Employment Screening Newsletters

Merchants' Employment Screening Newsletter

November 2009 - Screening Temporary Workers in Today’s Recovering Economy

"There is no questioning the dramatic effect the down economy has had on employment over the past 18 months. Organizations have made several cutbacks to conserve their financial resources and learned how to optimize performance with a diminished staff. As the economy starts to show signs of recovery, it is predicted that many companies will look to staffing agencies and individual contractors to ramp-up their workforce. As evidence of this trend, earlier this month, the U.S. Labor Department reported that 44,000 temporary jobs were added since July, including 34,000 last month alone. Companies are hiring temporary workers with the intention of transitioning them to permanent hires as the economy gains footing."

October 2009 - Is Instant Drug Screening Right for Your Organization?

"In the last five to ten years there has been an emerging trend for organizations to employ FDA-approved instant drug screening products as opposed to the traditional lab-based urinalysis. Instant technologies are, by their nature, faster (instant!), harder to "cheat", and can be just as accurate as traditional drug screening, while remaining far less expensive."

September 2009 - Finding the best applicants in a down economy: What do the experts say?

"In a struggling economy, protecting your company from dishonest employees is more important than ever. How, then, can you protect yourself? At the very least, you should check every applicant for criminal history."

August 2009 - Background Check; An Under-Appreciated Value

"The current economic recession has caused individuals, families, and businesses across the globe to examine their expenses, eliminate or reduce unnecessary expenditures and defer some of the needed expenses. Times truly are more difficult and expenses must be reduced, but there are some activities that every business should not be without, as the consequences of their absence exceed their cost. Amidst the ongoing financial belt-tightening, it is encouraging to discover that most employers choose not to skimp on pre-employment background checks."

July 2009 - What is the true value of a new hire?

"In this age of technology, a business can’t be too careful when screening potential job candidates before hiring them. Take for example a Redondo Beach Arco convenience store owner, who hired an employee who, after spuriously interjecting himself into the unwitting owners trust through a series of sophisticated larcenous machinations, installed a credit card skimmer on a gas pump. The once deemed "model employee," worked for several months to attain a position in which he could carry out his devious acts. Before he disappeared, he had stolen over $7,500 in merchandise, equipment, and scanned over 1,000 names with the skimmer. Eventually several of those cardholders became victims of identity theft, thus proving that not only does a bad hire cost you time and money to onboard and train them, but there are tangential items to consider:"

June 2009 - Five ways to get the most out of your Background Screening process

"In this economy we are all trying to find ways to get more for our money; employment background screening is no different. There are ways to enhance your results and minimize your risks, all without spending any money, just by better utilizing your existing screening solution. Here are some ways to discover potential mistakes your organization or your screening provider are making in the screening process, and how to resolve them.

1. You can do TOO much of a good thing

Ask yourself: "what position am I hiring for?" If that answer is an entry-level, blue-collar position, and you are still ordering credit verifications and education histories, you are probably over-spending for this position. Background screening is about both balance and due diligence. As an example, driving histories can be reserved for those positions dedicated to driving vehicles, whereas county criminal searches are necessary for all candidates. A good background screening solution provider will be able to assist you in determining the best searches to utilize for each position within your organization and enable you to set up search bundles (packages) for each different job level to best suit the needs of each specific position. "

May 2009 - Applicant Tracking Systems -- Catch and Ride the Wave

"Our Pre-Employment Background Screening practice requires that we work closely with our client-partners. As a result of that close relationship, we are able to observe many of the trends which influence hiring practices that affect employers across the country. One significant trend we have begun to notice is the adoption of an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). A significant and growing proportion of our client base has deployed an ATS to help during their hiring process.

Interestingly, this trend did not stop or even slow as we entered the current recession, as the adoption of an ATS provides the means to alleviate unnecessary expenses previously embedded within the hiring process. Winning those cost savings was essential in securing approval to commit company resources during difficult financial times. An ATS can greatly streamline the hiring process, multiply the efforts of a small recruitment staff, and give performance feedback to managers. "

April 2009 - How to Avoid the Top 5 Hiring Nightmares

"Sometimes it is best to use an unfortunate time or event to reevaluate our standards, procedures, and goals. One could argue that the current economic state is one of those times; in fact, it is and will continue to have unprecedented impact on every-day business life. One reality that makes this even more impactful is that there are many without jobs, therefore the labor pool is deep and robust. This is the perfect time to evaluate who is working for us and how our procedures and practices affect companies’ future performance.

It is for this reason that we decided to poll hiring managers, HR executives, recruiters and safety managers for their "Hiring Nightmares". Despite due diligence during the hiring process, the number of problem employees continues to rise, and the only way to fix this problem is to identify the causes and find ways to avoid them in the future. We now have the time to evaluate and the labor pool to accommodate."

March 2009 - How to Avoid Faulty Background Screening: 5 Insider Tips

"Are you confident that you hire the best applicants each and every time? Are you properly and effectively utilizing your existing background screening solution when vetting candidates, to its fullest potential?

Pre-employment background checks are an essential part of the recruiting and onboarding process for all new job candidates. When properly performed and the limitations understood, a background check will aid in distinguishing high-quality applicants, from undesired ones. Here are five tips to help ensure your background screening solution is an effective and reliable tool:"

February 2009 - Gaining Back Control: How To Detect Lies On a Resume

"Due to the current economic climate creating jobless rates nearing double-digits, candidates are finding themselves in ever-more competitive situations. The end result is far more candidates are stretching the truth in a variety of ways on their resume. Like it or not, people lie on their resumes!"