Know what to ask — and what not to ask — during employment verification

Posted on February 8, 2012 by VerifyProtect.com

Checking an applicant’s professional references is a critical step in the pre-employment screening process. But do you know what you can and can’t ask? While performing employment verification, any human resources executive or hiring pro can make the innocent error of asking questions that infringe on an applicant’s privacy or open up the employer to discrimination claims by someone who is not ultimately offered the job.

The easiest way to remember what is off limits is to remember you can’t ask a reference any questions you are prohibited from asking an applicant. You must keep the conversation on job-related issues. Here are some sample questions to help get you in the right frame of mind:

What was the employee’s starting salary? Ending salary?
What was the employee’s starting position? Ending position?
Please describe your reporting relationship with the candidate?
Please describe the key responsibilities of the candidate in his/her current position.
How many reporting staff did the candidate manage?
Tell me about the candidate’s most important contributions to the company?
Describe the candidate’s productivity, commitment to quality and customer orientation.
What are the candidate’s most significant strengths?
What are the candidate’s most significant weaknesses?
Would you rehire this person? Why or why not?

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Increasing demand for caregivers underscores importance of background checks

Posted on January 31, 2012 by VerifyProtect.com

America’s aging population is having an effect on the healthcare sector, with more people entering the healthcare field to meet the increasing demand for professional caregivers to aging and ailing parents whose children live an hour or more away.

According to the National Institute on Aging, about 7 million Americans are long-distance caregivers for their aging parents, and that number will continue to rise, as the number of adults ages 20 – the age group most often faced with caregiving – shrinks while the share of people 65 and older rapidly expands, according to the Associated Press.

With more displaced workers switching careers in order to find a job, the need for quality background checks has never been higher. The healthcare field is a unique one, in which the criminal background of a potential employee is as important as the breadth and depth of their experience in the field. Employers in the healthcare field need to be diligent in their pre-employment screening process, as more workers apply from outside the healthcare sector to fill the growing need for quality care.

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Tips for employers on hiring smart

Posted on November 28, 2011 by VerifyProtect.com

It’s no secret that the smartest employers hire professional employment screening services to handle the background checks of its would-be hires and employees. But wise employers understand that merely signing a contract with a background check company doesn’t ensure that your business will only hire the very best applicants for every position. An employer needs to remain attentive and insightful during the hiring process. Don’t check out just because you’ve paid someone to check them out.

Here are a few things every employer should do to stay present in the hiring game and be sure your company is making the best decisions for its future:

1. Weed through the applicants before beginning background checks. It’s a costly and wasteful move to have every single applicant undergo a background check, so don’t use that as your first step toward finding quality applicants. First study their resumés, conduct phone interviews and check references. Then you can hand-pick a select few top applicants to undergo the background check process.

2. Be smart about what to check. A qualified employment screening service should be able to tailor the type of background check to the type of job you’re trying to fill. For example, not every applicant for every job needs to undergo a credit check.

3. Check the background of the company you’re hired to complete your background checks. There are a ton of businesses out there that purport to be thorough, fast employment screening services. But many of them are not reputable, and anything but thorough. Check the credentials of the employment screening service you’re thinking of hiring. The last thing you want to do is sign on with a scammer.

4. Know the law. Laws and regulations regarding discrimination and privacy concerns in background checks vary from state to state, so do some research into what is the acceptable protocol where your business is located.

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Is the Use of a Credit Check Always Legal?

Posted on September 30, 2011 by VerifyProtect.com

More and more employers are choosing to use credit checks on employees as part of their pre-employment screening process. The thought is that looking at a person’s credit report is a pretty good indicator of whether that person is fiscally responsible and, therefore, possesses at least some of the traits that make up a good solid employee.

But it’s important for an employer to tread lightly and be careful in regards to credit checks, as some laws regarding the use of credit checks are different from state to state. For instance, some states, including Oregon and Washington, only allow an employer to use a credit check on an employee if it’s truly applicable to the job, such as an accounting position. If you want to use a credit check on someone applying for a position in, say, sales or marketing, then a credit check would be illegal. And according to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, you always have to ask an applicant’s permission to run a credit check.

Credit checks can be a great resource to use when deciding who is right for a particular job. But keep in mind that laws are being changed and fine-tuned regarding their use in the private sector. Some state lawmakers and in Congress are mulling over bills that would limit the usage of credit checks for employers. So keep up on the laws that apply to your business in your state, and make sure the employment screening service you hire is on top of things too.

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Find the Truth Behind A Prospective Employee’s White Lies

Posted on June 17, 2011 by VerifyProtect.com

Let’s face it: Everyone lies. We make up little stories for our children to get them to eat their vegetables. We tell little white lies to our loved ones to save their feelings from getting hurt. And sometimes, we even pepper our resumés with misleading statements and downright falsehoods, in hopes of landing a better job.

Building a resumé is about putting one’s best face forward, highlighting our every employment experience in a positive light. But sometimes even well-intentioned employees get carried away, wanting to sound better on paper than they fear they have been in the actual workplace. And those white lies continue during the interview process, where prospective employees lie about their previous employment, their education, and sometimes even their criminal record. It’s been estimated that 10 percent of candidates have a previously undisclosed criminal record.

