Background Checks and Resume Verifications Protect Employers

If you are a business owner, manager, or work in the human resources department of a company, you've probably hired employees who have been less than truthful on their resumes. In fact, recent studies indicate that 75 percent of all resumes contain some form of falsification and fully 89 percent are misleading.

Even though the numbers alone make the case for background checks and resume verification, employers often forgo pre-employment screening of applicants. When they do, the employers' lack of foresight can come back to haunt them. In some cases, companies have been found liable for negligent hiring and retention. In other cases, employers have faced public relations nightmares. Not too long ago, a prestigious university made the news when it was discovered that their admissions officer had allegedly lied about her educational background, and had not received the degrees she had claimed. In the most tragic cases, workplace violence has claimed innocent lives.

Pre-employment screening and background checks prove due diligence, and so can prevent lawsuits claiming negligent hiring. And, by screening out unqualified applicants, employers can save time and money otherwise wasted by recruiting, hiring, and training the wrong applicants. Resume verification and education verification can even help head off wrongful termination lawsuits.

Companies that provide employment screening offer a number of services. The type of screening that best serves you often depends upon the industry in which you work. For example, in the healthcare industry, background checks typically include a state criminal report, a social security number report, education verification, employment verification, a professional license check, a medical abuse check, and a sex offender check.

Those companies that hire delivery drivers or that employ long-haul truckers most often benefit from a national criminal report, a social security number report, a motor vehicle report and a license verification. Educational institutions and childcare centers usually request a national criminal report, a social security number report, a sex offender check, education verification, and employment verification. Those who work in the accounting or finance departments of companies should undergo a national criminal report, a social security number check, a credit check, education verification, employment verification, and an OFAC terrorist check.

Once you make the sensible decision to do pre-employment screening, how do you go about selecting the right company to do background checks? First, look for a well-established company that has a proven track record in both quality and accuracy. Next, make sure that they guarantee confidentiality. Third, check to see that they employ licensed investigators and provide you with the opportunity to speak to a live researcher. Finally, select a company that does both domestic and international searchers, and that does hands-on court research in the United States.

In today's litigious society, and with the prevalence of dissembling on resumes and employment applications, you can't afford to forego background checks and pre-employment screening of your employees and applicants. It's a small price to pay for the peace of mind you'll have knowing that the people you hire are who they claim to be.

BackGround Checks and Balances

Background Check Resources

Whether you're hiring a CEO, a subcontractor, a babysitter, or even looking for a new tenant or roommate, you're taking a big risk. It's the nature of business unfortunately for people to go to great lengths to misrepresent themselves and thus create the need for background check resources and references.

Avoid doing business with deceptive people with these 5 key factors in mind:

1. Prepare comprehensive histories from vague or misleading responses
2. Filter fact from fiction and deal with dishonest interviewees
3. Deal with legal issues including which questions you can and cannot ask
4. Make a confident, well-researched hiring decision
5. Use waivers that protect you legally during the background check process

Personal References

A personal reference could be anyone whom the candidate happens to know but most likely has never worked for. For landlords or people looking for a nanny for their children the request for references should still be for business references and not personal ones. The landlord-tenant relationship is still a business one as is the relationship between nannies and in-home health care workers and their employers. Nowadays, personal references have become one of those overused catchphrases that disguises the real work of responsible, effective reference checking.

Background Checks

The term background check is another catchall phrase that means checking the accuracy of basic information provided by a candidate for employment or similar. It's an important step in the employee selection process because it is a relatively painless and inexpensive way for the prospective employer to whittle down the pile of applications to only those candidates who are, at least, who they say they are.

While determining whether or not the candidate is whom he or she claims to be is an important first step, it should ultimately lead into real reference checking. There is so much more to learn about a candidate for employment or a prospective tenant or even a babysitter before the final decision can be made. And the only way to learn that is by talking to people who have worked with, rented to, or received service or care from the candidate in question.

Job Application Issues

There are several things employers can do to increase the likelihood of receiving honest responses to job performance questions:

1. Always ask the job seeker to provide a resume that contains a complete work history, including dates of employment for every job held.

2. Ask the candidate to provide the name of the person to whom he/she directly reported.

3. Employers should always require candidates for employment to fill out a formal job application that asks for the same information. One way or another, even if you have to ask for it during the first interview, you'll get a description of the tasks for which the job seeker was responsible at each position held.

If the list of references doesn't include at least one of the people to whom the candidate reported directly, a red warning flag should appear in the prospective employer's mind. Some job seekers will suggest they didn't list a previous supervisor as a reference because the two of them didn't get along and that's understandable, but throughout an individual's entire work history, there has to be at least ONE supervisor who can be a reference. If it's true the candidate has never gotten along with any supervisor ever, then it's best to look for another person for the job.

