Archive for the ‘hiring’ Category
Monday, July 19th, 2010
Welcome back to our series on the top excuses why employers aren’t always background screening…
If you missed part one of our series, check it out here!
Below are the final 2 of the top 5 reasons organizations aren’t regularly background screening new employees…
(False) Reason #4: Background Screening Is Difficult
We really hear this a lot. That’s because many businesses think it’s up to them to do the background screening legwork.
While it’s true that they need to do some of the paperwork, we’ve taken the brunt of the tough stuff off their shoulders. That way, they can focus on what they need to do and get their background screening results back fast.
(False) Reason #5: Background Screening Is Only for Big Companies
Oh, boy. This is a huge fallacy that we’d like to put to rest right now.
Background checks are for every company of every size. Period. It doesn’t matter if you’re a teeny tiny business or a large one. Having someone on staff who hasn’t been properly (and thoroughly) background screened is dangerous.
So is there any reason not to background check? We don’t think so. And believe us — we’ve seen it all!
To protect yourself, you need to be careful about who you hire. And background screening should always be part of the equation.
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Tags: background check, Background Checks, background screen, background screening, Brunt, Fallacy, Legwork, Paperwork, Reason, Screening Results, Shoulders, Tough Stuff
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Friday, July 16th, 2010
With all the hubbub these days about protecting our companies, our client, our clients’ information, etc., it’s interesting (and a bit shocking) to realize that many, many organizations don’t background screen new hires.
Below are the top 5 reasons (you could even say “excuses”) that we hear when we ask, “Why don’t you background screen on a regular basis?” We’ve included our two cents, too…
(False) Reason #1: Background Screening Is Expensive
This seems to be a “catch-all” statement that corporations make when they don’t want to do something. “It’s expensive,” they say. Then they go out and spend their monies on wooing a client with a $200 lunch.
Now, there’s no reason not to woo that client; hey, that makes great business sense if a sale seems likely. So why don’t they use that same mentality to apply to background screening? After all, investing in new hires is very much like investing in potential clientele.
(False) Reason #2: Background Screening Will Cause Us to Lose Applicants
Okay, now this could be true… but it’s usually not a problem.
The people who would NOT apply because they know a company performs background checks are often the same individuals who would not pass a background screening. Thus, the fact that they know what’s going to happen encourages them to self-select.
(False) Reason #3: Background Screening Doesn’t Tell Us Everything
Okay… there’s some truth to this. Background screening isn’t 100% infallible. Sometimes, items can slip through the cracks… but it’s not very likely and we try as hard as we can to NEVER allow this to happen. (And we have a terrific track record to back us up on this!)
Besides, is that a reason to not do it at all? It’s like saying that you shouldn’t bother to take a shower every day because you’re just going to get dirty… It might hold a grain of truth, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
In part two of our series on 5 Reasons Employers Don’t Background Screen, we’ll tackle the last two statements we often hear…
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Tags: Background Checks, background screen, background screening, Business Sense, Clientele, Company Background, Corporations, Cracks, Grain Of Truth, Hubbub, Infallible, Lot, Lunch, Mentality, Monies, new hires, Reason 2, Reason 3, Terrific Track Record, Two Cents
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Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
There are some people who erroneously believe that background screening is somehow a “pain” or “irritation” for employees. But that truly isn’t the case, especially when it comes to the best workers.
Below are five reasons that good potential hirees love background checks as much as employers do:
1. If an applicant has kept a great record, he or she will have nothing to hide. And that means that there will be no surprises or secrets.
2. An applicant will know that the pool of possible candidates may shrink thanks to background screening measures.
3. A job candidate will know that the employer is serious about keeping the workplace safe and secure.
4. A potential employee will feel that the company is investing in his or her future with the organization; after all, background screening does involve an investment of money and time.
5. A great candidate will always love to have someone check him or her out because a clean record definitely reiterates how devoted he or she is to being a straight-up, honest worker.
