Baker, Baker- Background Checks

In the early days of my working life, I knew very little about background checks. I trusted that employee background checks were cleared through some magical process in our main office. At the very least, I thought the application provided all of the critical information needed for hiring decisions.

How wrong was I?  I did not realize that verification of information on applications is one of the main services provided by a background check company.

I was fresh out of high school and working in a small restaurant with a bakery. I knew that our bakers weren’t born here in the USA, but I didn’t know they were here illegally. It wasn’t until the day they asked me to marry one of them to help keep them here in the States, that I realized they were illegal immigrants.

I turned their offer down, but I never turned them in.

It wasn’t until many years later that I realized the full extent of these actions.

They were here illegally, and had to be using someone else’s social security number to be employed. It might have been one of their friends, and the number was being shared within their own group, knowingly and willingly.

It very well could have been the number of a complete stranger who had no idea what was going on. They could potentially have credit or tax problems because of this.

It also meant that the company had not consulted with a background check expert to handle the pre-employment screening conducted by my employer through a background check company that would have potentially caught their secret through the criminal background check process. If an illegal immigrant could be hired on, whom else might I be working with? Criminals with a history of theft? Maybe even violence? The list goes on.

Background checks are there to protect employers from all of these issues.  Employers who consult with background check experts who specialize in criminal background checks and employee background checks can alleviate many of these worries.

To purchase Pre-Employment Screening Services or for more information on background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks or pre employment screening contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547 

Undoing the Damage – Background Checks

There was an interesting article in our local paper last week. One of our city commissioners had been sent a 1099 form from an employer in a different state. Her first thought was that it was clearly a mistake. Shouldn’t a background check be enough to clear the matter up?

She first contacted the company who sent her the 1099. As it turned out, this “employee” had been working there for about five years before they left. Because a driver’s license is not required anymore, there was no picture identification to be able to match up, or use to dispute her claim.

She had not consulted with a background check company or any background check experts to conduct criminal background checks and employee background checks. The credit reports she had run never showed up anything suspicious. Her social security number, luckily, had not been used to open any accounts or apply for any credit or utilities.

So there were no other leads to follow up on whom this mystery person was, and more importantly how they got a hold of her social security number.

It could have been a random input of numbers. It could have been stolen from a database and sold. No telling how many other people have had access to her social security number and what damage they might do!

No telling how many more hours and dollars will be spent to clear her name.

This is another reason why pre employment screening and background checks are needed. There is often more damage than just making a bad hiring decision.

Consulting with a background check expert through a background check company to assist with criminal background checks and employee background checks can help ensure you are getting accurate information.

To purchase Pre-Employment Screening Services or for more information on background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks or pre employment screening contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547

You cannot keep criminals out of the work place without pre-employment screening

It can often be a daunting task for any employer to find the right person for the right job.  Pre-employment screening equips you to identify the best candidate so that you do not waste precious time and resources on a new hire that has the potential to do more damage than good.

It is the belief of background check experts that keeping an unqualified person out of the workplace is vital to protecting company assets. Employers are required to follow their state’s pre-employment screening laws.  The background check company is also governed by overarching Federal regulations.

I once worked for a company that conducted pre-employment screening on all new hire associates as part of our shortage mitigation program.  We outsourced to a background check company all employee background checks and reduced our liability.  We also required each prospective employee to complete a consent form authorizing the background checks during the hiring process.

We conducted criminal background checks for every candidate that would have access to cash or restricted areas.  The background check experts returned all background checks in a timely fashion and we were equipped with the information to make an informed hiring decision. 

It was surprising to discover how many of our prospective new hires had been convicted of shoplifting.  A significant number of prospective new hires also had a felony conviction that would have gone unchecked had we not conducted a background check.

Your business is vulnerable to infiltration by career criminals and thieves without adequate information to make an informed decision. Criminal background checks enabled us to keep criminals out of the workplace. Without a doubt, the first line of defense to protect assets and profits is pre-employment criminal background checks

For more information about background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks and pre-employment screening please contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547.

Employee background checks: An ounce of prevention

Because criminal records are just one of several indicators that facilitate determining the suitability of a job candidate, performing criminal background checks is only one component of a comprehensive pre-employment screening program. I have listed several examples which will help you better understand how effectively pre-employment screening with criminal background checks protects your company.

Example #1:  Let’s say you are charged with hiring a truck driver that will deliver drugs for a healthcare facility. If a background check company returns unfavorable employee background check results which indicate the candidate has two previous drug related convictions, you have just saved yourself and countless others untold misery and loss.  You could have easily given the keys to a drug locker to a known criminal with a history of drug abuse without conducting employee background checks for all potential new hires.

