Blog
Many employers today not only run a criminal history on their applicants, but prior employment verifications, as well. Running this type of report on your applicant can help you determine if you have chosen the right candidate for the position based on an honest assessment of past work experiences.
Especially since they know that their information is going to be verified by a third party, it also compels your applicants to be honest with you about their previous employers, dates of employment and positions held.
Although Employment Verifications are a key component in running a background check, some may take a while to complete.
Why, you ask? 
Here are some reasons why Prior Employment Verifications may take a little longer to complete.
- The client or applicant does not provide a phone number for the previous employer.
- When an applicant does not list a phone number for their former supervisor or employer, it may take additional time (and multiple requests) to track down a new number. Without a direct line to a supervisor, it may also increase the amount of time to work through the corporate offices.
- The supervisor’s name that was provided, no longer works for the company.
- If the supervisor listed is no longer employed with the company, we must contact HR directly. Contacting HR may take longer than talking to a direct supervisor, because HR has more requests and employee records. Plus, HR is less likely to provide complete or detailed information.
- The company is out of business.
- When an applicant lists a company that is out of business, it is almost impossible to complete a verification. Without direct access to former employees or management, the applicant may have to source personal contact information from previous supervisors.
- The previous employer asks for a “wet” signature release form from the applicant to be faxed to them.
- All applicants are asked to provide an electronic signature via our SELECTiON.COM® online dashboard, Fastrax Select®. However, some HR policies require a physical signature. In such cases, the applicant will be required to take the extra step of submitting a fax or email copy of a physically signed document.
- The prior employer only uses third-party providers.
- If an employer refuses to give verification over the phone and/or uses a third-party provider, SELECTiON.COM® must follow a different path to complete the verification. add third-party providers are usually fee-based and will add extra cost to the process, in addition to requiring approval from the applicant and the client.
- The employer no longer has the applicant in their archived system.
- Most employers don’t keep records forever. If an applicant lists a very old employment, we may be unable to verify due to the age of the record, or may not be able to spend the time necessary to source archive documents.
- Large corporations have several locations and the client/applicant only enters in the company name.
- Without detailed information, it makes it much harder to complete an employment verification. Most times if a specific location is not listed, we are forced to go through corporate HR. With large corporations that have multiple franchise owners this can be especially difficult.
At SELECTiON.COM®, our In-House Verification Department will help improve your workflow by making these calls for you after gathering basic, yet IMPORTANT, data (e.g. supervisor name, company name and phone number) prior to beginning the process.
SELECTiON.COM® will make the first attempt to reach the previous employer(s), as provided by the client or applicant, within 24 hours of the order date. Our logs notes are up-to-date and in real-time, so you can always see the exact status of your request.
The time it takes for us to complete an employment verification can differ depending on the circumstances. Here at SELECTiON.COM®, we pride ourselves on being prepared for any circumstance thrown our way.
Our employment verifications are an essential part of any background screening process and we do our best to complete them in a timely manner. The quickest way to complete any employment screening is to remind applicants to provide the most up-to-date and current information.
Check out: https://selection.com/employment-verification-check/ for more information on how we can help you complete employment verification today!
Blog
By Julie F. Burke
November 21, 2016
Knowing the background of your applicant can be the greatest indicator of their ability to do their job. There are many different types of background checks that can be run on your applicants and you want to make sure your background screening program is customized to be industry and job specific. Flexible and tailored background screening solutions will help provide a safe and secure workplace.
State and Federal Regulations
Certain states mandate specific background checks due to regulations. Typically these industries have employees or volunteers who care for or have custody of youth or the elderly. This would include school employees, day care, nursing homes and other organizations.
EEOC Regulations and Disparate Impact
The EEOC specifies that the nature of the job is more than just job title; evaluation of specific duties, essential functions, and environment all need to be considered. Even a seemingly neutral background check policy can have an adverse / disparate impact on certain protected groups. Title VII Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from using neutral tests or selection procedures that have the effect of disproportionately excluding persons based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, where the tests or selection procedures are not “job-related and consistent with business necessity.” This is called “disparate impact” discrimination.
Job Specific
Here are some key questions you should consider when developing your background check program.
- What is unique about your industry and the applicants you hire?
This is an important question so your background screening provider can create several different combined reports based on the positions within your company.
- Will the applicant be handling cash?
If so, you will want to include a Credit Report and Character Reference. This will help determine how they handle their own financing as well as others’ perceptions of your applicant.
- Will the applicant be working with children or elderly people?
As stated above, some states mandate fingerprinting applicants that work with these individuals. But, you also may want to add in a National Criminal Database or Sex Offender search, to cover all bases.
- Will the applicant be driving a company vehicle during work hours?
If your insurance does not cover this, it is appropriate and advisable to run a Motor Vehicle Report on your applicants. This way, you can protect your company by not having drivers with a suspended license and/or too many points off their license operating machinery or motor vehicles.
- Are past employment verifications/education verifications important for this position?
Organizations/Companies must uphold their credibility. For example, if you are hiring an applicant to teach at a University, you would want to make sure they have the appropriate degrees they specified in order to teach a class. Or, that a CPA actually worked for a certain accounting firm.
