Resume Fraud May Increase As The Economy Worsens

In a story in today’s Wall Street Journal experts warn that the prevalence of resume fraud may increase as the economy worsens. As more people search for jobs — and become increasingly desperate to land them — hiring managers should be on guard.

Key Points From The Article:

• Executive candidates most frequently lie about reasons for leaving a previous post, results and accomplishments, and past job responsibilities, a 2004 survey of consultants at executive recruiter Korn/Ferry International found.
• Academic credentials were the fifth-most frequently exaggerated type of information seen by executive recruiters.
• Executives who have been caught with inflated credentials often turn out to have embellished their records early in their careers. For example, people may claim degrees from universities they attended, but from which they never graduated.
• A job seeker may say he served as chief executive of a company where he worked for four years; that doesn’t necessarily mean he was CEO for all four years.
• One mistake companies make is not ascertaining how much vetting their executive recruiters do. Most search firms attempt to verify some executive credentials, but some “take a very hands-off approach,” says Jenifer DeLoach, who oversees background checks for corporate clients at Kroll. “They find the candidate, and a background search … is the responsibility of the client.”

To learn more about resume fraud and employee screening, read my recent post 4 Common Lies Told By Job Candidates and an article Employer’s 5-Step Guide to Employee Screening.

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Photo Credit: Dan Ancona

Is Background Screening Worth It?

Yesterday I wrote 4 Ways That Employee Screening Boosts Employers’ ROI.  Today I want to share an article I found on the HR Management website.  It’s called “The ROI of Background Screening: Making Financial Sense of “Best Practices.”

Here’s a snippet:

“At the heart of every good Human Resources or Risk Management hiring strategy is employment background screening. Employment background screening is widely recognized as a necessary process that is designed to keep out undesirable candidates, but it also represents a significant expense. The question then is this: How much actual dollar value does a background screening program deliver?”

The Answer

Photo Credit: David Paul Ohmer

Do You Have a Sex Offender Working For You?

The man accused of kidnapping and killing his niece in June will be entering a plea of not guilty today in U.S. District Court in Burlington, Vermont.

Michael Jacques, has decided not to appear at his arraignment. Authorities say Jacques could face the death penalty in the death of Brooke Bennett, 12, whom they say Jacques drugged, sexually assaulted, strangled and smothered.

At the time of Brooke Bennett’s death, Michael Jacques was working for a company that had not been doing employment background checks. If they had an employee screening program in place at the time they hired Jacques, they would have discovered a 1993 kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault conviction.

In this video, a company representative says “at the time our policy was we didn’t do background checks…that’s changed, over the last couple of months, we’ve actually changed our policy.”

Employers’ Obligation
Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment for their staff. By hiring someone with a criminal record, they could be exposing their staff to an unnecessary risk.

Related Posts:
Does Your Job Applicant Have a Criminal Record?

Do You Have A Sex Offender In Your House?

Does Your Company Do Employment Background Checks On Outside Vendors?

Deciding Whether To Drug Screen Employees

As a hiring manager, you may initially feel uncomfortable with the thought of requiring drug tests from job applicants. Some human resources personnel feel that doing so encroaches upon applicants’ privacy. In truth, drug screening prospective hires can protect your company and your employees. Here are a few reasons why you should drug screen job candidates…

Drug Screening Protects Your Business

If you hire an employee who has a history of drug abuse, you could be held partially or fully liable for his actions while on the job. By drug screening applicants, you can eliminate those who have had a drug problem in the past. If something drug-related were to happen in the workplace and an employee is injured, prior drug screening would help insulate your company from a negligent hiring claim.

It Maintains Employees’ Safety

Some jobs require employees to operate machinery or potentially-harmful devices. If an employee who is operating this machinery under the influence of drugs makes a mistake, other workers can be injured. Not only will a drug screen prevent drug abuse in the workplace from endangering your staff in the first place, but it’s often a legal requirement for employers.

Drug Abuse Can Have A Massive Cost

If your workplace or your staff is exposed to an employee with a drug problem, the costs can be enormous. It can lead to employees becoming hurt, expenses related to negligent hiring lawsuits and damage to computers, machinery and other company assets. In some cases, the actions of employees who are under the influence of drugs have resulted in businesses having to close.