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Tags: Background Checks, background screening, Honest Worker, Investment, job candidate, Love, Money, No Surprises, Organization, Pool, Screening Measures
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Friday, June 25th, 2010
It used to be pretty accepted that companies didn’t need to perform background checks on every employee. Instead, they just chose the ones that had to work with sensitive materials. But all that’s changed.
Today’s economic conditions absolutely warrant background checks for every single new hire. From the worker in the plant to the CFO in the boardroom, background checks are needed to protect internal and external information.
Of course, numerous employers know this instinctively but do not want to spend a) time or b) money to conduct background checks. Some just choose to go with a “gut instinct” that (they hope) is right.
Yet what would happen if your new hire…
→ Stole from a coworker.
→ Was a convicted felon and colleagues found out and were horrified.
→ Used customer data for nefarious purposes.
→ Was a sexual offender and ended up having access to minors.
→ Took money from the organization.
→ Sold secure information for his/her own profit.
Could your company survive the media circus (complete with bad public feelings) that would ensue? It’s doubtful, especially if you’re a small to mid-sized entity.
Be smart and protect your own interests. Conduct background checks before offering any job to anyone.
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Tags: Background Checks, Boardroom, Cfo, Colleagues, Coworker, Customer Data, Economic Conditions, Feelings, Felon, Gut Instinct, Job, Media Circus, Money Background, Nefarious Purposes, Sensitive Materials, Sexual Offender, Warrant
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Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
If you’re an employer who conducts background checks on all new personnel, congratulations! You’ve taken the first step to ensuring that you’re hiring decent individuals. But don’t rely on background checks alone. A comprehensive hiring strategy must be a part of any company’s plan for success.
What else should you include in your interviewing process in addition to background checks?
- Always check references. You can do this yourself or hire a third party provider to do it for you.
- Always check past employers. Again, this is something that can be handled in or out of house.
- Establish protocols for interviews. This will set a tone for how all your new hires are interviewed.
- Train any interviewers. Don’t assume that a good employee will be a good interviewer. Get him or her training.
- Don’t allow anyone to hire on “gut instincts”. Sometimes, your gut can be wrong… and that can cost you money, time and, unfortunately, your reputation.
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Tags: background check, Background Checks, check past employers, Good Interviewer, Gut Instincts, Interviewers, Money Time, new hires, Party Provider, Reputation, Success, Third Party
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Friday, March 26th, 2010
One of the best ways to ensure that the hiring process is streamlined is to have a system in place whereby every applicant search is handled in the same manner. Not only does this help weed out weak candidates, but it also allows you to have more control over what’s being said and done in terms of the hunt for new employees.
Four of the biggest advantages to having hiring checklists that explain the hiring process at your company include:
- All phases of the hiring process are managed without hassles. When something’s written down, it’s easy to follow. And if someone doesn’t follow the system, it’s evident very early in the process and can be remedied.
- Discrimination is avoided. If all job applicants are being treated in an equal manner, there is less likelihood that a discrimination charge will stick.
- Information can be protected. If you have a system, you can put into place password protected documents to make certain that data is kept under wraps.
- All potential hire information can be kept in a single file. With a system in place, all the data can be located in one spot, making future references to that potential hire a breeze to check out.
Remember that having a hiring process in place that uses specific checklists is one of the best ways to ensure that every hiring decision is the best one.
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Tags: Applicant Search, Background Checks, Discrimination Charge, employee search, Hassles, hiring, hiring checklists, hiring process, Job Applicants, new employees, streamline hiring process
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Friday, March 19th, 2010
Are your hiring processes up to par?If you haven’t been happy with the way your company finds, screens and retains new employees, try these 5 low-cost ways to ensure that you’re getting the right people.
1. Shorten Your Hiring Cycle
Studies have shown that, for certain jobs (such as those in sales and customer service), the longer your hiring cycle, the lower your chances of snagging the best people for the job. This doesn’t mean you should rush through your hiring processes, of course, but if you have unnecessary lag time, it’s a good idea to identify and eliminate it.
2. Pick Background Screening Packages That Make Sense
It doesn’t make sense for you to background screen every position the exact same way. If you’re currently performing the same checks on every new person that walks through the door, you’re spending money needlessly. (FYI - Click here for a fast way to determine what kind of background screening each employee needs.)
