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6 Key Steps to Compliant Employment Background Screening

April 20, 2017 by screeningintel Leave a Comment

Compliant employment background screening is a trending topic due to Ban-the-Box legislation and the rules that have been enacted as a result. Not complying with laws relevant to applicant rights can lead to lawsuits for business and organizations.

Compliant Employment Background Screening

The following covers six key areas related to compliant employment background screening and best practices in hiring:

1. Use a Compliant Employment Background Screening Worker Consent Form

Having employees agree to all aspects of compliant employment background screening is the first step to being covered for the process. Consent form components should refer to current FCRA legislation as well as state and local laws. Have a lawyer or qualified personnel review the form. Ensure it is in compliance with Fair Chance Acts and Ban-the-Box standards.

2. Use Focused, Selective Screening

Guidelines for which screening packages and services should be ordered for different worker positions should be clearly defined. For example, while a credit report would be relevant for someone seeking a role in financial services, it would not apply to many other positions. The type of screening should always be relevant to the job sought. A professional compliant employment background screening service can take much of the guesswork out of the process.

3. Train Staff Well

All relevant staff members should be fully trained in compliant employment background screening. They should be able to efficiently interpret and apply the information contained within the completed background report in compliance with federal, state and local laws.

4. Apply Screening Results Appropriately

Results should be reviewed in accordance with Individualized Assessment Guidelines from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). A copy should be provided to the applicant if requested – they have the right to view the entire background report and all screening results.

5. Follow A Fair Negative Action Process When Needed

When taking any action that is not in an applicant’s favor based upon results received in a background check, a fair procedure should be followed. Send the applicant a letter containing a summary of their FCRA rights and a copy of the report as well as a dispute form in case they wish to respond.

6. Be Consistent

When all background results have been received, employers can make a decision about the best candidate for the position. Businesses should bear in mind that the factors used to eliminate a candidate should be consistent and always relevant to the demands of the position.

Laws related to compliant employment background screening are more complex than ever. Employers can help to remain in compliance through the establishment of a well-researched process, training relevant staff members accordingly, staying consistent with each job candidate, and reevaluating their hiring process regularly.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is never intended as legal advice and is for information purposes only.

Background Records Search Types and How They Are Useful

February 28, 2017 by screeningintel 1 Comment

Regardless if you are an employee or employer, it’s important to know what kind of background records are available on the market. We are going to cover some of the background records searches that employers frequently use to retrieve information from a potential employee. Here’s a look at some of the types of background records on the market and how they’re useful.

Background Records Searches

Types of Background Records

Since many background records are often limited to search depth, several different checks have been created to cover a greater search area. For example, some criminal background records only offer searches in your geographic area. This means that if crimes were committed in another state, they might go unlisted in a local or county criminal search.

To avoid this, employers will often utilize multiple background records or a national criminal background check to make sure that they search the greatest geographical area.

Such background records that are often utilized are:

State Criminal Records – Some states offer a statewide search, so you can search for criminal records within the state of residence.
National Criminal Records – For a broader search that should include the state criminal records search, this search can identify crimes in different locations across the United States.
County Criminal Records – These background record searches can find felonies and misdemeanors in the 3,000+ county courts within the United States. This is the most accurate type of criminal search, but you will need to know the county in which to search.
Federal Criminal Records – Whether embezzlement, fraud, or tax evasion, Federal Criminal Records can uncover prosecuted crimes within the Federal court system.
Prohibited and Restricted Parties Search – These searches can help you discover if your possible employee is an illegal gun trader, narcotic trafficker, money launderer, or terrorist.

These are only a handful of the background search products on the market, and there are other types that can assist you in finding the information you need. When screening potential workers, background records can help determine whether or not an employee is right for your business.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is never intended as legal advice and is for information purposes only.

5 Key Components of Effective, Compliant Employment Screening

January 30, 2017 by screeningintel Leave a Comment

More and more businesses are using compliant employment screening to ensure they are connecting with the very best candidates for each open position. The U.S. Small Business Administration estimates that for each dollar spent on employment screening, a $5 to $16 ROI is possible. This is due to better worker productivity and attendance, lower turnover, and reduced liability.

Compliant Employment Screening

The following are five of the most essential components for effective, fair and compliant employment screening procedures:

1. Be Sure to Obtain Consent

Applicant consent is foundational and crucial to success in compliant employment screening. This is because the law requires it, as stated in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Employers have a responsibility to make job candidates aware they will be undergoing a background screening check. A signed consent form should be obtained before commencing a compliant employment screening search.

2. Customize Assessments to Each Job

Each job type can potentially require different types of screening. For example, jobs working with children should have screening that scrutinizes past history in terms of crimes and sexual offenses. Jobs that require working with money should involve screening for financial and credit history as well as criminal past. The compliant employment screening used should be appropriate for the job duties required by the position. EEOC guidelines should be considered as individual circumstances are assessed.

