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
Blog
Database searches can be a valuable tool in combination with other background check reports, but remember, they are not a true national criminal history report. If your current background check provider claims that their database has ALL counties in the United States or even calls their report a national criminal history report, think again. We will outline below a few facts that prevent this from being possible.
Not all counties are online
There is a great variance in the technology used in county courthouses. Some counties still have ledger books or microfilm for storage of court records. Although electronic records may be available they often require Clerk searches to provide details on the case.
Many courts charge access fees
Budgets have been squeezed at all levels of government, leading administrators to look for additional sources of revenue. Access to court records is now viewed as a revenue stream by many local governments. Court access fees have become the norm through the United States.
State Laws Vary
Federal regulations set the standard but several states have instituted restrictions that are different when it comes to reporting crimes. Other states have restrictions as to what can be released when a database is being created; full information is not made available for this purpose. Some repositories simply won’t release the information to be included in a database…period. As referenced above, to some governments, both state and local, this is a source of revenue based on individual searches that are paid for at the time of the search. A database search doesn’t make them any money so they won’t release information in this manner.
Not all laws are equal
Searching court systems for individuals is very complex; spelling, compound names, middle names / initials, those that utilize a nickname or AKA and missing identifiers are just a few examples. Courthouses may offer some help with this in their programs when utilizing on-site methods but those methods are simply not available with a database search. More importantly, not all laws are the same from courthouse to courthouse. In New Jersey, for example, there is no such thing as a felony. Try putting all this information about cases and laws into a database search, and the results will be inconsistent.
These are just a few ways that you can know that you’re not getting a search of all county courthouses in the country in a simple database search.
So What is The Solution?
At SELECTiON.COM® we know that a combined approach will give you all the information you need to make smart hiring decisions. Our Search America® Background Check is THE standard in national criminal database searches. With over 650 MILLION records, from over 1,100 different sources, Search America® is an unparalleled tool to combine with prime source searches to ensure you have the most complete picture available of your applicant. Not only is our Search America® database the largest in the industry, we also take an extra step to provide the most accurate information possible. Unlike our competitors, our Search America® report undergoes a specialized review/ Quality Assurance process in order to reduce the chance of false positives. Combined with our residence-based criminal county search, and our federal criminal background check and you have a solution that can’t be beat. 
Blog
At SELECTiON.COM®, we take customer service VERY seriously. Our goal is to deliver the best customer service in the background check industry every day. One way we do that is by keeping track of FCRA and EEOC regulations and making sure you have the tools you need to stay compliant. Our in-house legal team stays up-to-date with all federal and state regulations regarding consumer reports.
As such, we have made changes to our FCRA Disclosure / Employment Inquiry Release Form and issued an updated version for your use.
This document is available at SELECTiON.COM® and Fastrax Select® under “Forms”. We recommend that you download and update this document on your system, and that you present applicants with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Summary of Your Rights Under the FCRA as well. The Summary of Rights is also available in the “Forms” area of our websites.
Thank you for trusting SELECTiON.COM® to protect your company through background checks.
Blog
The Crown Royal presents the Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at the Brickyard is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN. Defending race winner Kyle Busch along with Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, and all of the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will battle it out for the checkered flag. As part of the opening ceremony, Team Fastrax™ will be performing their famous American Flag skydive with the largest American Flag flown by a skydiver, an amazing 8,000 sq. ft. patriotic display not found anywhere else. Also included in the demonstration will be their 5,000 and two 1,100 sq. ft. American Flags, as well as a 1,100 sq. ft. Purple Heart flag to honor our Combat Wounded Veterans, with approval from the Order of the Purple Heart Association. It’s sure to be an aerial demonstration you’ll not soon forget. For the full story, click here.
Blog
The four day Team Fastrax™ Warrior Weekend to Remember is held in conjunction with the Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival, Officially Sponsored by SELECTiON.COM®, in Middletown, OH, and starts Thursday, July 7th with an evening of go-kart racing and night bow fishing. The Team Fastrax™ Warrior Weekend to Remember is an exciting combination of activities meant to enrich the lives of our active duty and veteran men and women injured in combat or training. 40 combat injured warriors and 12 Gold Star families will participate in activities such as tandem skydives, air-craft rides, hot air balloon rides, and a gun shoot. These events will raise money and awareness for the Blue Skies for the Good Guys and Gals Warrior Foundation. Additional public events include a roadside welcome/parade, Lone Star Military Tribute Concert, 5k Run/Walk/Ranger Ruck, and a 25 mile bicycle ride. Information on these events can be found at WarriorWTR.com. For the full story click here.
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Broad Street Blast is located in Smith Park, Middletown, OH. At 5pm Team Fastrax™ will be performing their famous American Flag skydive with a 7,800 sq. ft. American flag as well as three 150 ft. red, white and blue streamers. To top it all off, at 9:00pm, just prior to the main fireworks start, Team Fastrax™ will be performing their much anticipated pyro jump. Five skydivers will exit the aircraft with fireworks strapped to their legs, and will freefall down in an amazing aerial display. For the full story click here.
