Truist Financial: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

Truist traces its origins to two long-established regional banks. BB&T's history began in 1872, when Alpheus Branch and Thomas Jefferson Hadley founded the Branch and Hadley merchant bank in Wilson, North Carolina; Branch bought out Hadley's shares in 1887 and renamed the business Branch and Company, Bankers, which eventually evolved into BB&T (Branch Banking and Trust Company) and grew into one of the largest banks in the United States, headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Separately, SunTrust traced its roots to 1891, when the Georgia General Assembly granted a charter to the Commercial Travelers' Savings Bank, which became the predecessor to the Trust Company of Georgia; in 1985, the Trust Company of Georgia merged with Sun Banks to form SunTrust Banks, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta.

On February 7, 2019, BB&T and SunTrust announced a merger of equals to create what was described as the eighth-largest U.S. bank at the time, the largest bank deal since the 2008 financial crisis. The combined company announced its new headquarters would be located in Charlotte, North Carolina, while retaining significant community banking operations in Winston-Salem and wholesale/retail banking operations in Atlanta. On June 12, 2019, the companies announced Truist Financial Corporation as the name for the newly merged entity, a name developed with help from branding firm Interbrand and input from employees of both banks; the name drew some public criticism, including a trademark infringement lawsuit from an unrelated credit union, Truliant Federal Credit Union. The merger was completed on December 6, 2019, with BB&T CEO Kelly King retaining leadership of the new company.

Since the merger, Truist has continued to evolve its operations, launching Truist Ventures, the Truist Foundation, and Truist Securities in 2020, and investing heavily in consolidating technology platforms across the combined bank. In 2024, Truist sold Truist Insurance Holdings to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Stone Point Capital for $15.5 billion, streamlining its business focus. Today, Truist ranks among the top 10 commercial banks in the United States by total assets, serving approximately 10 million consumer households with offices across 15 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Truist's workforce includes bank tellers and branch staff, commercial and wealth management relationship managers, mortgage loan officers, and corporate functions supporting its large-scale banking operations.

Company culture and employee programs: Truist emphasizes a mission built on care, and the company launched a $60 billion Truist Community Benefits Plan shortly after its founding to support economic development in the communities it serves. As one of the largest post-merger banks in the country, Truist has invested significantly in unifying its combined workforce, technology, and brand identity. Benefits, training, and advancement opportunities can vary by role and location, so candidates should confirm specifics with a recruiter during the hiring process.

Yes. Employers in the banking and financial services industry, including Truist, are legally required to conduct thorough background checks on employee candidates, given federal banking regulations in addition to standard employment screening. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires employers to obtain written consent, provide disclosures, and follow adverse action procedures.

Truist is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is both standard practice and a regulatory requirement for banking institutions, particularly given federal restrictions on employing individuals with certain criminal convictions in FDIC-insured institutions.

The hiring process for teller and banking roles at Truist typically includes an application, one or more interviews, and a background check prior to a final offer, consistent with federal banking industry requirements.

Background check timelines can vary based on the type of screening requested and how quickly records can be verified. Learn more about typical background check turnaround times to understand what factors can affect the process.

A typical pre-employment background check for a banking role may include:

Under the FCRA, criminal history reporting is generally limited to seven years for most background checks, though the Federal Deposit Insurance Act imposes its own separate, often more extensive lifetime restrictions on banking employment for individuals convicted of crimes involving dishonesty, breach of trust, or money laundering.

Hiring decisions involving candidates with criminal records are generally made on a case-by-case basis, but federal banking law under Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act prohibits FDIC-insured banks like Truist from employing individuals with certain convictions, particularly those involving dishonesty or breach of trust, without prior regulatory approval. Some states have adopted "ban-the-box" laws that may apply differently in heavily regulated banking contexts.

Candidates can generally expect to provide personal information such as full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number, along with signed consent authorizing the background check, in compliance with FCRA requirements and applicable federal banking regulations.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates how employers can use background check information in hiring decisions. It requires employers to notify candidates before running a check, obtain written consent, and follow specific adverse action procedures if a decision is made based on background check results.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Truist Financial may see during the hiring process, helping you address any concerns before you apply. A personal background check can include:

Learn more about Checkr Personal Background Checks and explore your Checkr Profile to see what information may appear in your own background check.

If you're a candidate with a background check in progress through Checkr as part of your application to Truist Financial or another employer, you can check your status through the Candidate Portal. For additional support, visit the Checkr Help Center.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information is for general informational purposes only. Checkr does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. This article may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader. Checkr does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites and disclaims any affiliation with the companies mentioned in this article unless otherwise stated.