Salesforce: Company Profile & Background Check FAQs

Salesforce was founded on March 8, 1999, by former Oracle executive Marc Benioff, together with Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez. The company pioneered the software-as-a-service model for business applications, delivering CRM through the browser at a time when enterprise software was typically installed on-premises. Salesforce is a public company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CRM and is headquartered at Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, California, with hub offices and operations around the world.

Today Salesforce is the largest provider of CRM software globally, holding roughly 21 percent of the CRM market as of 2024, more than its next several competitors. Its product family spans Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Commerce Cloud, along with major acquired platforms including Slack, Tableau, and MuleSoft, and newer artificial intelligence offerings built into the platform. The company reported total revenue of $37.9 billion for its fiscal year 2025, which ended January 31, 2025.

Salesforce employs approximately 83,000 people worldwide as of 2026. The workforce includes software engineers, product managers, data scientists, solution consultants, account executives, customer success managers, and corporate professionals in finance, legal, marketing, and people operations. Because employees may access customer data, internal systems, and confidential business information, pre-hire screening is a routine part of onboarding at large software companies like Salesforce.

Company culture and employee programs: Salesforce describes its culture through the concept of Ohana, emphasizing trust, customer success, innovation, and equality, and it is known for its 1-1-1 philanthropy model, which donates one percent of equity, product, and employee time to charitable causes. Employees receive volunteer time off, and the company invests in learning through its free Trailhead training platform. Benefits vary by country, role, and employment type, so candidates should confirm specifics during hiring. Common role categories include:

Yes. Employers in the technology industry, including Salesforce, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates, provided they follow applicable federal, state, and local laws. In the United States, screening conducted through a consumer reporting agency is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires clear disclosure, written consent, and defined adverse action procedures. California, where Salesforce is headquartered, adds its own rules, including the Fair Chance Act, which governs how employers consider criminal history. Hiring outside the US follows local law, including the GDPR in Europe.

Salesforce is generally reported to conduct background checks on new hires as part of its onboarding process, which is standard practice among large enterprise software companies whose employees may access customer environments and sensitive data. The components of a Salesforce background check may vary by role, level, and country, and certain customer-facing or government-related positions may involve additional screening. Candidates should review the disclosure documents they receive with their offer for specifics.

While the process varies by team, Salesforce hiring typically starts with an online application or recruiter outreach, followed by a recruiter phone screen. Candidates then complete one or more interview rounds, which may include technical assessments for engineering roles, presentations or role plays for sales roles, and panel interviews with future teammates and leadership. Offers are generally contingent on successful completion of a background check, which candidates authorize after accepting. Start dates are usually confirmed once screening is complete.

Turnaround time depends on the searches ordered, the responsiveness of courts, schools, and former employers, and the candidate's address history. Many background checks are completed within a few business days, while reports involving several county criminal searches, education and employment verifications, or international components can take longer. Candidates can review typical background check turnaround times to set expectations.

The employer determines which searches to include for each role. For a position at an enterprise software company like Salesforce, a background check may include some or all of the following:

Candidates should read their disclosure and consent forms to understand exactly which searches will be run for their role.

Lookback periods depend on the search type and governing law. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies generally cannot report most types of negative information older than seven years, although criminal convictions may be reported for longer in many states, and the limits do not apply to certain positions above specified salary thresholds. California law generally limits reporting of convictions to seven years, and several other states where Salesforce hires have similar restrictions. Candidates working outside the US are covered by their own national rules.

Salesforce's policies regarding candidates with felony records are not publicly detailed, and decisions of this kind are typically made case by case, considering the nature and recency of the offense and the responsibilities of the role. California's Fair Chance Act and many other state and local "ban-the-box" laws require covered employers to wait until after a conditional offer to consider criminal history and to conduct an individualized assessment before withdrawing an offer. Candidates with records are encouraged to answer application questions honestly and to be prepared to provide context if asked.

Candidates asked to complete a Salesforce background check will typically need to provide written consent before screening begins, usually through a standalone disclosure form delivered with the offer paperwork. Applicants should be prepared to provide accurate personal information, including full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number (for US roles), address history, and details needed for education and employment verification. Complete, accurate information helps searches run in the correct jurisdictions and prevents delays to a start date.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a US federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information. Under the FCRA, an employer must obtain written consent before ordering a background check, and before taking adverse action based on the results it must provide the candidate with a copy of the report and a summary of rights, plus a reasonable opportunity to dispute inaccurate information. For a deeper overview of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and related EEOC guidance, review Checkr's introduction to these protections.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Salesforce 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 showcase verified credentials proactively, build a free Checkr Profile you can share with recruiters, hiring managers, or potential 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.