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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!
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The calendar says that it’s 2017. 
Christmas was only a little over a week ago, yet it already seems like such a distant memory.
One of my neighbors had their decorations down completely by Noon on December 26. I watched as a maintenance worker began dismantling the tree in the lobby of our building at 8 AM on the first day back to work after Christmas.
So, by now the holidays are certainly over…right?
My mom always used to say that Christmas lasted AT LEAST until the three wise men made their way to the baby Jesus, which by traditional calendars is January 6, or the Feast of the Epiphany.
So, for me, I’m still celebrating the season. Although truth be told, I did take down the little wooden Christmas tree in my office on Tuesday.
Even though the calendar has turned over, this is still a perfect time to take stock of what’s important in our lives, embracing the spirit of the season (just past) and looking forward with hopeful anticipation to the year ahead.
It’s an opportunity to slow things down just a little bit after a holiday season that despite its length seems to always fly by in a blur as we conduct one frenzied search after another for the perfect gift that includes a coupon code for free shipping.
Not only do we so often forget the true meaning of the season, but in many cases, we find ourselves wishing that Christmas would hurry up and get over with.
Well, it is. Over.
But let’s not despair. The wise men aren’t here yet and baby new year is still in diapers, so there’s still time to embrace the reflective spirit of the holiday season.
With that in mind, I’d like to remind all of my family, friends, clients and coworkers to take a moment to reflect on what’s really important. And not just today, this week, or month, but year-round.
It’s time for God. It’s time for family. It’s time for you. Make the most of your time.
Let’s make 2017 the best year ever!
And even though it’s only 354 days till Christmas, let’s not rush it.
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CINCINNATI, OH – Although it is a leading technology and information-based company that usually LOOKS FORWARD to the latest innovations and integrations to better serve its customer base, once again this holiday season SELECTiON.COM® took time to GIVE BACK to the local community in which it is headquartered.
Photo: Pressley Ridge Ornament on the SELECTiON.COM® Giving Tree
A faith-based organization, SELECTiON.COM® regularly gives thanks for its many blessings, the greatest of which is its thoughtful and caring staff. For Christmas 2016, the company embraced an initiative first suggested by a few employees who arranged a “giving tree” partnership with a local charity and the children they serve.
Pressley Ridge is a national non-profit that provides educational opportunities, foster care connections, residential options, and community-based support for children and their families. The Pressley Ridge of Southwest Ohio Chapter hosts a giving tree event every year, where individuals or companies can donate toys to children.
As part of this tradition, SELECTiON.COM® set up a Christmas Tree in the lobby of their Tri-County offices upon which were placed custom Pressley Ridge ornaments. Each ornament provided detailed information about a child, including name, age, interests, hobbies and their Christmas wish list.
Pressley Ridge coordinated the project from start to finish, even sending additional ornaments as the demand grew.
As a result, SELECTiON.COM® helped make Christmas a little bit more magical for 28 local children. Additionally, the team collected spare change during the season and raised nearly $500 in gift cards to purchase additional gifts for the children at Pressley Ridge.
For more information about the Pressley Ridge Giving Tree program visit http://www.pressleyridge.org/.
Photo: SELECTiON.COM® Verification Specialist JoAnna Edwards as Santa’s Helper
ABOUT PRESSLEY RIDGE
Pressley Ridge provides services in Education, Treatment Foster Care, Residential, and Community-based programs to over 5,400 children and families annually, in six states as well as internationally in Portugal and Hungary. For almost two centuries Pressley Ridge has served society by caring for its most vulnerable members with a basic philosophy that aspires “to change the world one child at a time”. www.pressleyridge.org
ABOUT SELECTiON.COM®
SELECTiON.COM® is a nationwide provider of criminal and pre-employment background screenings, also referred to as a Consumer Reporting Agency. Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, SELECTiON.COM® is a veteran-owned company that has been in business since 1991 and offers more than 21 background and data collection services. www.selection.com
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In today’s world, where information is extremely important, how do you know you’re getting the correct information? Especially when you are making hiring decisions based off of this information. 
One major component is to make sure you’re entering and providing the most accurate information possible. A single typo can throw off the whole background screening process.
So, how do you know you have the correct information on an individual? Some rely solely on trusting the applicant, while others check photo ID’s to confirm the information. However, retrieving the correct information is only the first step. The second step is making sure to enter the correct information.
Some background checks run on Name and Date of Birth or through Social Security Numbers. If one letter or number is incorrect, it could possibly skew the results in their entirety. This could be the difference between a great hire and risky hire that could potentially be a liability to the company.
Since there is no way to tell if the information provided is inaccurate, the system is going to run the full background check report with the name and information you provided. If a typo is missed or you enter the wrong data, we have to start the request over from the beginning. Both scenarios cost additional time and money to correct.
At SELECTiON.COM® we stress the importance of reviewing this vital information. Before you can submit an applicant for screening you should check the review page to make sure everything has been entered correctly. It’s important for both applicants and employers to understand how important correct information can be.
We do this because the correct information is so vital to complete an accurate background check. Always remember, the information you receive is only as good as the information you provide.
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In order to do a complete and comprehensive background check for potential employees, most companies request Social Security Numbers (SSN.)
But what happens if an applicant refuses to disclose their SSN?
It’s important that your company have a policy in place regarding SSN Disclosure. Depending on whether your company is hiring employees or volunteers, your policy may differ.
For employees—there is no way around SSN Disclosure. Providing a Social Security Number is an important step in the background check process. It provides information that Name and Date of Birth simply would not. And according to the Federal Privacy Act of 1974, companies are allowed to require SSN disclosure for various reasons. There are no legal protections that allow applicants to refuse to provide their SSN.
