Equifax
No Longer Selling Credit Reports For Employment Screening
Equifax
is no longer selling credit reports to employers for the purposes
of pre-employment screening, according to Tim Klein, a company
spokesperson who revealed the information in an interview with
the Dallas Morning News. The credit reports sold by Equifax into
the employment market, formerly known as "Persona",
were used to determine employment eligibility. And while this
is still perfectly legal under the Fair
Credit Reporting Act, the company seems to have proactively
decided that selling reports to employers wasn’t worth the
trouble. Long a public relations loser, the use of credit reports
by employers has become even more controversial given the current
economy and the added difficulty that poor credit causes a job
seeker who is already having trouble finding a job. Employers
who are filling positions where access to money and sensitive
information are commonplace have traditionally reviewed credit
reports as part of their pre-employment screening processes. The
trouble with the practice is that it can be unfair to some consumers
who have found themselves thrown into credit difficulty through
no fault of their own. Layoffs, divorce, uncovered medical expenses,
business failures, and death in the earning family can all cause
a consumer’s credit reports to become littered with negative
information despite no lack of credit management responsibility.
And some argue that using credit reports as a screening tool can
be unfair to minorities, a claim that lacks any scientific support
at this time.
For
More Information Click
Here
Bruce Berg’s Report On 2009 ASIS International Annual Conference
Bruce
did not attend the conference this year, so the information you
will see here has come from his very generous “on site”
reporters, who have chosen to remain anonymous. We thank them
very much for their valuable input. The attendance at this conference
was off again this year. The reported number of attendees was
about 18,000, although it is interesting that the paid attendance
was only 3,600. The remaining thousands of “attendees”
were exhibitors and people with free day passes to the exhibit
floor.Industry exhibitors decreased again this year, off about
40%:
To
Read The Full Report Go To: http://www.bergconsultinggroup.com/id79.html
Are
You Gambling With the Consistency of Your Criminal Screening Decisions?
While criminal
screening can decrease your company’s risk of liability
due to criminal acts, it can also expose the company to certain
compliance issues. A recent court decision found that some criminal
background checks may violate anti-discrimination laws if conducted
incorrectly. A decision in the Federal 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals
in early 2007, styled El v. SEPTA, marked a serious departure
from past treatment of screening for individuals who have criminal
convictions. In the past, some have challenged criminal screening
policies for having a discriminatory impact on minorities. Under
El v SEPTA, the employer needs to prove up its engagement in analysis
of risk. The court said that criminal risk based screening, while
legally permissible, requires the employer to show it analyzed
the risk both qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative
assessment is performed by the employer considering what the risk
of harm is as it relates to the specific job in question. The
quantitative assessment is whether the employer considers the
likelihood that the harm will occur.
As a result
of this court decision, employers need a decision tool that categorizes
criminal records and automatically provide a clear accept or decline
decision based on established criteria. Ideally, your criminal
screening product should include management reporting to monitor
the number of accept and decline decisions returned and to view
the breakdown of criminal search results by offense type. With
this insight, you can monitor staff performance and adjust screening
criteria to meet business and legal demands.
To See The
Relevant Questions and Read The Full Article Go To:
https://www.nationalbackgrounddata.com/marketing/crim_screen_decisions.html
California
Bill Seeks To Restrict Pre-Employment Credit Checks
In five years
of performing temporary data entry work, Debra Banks has twice
received offers of permanent gigs from impressed employers. But
the Hawthorne resident never got the jobs. Once employers checked
Banks' credit history and discovered her outstanding medical bills,
she said, they quickly rescinded their offers. Employers increasingly
use credit inquiries as part of pre-employment background screening,
but legislation proposed by a Norwalk assemblyman would significantly
limit what types of potential employees could be subject to credit
checks. Under a bill proposed by Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, employers
could check the credit of applicants only for law enforcement
and managerial slots - as well as positions that handle large
amounts of cash, jewelry or valuables, or deal with sensitive
financial information.