3. Teach Your Managers How to Interview
Can this be stressed enough? It’s critical that everyone in your company understand the most efficient ways to determine if a job candidate is worth pursuing. In fact, you may even want to hold a class on how to read a resume (or CV). Don’t assume that managers have these skills already; many of them have never had any education in this area.
4. Ask Current Employees about Their Hiring Experience with Your Company
Check around and see how current employees felt about the way they were hired by your organization. Did they feel it was professionally handled? Were they bothered by any aspect of it? What would they suggest changing? (You may want to position this as an anonymous questionnaire to elicit genuine responses.)
5. Put a System (or Systems) into Place
If you don’t have a hiring system in place, it’s time to start. Your hiring system doesn’t have to be complicated, either. It’s just a step-by-step explanation of how you go about getting from the “we’re looking for a person” phase to the “welcome aboard” phase.
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Tags: Anonymous Questionnaire, background screen, background screening, Checks, Customer Service, Cv, Education, job candidate, Jobs, resume, Screening Packages, VerifyProtect
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Though it doesn’t surprise us, this article from the Wall Street Journal hits home the fact that more employers than ever are checking the backgrounds of potential employees.
In fact, in the story, it states that, as of 2009, 47 percent of respondents to a SHRM survey said they are conducting credit checks on possible workers. That figure is up 5 percent from the results of a similar study only a few years ago.
For employees, this is a double-edged sword, of course. If you haven’t anything nefarious on your record, there’s nothing to fear. But if you’ve had credit problems, run-ins with the law or other issues that could be red flags to companies, it might be best to disclose them upfront. Sure, it may cost you the job… but if the employer is doing a background check, you won’t have the job anyway.
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Tags: background check, background checking, Background Checks, Backgrounds, credit checks, Double Edged Sword, Red Flags, Shrm Survey, Wall Street Journal
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Thursday, February 11th, 2010
Even though businesses of all sizes know that they should ideally be checking the backgrounds of every person they hire, many very small companies are still wavering in their commitment to do so.Why aren’t these smaller organizations protecting themselves by conducting background checks on new hires? Though their reasons vary, here are a few of the most common excuses:
- They think that background screening is too costly. Though it’s actually quite economically-priced (check out the affordable options at our site!), business owners are worried that background checks will somehow negatively affect their bottom lines.
- They haven’t hired before and don’t know how to work with a background screening company. For these business owners, not conducting background checks happens because they simply are not aware of their options.
- They don’t hire very often. If there isn’t a hiring process at the company, background screening of applicants won’t be part of the culture.
- They feel they can hire based on “gut instincts”. As any entrepreneur who has been burned by a bad employee can attest, the “guts” can be wrong.
If you’re the founder or president of a very small company, don’t allow any of the above excuses to keep you from performing background checks on any person who will be on your payroll. In the end, it’s the smart thing to do.
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Tags: background checking, Background Checks, background screening, Backgrounds, Bottom Lines, business owners, Company Background, Entrepreneur, Gut Instincts, Guts, hiring process, new hires, Payroll, Screening Company, Small Businesses
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Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
If you’ve been wondering exactly why all your interviewees seem to come back with terrible background screening reports, you may want to look internally rather than externally for answers.
At many companies, the real focus shouldn’t be that applicants are awful; in fact, it’s really just a symptom of a larger problem. It could be that the company is attracting the wrong types of people for their position openings… and they’re probably not doing it deliberately.
Every organization has a reputation and if you find yourself only receiving applications from candidates whose backgrounds wind up to be worrisome (at best), it’s time to do some evaluation of your company’s core strengths and corporate culture.
From there, you’ll have a much better idea as to whether you need to make changes in the way you treat your people (and, by proxy, the way they treat your customers.) It could just make all the difference when it comes to attracting candidates that are golden… not tarnished.
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Tags: Background Checks, background screening, Backgrounds, Company Culture, Core Strengths, corporate culture, Interviewees, People, Position Openings, Proxy, Reputation, Screening Reports
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