purposes. It requires written authorization before a report is pulled, a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and a summary of rights, and an opportunity for the candidate to dispute errors before a final decision. For a fuller explanation of how the FCRA and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance apply, read Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Drug testing is common in regulated manufacturing and healthcare settings, and many employers in this industry include a pre-employment screening step for production, laboratory, warehouse, and safety-sensitive roles. Whether testing applies to a particular Abbott position may vary by job family, facility, and country, and hospital-based field roles are sometimes subject to a customer site's own health and access requirements rather than the employer's. Candidates should ask the recruiter what applies to the specific opening and review the conditional offer documentation.

Preparing for an offer at a regulated healthcare employer? Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Abbott may see and gives you a chance to spot potential inaccuracies before they affect your job application. In one secure report you can review:

Create your report in minutes at Checkr Personal Background Checks. To share verified credentials proactively, build a free Checkr Profile you can send to recruiters, hiring managers, or prospective employers.

Check your report status in the Candidate Portal. You can also visit the Checkr Help Center for FAQs, dispute steps, and support contact options.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.