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Navigating the Hiring Pool with Ban the Box

Navigating the Hiring Pool with Ban the Box

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In case you haven’t heard, Ban the Box is a growing movement and it looks like it’s here to stay. Every month it seems like we see a new city or state adding Ban the Box regulations.

It’s been around for 20 years now, so if you still have “the box” on your application, it may be time to think about removing it.

What is Ban the Box?
Ban the Box policies aim to make employers consider job candidates’ qualifications first, without the stigma of any criminal record. So-called “Ban the Box” initiatives are meant to provide job applicants a fair chance by removing conviction history questions on job application forms and delaying background check inquiries until later in the hiring process.

Each city and state has their own regulations when it comes to Ban the Box. Add to that Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulations, and that can make navigating the hiring pool difficult.

As always, you should check with your own legal counsel before changing any part of your background check program, but we have outlined some simple steps below to keeping your business compliant.

Obtain a Release
First and foremost, have the applicant sign a release form authorizing a background check.

Consistency
Run background checks on a consistent basis. Don’t just run one when you think an applicant looks fishy. That can lead to litigation down the road.

You can have a different set of reports that you run depending on the type of job, but make sure that you have clearly defined what types of reports you intend to run for each job.

If a criminal conviction is found, check to see if the conviction is relevant to the position. Again, consistency is key. Know beforehand what types of convictions would exclude someone from working in certain departments/positions.

Proper Applicant Notification
Follow FCRA guidelines if you choose not to hire based on the results of a background check.

  • Send a copy of the background check along with the Summary of Rights.
  • Wait the required 5 business days and send your Adverse Action Letter.

If you don’t know what the Summary of Rights or Adverse Action forms are, not to worry, we have you covered! Not only are these forms available on the Fastrax® website, but we can also turn on a feature for your account that will allow you to have us send the forms for you, with just the check of a box.

SELECTiON.COM® provides the comprehensive and customizable screening solutions needed to navigate the legal aspects of background screening. We stay up-to-date with all EEOC and FCRA regulations and provide you with all the forms you need on our proprietary system, Fastrax®, our easy to use one-click FCRA notification system that makes the FCRA compliance a breeze.

The Fastraxt® system allows employers to stay compliant and provides them with the ability to follow the background check process from start to finish.

Our Applicant Entry system will obtain accurate information straight from the applicant, as well as provide an electronic release form for a permanent digital record of their FCRA consent.

Contact us today to see how SELECTiON.COM® can keep you compliant while taking 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.

Government Shutdown Affects E-Verify Service

Government Shutdown Affects E-Verify Service

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e-verify background checkAccording to the DHS website, the government shutdown has caused them to suspend their E-Verify services. SELECTiON.COM®’s customer support and all other services are up and running. This will only affect the E-Verify reports.

  • E-Verify telephone and e-mail support will be unavailable. You may send e-mail messages, however, they will not respond until they reopen.
  • Employees will be unable to resolve E-Verify Tentative Nonconfirmations (TNCs).
  • Any E-Verify webinars and training sessions scheduled during the unavailability of E-Verify are cancelled.
  • Self Check and myE-Verify will not be available.

To minimize the burden on both employers and employees, the following policies have been implemented by E-Verify:

  • The ‘three-day rule’ for E-Verify cases is suspended for cases affected by the unavailability of E-Verify. They will provide additional guidance regarding these time deadlines once they reopen. This does NOT affect Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, requirements—employers must still complete Form I-9 no later than the third business day after an employee starts work for pay, and comply with all other Form I-9 requirements.
  • The time period during which employees may resolve TNCs will be extended. The number of days E-Verify is not available will not count toward the days the employee has to begin the process of resolving their TNCs. They will provide additional guidance regarding these time deadlines once we reopen.
  • For federal contractors covered by the federal contractor rule, please contact your contracting officer to inquire about extending federal contractor deadlines.
  • Employers may not take any adverse action against an employee because the E-Verify case is in an interim case status, including while the employee’s case is in an extended interim case status due to the unavailability of E-Verify. (Consult the E-Verify User Manual for more information on interim case statuses).

Feel free to contact SELECTiON.COM® with any questions on how this will affect your hiring process.

Why are Client Testimonials so important?

Why are Client Testimonials so important?

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Just like the world around us, consumer needs are constantly changing. And because of that, companies need to keep up by understanding their client’s needs.

As consumers, we like to research and read reviews before making a purchase. In large part, that’s because clients like the easy access to social media to help them spread the word about their own service experiences and those of family, friends and in some cases relative strangers.

Of course, B2B customers can do the same thing through client testimonials. Talking to your clients and receiving feedback is a great way to help improve your business.

