Can a Background Check Company be Too BIG?

December 22, 2010 by

Can a Background Check Company be Too BIG?

Everyone wants to grow their business, so is it possible that a background check company can be too big?

It can become too big if it stops caring about its customers and their expectations of what a background check company should be.

Every background check is the sum of several parts that go into it: Criminal history searches, address histories, social security traces, credit reports, and so on.  The company has outgrown its customers if it turns out an assembly line product that is not reviewed by a competent investigator who is knowledgeable in spotting some unususal circumstances in the background check that are not evident at first glance.  A driver’s license from a state not evident as the applicant’s current or listed reference is a good example, or an individual who was without a license for a period of several years.  Or an address that is known to be a mail drop.  These situations may have logical reasons for them but they bear further investigation.

Criminal background checks sometimes need explanations from someone familiar with the language used in the courts as well as some of the non-standard charges and dispositions.

Every client company should have an individual contact or representative at the background check that they can call and speak with regarding the background check results they receive if they have any questions at all.

A background check company can be too big if it loses touch with those who made it big… their customers.

Need a reliable background check company?  Call 770-426-0547 or click here.

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Background Checks and Social Security Traces

December 15, 2010 by

Background Checks and Social Security Traces

Background checks may be made up of a number of elements such as criminal background checks, credit reports, motor vehicle reports, and references of various types.

A valuable but often omitted check that can be used in several ways is the social security trace.  When you order and receive a trace from your background check company, what should you expect to see?

The information contained in a social security trace comes from various sources, but mainly from credit reporting agencies.  It is sometimes referred to as credit header information, although there is no actual credit information in it.

What you will see is when the social security number was issued, the state in which it was issued, and that it is a legitimate number.  You will also receive a history of addresses associated with the social security number, as well as all names associated with the number.

The address history will reveal locations where the subject of the background check resided, whether they listed on the resume or application or not.  If not, was the subject deliberately concealing the fact that he or she lived in a particular place? And if so, was it done so that a criminal background check would not be conducted in that jurisdiction?  Or perhaps the person moves frequently without cause.

Your background check company will suggest that you order a social security trace and that you check all jurisdictions and courts where the subject resided, in order to get a complete picture of your potential employee.

The trace should not, however be used by itself as a reason to deny or exclude an individual from employment.

The social security number trace is a quick and economical way to enhance the value your employee related background checks.

For further information on background checks, please call 770-426-0547 or click here.

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Five Mistakes Employers May Be Making with Background Checks

December 8, 2010 by

Five Mistakes Employers May Be Making with Background Checks

1. Conducting them in house.  Nobody knows their business like you do, but to rely on departments within your organization to conduct in house background checks may be pushing the HR Department or administrator out of their comfort zones.  These departments also have their own priorities.  There is plenty of information available on potential new hires, but it is best to leave it to an expert to find, interpret, and deliver the information you need.

2. Relying on a “nationwide” commercial database from criminal background checks.  Commercial databases are frequently incomplete, not up to date, or have insufficient identification to positively point to a particular individual. There is no nationwide database that contains every jurisdiction in the country and are not done in real time.

3. Paying for an “instant on-line” criminal background check.  If any net-based search claims to be instant, the results will be outdated and probably inaccurate.  Instant results are purchased by private companies from some government agencies and the information is updated infrequently.

4. Misinterpreting results.  Knowing the seriousness or classification of a crime can be a determining factor in whether a candidate is hired or not.  Be sure the offense is related to the job before you exclude an otherwise acceptable applicant.

5. Not having a policy on background checks.  Businesses should have and follow a written policy defining the nature and scope of the employee background check for each level of employee.  Having a policy in place assures fairness and consistency in the application of background checks.

Avoid confusion in implementing your employee background check program by clicking here or calling 770-426-0547.

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Past Behavior Revealed in an Employee Background Check

November 30, 2010 by

Past Behavior Revealed in an Employee Background Check

How much do employers expect to find out from an employee background check?

Realistically, that depends on the depth and scope of the investigation, but the answer is that there is plenty that can be determined from even the most basic of background checks.

The first example is the information that can be obtained from a criminal background check.  Determine which jurisdictions are most likely to yield information and center your search there, whether it’s a county court search or a statewide repository.

The results will provide the employer with facts that will be useful in making the hiring decision.  No record found?  Great, the applicant has had no serious issues with the court.  Remember that juvenile records are generally not released to the public.

