Maximus: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

Maximus was founded in 1975 by David V. Mastran and began as a consulting firm serving the federal government. The company is headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, and its common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker MMS. It describes more than five decades of delivering services that help governments run public programs.

The business is built around partnership with government rather than direct service to consumers. Maximus works with federal agencies, with state and local governments, and with what it calls specialized markets, delivering business process management, consulting, and technology. Its health services line covers clinical assessments and evaluations, government eligibility and enrollment services, and health technology modernization, while its program services line covers case management and advisory work. On the technology side it offers artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, cybersecurity, cloud services, digital modernization, and data management, and it runs omnichannel contact centers and digital government services. The company also operates Maximus Ventures and the Maximus Foundation.

According to the company's investor materials, Maximus reported 37,200 employees and revenue of $5.4 billion as of September 30, 2025, drawn from its annual report. Operations extend beyond the United States to Canada, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Much of the work is high volume and citizen facing, which is why a large share of the workforce sits in contact centers and program administration rather than traditional corporate roles.

Company culture and employee programs:

Maximus describes a people-first culture built on empathy and collaboration, and frames its mission around bridging the gap between essential public services and the people who need them. Typical roles include contact center agents, eligibility and enrollment specialists, case managers, clinical assessors such as nurses, physicians, and therapists, quality assurance and training staff, operations supervisors and program managers, software engineers, cloud and cybersecurity professionals, data analysts, and corporate functions. Many contact center roles run on scheduled shifts, and some positions are remote while others are tied to a contract site. Pay, benefits, and schedule structure vary by contract, role, and location, so candidates should confirm details with a recruiter.

Yes. Employers in the government services and business process outsourcing industry, including Maximus, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates as long as they follow applicable federal, state, and local law. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which sets requirements for disclosure, written authorization, and the adverse action process. Government contracts add a second layer, because a contracting agency can impose its own vetting requirements as a condition of allowing a contractor employee to work on the program.

Maximus is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is standard for companies that administer government programs. Employees in this field handle personally identifiable information, benefit eligibility data, and in some cases protected health information, so identity verification and criminal history review are common. The specific scope of a Maximus background check may vary by role, by the contract a position supports, and by the agency requirements attached to that contract.

Steps vary by role and contract, but the Maximus hiring process generally follows a recognizable sequence. Candidates apply through the company's careers portal for a posted opening. A recruiter conducts an initial screen, and contact center candidates may complete assessments covering typing, systems navigation, or customer service scenarios. Interviews follow with a hiring manager. Candidates who receive a conditional offer complete pre-employment requirements, which commonly include a background check and, for roles on federal or state contracts, any additional agency-mandated vetting. Paid training and program-specific certification typically begin once clearance to start is granted.

Turnaround depends on the searches requested, how quickly courts and prior employers respond, and how many jurisdictions are involved. A standard employment background check is often returned within a few business days. Government-mandated vetting is a different matter: suitability determinations and public trust investigations required on some federal contracts are processed by government agencies and can take considerably longer than a commercial background report. Candidates who want to understand what shapes the commercial timeline can review background check turnaround times.

The employer, and sometimes the contracting agency, determines the scope. For a role at a government services company, a background check may include some or all of the following:

Candidates should read the disclosure and authorization documents they receive, since those forms describe the searches that will actually be run for their position.

Lookback windows depend on the search type and on the law where a candidate lives or worked. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies generally may not report most adverse non-conviction information older than seven years, with exceptions for higher-salary roles and certain record categories, and a number of states apply stricter limits. Federal suitability and public trust processes work differently: a government questionnaire may ask about employment, residence, and financial history over a longer period, commonly seven to ten years depending on the level of the investigation, because that review is not a consumer report subject to the FCRA's reporting limits.

Maximus does not publish a detailed policy on applicants with felony records, and decisions of this kind are typically made case by case. Employers commonly weigh the nature and severity of the offense, the time that has passed, evidence of rehabilitation, and how the record relates to the duties of the role. Many states and localities have adopted "ban-the-box" laws that limit when an employer may ask about criminal history. One caveat is specific to this industry: where a contract requires a government suitability determination or access to a secured system, the contracting agency, not the employer, may set disqualifying criteria that the company cannot waive.

Candidates are typically asked to provide written consent before screening begins, usually through a standalone disclosure and authorization form. Expect to supply a full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address history, along with a complete employment history. Applicants for roles requiring federal vetting may also need to complete a government questionnaire, provide references and detailed residence history, and submit fingerprints. Accurate, complete information keeps searches in the right jurisdictions and prevents delays, which matter when a contract has a fixed start date.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the US federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information. It requires employers to obtain written authorization before ordering a report, to provide a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and a summary of rights before finalizing a negative decision, and to give the candidate an opportunity to dispute information they believe is inaccurate. For a detailed overview of how the FCRA and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance apply to employment screening, see this introduction to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Often, yes. Contractor employees who need routine access to federal facilities, systems, or sensitive data are commonly subject to a suitability or public trust determination conducted by or on behalf of the contracting agency, which is separate from and in addition to the employer's own background check. That process typically involves a government questionnaire, fingerprinting, and a review of employment, residence, financial, and criminal history, scaled to the risk level of the position. The agency, not the contractor, makes the final determination, and a favorable outcome is usually a condition of remaining on the contract.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Maximus may see and helps you identify potential inaccuracies before they affect your application. In one secure report you can review:

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

Check your report status in the Candidate Portal. Or visit the Checkr Help Center for FAQs, dispute steps, and to contact support.

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.