Background Screening Industry News and Blog by Screening Intelligence

Economy Adding Jobs as Unemployment Rate Remains Steady

April 28, 2015 by screeningintel 1 Comment

The latest government jobs report held both good and bad news for unemployed and underemployed workers. On the positive side, the U.S. economy continues to add jobs, with 126,000 nonfarm positions added in March. However, the employment sector is growing at a much slower pace that at any time in recent history.

Jobs

The unemployment rate held steady at 5.5 percent, as many economists had predicted it would. But economists also say wage growth has been stagnant during the recent recovery, NPR reports, and the unemployment rate may not fully represent the number of people looking for jobs.

The latest employment jobs numbers

The report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that in March, the number of unemployed people in the United States stood at 8.6 million, down by a little more than 1 percent in the past year. Additionally, the number of new unemployed people dropped by 157,000 in March and has decreased by 342,000 over the previous year. The number of long-term unemployed people dropped by 1.1 million over the past year.

Effects for workers and employers

NPR also reports that wage growth is at about 50 percent of its typical rate, suggesting that employers can attract workers easily without offering higher compensation. The sluggish wage growth also may mean that the reported unemployment rate doesn’t include everyone looking for a job.

Many part-time workers — some 6.5 million — would like to have full-time jobs. BLS reports that many of these workers have had their hours cut back or are unable to find full-time jobs.

In addition, BLS noted that in March, 2.1 million people wanted to work and had job-searched over the past year but had not tried in the month prior to the survey. Among those individuals, 738,000 were “discouraged workers” — those not looking for work because they feel certain nothing is available.

The report also included good news for certain employment sectors that continued to trend in a positive direction: business and professional services, retail and the health care industry.

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

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) government jobs report http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

A Background Check Goes Deeper than You Think

March 31, 2015 by screeningintel 2 Comments

Reviewing a person’s criminal history is of great importance, especially in certain industries; however, a background check can be used to gain access to lots of other valuable information.

According to a recent survey, most businesses (80 percent) perform one or more background checks when hiring new workers. More than half of the respondents stated they carry out educational verification checks, and almost half of them look at applicants’ driving records. And while large firms tend to conduct these checks more readily than small businesses, the latter nonetheless has hopped on the background check bandwagon.

Here’s a quick rundown of four common background search products that businesses should be using when hiring new workers.

Criminal History

Both felony and misdemeanor convictions can be identified through a criminal history background check. In some instances, it may even be possible to view charges that were brought forth but dismissed — manslaughter, domestic abuse, drug charges. Each state has its own laws regarding criminal history checks, such as providing access to only the past seven years of a person’s life.

Credit Report

A background check that reviews an applicant’s credit report is advantageous for positions that provide access to money or clients’ personal information. Bank tellers and loan officers are excellent examples of people who should have to undergo a credit report check in order to be hired.

Educational Check and Credential Check

For positions that require degrees, certain credentials, or certifications, educational checks are of the utmost importance. There are many applicants who falsify their information, and when hiring these people, this puts a huge liability on the company. Take for instance a healthcare facility that hires a nurse. If the nurse doesn’t truly have her nursing license and an incident were to take place, this could be detrimental to the facility’s ability to remain open.

Social Security Background Check

This background check is often overlooked, but it can deliver in-depth details about a person’s past. With a social security check, it’s possible to identify alias names of a person as well as the addresses of where the applicant lived during the past seven years. This means if Joe applies for a job and says that he has lived in Washington all of his life, yet his social security background check says he’s lived in five different states over the past seven years, then it will become obvious that he’s not telling the truth. Plus, by identifying alias names, this provides businesses the ability to conduct more comprehensive criminal background searches.

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

Addressing Employment Screening Seasonal Hiring Challenges

December 22, 2014 by screeningintel Leave a Comment

Typically, the assumption in employee screening is that, once a professional has been vetted and approved, he or she will work with a given company for, at minimum, several months. While this is true of many businesses, certain industries call for the seasonal hiring of temporary employees. Seasonal work is particularly prominent in the retail and distribution industries, where the holiday season necessitates an expanded workforce. According to a CareerBuilder survey, 39 percent of retailers hired temporary employees during the 2013 holiday season.

Seasonal Hiring

Businesses requiring the assistance of seasonal employees often back off on standard screening practices, reasoning that employees will only be around for a couple of weeks or, at most, a few months. This can be a disastrous mistake, resulting in weak employees, some of whom may leave employers stranded by quitting in the middle of the busy season. To avoid this problem, employers need to remain proactive with screening, ideally getting a head start on the seasonal hiring process.

Look To Rehire High-Quality Employees

One of the easiest ways to avoid hiring issues is to encourage high-quality employees to return during future busy seasons. If possible, consider keeping these staff members working on a part-time basis throughout the year, amping up hours during the holiday season or other busy months. Some employers find it beneficial to ask student employees to return, often having these staff members work extra hours when they are on break from college. A dedicated group of returning employees will minimize screening and employee training requirements, making it easier to focus on a smaller group of new hires.