Example #2: Let’s say you own a shuttle service and one of your employee assaults a customer while in transit to any given destination.  After the incident it is discovered that the employee has a history of violent crime. If you have not conducted a criminal background check; the record will reveal that you, as the employer, have not done everything possible to make a good hiring decision before the suspect was extended an employment offer. 

If the victim later sues your company using public information that can be found on the internet and a law firm uncovers the suspect’s criminal history, your argument is not going to stand up in court.  An incident that could have been prevented by hiring a reputable background check company has the potential to bankrupt your company and possibly destroy your reputation in the community.

I hope this blog has helped you understand the significance of performing background checks on potential new hires.  Background check experts possess the expertise to conduct background checks that can save you a lot more than money. This is a small investment to make to protect your income, reputation, employees and customers.   

For more information about background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks and pre-employment screening please contact us at background check company or call 1.770.426.0547.

Background Checks: Always a good idea

Conducting background checks is a good first step to safeguard your company’s security; however, it is critical that your company conducts the appropriate level of criminal background checks and employee background checks. This process assures successful pre-employment screening.

One of the most excellent means of preventing an aspiring thief from working a company is a rigorous pre-employment screening process which includes multiple interviews and pointed questions regarding employment and education history.

Companies with excellent intentions regarding successful pre-employment screening strategy all too frequently fail as a result of not hiring a qualified background check company. They frequently do not encompass the appropriate areas where crimes may have been committed because they muddle about and conduct random, haphazard criminal background checks without the expertise of background check experts.

Ultimately this leads to a false sense of security that often produces devastating results.  Another issue that companies frequently overlook is the employee background check because they mistakenly believe that a couple of phone calls to companies written on a job application will be sufficient.  Again they risk a potentially costly mistake.

An in-depth employee background check requires a significant amount of research and background check experts know precisely how to conduct this investigation.  A good background check company will also verify an employee’s education history as well as job and personal references.

Companies that utilize a reputable background check company have access to background check experts who have worked in every category, size and structure of business under the sun. The most suitable background check expert is matched to the company and a custom pre-employment screening strategy is designed to fit the business like a glove.

This tailored process usually includes working with human resources and loss prevention, as well as the legal department. Strategy is implemented only after the company’s policies and procedures have been reviewed in detail.

A potential employee fills out a very detailed job application, provides a complete resume, and signs a release form for the background checks.  The potential employee will then go through a multi-level interview process conducted by different executives at each level. The employee will then answer any and all questions that have surfaced as a result of the completed background checks.

Any points in question at this point from the criminal background check which have not been addressed in the initial job application will effectively disqualify the applicant from being hired at the company.

Finding the best background check company to devise an all encompassing hiring process that protects your company requires an investment of time; however, in the end it will protect your company from losses caused by hiring dishonest and/or unqualified applicants.  Every company has a responsibility to protect its most important assets – employees and profits – and this safety net begins with effectively screening potential employees.

To find Pre-Employment Screening or for more information about background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks or pre-employment screening please contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547.

Criminal Background Checks and known risks

A crucial step in the hiring process is employee background checks.  Prevent future theft in the workplace by taking extra precautions now! Pre-employment screening which includes criminal background checks is vital in the process of protecting your store and hiring the most excellent employees.

I received a tip from a manager when working as an LP detective; apparently one of his associate’s friends visited him and shopped in the store frequently. This particular associate’s register consistently turned up short as well.

I began to work a case on this associate. I watched him and built my case over the course of several weeks. His friend came to visit one evening. The two of them shopped together around the store, choosing merchandise from the associate’s department. The friend ended up with six shirts and three pairs of jeans.

The associate rang the friend for one shirt and one pair of jeans but bagged the other seven unpaid for items at the register. The associate walked his friend to the exit where my fellow detective was waiting. Needless to say, we pulled both suspects into the LP office and notified the police.

When the police arrived, they ran the associate in their system to check for priors. The associate carried an alias which was linked to two charges of robbery. He had a bench warrant out for his arrest. We estimated a total of $2,000 in register shortage over his six months of employment. We never obtained a cash theft admission from him, but the shortage ended after his termination.

This entire debacle could have been avoided by the simple process of conducting pre-employment screening along with background checks. $2,000 of cash and an unknown amount of merchandise theft would have never occurred if only criminal background checks had been implemented by the background check company, the background check experts.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to learn about retail anti-theft devices and Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system from Checkpoint Systems as well as to find more information on the background check expert, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks and pre-employment screening. You may also contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547.

Internal promotions still require background checks

I recently interviewed with a company for a loss prevention position. Right from the beginning they made it clear that they were well aware of the fact that I was overqualified for the position they were offering me.

They wanted me a step down although the next level position was open. Their reasoning was the fact that they prefer to promote from within. It was extremely rare for this company to hire external candidates for upper level positions.

