Posts Tagged ‘background screening’
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
It’s an interesting question: Who pays for background checks?
Is it the employer? The potential employee? The school? The school would-be volunteer? The nanny? The parents of the kids the nanny will be watching?
In a nutshell, the answer is a bit convoluted because it depends.
Most employers pay for background checks themselves. They simply consider it a cost of doing business and an insurance policy against making terrible hiring decisions. However, there are some companies that are moving to making the possible employee pay for his or her background check; we’d suggest looking into the legality of doing so depending upon your field.
As for nonprofit organizations, a good deal require that potential volunteers pay for their own background checks. That way, the entity doesn’t have to use funds to do so, and they ensure that any volunteers really want to be there since they’ve already used their own monies for clearances and background screening.
At this point, we’d really like to know your thoughts on the subject…
Have you ever paid for a background check to be performed on you? Would you? Conversely, have you ever made someone pay to have a background check report run on him or her?
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Tags: background check, Background Checks, background screening, Decisions, Doing Business, Insurance, Insurance Policy, Monies, Nanny, Nonprofit Organizations, Nutshell, Parents, Volunteers
Posted in Background Checks and Screening | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
With the start of schools around the country, there has been a subtle flurry of headlines related to parents who are unable to volunteer at their children’s schools. Though it might immediately sound like the moms and dads are being denied access to their kids, it’s more likely that they couldn’t pass a background screening process.
Many schools have begun adopting a policy that only allows adults to volunteer if they can pass a basic background screening. Typically, these types of background screenings check criminal histories (e.g., sex crimes, drug problems) and, if the volunteer position involves handling money, credit histories as well.
If the parents do not pass, the school is left with no choice but to deny them the opportunity to volunteer.
While there are certainly some groups that feel it’s “unfair” to use background screenings in this manner, we believe that it’s a great way to protect children from would-be predators. Without background screening measures in place, the unthinkable can (and, unfortunately, sometimes does) occur. And no school can afford that.
In the end, it’s better for everyone… even if it does ruffle a few feathers along the way.
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Tags: Adults, background check, Background Checks, background screening, Background Screenings, Being Denied Access, Credit Histories, Criminal Histories, Feathers, Headlines, Moms, Money, Opportunity, Parents, Predators, Screening Measures, Sex Crimes, Unthinkable, Volunteer Position
Posted in Schools | No Comments »
Friday, August 27th, 2010
We’ve blogged about this topic before, but it’s worth repeating: Do-it-yourself background screening just isn’t worth it.
Yes, we’re in the background screening business, so perhaps it seems as if we’re not unbiased; however, the reason we’re in the background screening business is because we understand just how complex putting together a comprehensive background screening report can be!
Why are do-it-yourself background screening measures so time consuming? Check out these reasons:
- You’ll have to sift through pages and pages of Google query answers to get even tiny bits of information.
- You’ll have to figure out what’s important… and what isn’t… when you finally get data.
- You’ll still have to pay for something along the way.
- You’ll have to find a way to verify the information you’ve gotten is accurate. (The Internet is filled with misinformation and untruths.)
- You’ll have to put all your information into a report form.
Sound easy to you? It’s not… but it is fast and convenient for us because we have the tools in place to streamline the system!
Don’t waste time spinning your wheels when you can do more productive things. Outsource when it comes to background screening. It just makes business sense… not to mention “cents”.
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Tags: Background Checks, background screening, Business Sense, Google, Misinformation, Outsource, Screening Report, Spinning Wheels, Tiny Bits, Waste Time
Posted in Background Checks and Screening | No Comments »
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
If you have a background screening policy and protocol in place (and if you don’t, call VerifyProtect pronto!), it’s bound to happen — someone won’t like it. Someone will try to “push back” and say it’s unfair. Someone will threaten you. Someone will cry. That’s why it’s important to plan for these contingencies.
