Home Service Workers Get Background Checks

December 2, 2010 by

Home Service Workers Get Background Checks

Customers who receive in home visits from employees of service companies don’t expect to be victimized by those employees.  They would expect the employees would have been subjected to some scrutiny, including background checks, before being sent to and allowed to enter a customer’s home.  The fact is that this is often not the case.

Service companies include electrical contractors, pest control, plumbers, appliance repairmen, heating and air conditioning repairmen, cleaners, you name it.

Most companies will publicize the fact that their employees are banded and insured, but that does not necessarily mean that their employee have been the subjects of a pre employment background checks.

Many times the company hired by the homeowner will subcontract another company to perform the work and don’t really know if pre employment screening has been thoroughly conducted or not.

In addition to theft issues, which occur frequently, there are instances of harm coming to the homeowner or tenant at the hands of the employee.

In 2001, for instance a homeowner paid a nationally known company to clean the air ducts in her house.  Six months later, the serviceman returned to the home, raped and murdered the homeowner, and set fire to the house to cover evidence of his crime.  The murderer was a registered sex offender and on parole at the time of his first visit to the home.

An employee of a plumbing company and his customer had a disagreement over the cost of the repair and the plumber assaulted the customer.  The plumber had previously been arrested for battery, something the employer should have known.  A negligent hiring lawsuit was soon filed.

Pre employment screening and background checks are an affirmative defense against negligent hiring lawsuits.

Businesses that conduct pre employment background checks instill confidence in their customers by demonstrating care in the selection of their employees.

For further information on pre employment screening and background checks, call 770-426-0547 or click here.

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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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Using a Background Check Company is Smart

November 26, 2010 by

Using a Background Check Company is Smart

Companies do what companies do.  By that I mean that a company whose business is manufacturing clothespins probably does a great job at producing quality clothespins, but would not do so well if asked to make a wristwatch.  For that, a purchaser would fine a watch manufacturing company.

There are employers using other types of companies rather than a dedicated  background check company to provide various levels of background checks used in the hiring process.  Other types of companies include payroll processors, HR consultants, and private detectives.  All or these companies are great at what they do, but their main business is not background checks.

A background check company will keep its clients up to date on issues of compliance, be available to the client, and belong to a national professional organization such as the NAPSB, the National Association of Background Screeners.

A professional background check company will make available to its clients realistic turn around times because they know their providers and have good working relationships with them.

Your background check company will be dedicated to providing you with the best possible quality product and the best value because background checks are their business.

The background check company, because of the nature of its business, will be close to the source of the information employers need to make smart hiring decisions, and will deliver it quickly and economically.

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

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Background Checks – A Useful Tool in Hiring

November 22, 2010 by

Background Checks – A Useful Tool in Hiring

Companies that use background checks as part of their pre employment screening procedure do it because they believe it waves them both time and money.

Have you ever entered a store or business that had a sign in front stating, “We Drug Test All Applicants”?  Do you think that the sign itself precludes most drug users from applying for a job there?  Do you think that it makes the customers of that business feel safer and more confident taking their business there?

The same can be argued for conducting background checks.  Plenty of potential employees with things to hide in their past will avoid applying at a business that is known to conduct background checks.  The very fact that a company uses background checks will keep a certain number of less desirable applicants away from the hiring office, saving the employer’s time.

Money is saved when the employer doesn’t hire someone who has a history of theft related arrests and charges in his background.  This isn’t to say that an employer should never hire someone who has been convicted of a crime, but it may weigh on what type of responsibilities will be given to the employee, that is not exposing them to cash or letting them work without supervision, for example.

Several arrests for disorderly conduct or family violence could indicate a bad tempered individual who would need to be kept away from customers or even other employees.

Of course drug related or alcohol related arrest raise their own red flags.  Will the employee have frequent absences because he or she is unable to perform?

The costs of hundreds of background check will not come close to the cost of defending even one negligent hiring lawsuit.

Whether and employer hires those with previous records or not, they should certainly have access to information that will assist them in operating their business most efficiently.

Part of this information is contained in the background checks of those applying for employment and should be considered when making the hiring decision.

For further information on cost effective background checks call 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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Making a Federal Case out of Background Checks

November 14, 2010 by

Making a Federal Case out of Background Checks

Many employers don’t have their background check company look in the federal courts for violations because they feel that if someone has been prosecuted for a crime in Federal Court, surely they must be a career criminal and have other charges in local courts, or they don’t understand the nature of federal courts.

For a federal court to have jurisdiction, the crime must have been created by constitutional authority, or have occurred on property owned or controlled by the federal government.

The constitutional authority is extremely broad as at one time or another interpretations have granted jurisdiction over common law crimes if state boundaries have been crossed in their commission, or occur relating to a regulated agency such as the FAA (on airplanes), Commerce (bank robbery), and Immigration.  And of course tax law violations fall under federal courts as well.

Examples of property owned or controlled by the US include national parks, federal courthouses, buildings, prisons, and military bases (civilians only), and Washington, D.C.

So the reach of the federal court can be wide and encompass a variety of violations and crimes from littering in a national park to terrorism.

Although federal criminal searches are less frequently requested by an employer of their background check company, there is still the possibility that derogatory information may exist outside the more popular searches of county and state records.

Complete background checks should include federal searches.

For more information on this topic and others, call 770-426-0547 or click here.

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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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Small Businesses and Background Checks

November 10, 2010 by

Small Businesses and Background Checks

Most people assume that large companies who are hiring new employees conduct background checks as part of their pre employment screening policy.

For those who know or suspect that something in their background may cause disqualification for a position might aim their efforts at employment at a smaller business, one that would be less likely to run any kind of background checks on candidates or new hires, since they probably don’t have their own dedicated human resources department.

Small businesses have typically been reluctant to run background checks, depending instead on interviews, gut instinct, and local reputation of the applicant.

Today’s workforce is far more fluid and mobile that in the past.  Potential employees are far more likely to commute longer distances and even to change residences to obtain employment that they may have turned down a couple of years ago.  And as employment became harder to get, applicants became more willing to exaggerate, cover up, or even lie to enhance their chances at employment.

There is no 100% certain way to eliminate a bad hire or potential problem employee, but the advent of fast, affordable, background checks has given small businesses a reliable tool in their ability to avoid problems in the future.  A background check is far cheaper than replacing a bad hire, even on the first day of employment.

If there are questions about setting up an employee background check program for your small or medium business, please call 770-426-0547, or click here to contact a representative.

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