This is a very smart business move for many reasons.  Several advantages persist when promoting from within over hiring from the outside.  Some factors simply cannot be tracked – such as work ethic – even with the use of pre- employment screening.

Pre-employment screening simply cannot provide information revealing how a candidate responds in unpredictable situations. This information is quite significant and helps to determine (with first-hand knowledge of skill sets) when or if a promotion is justified.  Promoting from within is also a great motivator for existing employees once they recognize that advancement opportunities are attainable.

Taking care to conduct further employee background checks is also crucial when a company promotes from inside its ranks.  Passing all of the pre-employment screenings does not guarantee that a further employee background check is an insignificant step in the validation process.

Further criminal employee background checks will screen for any negative events that may have occurred since an employee’s start date. It is also an opportunity to screen for factors that may not have been necessary upon hiring. It is crucial to consider if a promotion will give an employee access to restricted files, cash or other assets, or possibly a new set of potentially liable situations. Knowing of criminal activity revealed by processing criminal background checks is an important step in the process.

For more information on background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks, or pre-employment screening please contact us at background check company or call 1.770.426.0547.

 

Safety and Pre-Employment Screening

Pre-employment screening is becoming a standard process for many businesses.  Many large corporations employ background check experts to work in teams in order to evaluate criminal background checks as well as employee background checks.

Smaller companies frequently do not have the funding for the increase in payroll required to perform this function which is almost always available to large companies. 

This is where a trustworthy Background Check Company enters the picture. Background check experts skilled in performing pre-employment screening are standard with Background Check Company. 

The background check experts deliver specialty services like background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks, and other pre-employment screening services.  The execution of a comprehensive pre-employment-screening process prevents an employer from hiring a less than desirable individual at best and a thief at worst.

Insight into a potential employee’s integrity is provided with criminal background checks.  When hiring positions requiring leadership and responsibility this information is critical.  An employee background check examines the credentials and experience with objectivity.  This is especially important if the position requires a certain level of technical acumen.

Information as to the quality of employee as well as how former employers and peers view the candidate is provided by background checks. Background checks can also prevent an employer from hiring someone dishonest, under-qualified, or simply not the right fit.  Background Check Company provides all of these services for the business or individual.

For more information about background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks and pre-employment screening please contact us at background check company or call 1.770.426.0547.

Are you asking the right questions as part of Pre-Employment Screening?

Getting the answers you need to hire a suitable and qualified candidate can be challenging. Standard job applications only cover the basics of the position applied for – availability, previous work history, and education.

Resumes are somewhat better, they are usually more descriptive as to what an applicant does or did at their previous places of employment; however, they can also contain a web of deceit.

Without running background checks in order to verify information, who can know if or how much embellishment is conveyed in either the job application or a resume. Background checks are also somewhat limited in what they can uncover.

Many employers, for example, will often only release the dates that an employee worked for their company. They may choose not to state the reason why the person is no longer working with the company, leaving it up to the applicant to state the reason as to why they no longer work for that company.

Because they are adept at the process of calling an applicant’s personal and professional references, the background check experts are better equipped to uncover the truth.

Did you know that references are frequently unaware that they have been listed on an application? They may also not be clear about what they should or should not say about someone, thus giving too much or too little information than they should.

The background check experts are also adept at asking non-work related questions in order to obtain the answers really needed. Do you want to know what a reference really thinks? Ask the reference if they would let the applicant house sit or baby sit for them. This question cuts to the chase and you will have your answer.

For more information about background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks or pre-employment screening please contact us at background check company or call 1.770.426.0547.

Is trust alone sufficient without Pre Employment Screening?

There is always some apprehension involved when one hires an employee. One needs to know that the new hire is both honest and hardworking and that the new hire will earn your confidence as well as confirm that you made a good hiring decision. The last thing an employer wants to discover is that a new employee is utterly unlike the person he or she presented during the interview.

Completing a thorough and detailed pre-employment screening is the most effective way to ease some of this apprehension. An effective pre-employment screening must include more than simply a question and answer session. An essential ingredient in an effective screening is a skills or critical thinking test – the perfect technique to get a more conclusive perspective of the candidate’s capabilities and skill set.

The employee background check is another effective tactic. This background check should include criminal and credit checks, if applicable. It is also important to take it a step further by verifying previous employment and education listed on job applications.

While the background check company effectively runs employee background checks, it is an excellent practice for the employer to run a practical background check. Simply pick up the phone and call the references listed. It is amazing how few people actually call references given by a candidate. It is also amazing what some references actually have to say about the candidate.

Let background check company alleviate your apprehension – allow them to perform pre-employment screening and you can rest knowing whom you can better trust to hire.

For more information about background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks and pre-employment screening please contact us at background check company or call 1.770.426.0547.