It’s impossible to make a clear, unbiased opinion of an applicant’s ability to do the job without first checking to make sure all the details they’ve presented to you stand as facts. The only way to do this is through a proper pre-employment screening process. Look into their background. Check their criminal record. Delve into their employment history. Have them agree to a drug test.

It’s important to find the truth behind any white lies that may have been told.

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When You Background Check, You’re Protecting Your Current Employees

Posted on January 21, 2011 by VerifyProtect.com

Most employers don’t consider background checking their new hires as being a way to protect their current employees, but that’s a huge outcome of making certain all workers brought into an office have been properly vetted. (It’s also a selling point for potential new hires because they know that they’ll be secure at the organization.)

Let’s consider background checking rather like the old fable that tells of a wolf dressing as a sheep and going undetected into the fold. If the shepherd were not looking closely, the wolf could have quite a meal. If the shepherd did just a bit of investigating, he would have discovered the problem immediately.

Using this anecdote as a platform to make the point, the employer is really like the shepherd, and it’s up to him or her to maintain a safe environment for all employees. With background checks, companies are taking all the steps necessary to lessen the chances that someone with nefarious tendencies or desires will find themselves on their payrolls.

What kind of shepherd are you going to be? One who takes the job seriously or one who looks the other way when solvable problems arise?

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It’s Time for an Updated Employee Handbook

Posted on January 14, 2011 by VerifyProtect.com

You’ve been putting it off for years because a) it’s too expensive; b) it’s too time-consuming; c) it’s not important in the long run; and/or d) any other excuse you can create. But you know you need to refresh your employee handbook… so it’s time.

Fortunately, you don’t have to forge ahead and put together your employee handbook on your own. Companies like VerifyProtect can actually assist you in creating a document that will cover your bases AND be readable.

Yes, yes, we know that most employees don’t open their employee handbooks after their first few days on the job. But it’s still critical that your company have one. Believe us, it will come in handy when you least expect it.

For instance, if a sexual harassment claim is brought against your company, you should have answers in place regarding your sexual harassment policy as outlined in your employee handbook. Without such a policy written in stone, you’ll have a difficult time protecting yourself should you wind up in litigation.

Another circumstance that often arises is when supervisors and managers have to make decisions “on the fly”. If they can simply consult the employee handbook, it ensures that they’re doing things as you expect them to be done.

Make 2011 the year that you finally wipe the dust from those old employee handbooks. You’ll be glad you took the step.

Be Very Careful When Hiring Background Screening Agencies

Posted on January 10, 2011 by VerifyProtect.com

Just as no two snowflakes are alike, no background screening agencies are the same. They all have their own processes and reputations… and that means it’s critical for you as an employer to find the one that’s going to provide you with:

ü Security

ü Value

ü Speed

The Security Factor…

In terms of security, background screening agencies need to be cognizant of the fact that you’re giving them personal data. That data should NEVER be allowed to get into the hands of anyone who does not have the right to see it. Unfortunately, many so-called background screening agencies do not take the steps to properly protect the data given to them.

The Value Factor…

It’s necessary that you feel your background screening agency is giving you value for your money. Though you don’t want to just go with the “cheapest” option, you do want to feel like you’re getting what you pay for.

The Speed Factor…

Decisions like whether or not to hire someone must be made in an efficient timeframe. Otherwise, you risk a) losing a great employee or b) being able to move on to other job candidates (should the prospect prove not so terrific.)

Vet your background screening agency carefully and you’ll reap the rewards of your due diligence.

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Protecting Your Workplace with Background Checks Is a Must

Posted on December 21, 2010 by VerifyProtect.com

As a 21st century employer, saying “We didn’t know!” when it comes to the past of an employee who winds up committing a crime just doesn’t cut it. Not only doesn’t anyone care, but it doesn’t necessarily absolve the employer from legal ramifications, either.

The solution, of course, is to comprehensively background check every single person who is on the payroll. That way, past misdeeds will surface quickly and decisions can be made by upper management in terms of whether or not to offer the individual the job.

Not only can a background check protect you in this kind of public relations sense, but it can also protect you in many other ways, including:

Employee morale;
Sales and profits;
Attrition;
Reputation;
Property; and more!

If you’ve worried that a background checking policy is going to anger new hires, don’t fall into that kind of trap. Many companies are moving to a background screening process and potential employees know it. So… there’s no need to avoid background checking.

Transportation Security Officials Rigorously Background Checked According to TSA

Posted on November 18, 2010 by VerifyProtect.com

There’s been a huge hubbub (fueled by home video of children being “mishandled” by staff apparently unaccustomed to working with kids) recently over the new airport security procedures, specifically those involving “pat-downs”. Consequently, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun a publicity campaign to assure fliers that the screeners have been thoroughly background checked.

According to the TSA, all persons who are given the authority to “pat down” fliers have to undergo and pass a criminal background check. This includes being fingerprinted and cross-referenced with FBI files.

Disqualification for an airport screening job could include having a felony on one’s record (especially one that relates to a sexual offense), among other crimes for which the would-be employee has been convicted.

Our questions to you are as follows:

What kind of background checks would you want to make sure an airport screener undergoes? And how often do you believe he/she should have to undergo those types of background checks to ensure the safety of fliers?

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