Or be burdened with the administrative cost of paying out garnishees.
There is a value to the credit information, if used properly.
"why? a company can't make sure that a person will be able to have a vehicle to get to work? that their 800 number isn't gonna be ringing with debt collectors calling in? so they don't have to worry that a person isn't going to have to take time from work to pay bills, or use company resources to pay them online or over the phone? won't have to worry that if they try to call an employee and find their phone is shut off? or that they'll oversleep if their power is turned off?"
A person with bad credit can have a car, electricity, cell phone, etc. Credit checks don't give a full picture of someone's situation, any more than a letter grade necessarily rates one's intelligence level. I just don't think a company should be able to get access to every bit of your personal info, just for a job. SOME jobs, sure, I understand, but if you're just sitting in a call center or selling tires - I don't see the relevance. The idea that maybe their electricity will be shut off and they'll oversleep and miss work?? Come on, now - maybe they'll get depressed over their low credit score, and go on an intra-office shooting spree!
I think we could easily get into a situation where a company could find any tenuous reason to get any bit of information they want. Why not medical histories, family medical history, family and friends criminal history backgrounds? You are who you associate with - maybe you have a family member who's a felon, maybe he'll conspire with you to steal money? Where does it all end?