Begin Seasonal Hiring And Screening Early

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to secure return employees for seasonal gigs. As such, it is vital for employers to have solid plans for acquiring new talent long before the busy season arrives. Although it is impossible to know exactly how many employees will be required during a rush period, employers can make rough predictions based on past experiences. It may be prudent to get the word out about jobs for seasonal hiring long before the busy season arrives. This will eliminate the need for the risky last-minute hires capable of jeopardizing an otherwise successful business.

Ultimately, no matter when the hiring process takes place, employers need to remember that thorough pre-employment screening is every bit as important for seasonal hiring as it is for the hiring of permanent staff members. All employees represent a company’s brand and thus, need to be held to the same standard.

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

Workplace Violence – What Employers Need to Know

October 30, 2014 by screeningintel Leave a Comment

According to the United States Department of Labor, almost 2 million American workers are victimized at work every year and there is no way to determine how many workplace violence cases go unreported.

Violence in the workplace can strike anywhere and at any time. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards require that employers provide staff members with a workplace that is free of dangers. An employer can take precautions to minimize or even prevent issues related to workplace violence. Violence Prevention Programs and Employment Screening prior to hiring employees are two ways to help prevent workplace violence.

Workplace Violence, Defined

Workplace violence ranges from verbal abuse to homicide. These violent behaviors can involve clients, employees, visitors and customers.

Workplace violence is described as any threat or act of:

Harassment
Physical violence
Threatening disruptive behavior
Intimidation

Workplace Violence Costs to the Employer

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conducted a survey related to workplace violence. According to this survey, the direct costs to an organization connected with an incident of workplace violence include:

A general productivity loss of nearly 40 percent.
A management opportunity cost of almost 60 percent.
Replacement costs, due to worker turnover, more than 30 percent.

Reduce the Likelihood of Violence in the Workplace

OSHA states that implementing a violence prevention program, in conjunction with administrative and engineering controls, and sufficient training techniques can help reduce the probability of violence in the workplace. In order for a program such as this to be effective, all staff members must be aware that every claim of violence in the workplace is considered serious and will be investigated.

Employers must make it clear that upon completion of the investigation, guilty parties will be held responsible for their actions. Employers must consistently penalize individuals who do not abide by the rules set forth in the violence prevention program.

OSHA Law Requires Working Conditions be Free of Known Dangers

Workers deserve a safe workplace and clearly, employers want to keep their staff members safe. For this reason, employers need to identify the risk factors of their business and take the steps necessary to minimize or prevent such violent acts. If staff members believe their workplace does not meet the safety standards set forth by OSHA, they can file a complaint. Complaints such as these may prompt an inspection.

Background Screening May Help Staff Members Feel More Secure

One way an employer can make staff members feel more secure is by performing background screening on all employees. These employment background screening searches should include sex offender registry search information, criminal background search, employment eligibility verification, Social Security checks and professional reference checks. A thorough employment background screening may disclose undesirable past behaviors that may increase the possibility of an individual committing a violent act.

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

HR Employment Screening joins Screening Intelligence

October 14, 2014 by screeningintel Leave a Comment

ScreeningIntelligence.com is proud to announce that we are the parent company of HRemploymentScreening.com, which provides advanced employment screening solutions to corporations and businesses across the country. HR Employment Screening specializes in providing advanced background search products that allows human resources professionals, business owners and hiring managers to make the best decisions about future employees for their respective organizations.

HRemploymentScreening.com offers a wide variety of services for its clients. While it offers both national and international criminal background check services, we believe that employers will love the additional screening services that are offered specifically for employment searches. Professional reference verifications, employment verifications and educational verifications are all available, allowing employers to hold their potential employees accountable for information that is provided during the hiring process. Driving record information can be obtained, as can drug testing records and credit reports. HRemploymentScreening.com operates in full compliance with all regulations governing employment background screening companies including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

HR Employment Screening Services for Human Resources Professionals

In addition to providing hiring managers and human resources employment professionals with the best screening services in the industry, HR Employment Screening makes these services as affordable as possible. The informational reports provided to customers are presented in an organized, easy-to-read format. Human resources professionals can easily navigate the information they are given by HRemploymentScreening.com and quickly make a decision about whether or not they should hire that particular individual. It helps them to feel confident and secure in their hiring choices.

Screening Intelligence LLC is proud to be the parent company of HR Employment Screening and looks forward to expanding the products and services. Those who utilize HR Employment Screening can expect the same level of customer service, care and professionalism that they receive when they work with us at Screening Intelligence. Don’t wait, contact HRemp sales and customer support by phone or email today!