By Ron
Lashier
He
appeared to be the model applicant – excellent experience,
good education and a strong resume. A background check was conducted as
a formality. The criminal check was done using his name and birth date,
as is standard practice, and his record was clear. The researcher
didn’t stop there, though. He conducted a broader search,
using only the applicant’s name, without the birth date, and
numerous court records were returned. The researcher pored through the
court transcripts to determine if any matched the applicant, and using
the unusual spelling of the candidate’s name and his previous
address as an identifier, confirmed that the candidate had been
convicted of kidnapping, attempted rape and gross sexual imposition. It
turned out the applicant had lied about his birth date, and it
wouldn’t have been discovered if the researcher
hadn’t taken the time to dig deeper.
This story
points to the growing need for more extensive and thorough background
checks, one of a number of changing background screening best
practices. Before 9/11, background checking had simply been a formality
that protected companies from negligent hiring lawsuits; today
companies know it’s a necessity for ensuring a safe
workplace. And with today’s technology, it’s easier
than ever to order and manage employment background checks right from
your desktop.
Most
companies conduct some degree of background checking and have a
corporate policy in place. Today, however, firms are re-evaluating
these policies to make sure they’re as thorough as possible.
For example, chances are good that your company conducts checks on
applicants, but what about temporary workers, contract employees and
vendor employees with access to your facility, like security and
cleaning services? An effective background screening procedure should
include provisions for screening these kinds of workers. Some companies
even have policies requiring that all vendor employees are screened by
a background screening provider.
For a pre-employment screening program to be effective, organizations
must take more ownership of the background checking process. Hiring
managers and recruiters need to confirm the accuracy and consistency of
data provided by applicants and require multiple forms of
identification. As more stringent background screening processes are
put in place, many businesses are even re-checking existing employees
using these more thorough procedures.
International
screenings are another service area increasing in demand. Screening on
an international level requires that one navigate the laws, customs and
cultural expectations of each individual country. Because this can be a
complex and time-consuming task, many companies choose not to conduct
international searches. This is a mistake, though; as one company found
when it discovered that an employee had been convicted of murder in his
native country.
In order to
obtain a complete view of an applicant, there are a number of standard
searches that should be run on every applicant. The most important are:
criminal felony and misdemeanor court searches; education verification;
employment history; motor vehicle history (when appropriate);
employment credit (when appropriate) and drug testing. In addition, a
national criminal database check should be considered to provide a
wider search net. Tips and leads uncovered through a database
check should be verified at the county court level.
Additional searches should be considered or may even be mandated
depending on the type of position and the industry in which hiring is
taking place.
A motor vehicle records search, particularly for people who will be
driving as part of a job, can show how well a candidate has abided by
state automobile laws. Individuals with a history of traffic violations
or who have failed to deal responsibly with violations can put the
company at risk. Vehicular criminal offenses, such as DUIs and
outstanding warrants, can also be uncovered through motor vehicle
record searches.
Most
companies conduct some degree of background checking and have a
corporate policy in place. Today, however, firms are re-evaluating
these policies to make sure they’re as thorough as possible.
An education verification is also a critical element of a comprehensive
background check. A recent applicant claiming a degree in computer
science was found to have only completed a couple of semesters in
geology coursework. Degree forgery is also a possibility to guard
against, as there are masses of online services that sell look-alike
degrees from major universities.
Perhaps the greatest contributor to the misrepresentation of education
credentials today is the diploma mill. Diploma mills provide
a fast or even instant degree of your choice from a fictitious
university for a stated fee. Anyone who spends a fair amount
of time on e-mail most likely has seen a few unsolicited messages from
diploma mills offering such degrees. Be certain that the
screening provider you are working with maintains a list of known
diploma mills and checks all presented degrees against that list in the
education verification process.
In general, when confirming employment history, verify the dates of
employment and title, and require proof of salary since
that’s one of the most frequently misrepresented facts during
the interview process.
If drug tests are administered, savvy companies require that the test
be conducted within 24 hours after the request for a drug test is made.
While
these services are the most commonly utilized, there are numerous other
searches that should be considered depending on the type of position
you are hiring for and the industry in which your company
operates. Working with a reputable background screening
provider can help you determine exactly what makes sense for your
organization.
On the compliance front, domestic company background screening policies
must adhere to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which defines the
employer’s responsibilities when conducting background
checks. An employer must obtain written permission from an applicant
before conducting a check, and if the applicant will be denied
employment based on negative information from the report, the employer
must follow a set of notification procedures as defined in the FCRA.
The employer must also give the applicant reasonable time to dispute
the results.
Technology also
plays a significant role in the background screening process today,
ultimately reducing the time it takes to verify applicant background
information. Some counties have made court data available online, and
in some cases, a screener can use online services for verifying
education and employment. Managing a screening program has never been
easier with the availability of online ordering and status reports, so
the process can be managed from your desktop. At any time during the
background check, you should be able to securely view the status and
progress of your applicant’s background check via the Web.
By partnering with an employment screening firm that provides the
latest web-based tools and industry expertise your organization can
establish proactive and comprehensive policies to help ensure a safe
working environment for your employees.
Ron Lashier is Vice President of Investigative Services for HireRight,
a leading employment background screening company based in Irvine,
Calif. For more information, contact Cindy Anderson, HireRight at
(949)428-5956 or visit www.hireright.com.
Permission is needed from HireRight to reproduce any portion provided
in this article.
If
you would like additional information on this topic or others,
please contact your Human Resources department or Lighthouse Consulting
Services LLC, 3130 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Santa Monica,
CA
90403, (310) 453-6556, dana@lighthouseconsulting.com
& our website: www.lighthouseconsulting.com.
Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC provides a variety of services,
including in-depth personality assessments for new hires &
staff
development, team building, interpersonal & communication
training,
conflict management, workshops, and executive & employee
coaching.
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