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100% Of Companies Will Be Using Social Networks As Part Of Their Employee Screening Program By 2012

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Dan Schawbel, a personal branding expert, gives his 10 Personal Branding Predictions for 2010.  The one that caught my attention was number ten:

10) Online identities becoming as routine as employer drug tests

In 2009, Careerbuilder reported that 45% of companies are using social networks as background checks.  I’m going to go with 75% of companies for 2010 and then 100% of companies in 2012.  Just like a drug test, going online to review an applicants brand is easy, cost effective and can save headaches later.  There are issues that arise such as possibly losing good talent because of one Facebook picture or judging someone based on their picture and not on their credibility.

What this means for your personal brand: Everyone is going to have to be very careful with what they put online.  Go through your online presence right now to make sure it best represents you as a professional.  Try and see your profiles through a companies eyes too.

The topic of using social networks for background checks has been controversial because of the possible legal exposure but I’m going to have to agree with Dan here…

100% of companies will be using social networks as part of their employee screening program by 2012.

It is important it note that these social searches will not replace traditional background checks (county criminal searches, verification of driving records, education and employment) but will be an increasingly important tool to help companies find the best fit employees for their organizations.

Read Dan’s 10 Personal Branding Predictions for 2010.

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Kindergarten Teacher With A Criminal Record Teaches For 5 Years

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Source: wsmv.com

On October 20, 2009, while on her lunch break, a Tennessee kindergarten teacher was cited for shoplifting $62 worth of wrinkle cream from Walmart.  This past summer the teacher was convicted of stealing steaks from a Kroger.  She has three DUIs and a citation for driving on a suspended license for excessive speeding tickets. She also has five aliases and she’s been teaching young children for the past five years.

As of November 5, 2009 she was still in the classroom teaching.  Watch the video.

What’s wrong here?

The state only requires a background check at the time of hire.

This is a good reminder that your organization should have a Post-Hire Screening Program in place.

A Post-Hire Screening Program (also called recurring screening) is considered a best practice for employers. It ensures a safe workplace and helps reduce the risk of a negligent retention lawsuit. Conducting checks on all new hires is essential. Keep in mind, that a lot can happen in the years after a new hire comes aboard. Companies should consider protecting themselves with periodic post-hire criminal checks and drug screening.

For more information please read:

How A Woman Falsified Her Nursing Credentials For 18 Years

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nurse

This is a fascinating and also sad story of how a woman stole, lied and cheated her way through life.

Source: TheTelegraph.com

For years, she kept ahead of her lies, moving from state to state with false credentials that showed her to be a nurse. This week, the law caught up with Catherine Marie Connor.

The Grafton woman was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in federal prison in a wire fraud case in which she followed a trail of deceit to secure a nursing license and nursing or related jobs in multiple states.

Connor, 55, was sentenced this week in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

She pleaded guilty in July for a case that developed over a period of years, beginning in 1991 and ending in March 2009, court records state, during which time she made some $625,013.07.

A crucial element of the case was the woman’s background, dating to 1984 when, as Catherine Smith living in Virginia, she was sentenced to a two-year term on two felony counts of credit card theft and two felony counts of forgery, the indictment states.

Read more on How A Woman Falsified Her Nursing Credentials For 18 Years

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Photo credit: gbaku

Florida Lawmakers Pledge Changes To Their Background Screening Program

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florida_sunset

Last week we reported about Florida’s Flawed Background Screening System and now Florida lawmakers are talking about making changes to the state system.

Laxness, Loopholes In Background Checks Of Child And Elder Care Workers

Source:  South Florida Sun Sentinel

Florida legislators pledged to overhaul state law to require that caregivers for children and the elderly undergo background checks before they begin work and to close loopholes that have let thousands of felons get jobs in day care and nursing homes.

The proposed reforms come after a Sun Sentinel investigative series last week identified disturbing flaws in the background screening system that allow people to work with Florida’s most vulnerable residents before the caregivers have been vetted.

Even people with criminal pasts can qualify for jobs as caregivers by obtaining an exemption. Thousands have sought and won official permission to work despite having records for crimes including rape, child abuse and murder, the newspaper found.

“What you have discovered is something the Legislature needs to get more serious about and get on top of immediately,” state Rep. Ari Porth, D-Coral Springs, told the Sun Sentinel. A state prosecutor, Porth is drafting legislation to require pre-employment checks and put restrictions on who can get exemptions.

George Sheldon, secretary of Florida’s Department of Children & Families, called reforming the system “a legislative priority for a number of agencies.”

“It just makes sense that the public is assured that those people who are dealing with the most vulnerable have been closely screened,” Sheldon said.

As a result of the Sun Sentinel investigation, Sheldon wrote a four-page letter Thursday to state legislators outlining his plan for a “faster, more efficient system to protect our vulnerable citizens.”

Read more here.

FYI Screening offers a wide array of customized background screening solutions to meet any need. Human Resources and Loss Prevention Professionals in numerous industries worldwide trust FYI’s screening solutions every day to make smarter, safer and more cost effective hiring decisions.

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Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36703550@N00/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Best Employee Screening Articles For August & September 2009

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human_resourcesIn case you missed any of our employee screening articles for August and September, here’s a quick recap of our most popular:

Smart, Compliant Hiring Decisions Made Easy

FYI Screening, Inc. is a leading provider of on-demand, easy to use employee screening solutions.

Photo credit:  net_efekt