3. Be Consistent

One of the most crucial elements of fair and compliant employment screening is consistency in practices. For example, if social media accounts are considered during the screening process for one worker, the same standards should be applied to all job seekers. All applicants should have a fair chance at employment with the company regardless of differences like race, religion, skin color and family status.

4. Screen Temps and Subcontractors

Just because a worker isn’t a permanent or in-house hire doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be held to the same standards as these workers. Every worker, no matter what the status, should be subject to relevant and appropriate employment screening.

5. Partner with a Professional Compliant Employment Screening Company

Businesses should strongly consider working with an experienced, professional employment screening company for this crucial step in their hiring process. An employment screening company can perform a comprehensive range of searches to ensure candidates are top caliber. A professional employment screening company is well-versed in all the laws that govern this realm and can see to it that screening is done effectively.

Employers should consider these five elements to help ensure fair, effective and compliant employment screening.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is never intended as legal advice and is for information purposes only.

Leverage Big Data to Hire the Best Employees

November 22, 2016 by screeningintel Leave a Comment

As technology advances, so does pressures from competitors. Regardless of what industry your business is in, your competitors are constantly looking for ways to gain more market share and increase their revenues. You have to do the same to remain competitive. The process starts by hiring the right employees.

Big Data

You need employees that will help you usher your business into the new, innovative state of business. But, how do you do that? You use big data to help you find the right employees.

What Is Big Data?

Today, we process so much data that we have to create new words to capture how much data is processed. It’s enormous. Google processes 20 petabytes of data every day. Facebook processes 500 TB of data each day. Although your business doesn’t process as much data, you certainly process more data than you once ever conceived.

Big data doesn’t refer to the size of the data you process, but how you manipulate that data. It is the science of analyzing large data sets computationally to assess trends and patterns that can benefit your business. It is most helpful when analyzing human behaviors.

Big Data and the Hiring Process

In recent years, both Xerox and Google have used big data to decrease their employee turnover rate. They leveraged the data they have about job candidates to help them select the candidate that was the best fit for their organization. Guess what? It worked.

Personality tests, IQ tests, and skills tests are great tools to help weed out job candidates, but the data generated by these hiring tools aren’t enough alone. By using big data, you can analyze how long a job candidate will remain with your organization by analyzing their resume. With the aid of big data, your business can weed out individuals who don’t meet predetermined thresholds, allowing your human resource representatives to only interview candidates that will be a good fit. Then, you can use the skills aptitude tests and IQ tests to reduce the pool of applicant’s further to help with the interviews and hiring decisions. Within your hiring process, you can use a number of algorithms that assess data from around the United States to ensure you choose the candidate that is the best fit for your organization.

Screening Intelligence understands the power of big data, as our name implies. We encourage you to give us a call or visit our employment screening background checks website to learn more about what our company can do for your background screening process.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is never intended as legal advice and is for information purposes only.

Human Resources: Top 4 Employer Tips for Workplace Safety

September 26, 2016 by screeningintel 1 Comment

Workplace safety refers to a number of key areas for employers. First and foremost, there is the issue of providing physical safety. All workers and clients deserve a safe and secure place in which to do business.

Workplace Safety

However, employers must also take steps to keep themselves safe from litigation and damage to their reputation.

The following four workplace safety tips are important ways employers can keep themselves safe on a range of levels:

1. Use Employment Screening for All Potential New Hires

Outsourcing employment screening is an effective way to “get to know” who is really being considered for employment. While the interview process and checking references can yield valuable insights in these areas, the applicant will be taking steps to put their best foot forward. Finding out the truth about an applicant’s background, credit and possible criminal history is vital to a safe workplace for all.

2. Make All Decisions Based On Fit

Hiring for an ideal fit, training for the needed skills, transferring and promoting for the good of the company, and disciplining or firing only for relevant and documented reasons is also crucial to workplace safety. Hiring qualified workers with known abilities and training them for proficiency reduces the likelihood of accidents in the workplace as well as litigation by clients, other workers, or the new hire themselves.

3. Comply with OSHA Rules and Guidelines

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has put forth standards for hiring and evaluating employees as well as keeping the workplace physically safe for all workers. The most common workplace safety problems tend to be related to:

The danger of slips and falls
Poor communication about workplace hazards
Unsafe scaffolding and ladder usage
Unsafe workplace machinery
Inadequate respiratory protection
Electrical safety hazards

Employers should take steps to ensure all OSHA guidelines are followed, with particular attention paid to these areas.

4. Fairness and Consistency

Whether recruiting, interviewing, screening, or dealing with current employees, consistency and fairness are key to employers staying safe from litigation. All persons should be treated equally regardless of qualities like race, age, gender, religion or family status. Employers should avoid favoritism based upon personal biases and never retaliate against an employee who voices concerns about procedures and workplace safety.

Workplace safety involves a number of facets and areas. Following these four tips can help employers to stay safe and viable for many years to come.

Source: OSHA: http://www.osha.gov/Top_Ten_Standards.html

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is never intended as legal advice and is for information purposes only.

6 Key Steps to Compliant Employment Background Screening

The following covers six key areas related to compliant employment background screening and best practices in hiring: