Tag Archives: resumes

Top 5 Excuses for Not Background Screening… And Why They Are Inaccurate

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So you’re not going to background screen your new employees?  If that’s the case, chances are good that you’re using one of the excuses below. 

 

Before you totally ditch the idea of background checking potential workers, we urge you to read through our feelings on the most common excuses we hear against background screening.

 

1.  There aren’t really that many criminals out there.  It’s all a bunch of hype.

 

Are you really prepared to bet your company’s bottom line on this?  Surprisingly, there are plenty of criminals out there… and they don’t come with signage.  In fact, more people than ever are telling “little white lies” on their resumes.  You can’t ferret them out without background screening.

 

2.  Background screening is very, very expensive.

 

The opposite is actually true.  Though you will pay a cost for comprehensive background screening measures, the more people you hire, the less you’ll pay per person.  In the end, it definitely is an investment in the security of your company and personnel.

 

3.  I can do my own background screening online.

 

This is half-true.  You can do a lot of checking via Google and other sources.  But you aren’t going to get the full picture.  That cannot be done online alone.

 

4.  Background screening is for big companies, not for my small business.

 

We hear this quite often, and it’s not accurate.  In fact, small businesses have more to lose in some ways if they make a bad hire than do their larger counterparts!  For instance, if you only have 15 people working for you and one of them is a criminal, 1/15th of your staff is a problem.  If you have 500 people working for you and one of them is a criminal, that’s 1/500th of your staff. 

 

5.  How much damage can one person really do?  I watch my books like a hawk!

 

You may think you’re the best manager of your finances… but smart thieves have been known to pull the wool over the eyes of the most competent supervisors.  It’s not your fault; it’s just that if a criminal wants to do something badly enough, he or she will find a way to try to make it happen.

Still think that background screening is unnecessary for your company?

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Does Your Company Have a Standardized Job Application?

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If you’re like many employers, the decision to hire someone isn’t one you take lightly; in fact, you probably spend a great deal of time, money and consideration when it comes to finding the perfect person for your open position.  But do you have a standardized job application?  If not, you might want to consider purchasing and/or creating one.

What are the benefits of having a company-specific standardized job application?  Well, for starters…

1.  It’s much easier to sift through standardized job applications than it is to sift through a pile of resumes.  That’s because the information you need is on the same page in every job application.

2.  Background checks and screening are streamlined.  For instance, references are easier to check when they are listed in a standardized format.

3.  You can cross-check the standardized job application with the resume.  If someone is lying on his/her resume , you may be able to catch the fraudulent activity before they ever get to the interview stage.

So… does your business use a standardized job application?  Why or why not?

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5 Solid Reasons to Background Check Your Employees

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Not background checking your employees?  Here are 5 reasons you might want to reconsider your position…

1. Diploma Mills

These are pesky places that allow people to buy degrees.  They aren’t real degrees, but they’ve fooled more than one employer in the past.

2.  Resume Lies 

You might be shocked at how many individuals are taking the liberty of adding to their resumes.  From lying about past positions to past employers, there’s probably nothing we haven’t seen before.

3.  Bad References 

If you don’t background check your employees, do you at least call all their references?  Most employers don’t, so they don’t realize that, sometimes, references are just made-up people with made-up phone numbers.

4.  Liability 

Let’s say you hire Bob and you find out months down the line that Bob is a registered sex offender or a criminal because he does something to one of your employees, customers or vendors?  Guess who is going to bear some of the brunt of the liability or at least be made the “bad guy” by the media?

5.  Safety 

Above all else, background checking employees provides you with a sense of satisfaction in knowing that you’ve made your workplace as safe as possible for everyone within your sphere of influence.

Does Advertising That You Background Check Net You Better Employees?

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If you’re a company that regularly background checks all applicants, congratulations!  You’re obviously taking the future of your business very seriously, and that’s to be lauded. 

What we at VerifyProtect would like to know is whether you think that your dedication to background checking potential hirees has helped you net better employees?

For instance:

1.  Do you feel that the quality of your employee base has increased since implementing background checks?

2.  Do you get fewer “so-so” resumes because you announce that you background check applicants in your job advertisements?

3.  Do your employees tend to stay with your company longer because they have a greater sense of security that you actually do care about them?

Please let us know in the comments section of this blog!  We look forward to hearing from you!

Importance of Employment Verification — “But He Said That Was Where He Worked!”

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“But the resume said she worked at ABC Company!”

It’s amazing how often employers are shocked when they find out (after the fact , of course) that someone didn’t work where he or she claimed to have worked.  But whose fault is it that the person was hired?  Noneother than the employer!  After all, the discrepancy could have easily been ferreted out with a simple employment verification.

The problem for many companies is that true employment verification takes time and energy… and organizations (especially small businesses) don’t always turn their manpower over to the task.  Instead, they assume that all resumes that come across their desks are on the up-and-up.

In the end, they are often surprised when they find out from a screening company like VerifyProtect that their “perfect” job candidate lied about where he or she previously worked -or- at least fibbed about the job he or she held there. 

Believe us — we’ve seen and heard it all, from flat-out lies to half-truths that would make Pinnochio blush.  In the end, it’s why we always recommend employment verification if you’re serious about hiring someone for all the right reasons!