Here at SELECTiON.COM® we take pride in our Satisfaction Statement:

“What Separates true customer satisfaction from mere lip service is the willingness to put the SELECTiON.COM® customer FIRST in everything we do!”

SELECTiON.COM® Puts Our Customer FIRST in Everything We Do and we offer the following resources for our clients to help us by continuously rating our products and service:

  1. Client Customer Service Satisfaction Survey
  2. Live Chat ratings
  3. Client Research Survey
  4. Social Media following and client features

SELECTiON.COM® reviews and discusses these ratings and testimonials every Friday. We gather to discuss both our successes and our failures in our company wide meeting.

See what some of our amazing clients are saying about SELECTiON.COM® at https://selection.com/customer-feedback/ or follow us on social media for updates and client testimonials.

Like us on Facebook

 Follow us on Twitter

 Follow us on LinkedIn

 Follow us on Google+

Google+

“I get called often by other background check companies to switch. They always promise me a savings. Background checks with a company I consider a partner is invaluable. Background checks are NOT a commodity! Knowing what the limitations are changes it from a commodity to a service. I use SELECTiON.COM® because of their great service. Also, I must acknowledge LeAnn Bick is excellent to work with and is very responsive.”

Renee Fulton, President, Talis Group Inc.

“I’ve been using SELECTiON.COM® for nearly 10 years and it remains one of the best available. It’s easy to use and fast. I recommend SELECTiON.COM® without hesitation.”

Joe Kindt, Vice President of Human Resources, PECO Real Estate Partners

We love receiving feedback from our clients and we use the information to improve our services. You can fill out our client surveys on our website.

If you are a current or former client please fill out our Customer Satisfaction Survey at https://selection.com/client-survey/. We appreciate your responses!

Audit vs. Review

Audit vs. Review

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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®.

Three Ways to Reduce the Risk of Hiring Someone Who Has Lied on Their Resume

Three Ways to Reduce the Risk of Hiring Someone Who Has Lied on Their Resume

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Even in a digital world, resumes are still relied upon heavily in the hiring process. Especially in a world of “first impressions”, information provided on the resume is often the difference between an applicant being hired or rejected.  

But, how do you know the information is truthful?  

In a recent CareerBuilder survey of more than 2,500 hiring managers, 56% have caught job candidates lying on their resumes. 

You don’t have to be a math scholar to know that MORE THAN HALF of all job applicants have misrepresented themselves on their application! 

If you would have seen this glaring statistic before your most recent hire, would you still have accepted the resume without question, or would you have done more due diligence before making the offer? 

Studies show that every time a business replaces a salaried employee, it costs 6 to 9 months’ salary on average.

Even on the conservative end of the pay scale, such as a new hire earning $400 per week for six months, that can cost your company nearly $10,000! 

You can greatly reduce that risk through proper verification and background check services BEFORE making an offer of employment, and best of all it will cost a great deal less than a HALF DAY worth of salary! 

At SELECTiON.COM®, we usually recommend three different types of pre-employment verification reports: prior employment, education and character reference. These three reports will help you verify the accuracy of the information listed on a resume. 

Most, if not all resumes list an applicant’s education history. For upper-level and management positions, education can be an important factor in the hiring decision. Some advanced positions, such has nursing or teaching, may require specific education requirements. 

A SELECTiON.COM® education verification documents an applicant’s educational start dates, end dates, major, fields of study and degrees earned. Other stated credentials may also be validated through the institution when contacted.   

Job experience is also a very important factor to finding the perfect candidate.  

However, also per CareerBuilder “A quarter [of hiring managers] have seen people who claim to be employed by companies they never really worked for.”

Employment verifications are available so that you can not only ensure that an applicant has the experience necessary for the position, but the integrity and truthfulness to only represent accurate information on their resume.  

In most cases, SELECTiON.COM® will work directly with previous employers to verify an applicant’s positions held, length of employment, salary and other relevant information about the applicant.  

Lastly, a character reference will provide information about an applicant that the individual more than likely would never include on their resume.  

Character references gather personal information concerning the reputation, conduct, and integrity of the applicant. 

When you pair these three checks and verify the information on the resume, you greatly reduce the possibility of hiring an applicant with false information.  

It’s your job to find the most qualified candidate to fill an opening. It is ours to verify your selection.  

That’s why at SELECTiON.COM® our motto is “Your SELECTiON™, Verified!” 

SOURCE: CareerBuilder Survey: http://time.com/money/3995981/how-many-people-lie-resumes/

Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) https://online.alvernia.edu/cost-employee-turnover/

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