Tag Archives: Job Applicant

Is salary history part of your screening process

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Do you as an employer ask for salary history as part of your hiring process? If so, do you use that information to make your decision on whether or not to hire someone? It seems like such a small detail, but could bring problems for an employer depending on how such information is gathered and used.

Asking for salary history is well within an employer’s legal rights, and most job applicants are happy to provide such information. If you are using a third party employment screening service to gather such information, however, you must have written pre-approval by the applicant. And if the figures you find come into play when deciding not to hire that person, you are required to let them know, as according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act they have a legal right to explain or correct any errors or information you’ve found.

While a job applicant is not required to share salary history, some employers have found that asking for it ends up serving as one way to judge character, because lying about one’s salary history is an easy one to catch.

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Know when to disclose background check policy to potential hires

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When should you bring up the background check process?  When you make initial contact with a job applicant? After you have a successful interview? If you do it too soon will you appear to be distrusting and defensive, turning off potentially great employees? If you do it too late will you have wasted precious time considering someone whose background poses too many risks for your company to take?

Background checks are clearly a good business decision, but you need to know how and when to disclose and initiate them, as well as when and how to show the results. The Fair Credit Reporting Act states that an employer must notify an applicant or employee in writing and get written authorization before any pre-employment screening is done.

Other regulations vary from state to state, so make sure you review your company’s policy with a lawyer and follow the letter of the law when it comes to best practices, to avoid any discrimination suits brought on by applicants who were turned down for a job after a background check.

Above all, be open and honest about your policy and the process, and make sure each applicant is given the opportunity to dispute and/or discuss the background check findings before a decision about their employment is made.

 

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With spring sports registration comes spring sport background checks

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It’s hard to believe, but winter is waning and spring sports registration is under way in many parts of the country. If your business, school or organization is involved in any way, shape or form with spring sports involving children and teenagers, now is the time to make sure you have — and are following — a clearly stated policy on background checks. Make sure everyone currently on staff has had a thorough background check, and that any new coach, volunteer or job applicant undergoes the same background screening.

Parents will be asking what your policy is, so have handouts on hand to give out as part of the registration process. And be sure to include a phone number and contact person for parents to call with questions or to report any activity they feel is suspicious or worrisome.

Finally, check with your state laws to make sure the type of background checks you’re doing are compliant with state regulations. And get the process under way as soon as possible — many coaches and volunteers tend to drag their feet when it comes to completing and returning the necessary forms. The last thing you want is to have a shortage of eligible coaches when it comes time for the season to start!

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More job applicants performing background checks on themselves

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Job applicants conducting background checks on … themselves? According to some industry experts, the latest trend in pre-employment screening is something called the “self background check,” where the prospective employee conducts a background check on themselves just to see what kind of personal and professional information is available in the public domain.

Self background checks can enable a job applicant to see just how much information a prospective employer can find out about one’s criminal record, educational background and job experience, before handing in a resumé laced with half-truths or taking the leap from a current job to a new one that might not pan out. It’s along the same lines as obtaining one’s credit report to make sure there are no surprises before applying for a loan.

While we encourage this trend of job applicants making sure their public information is accurate, we advise employers to continue to conduct their own professional pre-employment screening on every prospective employee.

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Don’t Let Poor Credit Be the Sole Factor For Determining Employability

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Checking a job applicant’s credit score is among the many ways employers are checking up on prospective employees to get a better idea of their personal history and how responsible they are. Unfortunately, in today’s tough economic recession there are plenty of job applicants out there who are both fiscally responsible and suffering from the fallout of job loss, home foreclosure and mounting debt as families try to stay afloat financially with less money coming in.

That’s why it’s important for those employers who are doing a credit check on their job applicants’ to keep a few things in mind:

1. Does the job the person is applying for deal with company finances, personal information or include a security clearance? Consider whether the job in question would be performed to the same level of professionalism by someone with less than stellar credit.

2. Pay close attention to the rest of the application and the other results from a pre-employment screening that is performed on the job applicant. Nobody likes to be judged on just one aspect of his life, and no job applicant should be judged based solely on a number. Instead let your instinct, careful review of all documents, and the interview guide you.

3. Be aware of the law. It is unlawful to deny someone a job based solely on his or her credit score.

4. If you’re on the fence, be honest about your qualms. Talk to the applicant a little more, and see whether the details and recent life history they give lines up with what you found in your background check.

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Don’t Hire White Collar Criminals

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You’re sitting across the desk from a job applicant.  She looks as polished and professional as you’ve ever seen.  You were impressed by her from her resume, and now you’re certain she’s going to be the best hire you’ve ever made. 

WAIT!

Before you hand her an offer, please, please, please perform a comprehensive background check on her!  After all, despite her clothing and polish, she might actually be a white collar criminal just waiting to get her hands on your data.

And don’t think it cannot happen to you…  Just because someone “looks the part” doesn’t mean a thing.  Often, criminals are amazingly adept at masking their true identities.  They’re performers, cleverly making would-be employers feel comfortable enough to take them on… and then taking those employers “to the bank”.

Though a background check can’t tell you if a job applicant WILL someday take from your organization, it can tell you whether he or she HAS done so in the past.  And that will make your decision much easier… to show him or her the door and not a corner office.

Applicants Who Lie, part II – Jobs Held

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You’re browsing through the resume of a potential applicant and he/she looks pretty impressive on paper.  There are a number of management positions and responsibilities that he/she has held, and that’s exactly what you need for your position.  So you give him/her a call and offer a face-to-face meeting.

The interview goes supremely well, but because you know it’s critical, you perform a thorough background check that includes calling past employers, just for good measure. 

And then you find out the truth — that your “wonderful” job applicant lied.

It’s not a new scenario, and it’s not relegated to any one profession.  Lawyers, executives, salespersons, engineers can all be part of the mix.  Because many employers only conduct precursory background checks, job applicants truly believe they can “get away with” their deceptions.  (Many do!)

And as the number of jobs dwindles compares to the number of job hunters looking for positions grows, it’s happening with a greater frequency.  That’s why every company needs to be extremely focused on background screening.  Now, more than ever, it’s one of the best ways to protect an organization.

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