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.

Accept Checks with Confidence with a Check Reader

Even though a lot of people seem to be using credit cards exclusively for incidental purchases these days, the truth is checks are still a preferred method of payment for a lot of people.

It doesn't make sense not to accept checks, since most people will expect to have that option, but there are certainly some things to worry about when you do accept checks. There's always the danger that someone has stolen the checks from their rightful owner or that they just don't have the money to pay for what they're writing the check for.

There will always be some risk involved in accepting checks, but these days technology makes your life a little easier with an invention known as a check reader.

A check reader is basically a scanner that the check is fed into. It reads the check and automatically debits the check writer's account at the time of purchase.

The money is deposited into your account within 24 hours -- you don't even have to drive to the bank and physically deposit the check.

Using a check reader means you'll know before the customer leaves the store if he or she has written a bad check. You'll also get your payment a lot more quickly than if you used the traditional method of accepting a check, depositing it into your account and waiting for it to clear.

A check reader can take a lot of the guesswork out of accepting checks and will make you feel more secure when accepting checks for high-dollar items. Posting a sign that you have a check reader will make customers aware of the system and prevent people from writing bad checks in the first place.

Check readers are commonly available from the same companies that provide payment processing for credit cards and merchant accounts. Some companies even provide this equipment for free to people who are interested in using it.

You'll no longer have to limit yourself to only accepting checks from the local area in case you have to try to track someone down who wrote a hot check. The reader will do all the work for you and tell you in a matter of seconds if the payment has gone through, regardless of where the customer's bank is located.

There's no reason not to get a check reader. You'll get paid faster and know immediately if someone is writing a bad check. At the end of the day, you'll know that the money you made today is going to be in you account tomorrow. What could be better?

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 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.