Blog, Resources
by Brian Huseman, Satisfaction Executive
SELECTiON.COM®
How does your hiring process account for data security?
With the recent surge in security breaches at companies like Equifax, Yahoo, Verizon and Uber, just to name a few, it may be past time for your company to review how the personal information that you share is handled by your partners.
According to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any detailed data that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other personal or identifying information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual.
PII, simply put, must be securely handled to ensure that it does not fall into the wrong hands.
Examples of PII that must be secured include the following:
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Date of Birth with Name
- Home Address
- Driver’s License Number
- Even a partial SSN, if it is shown along with Name and/or Address
Some immediate areas that should be reviewed are:
- Who needs to see it?
- What needs to be seen?
- Can the sensitive information be communicated securely?
Interoffice communications are some of the primary targets of hackers and consideration must be given to the information that is required to communicate effectively.
In addition, storage of PII should only be done within secure systems with limited access to non-essential personnel and should always provide a record of who is accessing the information.
At SELECTiON.COM® we take data security very seriously.
Secured Login, Computer Generated Passwords, Multiple Firewall Protection and Encrypted Email are just some of the measures utilized to secure your sensitive data.
SELECTiON.COM® personnel are put through ongoing training in handling client data and effective communications.
Access to information is limited to only the personnel that hold the highest security clearance and regular audits are conducted to identify areas that may require additional attention.
Our client’s privacy and data security are paramount to us and we are unyielding in our efforts to protect the information with which we are entrusted.
Contact us today to see how SELECTiON.COM® works to protect you and your client’s data.
NOTE: The contents of this article are not legal advice for your particular situation. You should neither act nor rely upon anything stated in this article without first consulting your own legal counsel.
Blog
Companies are not all created equal, and for that matter, neither is customer service.
However, when it comes to the customers themselves, most will agree on one thing: customer service is the top reason that they continue doing business with any company after the initial sale.
On a level playing field, customers return to businesses that make them feel valued.
In most cases, that begins with the very first phone call.
Think about it.
The last time you called a business concerning a purchase that you made or were considering, how did that call go? Did a computerized answering system make you feel as though finding answers to your questions was not going to be easy? Were you transferred, put on hold, asked to call back, or given bad information?
Did you verbally sigh at any point during the conversation, or call attempt?
Sales and customer service calls should always be answered by a person. At worst, an automated phone system should provide the caller with the most direct route for reaching someone who can assist in addressing the customer’s needs.
At SELECTiON.COM® we make each call a priority. We recognize how important it is to listen carefully, to not only more fully understand the needs of our clients, but to demonstrate for our customers our overwhelming desire to help.
Our customer service team consistently averages 94% or better in client satisfaction ratings.
Our team of highly qualified and knowledgeable associates is available from 8am to 8pm, Monday through Friday, via phone or online chat. Trained to listen carefully, our staff makes each call or chat a priority.
“I highly recommend SELECTiON.COM®! As a small recruiting company, I want to ensure I thoroughly understand what a background check can and cannot do. I have asked multiple questions over the years to ensure a complete understanding. The folks have gone out of their way to answer questions. In the rare instance they didn’t know the answer, they conferenced in their in-house attorney. Now that is excellent customer service! I use SELECTiON.COM® because of their great service.”
– Renee Fulton, President, Talis Group Inc.
Our approach to handling inbound calls is designed to provide service that exceeds our customer’s expectations. That’s a big part of the reason why we have many customers who have been with SELECTiON.COM® since day one, going on nearly 27 years.
How can we help you to become a raving fan?
Blog
The Case for a Hiring Audit-
If your work requires you to manage multiple tasks to achieve a desired outcome, then a periodic audit should be part of your annual plan.
But, why an audit instead of a review?
A review of current processes typically looks at how, when, why and how much money is spent? Whereas an audit is a deep analysis of the steps in the process to see how they impact the final outcome. Consider an audit as a step by step look at the how, when & why of your daily activity.
Let’s take a look at Hiring…
Here is the typical review:
How – Post a job ad. Collect applications/resumes. Determine qualified applicants. Conduct interviews or skills assessments. Select the best candidates.
When – At the time that a need for Human Resources is presented.
Why – To fill a need for Human Resources.
How Much $ – Cost of advertising. Cost of time spent reviewing applications, conducting interviews or skill assessments. Cost of orientation/on-boarding.
Here is how an audit goes deeper:
Posting the job ad:
Is the job ad providing the necessary information for job seekers to understand the requirements and culture of the position? Is it clear and concise?
