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.

Popularity: 30% [?]

Share This

The Necessity of Ongoing Employee Screening for Current Employees

Contrary to popular belief, employee screening does not always end with the hiring of a new employee. Numerous industries are already utilizing post-hire screening with many more on the way. Post-hire screening is recurrent screening that periodically checks certain aspects of an employee’s background to make sure there have been no significant changes since their hiring. Recurrent drug tests, criminal checks and periodic relicensing are examples of recurrent post-hire screening.

 There are many industries that could benefit from ongoing employee screening. Those businesses that operate with a great deal of liability for their employee’s need to continually reaffirm that employee is clean, sober and staying out of trouble. A company who has hired a driver would certainly want to know if that driver had been amassing speeding tickets in the year since their hire. Post-hire employee screening is the way to go about this. Running a comprehensive employment background check is necessary to protect the company from risk while building trust with the employee. Post-hire checks are necessary to reduce legal liability on the part of the employer, while further building trust with the employee.These post-hire checks are also a necessity when a current employee is moving over to a different position or department within the same company. Whenever this happens, different aspects of the employee’s background may become more relevant than others and may not have been adequately checked during their initial screening. A qualified employment background check provider such as Employer’s Reference Source will be able to develop correct and legal ongoing background checks for any business. Contact them today for more information.

Popularity: 48% [?]

Share This

Blog #1: The BBC Reports on Embellishing Students & Employee Screening

The BBC recently reported on a matter very interesting to the employee screening industry. It was concerning a study done by the UK employee screening agency Powerchex.  It involved verification of nearly 4,000 students’ application materials for financial service positions. The study found embellishments on the part of a significant percentage of students. More interesting was the correlation they discovered between the ranking of each University and the percentage of students who embellished.

During the employee screening process, it was discovered that more students from the lower ranking Universities, around 43%, stretched the truth or lied on their applications. Of the students who graduated from more prestigious Universities, the percentage of those who lied dropped down to 14%.

The BBC did not go into depth regarding the analyzing of the figures, but the staggering difference in the percentages did indicate a few possibilities.  It could very well be that the large percentage of lower ranked University students who embellished on their applications did so to be considered as qualified as the top University students. It follows than that the top University students would not feel as inclined to falsify their resumes because they would be more confident in their achievements and credentials.

While this study is not meant to show that only top University graduates can be trusted when applying for positions, it is a reminder that employee screening is necessary to weed out those whose resumes outshine their own past.

More on the figures from the article on the BBC website at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7517918.stm.

Popularity: 43% [?]

Share This

It’s a hard lesson to learn that potential employees can’t be taken at face value. Regrettably, every seasoned business owner learns that some applicants are less than they present themselves as. This is why professional and comprehensive employee screening is a necessity.

There is more than one part to the employee screening process. A complete employment background check will include:

-           Criminal Background Check: For a complete history, criminal records need to be checked on the local, state and federal level.

-           Reference Checking & Employment Verification: Do the applicant’s references check out? Have they worked were they claim to have worked? This is often one of the easiest areas for an applicant to exaggerate or falsify.

-           Education Verification: This confirms the date of graduation, degree obtained and the accreditation of the institute. 

-           Licenses and Certifications: It is important to know if an applicant has the necessary licenses and certifications they claim to have. The results of hiring someone who has is lying about their professional credentials could be disastrous.

-           Sex Offender Registry Check: Discover if an employee has a history of sexual offenses. Do you want a sex offender working for you?

-           Industry Specific Background Checks: Some industries have lists of excluded individuals that are no longer allowed to retain employment. Find out if an employee has a questionable past specific to your industry.

To find out more information about employee screening and due diligence, contact Employer’s Reference Source NW for truly complete background checks. Keep your company protected from fraudulent applicants and reduce your legal exposure.

Popularity: 47% [?]

Share This

Criminal histories are often thought of as the main focus of an employment background check. While it is true that knowing a candidate’ past criminal activities is critical to making an informed hiring decision, there are certain other aspects for quality pre-employment screening that are important to consider as well. Foremost among these other issues is the checking of candidates’ academic credentials.

It doesn’t take more than a printer and some decent paper to create a realistic looking degree from Harvard. As unlikely as it may seem, these types of fabrications do occur in America on a daily basis. If that isn’t scary enough, consider the fact that degrees are available online from universities that require few or no classes to be taken. These degree-granting institutions are not accredited by any governing body of higher education. If academic credentials are taken without verification during an employment background check potential employers may never know their employee’s degree came in the mail.

Letting an employee slip through the employee screening  process with false academic credentials can be cause for a myriad of potential issues. Putting a new hire in a position they are not actually qualified for can quickly spell disaster, especially in high level positions. In addition, if a falsified or exaggerated education is able to slip though the employee screening there is no telling what other aspects of the persons’ life may be erroneous.

Education verification should always be executed by employers who hire workers with advanced degrees. A qualified employee screening company will include this as a part of a comprehensive employment background check.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Share This