Drug screening job candidates plays a key role in finding high-quality employees for your company. Doing so protects your current staff from injury and insulates the workplace from damage and disruption. Finally, it helps shield your company from negligent hiring lawsuits. If you’ve been reluctant to conduct drug screening on new hires, consider the above reasons. The sooner you include it in your employee screening program, the better.

Related Posts:

Free Drug-Free Workplace Toolkit

4 Tips on How to Avoid Negligent Hiring Lawsuits

5 Smart Hiring Tips To Implement Today

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4 Tips For Preventing Workplace Violence

As stress and frustration in the workplace reach an all-time high, employers have begun to cast a wary glance at their hiring practices. Violence in the workplace is not new. Most of us can remember the incidents that led to the term “going postal.” Today, many hiring managers are aware that companies are often held liable for the actions of their employees. Below, I’m going to give you 4 quick tips to reduce that liability and prevent workplace violence.

Tip #1: Do A Background Check

An extensive background check on a job applicant should reveal any workplace violence in her past. In many cases, companies that have witnessed one (or more) of their employees becoming violent failed to conduct a proper background check. Don’t make the same mistake.

Tip #2: Call Past Employers

Often, violent incidents in the workplace aren’t formally reported. Sometimes, filing a report simply falls through the cracks. Other times, an employer may feel that reporting the incident would be troublesome. However, a quick phone call to past employers can help uncover such episodes.

Tip #3: Create A Strict Policy

You should communicate to workers that violence or threats of violence will lead to termination. Often, this type of zero-tolerance procedure is enough to dissuade employees from losing control.

Tip #4: Watch For Red Flags During Interviews

Even if a potential employee does not have a history of workplace violence, your company could witness the first incident. However, interviewers can be trained to note certain mannerisms that manifest when confrontational questions are asked.

Protecting Your Staff And Your Company

In the end, preventing workplace violence means protecting your employees from injury and protecting your company from disruption and lawsuits. While it’s impossible to guarantee that an employee will never act violently in the workplace, you can use the 4 tips above to dramatically lower the likelihood of it happening.

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Free Drug-Free Workplace Toolkit

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a new drug-free workplace toolkit. The toolkit provides employers with the latest information, resources, and tools for producing and maintaining a drug-free workplace.

Why You Should Care About Having a Drug-Free Workplace?

Because Substance Abuse in the Workplace Is a Widespread Problem

Alcohol and other drug abuse is widespread in our society. It affects us all in many ways. Although national, State, and local efforts have begun to show encouraging results, the problem of alcohol and other drug abuse remains a serious problem. No workplace is immune. According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 74.9 percent of all adult illicit drug users are employed full or part time. Most binge and heavy alcohol users are also employed full or part time.

Because Substance Abuse in the Workplace Can Have Serious Consequences

Substance abusing employees often do not make good employees. Studies show that, compared with non–substance abusers, they are more likely…

• To change jobs frequently
• To be late to or absent from work
• To be less productive employees
• To be involved in a workplace accident
• To file a workers’ compensation claim

Workplace substance abuse can also have a serious effect on people other than the abuser. For example, some studies suggest that working alongside a substance abuser can reduce nonabusers’ morale and productivity. It also is quite common for substance abusing workers who are involved in workplace accidents to injure other people (rather than themselves), especially if they work in safety-sensitive industries, such as the transportation or construction industry.

Because, in Some Cases, It’s the Law

In 1986 the President signed an Executive order mandating that all Federal agencies be drug-free.
In 1988, Congress passed the Drug-Free Workplace Act, which requires Federal grantees and recipients of Federal contracts of $100,000 or more to comply with certain regulations.

And Because Good Programs Can Help

Employers who have implemented drug-free workplace programs have important experiences to share:

• Employers with successful drug-free workplace programs report improvements in morale and productivity and decreases in absenteeism, accidents, downtime, turnover, and theft.
• Employers with longstanding programs report better health status among, and decreased use of medical benefits by, many employees and family members.
• Some organizations with drug-free workplace programs qualify for incentives, such as decreased costs for workers’ compensation and other kinds of insurance.
• Employers find that employees, employee representatives, and unions often welcome drug-free workplace programs. If you do not have a program, your employees may be wondering why.

Click HERE to download “Making Your Workplace Drug-Free: A Kit for Employers.”

