by Julie F. Burke, Vice President of Sales
SELECTiON.COM®
The retail industry faces some unique challenges when it comes to performing background checks during the Holiday season and hiring the best employees possible.
Based upon my experience working in the retail industry for over 15 years and working here with retail clients at SELECTiON.COM® for more than ten, I have identified the top three problems most of my clients have dealt with at one time or another during the Holiday season.
THEFT
Crowded stores, overly-stressed employees working long holiday hours and an influx of seasonal staff combine to create the perfect recipe for increased employee theft.
Shoplifting by customers is a distant second to employee theft for most retailers, which is especially true during the holidays and that can make hiring the right person incredibly important.
According to a recent study by Jack L. Hayes International, “employee theft is about six times as much as shoplifters.”
Even the savviest interviewers cannot merely see the criminal element in an applicant. The only way to truly know is to check their criminal background and work history for specific incidents that indicate such behavior.
Knowing the background of your applicant can be your greatest indicator of their ability to do their job with honesty and integrity.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Unfortunately, some background check results are not always crystal clear. Case information and terminology differ from state to state.
Human Resource Managers and Risk/Safety Managers often need an answer right away while viewing criminal history reports, especially when hiring seasonal help.
It is imperative that customer support is available to answer questions instantly, whether by phone or Live Chat. If they do not receive support in a timely and efficient fashion, it can cause missed opportunities for everyone concerned.
COMPLIANCE
Retailers need an easy process to match their industry to be compliant with Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulations.
Failure to follow proper FCRA procedures could lead to litigation.
The FCRA dictates that an applicant / volunteer / current employee be given a clear and conspicuous disclosure that a consumer report (background check) may be procured for employment purposes during the application process.
SOLUTIONS
SELECTiON.COM® has solutions for all of the above challenges.
SELECTiON.COM® stays up-to-date on all FCRA regulations and provides the tools to keep you compliant with the click of a button via our proprietary web portal, Fastrax Select®. We offer pre-populated Pre-Decision and Adverse Action Letters free of charge on your custom dashboard, or by checking a box, our clients can choose to have our in-house staff do the mailings for them.
We suggest that you run a background check on ALL employees including seasonal hires. SELECTiON.COM® can customize your reports for part-time, full-time, seasonal hiring and managerial positions.
These customized reports include our Social Security Number Trace report, County Criminal History Reports and our proprietary national criminal database, Search America®.
Our Search America® Report provides a multi-jurisdictional search of criminal record databases and Government Watch lists including correction records and Sex Offender registries from all 50 states. In addition to clear results being INSTANT, records found are personally reviewed by our dedicated Quality Assurance Department before being sent back to the client.
These reports combined with our first class customer service, provides the perfect solution for the fast-paced retail industry.
Customer service representatives at SELECTiON.COM® have a tenure of 7.5 years in the industry. Our entire team is available by phone, email and our online chat portal. Customer service hours are M-F, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (EST) and during the 2017 holidays we are closed ONLY on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and Christmas Day.
Contact SELECTiON.COM® today for your customized background screening solution.