For volunteers—it can depend on your company’s views. It is not 100% necessary to require your volunteers to disclose. However, like we stated above, Social Security Numbers give you access to information about potential volunteers that you may need. If you do not require volunteers to disclose you cannot, however, obtain certain types of reports, e.g. Social Security Number Trace Reports, some County Criminal Reports, etc. A lot of reports just simply cannot be run without SSNs.
For potential employees, it is not “illegal” to require them to disclose their SSN. And in order to protect your business and employees, it is necessary. For potential volunteers, it will depend on your company’s policy and which type of reports you want to run.
Background checks can be tricky and with so many laws and regulations it can be hard to keep track. The best response to an applicant not disclosing their SSN, is to follow your company’s policy and consult with a company lawyer. And since an applicant’s Social Security Number is not protected under current law, it can be required.
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.
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Employers, and subsequently Human Resources personnel, are constantly seeking to recruit and hire the best applicants available. With a large applicant pool it can be difficult to differentiate one qualified applicant from another. Effective pre-employment assessments can certainly identify the skill set of each applicant to help narrow the field but there is more to be considered.
Every employer wants to build from a base of trust with each employee and verifying the information that an applicant provides is essential to a solid relationship. Beyond the trust factor is the duty of an employer to provide a safe environment for employees and ultimately the market that they serve.
Without a sufficient background check the employer runs the risk of being held negligent for any problems that the employee causes in the performance of their duties. Due diligence in the form of a pre-employment background check can identify a foreseeable risk that can mean the difference between a valuable resource or a liability for the employer.
Components of the Background Check
- Social Security Number Check and Validation: A Social Security Number is unique to each individual. The Social Security Number Check provides information about the names and addresses associated with a given Social Security Number. In addition to providing name and address information for comparison against what is provided on the application, a Social Security Number Check is used to derive addresses in order to conduct the personal history information search. Social Security Number Validation does not tie the Social Security Number to the applicant. It only provides an indication that the number may be accurate.
- Criminal Court Record History: There are two entirely separate court systems in the United States – federal courts and county courts – and a search of one system does not include a search of the other. Each system operates under its own set of rules and has its own courthouses, clerks’ offices, indexes, and judges. As such, criminal history records are contained as follows:
- Local/County Court: Also, known as a “court record search,” this search requires a direct examination of the digital records of a county courthouse to determine if the applicant has a record at that court. Most often a court record search requires physical access to obtain information or simply to obtain copies of dispositions for review.
- Statewide Criminal History Information: There are two varieties of statewide information. The first is a state repository managed by a division of state law enforcement. The second is actual court data from a statewide case management system. Even when available both types of sources have limitations and advantages. The advantages are a single point of access for an entire state with one search. If that state has many courts with statutory access fees, a single access fee may be less expensive than a search of indicated counties separately. A disadvantage, with respect to a case management system, is that not all counties may have become activated on the system at the same time and there may be inconsistencies in how the system is used from county to county. Many law enforcement repositories have been shown to lack current case updates or dispositions. Both types may suffer from delays in entering information, high access fees, or very long turnaround times for results. Additionally, it may not be clear what data is included and what is not.
The site may provide conviction records only or may provide non-conviction records as well. In response to increased use and heightened privacy concerns, many records will not be publicly available if mandated internal documentation is missing, and useful identifiers, such as a date of birth, a driver’s license number, and a Social Security number, are often redacted rendering the data useful only as an initial index search. The most accurate, current, and reliable criminal history information is found at the court of origin, not in any repository.
Nevertheless, statewide criminal history information may have a place in an employer’s background program. (Florida, for example, provides an employer a measure of protection against negligent hiring lawsuits if that employer specifically included a check of the state repository as one element of a background screen.) As with all aspects of pre-employment background screening, the decision to use statewide criminal history information should be considered in the context of an employer’s complete pre-employment background screening program and the advice of counsel.
- Federal Court (District, Nationwide): This is a search for a record of a federal offense in one or more of 94 U.S. federal district courts. Federal offenses include crimes committed on federal property (government office, national park, etc.) and violations of the US Federal Criminal Statutes. It is imperative the user obtain additional identifiers on the result prior to making any decision. Additional identifiers are found on a Judgment and Conviction page. If the federal offense did not result in a conviction, there will be no identifiers, and the result should not be used.
- Propriety databases: These databases are offered and run by specific Consumer Reporting Agencies and contain negative history information about subjects. Data may include State Sex Offender registries, corrections records and assorted criminal records. The sites may not have complete identifiers and caution should be taken to verify the match with the applicant. In addition, although these services are marketed as “National Criminal Files” they are not comprehensive in any state and should not be used as a standalone for criminal research.
Criminal History and identity verification should be considered as basic elements of your background check. The level of research should be determined by the risk associated with the given position. To avoid complications with equal employment opportunity, the same level of background check should be applied to all candidates for the same position.
Additionally, if the position requires handling cash, or goods that are easily convertible to cash, a Credit Report is advisable.
Similarly, if the position requires driving a company car, or the applicant’s own car on company business, a state Motor Vehicle Report is recommended.
There are still more options for creating a thorough pre-employment screening. Some of those include: A Prior Employment Verification, an Education / Degree Verification, a Professional License Certification, a Character Reference and a Drug Screening.
At SELECTiON.COM® we offer a la carte pricing on more than 25 different reports and bundled packages created by client specifically meeting the needs for the industry or the position being filled.
Contact us today to see how SELECTiON.COM® can take your employment background check process to the next level.
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.
