FYI Employee Background Screening
Faster, Smarter, Easier Employee Screening
By Chris Miller
I just watched a video “The Stupidest Employee Ever?” on the Ohio Employer’s Law Blog. In the video a Burger King employee took a bath in the restaurant’s utility sink and then posted it on YouTube. In my previous post Employee Screening Through Social Networks I wrote about social networks blurring the line between “business” and “pleasure”. This employee definitely blurred the line and gets my vote.
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By Chris Miller
On August 8, 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made an announcement that the new U.S. Passport Card may be used in the Form I-9 process.
Last month, the Departments of State and Homeland Security announced that the new passport card was in full production. The new card provides a less expensive and more portable alternative to the traditional passport book, and will expedite document processing at United States land and sea ports-of-entry for U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
The new card cannot be used for international air travel, but it is a valid passport that attests to the U.S. citizenship and identity of the bearer. The card may be used for the Form I-9 process and can also be accepted by employers participating in the E-Verify program.
The passport card is considered a “List A” document that may be presented by newly hired employees during the employment eligibility verification process to show work authorized status. “List A” documents are those used by employees to prove both identity and work authorization when completing the Form I-9.
Did you know…
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By Chris Miller
Millions of small and medium-sized companies lack the time and resources to properly screen potential new hires. It’s understandable. Unlike large corporations with thousands of employees, smaller companies are often stretched. Human resources executives are responsible for a wide range of duties. Unfortunately, that can lead to small cracks in their employee screening program. Here are 3 ways you can kickstart your company’s employee screening to boost workplace productivity and help ensure the safety of your staff.
Tip #1: Evaluate Your Requirements
You can often disqualify many job candidates simply by having a concrete understanding of a position’s requirements and communicating them to applicants. Not only will doing so help guarantee you’ll find the right employee; it will weed out many candidates who may become potential problems in the workplace.
Tip #2: Invest Resources Into Preliminary Screening
A quick in-person interview is not enough to know whether a prospective employee has a problematic past. Plan to invest company resources to conduct a few basic screening practices. Your time may be limited, but hiring mistakes can be extremely costly. Especially for smaller businesses.
Tip #3: Execute An Exhaustive Background Check
One of the most important things you can do to improve your company’s employee screening program is to conduct an exhaustive background check. That includes validating past employment, conducting a drug test, checking credit history and driving record as well as searching for a criminal history (fraud, abuse, sexual misconduct, etc.).
An Investment In Employee Screening
Though your company’s resources may be limited, a small investment in improving your employee screening system can produce long-lasting benefits. It will help boost the overall productivity of your workforce and help you avoid making hiring mistakes that can lead to costly disasters. To insulate your business from problematic employees, it’s more important than ever to screen the people you hire.
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By Chris Miller
As recently as 10 years ago, screening your job candidates meant picking up the phone and calling their past employers and references. Sometimes, making these phone calls yielded valuable information. Other times, candidates’ relationships with the people you called would influence their opinions.
Over the past few years, social networking websites such as MySpace, LinkedIn and Facebook have provided employers with an opportunity to look at potential employees in a different light.
The beauty of social networks is they invite people to share their lives, thoughts and opinions…all in public. I’ve noticed social networks are blurring the line between “business” and “pleasure”. This can get tricky for employers. Federal and state laws prohibit employment discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex or disability. Employers need to be careful when using information from a social network in making a hiring decision. There are no lawsuits yet but I think it is just a matter of time until an employer is sued for using a social network to screen candidates.
Here are some suggestions for employers:
1. Consult with your attorney and develop written policies and non-discriminatory procedures for using social networks to screen candidates.
2. Obtain written consent from applicants so they are aware you will be looking at their online profiles and personal information.
3. If a website is searched by a background screening firm on behalf of an employer, then consent and disclosure are required under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
4. Employers should never use fake identities or engage in “pretexting” to gain access to information on social networks.
5. The safest approach is to perform a social network search after there is consent and a job offer is made contingent upon completion of a satisfactory background check.