Misdemeanor conviction?  As a rule, these less serious violations probably won’t prevent an employer from hiring an applicant unless the charges are for theft or battery.  A felony conviction might preclude hiring someone as a matter of policy.

Also revealed might be tendencies toward violence (fighting, battery, assault); drug or alcohol abuse (possession, distributing, DUI, possession of alcohol under age, public intoxication); or other detrimental behavior (fleeing or obstructing police, disorderly conduct, trespass).

Although past behavior may be an indicator of future acts, it’s important to remember that the employee background check should be considered only as a part of a larger process in determining the suitability of a candidate.  Always look at the circumstances and relativity of any facet of the results when making the hiring decision.

Questions about employee background checks?  Call 770-426-0547 or click here for more information.

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Pre Employment Screening and Business Failures

November 26, 2010 by

 Should businesses conduct pre employment screening?

According to the Department of Commerce, 30% of business failures are caused by employee theft.

Employers that use pre employment screening as part of the hiring process reduce those odds.

The question businesses experiencing employee theft might well ask is: Did I hire a thief or did my policies and procedures encourage an honest person to steal?

In either case, an employer can’t know for certain what is in the mind of his potential employee.  But he can have a pre employment screening program in place to determine if there is a history of property crimes such as theft, or crimes of violence like assault and/or battery through a thorough background check.

An applicant’s past can be revealed by a criminal background check in the jurisdictions where the applicant has lived, worked, or attended school through an examination of public records relating to arrests, convictions, and sentences handed down by the courts.  Although a past record may not be an absolute indicator of future actions, a person with multiple arrests for similar crimes might be expected to revert to that behavior at some point.

A person’s history of drug or alcohol abuse may also be revealed.

If employees have access to assets such as cash, inventory or supplies, or have contact with the public, a pre employment screening program can reduce a business owner’s losses as well as his liability for an employee’s actions.

Questions about pre employment screening?  Call Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. at 1-770-426-0547 or click here.

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Annual Criminal Background Check

November 22, 2010 by

Annual Criminal Background Check

Things change.  The person you hired a year ago has gone through all kinds of changes, may be under new pressures, or started running with a different crowd.  As an MVR check will reveal a recent speeding ticket or accident, an annual criminal background check might reveal a criminal record that didn’t exist a year ago.

Since background checks have become commonplace for employers, some are requiring an annual criminal background check on all existing employees.  This is a step that should be applied fairly and consistently for all employees and defined in the company’s policies and procedures.

Finding out that an employee has had an arrest can be eye opening, depending on the charge.  Whatever the results of the criminal background check, the employer can take action to protect his own interests, whether it’s transferring the offender to a different department or taking some disciplinary action if the offense is serious enough.

Negligent retention lawsuits happen when an employer retains an employee that he “knows, or should have known” has had a history of violence, theft, or drugs.

Just be sure that all employees know that this is the policy, and what the consequences are of breaking the law, and how it might impact their job.

Also, have all employees sign a consent for a criminal background check that is for all periods of employment, or have them complete a new one each year.

Set up an annual criminal background check by calling 770-426-0547 or click here to request further information.

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The Importance of Pre Employment Screening

November 18, 2010 by

People always ask me if I believe that employee background checks are really necessary and I always reply with the same story: A couple of years ago I interviewed a young man who was absolutely perfect for the position. He was professional, knowledgeable and eager to get to work. So I had him fill out all the necessary paperwork and sent him for a drug screening.

Several days later my GM walks into my office wearing a huge grin, he could hardly contain himself. He slid a single sheet of paper across the desk to me; drug screening results. Before I could read it he blurted out “There were so many drugs in his system he nearly burnt a hole in the cup!” I was slightly embarrassed to have advocated such an obviously bad choice, but extremely relieved to find out about his history prior to hiring him.

Employee background checks include background and criminal checks, psychometric testing and, of course, the afore mentioned drug screenings. Due to a sharp increase in security concerns, corporate scandals and workplace violence the use of a criminal background check has gone up from 66% in 1996 to over 96% today according to The Society for Human Resource Management Workplace Violence Survey. Unfortunately we no longer live in a society where a couple of phone calls to someone’s previous employer is enough to determine their suitability for employment in your organization.