So how can you ready yourself or your team for the inevitable person’s ire? Plan a statement in advance and make sure anyone who needs to use it has access to it. It could be as simple as: “Our background screening measures have been put into place to maintain the safety of our workers/volunteers/kids/clients/etc. We stand by our decision to make choices based, in whole or part, on the results of background screening.” (Note: Your legal consultant and/or HR manager can help you with any specific verbiage you need to include depending upon your industry.)
Does this mean that the person who was offended by your background screening measures will suddenly change his or her mind? Probably not. But it will allow you to professionally address a concern in a calm manner.
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Tags: Background Checks, background screening, Calm Manner, Choices, Contingencies, Hr Manager, Legal Consultant, Pronto, Protocol, Screening Measures, Screening Policy, Verbiage, Volunteers
Posted in Background Checks and Screening | No Comments »
Monday, August 16th, 2010
Today’s economic marketplace is very scary for a lot of employers. After all, there are plenty of financial concerns, even if a company is operating “in the black”. So it’s always wise to consider how much of a background screening plan you actually NEED in order to keep your workplace (and reputation) safe.
Unfortunately, many background screening report providers will happily sell you unnecessary plans; however, that doesn’t help your bottom line, nor does it maximize your efficiency. Instead of just “winging it”, we encourage you to take this quick assessment.
It will reveal what background screening measures are needed based on each individual position at your company. Not only is a remarkable tool for understanding what you need (and, more importantly, what you don’t), but it helps save you money in the process.
Though there’s no reason not to background check your employees, that doesn’t mean that all positions are created equal. So do your homework and be wise about your allocation of dollars. You’ll be glad you were prudent!
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Tags: Background Checks, background screening, Bottom Line, Economic Marketplace, Efficiency, Financial Concerns, Lot, Money, Remarkable Tool, Reputation, Screening Measures, Screening Plan, Screening Report
Posted in Background Checks and Screening | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
This week, a terrible tragedy struck.
In the state of Connecticut, a Hartford Distributors employee, Omar Thornton, shot 8 people before killing himself. As the shock of this horrific event has begun to subside, people are starting to ask the question — was comprehensive background screening conducted when Thornton was hired?
Though no information has been released as of the writing of this post in terms of how (or whether) Hartford Distributors conducts background checks on potential employees, it is definitely the right inquiry to make… albeit too late for Thornton’s victims. For instance, did Thornton have a past history of problems with co-workers? Did he have a criminal record? Was there something that could have been a “red flag” on his record?
Obviously, the most important part of the story isn’t background screening; it’s the lives that were needlessly stolen. But chances are good that in the days that follow, many thoughts will be raised and Hartford Distributors will have to answer.
Our thoughts go out to all the victims’ families and friends.
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Tags: Ask Question, Background Checks, background screening, Co Workers, Criminal Record, Hartford, Red Flag, State Of Connecticut, Tragedy
Posted in In the News | No Comments »
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
Posted in Background Checks and Screening, hiring | No Comments »
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
Posted in Background Checks and Screening, hiring | 1 Comment »
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
Posted in hiring | No Comments »
Monday, June 21st, 2010
As an employer, you know you should background screen your employees… but what happens when the background check comes back and there’s a bankruptcy on your potential worker’s report?
It’s a conundrum faced by many employers, especially since more and more people and businesses have filed bankruptcy since the market changed dramatically in 2008. (The increase in percentages of bankruptcy filings are quite staggering — up over 30% between 2008 and 2009.)
On one hand, a bankruptcy doesn’t necessarily equate to a person’s character as a worker. Individuals and families may resort to bankruptcy for a number of legitimate reasons, including unexpected medical bills and identity theft. However, this doesn’t mean the potential employer has to take on a risk.
If your possible new hire has a bankruptcy on his or her background screening report and you still want to consider him or her for the position, it’s important to get further information. The more you know the better your final decision will be.
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Tags: background check, Background Checks, background screening, Bankruptcy Filings, Conundrum, Final Decision, Identity Theft, Legitimate Reasons, Percentages, Risk, Screening Report, Unexpected Medical Bills
Posted in Bankruptcy Report | No Comments »