No, every job doesn't result in a happy ending, but with the above precautions in mind, one can reduce the possibility of getting burned or hiring the more suitable person for the job. Having more information about a job seeker is always better than having less. It's through working with other people that we reach most of our goals so choosing the right ones is therefore, essential.

Background Checks - How They Can Help Your Business

If you are running a business, you probably know that the people that you hire can either make or break your business. This is why it is so important to make sure that you hire only the best employees to work for you. However, it is easy to accidentally hire an employee that is a "bad apple" and you'll definitely end up paying for your mistake. If you want to make sure that you hire only the best employees, then it's time to start running background checks on employees before you hire.

There are many employers today who are turning to employee screening to make sure they get the best employees possible. If you're not sure that background checks are the right choice for your business, here are a few of the main benefits that may change your mind.

Benefit #1 - Lower Turnover - One of the main benefits of using background screening on your potential employees is that it can actually lead to lower turnover. It can be quite expensive for your company to have a high turnover of employees. However, screening before you hire can help you avoid this.

Benefit #2 - Better Attendance - Attendance is important to your company as well. Your company cannot function well when employees are constantly absent from work. Employee screening can help you week out people that have a bad attendance history at work.

Benefit #3 - Reduce Incidents of Theft - You'll also find that background checks can help you reduce incidents of theft at your company as well. They allow you to take a close look at the criminal record of potential employees to decide whether or not they are trustworthy or not.

Benefit #4 - Experience Productivity - Another great benefit of using background screening before you hire is that your company will experience better productivity when you do this. You won't end up with people who slack off on the job or who don't want to be there. You'll have quality employees who really make your company better.

Benefit #5 - Find Qualified Employees - Having qualified employees is very important if you want a profitable business. So, take a look at their background checks to see how they have performed in the past and if they really do have the qualifications that they say they do.

Benefit #6 - Make Sure the Person is Who They Claim to Be - Last of all, employee screenings allow you to make sure that the person you are considering for hire is really who they are claiming to be. This makes sure that you are protected and that you really know who you are hiring.

Background Requirements For A Career In Biotechnology

If you’re seeking a career in biotechnology, one thing is for certain ... the more education you have, the higher up you can go. The fact is, no matter where you wind up working, you will be surrounded by people with Ph.D.'s and medical degrees. It is highly unlikely that an individual without an advanced degree such as these will get to the top of the corporate chain.

Therefore a bachelor's degree in the life sciences is a bare minimum. After that, it is recommended that you pursue an advanced degree; whether it be a master's degree or higher. Common degrees include; molecular biology, cell physiology, biochemistry, genetics and the like.

You should plan to take as many labs in college as possible as these will provide you with hands-on experience. Teaching as a student-teacher is also a wise move, as is becoming a part of a research project. It is possible to co-author a quality research paper before you ever even graduate with a bachelor's degree.

Biotechnologists frequently gain employment for biotech corporations. Over the last two decades, thousands of biotech corporations have sprung up around the globe. From start-ups to companies the size of Amgen, the choices range from pay to research to prestige.

Employment in the biotech industry may also be sought in academic institutes; such as universities and non-profit organizations. These typically pay less than biotech corporations, but may have more opportunities for independent research.

As a biotechnologist, you will spend most of your work hours in a laboratory. The work can be tedious and requires patience, but many truly enjoy working with their hands. You will design and carry out experiments and will need to keep good records.

The best biotechnologists enjoy innovation and the spirit of helping to advance society. If you choose biotechnology as a career, you can expect to be right on the cutting edge of technology.

Background Checks – Quintessential In Today’s World Of Employment

A background check is essentially a verification procedure. It is a method of investigating the past of an individual and his achievements and failures for the purpose of recruitment. This helps the employer to judge the validity of information furnished by the prospective employee.

Any company must go through a proper and systematic background checking before making a hiring decision. Background checks have proved to be more beneficial and effective in comparison to personal interviews and information provided by resumes and Reference Letters.

Background checks are organized methods of investigation, where the company follows a particular course of action by conducting a research work as par requirement disregarding additional unnecessary details. The requirement of screening by Federal or Sate Law has become necessary in most professional specifications.

Background check becomes more crucial and indispensable when an employer has to select the best among several potential applicants. A correct detection, results in the gift of a worthy employee. In the United States, the Brandy Bill requires criminal background checks for purchasing handguns from licensed firearm dealers. Restricted weaponry items like machine guns and other explosives, suppressors and huge quantities of precursor chemicals and secret weapons permit also requires a thorough criminal background check.

Background checks are also compulsory for those in positions of honor, greater responsibility and security. These include trucking, ports of entry and airline transportation.