What advertising resources have been most successful in producing the best candidates? Are there unexplored options that may be more effective?
Collecting applications/resumes:
How are job seekers able to submit their interest in your positions? Should there be multiple options? Do these methods enable you to work with the best candidates? Do these methods streamline the process of reviewing candidates? Are there unexplored options that may be more effective?
Determine qualified applicants:
What factors are most important for this position? Are you able to identify and quickly communicate with desirable applicants?
Interview/assessment of qualified candidates:
Is the interview/assessment conducted soon enough to reach the best candidates?
Are questions or tests measuring the key factors for success in this position?
When evaluating potential employees are you screening based upon the risk associated with this position? i.e. employee theft, sensitive information, company reputation, danger of physical harm, etc.
Are interviews/assessments conducted in compliance with Federal & State laws concerning equal employment opportunity, discrimination, prior informed consent & notification, etc.?
Do the results of interviews/assessments allow you to move quickly to the next step in your hiring process?
This example covers the HOW of your hiring process. The Audit of any process should include multiple sets of eyes and also use metrics to determine effectiveness. An outside expert may be your best option for gathering data as they are not impacted by the results.
Here at SELECTiON.COM®, we have many different resources to help your company make the best hiring decisions. If you aren’t conducting a yearly audit of your hiring process, we recommend you do!
For help in conducting an audit of your hiring process please contact SELECTiON.COM®.
Blog
Most HR Professionals have experienced losing an “A” candidate due to delays in the hiring process.
A recent study published by Management Recruiters International (MRI) showed that “47% of declined offers in 2015 were due to candidates accepting other jobs” between application and offer. A statistic that was “up 10% from the first half of the year.”
As is most often the case, an applicant with one company is usually also actively seeking employment with other companies concurrently.
For that reason alone, timeliness is a big part of the hiring process.
Establishing a process that gathers the required information and insights on potential applicants is key to success in Human Resources, as it can drastically reduce the amount of time between application, mutual interest, offer and acceptance.
Here are a few suggestions in review of your process:
1. Job Posting – Promote the benefits of the position and organization. Clearly define requirements and job duties.With well-developed job postings, you can decrease the time spent with unqualified candidates.
Additionally, track which postings give you the best results and replicate those for future openings. 
2. Application – An application that gathers key information and eliminates extraneous details can save time and improve the number of qualified applicants you receive.
Is it necessary to gather a lifetime of work experience or are you more interested in experience related to the position? Perhaps a full work history can be gathered a later time.
DO have all applicants complete a release form for a background check along with the application. You don’t have to run a background check on every release form received, but you also don’t want to have to wait for release once you find that highly-qualified candidate
3. Interview/Assessment – If your application gathers the right information and you identify a qualified applicant, you want to move quickly to schedule interviews or get assessments.
We know there are marginal candidates that you can wait to hear from but the “A” candidates are looking for a positive response. Get to know them with follow-up questions, assessments or interviews right away.
4. Background Check/Offer – Most successful companies make a job offer contingent on background check results or they run a background check prior to making an offer. Background checks are very important to your hiring strategy and the expediency of the process can dramatically shorten or lengthen the hiring window.SELECTiON.COM® will help sharpen your hiring strategy by providing quicker turn-around times on all your background check needs.
Developing, and consistently reviewing, a successful hiring process will help your company land more of the best candidates…BEFORE they accept an offer from your competition!
Contact SELECTiON.COM® to review your hiring process and explore the value that we can offer your organization.
Blog
If you are utilizing the Government’s right to work program, E-Verify, you may be interested in the following.
Many organizations grow through acquisition. Expanding into a new territory or market can bring great opportunities for a growing company.
But, how do these acquisitions impact HR, particularly when it comes to participation in E-Verify?
As the HR representative for a company using E-Verify, you are aware that once you begin using the system you must run all new employees through the program within 3 days of their start.
The question then becomes, when you add employees through the acquisition of another company, how does the government expect me to handle this?
According to the E-Verify customer support team, here are your options:
- Make all acquired employees fill out new I-9 forms and submit them through the E-Verify program, as if they were newly hired.
- OR, accept the current I-9 forms, from the acquired company and NOT put the newly acquired employees through the E-Verify system.
If you choose the second option you must understand that you are accepting the existing I-9 forms as valid and you become responsible for any irregularities in those forms. So, if there is an audit of employment eligibility and there are any problems with those I-9 forms you will be held responsible.
If you are contemplating this scenario it is in your best interest to review the I-9 forms before determining the direction you will take. If you cannot perform this review your best option will likely be to have the acquired employees fill out a new I-9 forms.
