Social Networks

Never, Never Lie On Your Resume

July 20, 2009 By Chris Miller

Secretsofthejobhunt.com has a good article titled ” Should I lie on my résumé?” by Ginger Korljan.

“Today I learned about a new website which for a fee, will fabricate job history, degrees, and references for a résumé. Their justification? “A résumé is not a legal document.” They even provide an answering service if a potential employer wants to follow up with a phone call. I was astonished that any company would be so brazen to attempt this outright illegal activity, and even more astonished that people are actually buying it!

Read the rest of the article here.

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The Importance Of Accurate Background Checks

July 14, 2009 By Chris Miller

Last week I reported how a Post-Hire Background Check could have prevented a terrible crime.

On the front page of this morning’s Dispatch I read…

Rape suspect got 2nd job because of faulty vetting

Weapons charges should have disqualified caregiver

It looks like this suspect was able to get a second job with Goodwill Columbus because of two errors with his background check:

Goodwill ran a background check through the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI) which incorrectly showed a weapons charges against him had been dismissed. Actually, the suspect pleaded guilty in Franklin County Common Pleas Court to reduced misdemeanor charges of carrying a concealed weapon and improper handling of a firearm in 2008 — convictions considered to be disqualifying offenses for working among people with developmental disabilities.That information was not on the BCI report, said Margie Pizzuti, president of Goodwill Columbus.
Goodwill ran an additional background check through an online records-search service (I don’t know which company), but that report was confusing and Goodwill staff members apparently did not see that Quintero had been convicted, Pizzuti said.”This instructs us to be even more vigilant in finding out what’s in these reports and making sure we understand them,” she said. “If we had seen that and understood clearly, it probably would have been at least a red flag.”

Read the article here.

CONCLUSION

A manual on-site search at the county courthouse by an experienced researcher is often the most accurate, and up-to-date criminal search available. Goodwill ran a BCI check which is the authorized central repository for all felony records for the state of Ohio. The bureau relies on police departments, sheriff’s offices, and courts of record to submit arrest and court conviction data to the bureau for record updates. The bureau did not have the most current information in this case.

Your background screening provider needs to provide you with an easy to read report so there is absolutely no question about the status of the person being screened.

FYI Screening, Inc. is a leading global provider of employee screening solutions to corporations, government agencies, healthcare systems and educational institutions.

Contact us for a 10 minute online demo of the easiest, most cost-effective and reliable solution for employee screening.

The Pitfalls Of Using Social Networking To Screen Potential Employees

July 13, 2009 By Chris Miller

Here’s an excellent article on using social networks for employee screening.

Source: IT Business Edge

Lora Bentley spoke with Jacqueline Klosek, senior counsel and privacy law practitioner at Goodwin Procter, about the pitfalls employers want to avoid when using social networking and other Web sites to screen potential employees.

Bentley: I’ve read about the public outcry that resulted from the City of Bozeman, Montana’s decision to ask job applicants for their social networking site user names and passwords. Obviously, there are enough problems associated with that practice that the city discontinued it. Can you explain?

Klosek: It’s just, in my mind, fraught with legal dangers. For example, what you post on your own Web site, the writings and photos and such, you’re really using someone else’s service. And for the most part, if you provide your password to the sites in which you participate, you could be violating their terms of use, which could leave you as the user subject to potential claims, including termination of your account or worse.

Then, as an employer, say you ask someone for their user name and password and then give it to another employee to do the screening, you don’t know exactly what they’re going to do with that information. With the user name and password, they’re basically impersonating the person whose account it is. They can send e-mails that purport to be on that person’s behalf, they can review e-mails that were sent from other people… It could be mundane personal communications, but there could also be trade secrets being exchanged, or a host of other things behind these protected e-mails. It’s just a minefield of dangers, in my view.

Bentley: What if you are using the Internet to screen prospective employees without their user names and passwords? Aren’t there still risks in doing that?

Read the rest of the article here.

The Importance Of Post-Hire Background Checks

July 7, 2009 By Chris Miller

The Columbus Dispatch reported:

Five years ago, Tristan J. Quintero passed the background check that enabled him to get a job caring for mentally disabled Ohioans.

The state doesn’t require post-hire background checks, so workers are trusted to self-report subsequent offenses that could disqualify them. But Quintero apparently told no one that he’d been convicted on weapons charges in 2008 and indicted again in May.

As a result, he was still on the job the night of May 28, 2009. That’s when he left the apartment of his disabled South Side client, James Monroe, and raped a neighbor, police said.

Could This Horrible Crime Have Been Prevented?

There’s a good chance Quintero’s weapon’s charge would have been discovered if periodic background checks were done after he was hired. And this crime could have been prevented.

Most organizations understand the importance of conducting pre-employment background screening, but many companies don’t properly consider the continued risks employees present after they are hired.

Here are 4 Tips On Setting Up A Post-Hire Screening Program

Establish a written policy for post employment screening. Candidates and employees should have a full understanding of the company’s screening policies and procedures, especially when conducting post-hire screenings.

Make sure you have a signed release form authorizing the right to conduct a background check throughout employment. Here is an example of the language that could be used on the Disclosure and Authorization form:

“I have carefully read and understand this Disclosure and Authorization form and the attached summary of rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. By my signature below, I consent to the release of consumer reports and investigative consumer reports prepared by a consumer reporting agency, such as FYI Screening, Inc., to the Company and its designated representatives and agents. I understand that if the Company hires me, my consent will apply, and the Company may obtain reports, throughout my employment.”

Be consistent with your post employment screening. Your online screening system should have a feature built-in which makes it easy to rescreen current employees.

We recommend companies re-screen employees annually or biannually.

Conclusion

Implementing a post-hire screening program can help reduce workplace loss, retain the best employees and mitigate a company’s risk.

Contact FYI Screening, Inc. if you need help with implementing your company’s post-hire screening program.

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