(This is a PDF download. Please be patient)

4 Tips on How to Avoid Negligent Hiring Lawsuits

In these tough economic times companies may be thinking about saving time and money by cutting back on their employee screening programs. This would be a big mistake! If you hire a dangerous or unfit person without doing proper “due diligence” and harm occurs, you are opening yourself up to a negligent hiring lawsuit.

Here are several tips to help you avoid a negligent hiring lawsuit :

1. Create a Program

Create an employee screening program for your company. This program should document employee screening policies and procedures for each position in the organization.

2. Train to Ensure Hiring Managers Follow the Program

Train all hiring managers on the employee screening policies and procedures. Document this training.

3. Audit Employee Screening Program

Create an audit procedure to make sure the employee screening program is being followed throughout the organization. Document this procedure.

4. Ensure FCRA Compliance

If you are using a third party employee screening service make sure they are in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Top 4 Things You Need To Know About Employee Screening

It’s boggling to think about, but many employers still fail to conduct adequate employee screening. Sometimes, it’s the cost. Other times, it’s the perceived inconvenience. But, screening your employees before you hire them is critical. Here are the top 4 things you need to realize about employee screening…

#1 - It Protects Your Staff

Screening your employees is an integral piece to weeding out potential hires who might cause violence in your workplace. By weeding them out, you help ensure the safety of your staff.

#2 - Felonies Are The Tip Of The Iceberg

While there are some job candidates who have been convicted of a felony, there are many more who have been convicted of a misdemeanor. That includes physical assaults, inappropriate sexual behavior and even weapons charges. Plus, keep in mind that felonies are often pled down to misdemeanors.

#3 - Enormous Long-Term Savings

The cost of doing a background check on a job applicant is often less than what you’ll pay that applicant for their first day working. But, if that new employee turns out to be a problem, it can cost your company tens of thousands of dollars.

#4 - Ongoing Screening Is Important

A lot of employers conduct an initial background check before hiring a person. But, they never follow-up with subsequent checks. Periodic background checks on your current staff can help your company manage the ongoing risk of a potential problem erupting.

Screening your employees involves much more than simply calling their references and past employers. Your human resources personnel should have a screening process in place to conduct background checks on both prospective hires and your current staff. The cost of neglecting to do so can be massive.

3 Reasons You Need To Screen Employees

Job applicants often lie or hide information when they fill out an application or submit a resume. Unfortunately, many companies neglect to properly screen these applicants. Once they’re hired, that opens the door for potential theft, workplace violence, or any number of incidents that may lead to legal action. Screening your potential employees is a critical component of ensuring the safety and productivity of your workforce. Here are 3 reasons you need to thoroughly screen your employees…

Reason #1: Most People Lie

I’m not being cynical. I’m being realistic. Many studies have proven that job candidates routinely fabricate or suppress information on their applications and resumes. You need to validate the information by having an effective screening process in place.

Reason #2: Workplace Productivity Increases

Studies show a direct link between employee screening and workplace productivity. This is largely due to higher attendance, reduced turnover and overall stability of the workplace environment. Checking with past employers can help forewarn of potential employee issues.

Reason #3: Employee Quality Increases

Validating past employment and education are necessary, but both are merely scraping the surface. Screening an employee also means conducting a background check to uncover a possible criminal history. In many cases, hiring new employees with a hidden criminal past has led to theft and workplace violence. Effective employee screening helps to protect your workforce and increases the quality of your staff.

Using Routine Screening Procedures

Every company that hires new employees should be screening those employees prior to offering them a position. Not only will a background check expose a potential criminal past, but it can help ensure your staff’s safety and lead to an overall increase in workplace productivity. Remember, if you trust the information provided on an application or resume without validating it, you could be asking for a major employment headache in the future.

The Importance of Employee Screening for Nonprofits

Recently a Cincinnati nonprofit that teaches children hired a volunteer without doing an employment background check.  It turns out the volunteer is a Tier III sex offender – the most dangerous kind.  A Tier III sex offender is required to register every 90 days for life.   The nonprofit only did background checks on the full time staff and not the volunteers.

It is an industry best practice to thoroughly screen all applicants for employment and volunteer positions at nonprofits.

A recent study of nonprofit organizations revealed these key findings:

• Each day 144 individuals with criminal records applied for employment or a volunteer position with a non profit.
• Every 11.5 hours, a registered sex offender attempted to obtain a position at a nonprofit.

Read more about the Cincinnati nonprofit.