Background Screening Industry News and Blog by Screening Intelligence

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.

4 Things Employers Should Never Do When Screening Potential Workers

December 27, 2016 by screeningintel Leave a Comment

Background screening is assisting companies in hiring the most qualified and trustworthy staff possible. However, there are some definite “dos and don’ts” to bear in mind when engaged in screening potential workers.

Screening Potential Workers

The following are four things employers should never do while screening potential workers.

1. Don’t: Use One Screening Plan For All Positions

While it’s understandable that the protocol for screening potential workers should be streamlined and easy to implement, it’s important that it also be flexible and job-specific. In effect, each job or job type should have a screening process that is customized to its role and requirements. The connection between the job and its screening elements should be abundantly clear.

2. Don’t: Forget About “Ban the Box” Laws

Laws restricting when and how much employers can inquire about an applicant’s criminal history are being enacted in many states and cities all over the nation. Most Ban the Box laws prohibit asking about a criminal past in the beginning stages of the application process in order to exclude them from the pool of possible hires.

It may come into play later, but the exact timing depends upon the laws for each state. It is crucial that employers know and abide by all the specifics of Ban the Box laws for their area. A professional employment screening company can assist with navigating these laws correctly.

3. Don’t: Be Inconsistent with Stringency

Some employers may be tempted to forego a complete background check for certain employees while conducting full background checks when screening potential workers. Doing so could be a recipe for legal action down the road. Also, no matter how trustworthy or impressive someone might seem, they could be concealing skeletons in their closet that would make them a liability in the workplace. Better to use the same level of stringency with every worker to ensure compliance with the law as well as safe, successful hiring.

4. Don’t: DIY Employee Background Screening

While there are criminal databases that can be searched online, they aren’t the only source for key information. Source records from state and local courts should be used to verify the information found in national databases. Employers unfamiliar with the ins and outs of this process may miss key data about an applicant. Outsourcing criminal background checks to a professional employment screening service can help to ensure each applicant is thoroughly screened.

An increasing number of businesses are screening potential workers and using background screening in their hiring process. However, it must be done appropriately in order to ensure compliance and success. Businesses should take steps to avoid these four pitfalls during their employment screening process.

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.

“The Gig Economy”: A Guide for Employers and Consumers

October 20, 2016 by screeningintel Leave a Comment

As the economy ebbs, flows, changes and evolves, both employers and consumers must keep abreast of how to best manage their interactions with it. One of the most noteworthy economic changes of the current decade is the emergence of “the gig economy.”

“The gig economy” refers to a growing segment of the workforce that now earns a living through providing multiple services. Mobile apps are often used to manage gigs; Uber, Taskrabbit and Thumbtack are just a few examples. A Penn Schoen Berland Research study initiated by TIME magazine this year found that 44 percent of American adults participate in the gig economy.

Like any economic model, there are pros and cons, and the gig economy requires an awareness of how to navigate it for an optimal experience.

Arising From Economic Need

The seeds of the gig economy were likely sparked in response to the economic downturn of 2008. With so many people finding it difficult to get a job, many were open to temporary work to help fill the gaps, sometimes through a variety of short-term “gigs” in differing fields. Consumers looking to save money were grateful for the cooperative and “a la carte” nature of paying for goods and services in this way.

The rising popularity of freelancing and telecommuting since the advent of the Internet has fueled the gig economy. Mobile devices and apps make gigging on the go easier than ever. Today’s freelancers may earn their income as an Uber driver, a host on Airbnb, or an errand-runner through Taskrabbit – or a combination of apps like these.

Staying Safe in The Gig Economy

However, the rise of this unique economic model calls into question the safety and reliability of those being represented and hired through these apps.

While the gig economy is revolutionizing how Americans work and find key services, attention should be paid to safety considerations. Just who is being hired? Have they been appropriately screened for the job they will be doing? This is an issue that had always dogged the freelance world, and it now stands to get even larger as the gig economy grows.

Insist on Professional Background Screening

One of the best protections employers, app makers and consumers have against negligent hiring is the screening of workers before doing business with them.

A professional background screening service can check for criminal background records, employment history, and verify credit history to ensure reputation and reliability. As for consumers who use gig apps – they should check to make sure that the parent company has enacted a policy that all of participants have been appropriately screened.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/asking-tough-questions-about-the-gig-economy/2015/06/18/b43f2d0a-1461-11e5-9ddc-e3353542100c_story.html

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.

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5 Key Components of Effective, Compliant Employment Screening