Background reports consist a variety of information beginning with the certification of an applicant’s Social Security number to a complete variety of specifications of the employee’s past accounts and connections. Some of the significant information generally included in background checks is public records formed by government agencies.

The Credentials of Background Checks

• Driving Records
• Social Security Number
• Cases Of Bankruptcy
• Property Ownership
• Former Employers
• Vehicle Registration
• Education Records
• Character References
• Military Records
• Personal testimonials
• Credit Records
• Court Records
• Neighbor Interview
• State Licensing Records
• Past Records Of Imprisonment And Confinement
• Criminal Records
• Worker’s Compensation
• Medical Documents
• Drug Test Documents
• Sex Offender Lists

These above-mentioned details regarding an individual are enough to give the concern an idea of the several traits and characteristics of an eligible candidate. In short, background check can easily be termed as eligibility test to judge the legal worthiness of a candidate regarding a particular professional placement.

BACKGROUND ON ANY SUBJECT

sources for more detailed information.

Thus, your next move should be books that have been written on

the subject. The subject and title sections of the card catalog

or the bound volumes of computer printouts in most public

libraries will give you plenty of listings.

After you've selected a number of books for background

information, check the magazines either directly related to your

subject, or those carrying articles on the subject. Most of the

time, you'll find that magazines will provide you with more

up-to-date timely information than books.

To check out information on your subject in magazines, look in

the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. Under subject and

author headings, the complete collection of this guide will list

articles printed in magazines since the turn of the century. The

Suggestions For Use section will instruct you on how to read the

codes under each heading. If you can't find your subject listed,

think of similar subjects that might be related.

If your subject is part of a particular field of study, there may

be a special index that will help you. Among these special

indexes, you'll find: Art Index, Business Periodicals Index,

Consumers Index, Education Index, Humanities Index, Social

Science Index, Biological and Agricultural Index, and Applies

Sciences and Technology Index. You'll even find a Popular

Periodicals Index which lists articles that have appeared in

currently popular magazines.

You'll also find that most newspapers are veritable goldmines of

reference material. Most of the big city newspapers have

computerized indexes. Several of the special national newspapers

such as Wall Street Journal also have reference indexes.

Without a doubt, the New York Times Index is the most complete.

In these newspaper indexes, subjects and people are listed

alphabetically with the date, page number, and usually with the

number of columns devoted to that particular story. About all you

have to do to avail yourself of this information is to stop by

the newspaper office, tell them the kind of information you're

looking for, and ask their help in locating it within their

index.

FACTS ON FILE: is a world news digest that's found at most public

libraries. This is a weekly publication that's broken down into

four categories; World Affairs, U.S Affairs, Other Nations, and

Miscellaneous.

EDITORIALS ON FILE: is a similar service that comes out twice

each month. It is a survey of newspaper editorials than span a

wide range of subjects.

If you want to known about business trends, you should ask for

and look at the Moody's reports. These cover banking and finance,

industry and public utilities.

Most large libraries also keep pamphlet files for brochures from

various information services and government agencies. Be sure to

ask about these.

Whenever you have a question or want more information on a

subject, always check first in the material that has been written

about it. Public libraries and newspapers are free, and will

definitely point you in the right direction even if you don't

know much about sources.

One of the best sources of information is people. Ask around and

more often than not, you'll find someone right in your own area

who is well versed on your subject. An introductory phone call

and an explanation as why you're researching the subject will

almost always lead you to many people who'll be glad to talk with

you.

Interviewing and talking with people will give you the chance to

ask questions and hear specific explanations about details that

may not be fully covered in a book, newspaper or other

publication.

Researching and gathering information on a particular subject can

be fun, exciting, and very informative. It will never be dull or

boring. The important thing is to search out all the available

sources, and then to take advantage of them. From there, you'll

find it's very much like putting a jigsaw puzzle together; the

closer you get to completing the picture, the more excited you

become.

Many people find that when they begin a research project on a

specific subject, they quickly uncover so many interesting

related subjects that it's hard to confine their enthusiasm to

just the one subject. This is what learning is all about,

regardless of the use you eventually make of the informative you

gather. The more you learn, the more you want to learn.

Curiosity about all things, and good, basic research are the

prime requisites for any successful writer. To have read about or

experienced only a few aspects of a given subject won't interest

very many people. What the people want is a thorough discussion

of the subject from as many different points of view as possible.

This, of course, requires research, and to do research, you have

to know where to find the material you want.

Hopefully, we've "turned you own" with the idea that the

information you're interested in is available and virtually at

your fingertips. All it takes is just a bit of effort on your

part to avail yourself of it. Just remember, whatever has been

thought of or dreamed of by man since the reasonable amount of