A quality background screening company should ask these types of questions in order to put together a background check that is industry specific. You don’t want to be stuck with just a “standard” background check that doesn’t cover all of the areas you really need.
SELECTiON.COM® provides the comprehensive and customizable screening solutions needed for your industry. Visit us today at https://selection.com/industry-specific-background-checks/ to see the industry solutions we already have in place.
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
By Julie F. Burke
October 21, 2016
The staffing industry faces some unique challenges when it comes to performing background checks and making sure they provide their clients with the best employees possible. Below are the top three problems they face and how each can be overcome.
Need for Fast & Accurate Results
Hiring the right person is tough. It is even harder to get a background check with accurate and timely results. Being in a fast-paced industry, with applicants waiting to be placed in a company, slow background check results can cost time and money, affecting the bottom line. Not to mention, the needless frustration it can cause for the client. Inaccurate results can lead to an applicant missing out on a job opportunity and/or a client losing a potential employee.
Customer Support When You Need It
Background check results are not always crystal clear. Case information and terminology differs from state to state. Staffing Consultants often need an answer right away while viewing criminal history reports. It is imperative that customer support be available to answer questions instantly, whether it is by phone or chat. If they do not receive this support immediately, it can cause missed opportunities for everyone concerned.
Compliance
FCRA stands for the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If for any reason, in whole or in part, a staffing company decides not to hire or place an applicant due to their background check, the company is obligated to notify the applicant. FCRA guidelines mandate that the company must send the applicant a Pre-Decision Letter notifying them of the potential for adverse action based upon information uncovered during the pre-employment screening. This initial mailing must also include a copy of their background check and a Consumer Rights Letter. After that, it’s required that the company wait the appropriate number of days and then mail an Adverse Action Letter notifying the applicant that they have not been eliminated from further consideration.
Failure to follow the above proper procedures could lead to litigation. Staffing companies need an easy process to match their industry in order to be compliant with the FCRA regulations.
Solutions
SELECTiON.COM® has solutions for all of the above challenges. Our proprietary national criminal database, Search America®, is a perfect solution for the fast paced staffing industry. Most commonly paired with our Social Security Number Trace report, it 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 review by our dedicated Quality Assurance Department before being sent back to the client. These reports with criminal records, once reviewed, are sent back within 2-3 business hours.
Customer service representatives at SELECTiON.COM® have a tenure of 7.5 years in the industry. These knowledgeable representatives are all available via email, phone or our instant LIVE CHAT. In addition, our Verification Specialists and IT Department are in-house and easy to reach.
We keep our clients FCRA compliant with the click of a button on our proprietary web portal, Fastrax Select™. We offer pre-populated Pre-Decision and Adverse Action Letters free of charge on our website. Or, by checking a box, our clients can choose to have our in-house staff do the mailings for them.
Contact SELECTiON.COM® today for your background screening solution.
Julie F. Burke
800-325-3609 ex. 3027
Blog
By Julie F. Burke
August 22, 2016
The retail industry faces some unique challenges when it comes to performing background checks and making sure they hire the best employees possible. Based upon my experience working with retailers nationwide, here are the top three problems most of my clients have dealt with at one time or another, along with some suggestions for overcoming each one.
Theft
Shoplifting by customers lags a distant second to employee theft for most retailers and that can make hiring the right person incredibly important. Getting a background check with accurate and timely results can be equally difficult. While theft is a top concern for retailers, sometimes you cannot see that pattern unless the applicant has actually been convicted of a crime. What you can see are specific incidents or a work history with a pattern that lead to this 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
Background check results are not always crystal clear. Case information and terminology differ from state to state. Human Resource Managers and Compliance Officers often need an answer right away while viewing criminal history reports. 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
FCRA stands for the Fair Credit Reporting Act. 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. If for any reason, in whole or in part, a Retailer decides not to hire or place an applicant due to their background check, the company must send the applicant a “Pre-Decision Letter”, copy of their background check and a Consumer Rights Letter.
After that, it’s required that the company wait the appropriate number of days and then mail an “Adverse Action Letter” to the applicant. Failure to follow the above proper procedures could lead to litigation. Retailers need an easy process to match their industry in order to be compliant with FCRA regulations.
SELECTiON.COM® will help 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.
Solutions
SELECTiON.COM® has solutions for all of the above challenges. We can customize your reports for part-time, full-time and managerial positions. Our Social Security Number Trace report, County Criminal History Reports and our proprietary national criminal database, Search America®, provide a perfect solution for the fast paced retail industry. 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 with criminal records, once reviewed, are transmitted within 2-3 business hours. Furthermore, we can add a Credit Report to the Management Reports.
Customer service representatives at SELECTiON.COM® have a tenure of 7.5 years in the industry. Our entire team, from part-time researcher to CEO, is accessible by phone or email and LIVE help via an online chat portal is available M-F, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (EST). Our Verification Specialists and IT Department are in-house and easy to reach.
Contact SELECTiON.COM® today for your customized background screening solution.
Julie F. Burke
Associate Vice President of Sales
800-325-3609 ex. 3027
