Employers with hiring experience know the time and energy pre-employment reference checks can require. Those who have completed this part of the hiring process have undoubtedly suffered through countless phone calls, often involving disconnected phone numbers and supervisors who have long since parted ways with the listed companies.

Even so, checking references as a part of a comprehensive employment background check is critical to the hiring process. More and more applicants are falsifying their employment backgrounds or listing questionable/unattainable references. At the very least, employers need to know if the applicant actually performed all of the functions that they claimed to have in their previous positions.

The most efficient and diligent way for small businesses to handle reference checks is to contract them it out to a seasoned employee screening company. These companies have years of experience and have seen firsthand the lengths some fraudulent applicants will go to create the picture of a stellar career.

The process is simple. Hire an employee screening company to complete an employment background check on potential new hires. The screening company will then take care of reference checks as a part of their comprehensive report. Here are examples of the information that will typically be obtained by a screening company:

 -Dates of Employment-Leadership Abilities-Management Skills-Disciplinary History-Termination Reason-Eligibility for Rehire -Reliability-Trustworthiness - Job Performance-Attitude-Work Skills-Record of Attendance

Thorough reference checking takes time and experience. Protect your business and leave the job in the hands of a professional employee screening company.

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The United States is not the only country to see the increased need for employee screening. An article published August 12^th 2008 by The Economic Times references the growing use of background checks by small businesses in India. The article states that background checks were traditionally considered a practice reserved for high-level positions at large corporations. However, small businesses in India are also seeing the benefits of running a thorough employment background check prior to making any hiring decisions.

 This article has shown amid increasing numbers of reports; indicating a jump in the number of fraudulent job applications both in the US and abroad. Unemployed workers are falsifying their references and academic backgrounds more than ever, increasing the need for comprehensive employee screening before a hiring decision is made.

 The Times article theorizes that the increase in fraudulent applicants in India may be due to the decrease in job opportunities nationwide and the resulting intense competition to find employment. With the United States in the midst of an economic downturn itself, it is wise for both large and small US employers to complete employment background checks on their candidates.

 An employment background check can be run on a potential employee, with their permission, using a qualified employee screening company. A comprehensive check will look into the applicant’s criminal history, employment references and confirm their educational backgrounds. Further background research is usually recommended based on the position and hiring company.

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Employee fraud is a major issue in the United States. The term ‘fraud,’ in this case, stands for anything from property theft to misrepresentation to complicated legal schemes. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners released a report in 2006 entitled, “The Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse.” This report is a reminder of the value of comprehensive employee screening.

A few key numbers from the ACFE’ 2006 report:

-  The median loss caused my occupational fraud was $159,000.

-  It was estimated that occupational fraud could account for up to $652 billion in losses for US organizations in the year 2006.

-  Small businesses of 100 employees or less suffered disproportionate losses in fraud schemes, with an average of $190,000.

-  Of all the types of occupational fraud that were reported, 91.5% were asset misappropriation frauds.

There are no guarantees when it comes to occupational fraud. Even with an employment background check system in place, it may be possible for your company to become the victim of fraud. However, employee screening is still very important in reducing the likelihood of becoming a victim.

Employee screening will also help insulate a company from liability for large negligent hiring lawsuits that are often filed against employers when employee fraud occurs. In many of these cases the company has no knowledge of any wrongdoing, but failed to be diligent during the hiring process. Therefore, the company is held liable for the actions of their employee(s) who were involved in the fraud.

Contact Employer’s Reference Source Northwest today for information on how to improve your employee screening process and help protect your company from fraud.

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As it has been said, nothing in the world is free. A lot of buzz has been circling lately about new websites that allow the public to check criminal records nationally. These sites claim that they perform a complete criminal check. 

Read the fine print. These free sponsored criminal background checks are not meant to replace a professional criminal background check. Furthermore, using services like these in the employee screening process of any company is not recommended. In fact, the disclaimer at the bottom of each of these services states that they are not meant to be used for actually determining a person’s eligibility for employment. What if the person gave a fake name? A free service won’t be able to reveal an alias and cannot be trusted when their search results come up perfectly clean.  

There are no complete national criminal databases. Many counties and states don’t have their records online. It is impossible to cover all areas in a criminal background search with just a simple click. That is why employment background check providers spend time researching records from a variety of local, county, state and federal authorities when compiling complete criminal record for a potential employee.

So while it might be fun to input your own name into a free criminal search, free criminal record searches should never be used in the employee screening process. Always consult a professional employment background check company for all employee screening needs.

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A PEER report is the term used for a Pre-Employment Credit Check. These reports are procured from the major credit reporting agencies and offer insight into the financial history of a potential employee. 

When a PEER report is included in an employment background check, the candidate must agree to have their credit history released to the employer. What the employer receives is a report on the candidate that details their credit history, payment history and outstanding loans of various natures.

Employee credit checks can give a large view of the employee’s financial responsibility, but are not necessary for every employer to implement. Due to the personal- and often irrelevant - nature of the information obtained, accessing this information without reasonable cause could be seen as an unnecessary invasion of privacy on the part of the employer.

However, there are certain positions and industries that benefit from running credit checks as part of their employee screening process. Executive positions and positions that deal with company finances are more likely to require an employment background check with a credit screening component. For example: when cash-handling is part of a job’s duties, it is wise to know of any large outstanding debts the candidate may owe. If a candidate turns out to have debt that exceeds their potential earnings, that candidate’s background could be taken into account as a potential risk.

For more information about comprehensive employee screening and employee credit checks, contact Employer’s Reference Source. See how your hiring process could benefit from customized and comprehensive screening.

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