5 Reasons to Background Screen Your Freelance Staff

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A lot of companies have recognized just how much of a cost savings they can see when they hire freelance staff to perform various functions.  From virtual CFOs to marketers, freelancers are ready to tackle projects.  But that doesn’t mean you should forgo common sense when hiring them! 

Below are 5 great reasons to background screen all freelance staff members:

  1. They’ll be representing your company.  The public won’t care if they are freelance or not if they do something wrong!
  2. They will likely have access to some confidential data.  Can you afford a breach?
  3. Their past nefarious decisions can ruin your reputation.  Who wants to hire someone with a criminal record a mile long?
  4. They might not be who they say they are.  We all know people sometimes lie on their resumes.  Who’s to say your freelancer isn’t stretching the truth?
  5. A reference checkcan tell you so much.  If you call the freelancer’s references, you’ll have a better idea of whether to move forward with him or her.

Don’t take a chance!  Background screen anyone on your team, even those who aren’t full-time employees.

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    • Credit Checks ~ Liked by Employers, Loathed by Applicants?

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    In an era where significant amounts of job candidates resort to lying on their resumes and during interviews, background checks have become necessity.  And that means many employers are turning to comprehensive checks which include information into an applicant’s credit history.

    Because so many Americans are having difficulty with their credit, there’s a growing movement by candidates to squelch credit reports.  Essentially, they feel the reports will unfairly pigeonhole them as being fiscally irresponsible.

    Though this is understandable, it still behooves employers to complete credit checks, especially if the job candidate is going to be handling money.  This doesn’t mean that a questionable report will definitely preclude an applicant from getting the job, but it does mean that the employer will know what he or she is getting in terms of a worker.

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    • 10 Proven Ways to Stop Hiring Problem Employees!

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    Does your business have a high turnover rate?  Are you sick and tired of problem employees?  Then stop them from coming into your organization at the source!

    Here are 10 proven ways to make sure that toxic workers never get on the payroll.

    1.  Be very clear in your job description as to what you want/need, credentials you expect, etc.  This will help you weed out the wrong applicants from the very start.

    2.  When selecting whom to interview, go over resumes with a fine-toothed comb.  Look for gaps or inconsistencies.  Even if they don’t preclude you from contacting the applicant, write down your questions or concerns so you can ask them of the candidate.

    3.  Make sure anyone who is interviewing on behalf of your company knows what questions to ask and how to respond to inquiries.

    4.  Your first interview should be via telephone.  This will save time and money if you’re asking the right questions upfront.  You can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she communicates when body language isn’t a factor.

    5.  During your face-to-face interview, be very straightforward and talk as little as possible.  The more the candidate talks, the more you’ll find out.  (But don’t sit there silent all the time — this isn’t to be awkward for either one of you!)

    6.  Make NO PROMISES during the interview (aka, “fact finding”) stage.  Don’t say, “I think you’re perfect!”, because when you do, you’ve already given away some of your power.

    7.  If you like someone, contact at least 3 past employers as well as 3 references or hiring a background checking company to do so for you.  This will tell you a great deal!

    8.  Before you make the final offer, get the applicant’s permission for a comprehensive background check.  You may be shocked at what you find.

    9.  Put into place some kind of “trial period” where the employee realizes he/she is under scrutiny and can be let go if performance is not up to par. 

    10.  If you have ANY problems, document them from day one.  Don’t make excuses for the new hire.  Protect yourself and your staff!

    Have we missed any of the preferred methods that you use to make sure that problem employees don’t join your team?

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    • Warning to Job Seekers: Pay Your Bills!

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    The job market has changed dramatically and that means job seekers have to pay more attention to the way they appear to potential employers than ever before.  They have to dress smarter, have more substantial resumes, be more flexible with employment options and, on top of everything else, keep their credit scores as high as possible.

    That last item seems to be difficult for many job hunters, as they’re struggling to pay their bills.  But, like it or not, it’s critical for employee wanna-bes to keep up with their creditors lest they lose a coveted position because of a shoddy credit report.

    Of course, some employees a) don’t know this fact and/or b) don’t care about it.  But they should make no mistake — more and more companies are including credit reports as part of their standard new hire background check procedures.

    So what should job hunters do?  First, they can get a copy of their credit scores and reports (for free) to make sure they’re in order.  Next, if there are any red flags, they can tell a potential employer upfront so the employer isn’t surprised by the credit report.  Finally, they can aim to increase their credit score by paying bills on time or even working with a financial counselor who can assist them in upping their report.

    Above all else, though, job seekers need to realize that how they handle their finances at home could greatly affect whether or not they’ll be offered a job.

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    • Background Screening — It’s a Matter of How Much, Not Should We

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    In today’s über-competitive employment market, it’s becoming increasingly tempting for job seekers to “fib” on their resumes and during interviews.  Though such lying has always occurred, it’s definitely on the increase as individuals who have been without placement for long periods of time become desperate.

    In that kind of environment, you as a business owner or manager can’t afford to ask if you should background screen all potential new-hires; instead, you have to ask how much screening is necessary for each position.

    For instance, if you are planning to hire someone for a role within your company that doesn’t involve dealing with money, you’ll want to get different background checks than you will for your VP of Finance.  If you’re not sure which background checks are right for you, take this quick Q&A to find out.

    The economic uncertainty of today has changed the playing field.  Protect your assets with background screening.

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