Today a company can be held liable for the actions of an employee and risk a potential negligent-hiring lawsuit, especially if they did not perform employee background checks . Additionally you may learn vital information such as a history of mental instability or numerous previous worker’s compensation claims that may influence your decision on bringing an individual into your organization. Whether we like it or not, the world is changing and in the present job climate a pre employment screening should be a mandatory part of your hiring practices.

For more information about our background check company contact us: employee background checks or call 1.770.426.0547

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Using a Background Check Company

November 16, 2010 by

The use of a background check company can come in handy for many reasons. Let’s face it, as a small business owner there is rarely, if ever, a time where you can say “I need to find something to do.” You’re as busy as a one-legged rock kicker and an employment screening can be time consuming. Therefore, outsourcing that task may be beneficial to you and your organization.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act, or FCRA, requires that you have all applicants sign a disclosure form authorizing you to perform employee background checks . In certain states you, the employer, are restricted from using certain information in the employment screening process. The American with Disabilities Act, or ADA, has their own set of rules restricting employers from using certain medical and disability information in the hiring process. There are even certain questions you are forbidden from asking during the interview process. Can you honestly say you’re well versed in all these rules and how they apply to you in the state which you do business? If not then the use of a background check company may be just the thing for you.

A background check company can assist you in finding accurate information on candidates and they should also be able to give you relevant legal advice on what information you can and can’t use during the hiring process. You have profit/ loss statements, inventory, employee performance and a litany of other issues to deal with. This is their only business, so it’s fair to assume they would be much more informed and thorough than you alone would be. Using a background check company can be an excellent tool to assist you in the accuracy of information and your own time management.

Employee background checks keep your company from making a fatal mistake in hiring.

For more information on employment screening , employee background checks or criminal background check contact us at background check company or call 1.770.426.0547

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Pre employment screening not the commodity it appears to be

November 14, 2010 by

If you do a search on google for pre employment screening you will find there are 1,460,000 results listed.  There are thousands of resources available to employers today to conduct pre employment screening and just about every company out there does background checks on potential hires today.

So how will you know who you should trust to conduct your pre employment screening  background checks?  Look for one who does more than just the county the candidate lives in for a criminal background check.  You will find there are many many options for where to look when conducting a criminal background check, be sure your source is thorough.

Are they offering a social security number trace?  How about a Motor Vehicle report?  And if there is a multi state residence history are they conducting the searches in all states or just the current one?

Typically a background check company who has actual human beings looking over your pre employment screening results before sending them over will find patterns, discrepancies, red flags etc… that an automated click and get instant results sent to your inbox solution will not deliver.  If you are serious about your employee background checks you will want to be sure to interview your source and ensure they have staff people who are experienced in  background checks looking over your candidate files.

Form more information visit: pre employment screening

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How Did a Criminal Background Check Miss That?

November 12, 2010 by

How Did a Criminal Background Check Miss That?

A colleague recently called and said that he had received a telephone call from an anonymous source telling him that one of his recently hired employees was a convicted felon and had served at least ten years in prison for robbery.  The caller offered no further information, but was adamant that the information was correct.

In my colleague’s business, all new hires are subjected to a criminal background check that consists of a “standard” 7-year county criminal search, and the check had turned up nothing.  He wanted to know if this was possible.

It sure is possible, and there a number of reasons how this could occur.  The first clue is that the informant said the employee had spent ten years in prison, so that if the check only goes back seven years, then the conviction wouldn’t be found.  Next, the employee might have been incarcerated in a totally different jurisdiction or state.  An address history or social trace would have revealed addresses used by the employee, and additional jurisdictions could have been searched.

Yet another possibility was that the employee had been convicted and sentenced in federal court and served the sentence in a federal penitentiary.

Another red flag might have been raised by an employment verification.  If a person is serving time, it is difficult to legitimately name former employers, so that verifying previous employment is definitely a means to uncover false claims and to cause further investigation.

When most people think of those who are tried for violating federal crimes they picture hardened felons serving long sentences.  There are plenty of lesser crimes that fall into this category, and result in fines or probation only.  I once saw a background check on an individual who had been cited for littering in a national park and was fined in federal court.

As it turns out, my colleague’s employee had recently been released from prison in an adjoining state, where he had indeed served ten years after being convicted of several violent offenses.

The original criminal background check did in fact “miss” the conviction because its scope had been too narrow.

Be sure your pre employment screening program fits the needs of your business.

To build a pre employment screening program, call 770-426-0547 or follow this link.

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