For More Information
Go To: http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_13413554
Court:
Ex-Employee Was Allowed To Steal From Company
Recent surveys
show most laid-off or resigning employees are prepared to steal
information that will help them get a new job. In this recent
case, a company tried to take action against one of those employees.
Before quitting, an employee who resigned to run a consulting
firm e-mailed several sensitive documents — including financial
records, customer lists, marketing research and Web site data
— to his personal account. Also, two months after the employee
quit, an IT administrator discovered that someone was logged in
to the company’s network using the ex-employee’s username,
which had never been deactivated. The employee never denied sending
himself copies of confidential information. So when the company
tried to take legal action, why did a court toss the suit? Because
the employee was given free access to the documents. The Computer
Fraud and Abuse Act allows penalties for people who commit fraud
by accessing a computer “without authorization.” As
for logging in to the network after he quit, the company couldn’t
prove it was the ex-employee, rather than someone else who knew
his username and password. (Both pieces of data were saved on
a computer that at least two other employees could access.)
For More Information
Go To: http://www.hrmorning.com/court-ex-employee-was-allowed-to-steal-from-company/
Applicant
Insight Revolutionizes Regulatory Required Fingerprinting
Applicant
Insight, a leading provider of background screening and workflow
automation has launched an exciting solution that is revolutionizing
the process for regulatory required fingerprinting. Applicant
Insight extends a national network of LiveScan machines coupled
with a robust data management solution boasting a customizable,
web based applicant registration and sophisticated back-end data
management solution to serve both corporate end users and screening
services providers. As a leading provider in our space, we add
superior technology to a previously cumbersome and lengthy process
to ensure that our clients have the tools to manage this process
and get FBI results back within minutes instead of weeks.
To
Read The Full Article or To Find Out More information about Applicant
Insight visit http://www.ainsight.com.
HirEase,
Inc. Chosen As Finalist In Business Leader Media & Rex Healthcare’s
Annual Healthiest Company Award
The 2009 Healthiest
Company Awards, sponsored by Rex UNC Health Care and Business
Leader Media recognizes companies for their health and wellness
programs and initiatives. This year, Paul Dent, chief executive
officer of HirEase, Inc. was notified that the company had placed
as a finalist for the healthiest company category. Additionally,
HirEase’s chief financial officer, Heidi Dent, placed as
one of three finalists for the healthiest female executive category.
According to Business Leader Media, HirEase was chosen in part
due to their unique approach to workplace wellness, which includes
quarterly on-site chair massages and bring your pet to work days
to reduce stress and anxiety. Additional healthy workplace offerings
by HirEase include a company sports team and providing loaner
bicycles for employees. Dent remarks, “It really is a privilege
to be honored by the business community for our corporate wellness
initiatives. HirEase is deeply committed to creating a workplace
environment that encourages healthy living and right choices for
a better quality of life.”
For More Information
Go To: www.hirease.com
| Welcome
to the Legal Challenge Question! |
Sponsored By:
As
the background screening industry continues to get more competitive
the firms that will ultimately succeed will be those that create
competitive advantage through their people by offering continuous
learning opportunities to heightened their knowledge and capabilities.
We believe that having employees that are very knowledgeable about
the legal landscape of background screening is essential to continued
success.
We are grateful
to Pam Devata, Seyfarth Shaw
LLP for providing the expertise for this valuable endeavor.
For information regarding the answers to the Legal Challenge Questions,
please contact Pamela Devata at Seyfarth Shaw LLP at pdevata@seyfarth.com
or 312-460-5000 or visit www.seyfarth.com.
Please choose
your answer by clicking on it:
| ANNOUNCEMENTS
(continued) |
2009
Pre-employment Screeners’ Conference Brings India Conference
to Clearwater
The India
conference comes to Clearwater - a selected panel from the Indian
Pre-employment Screening Industry will address the conference,
discussing pertinent issues to screening in India. In addition,
attendees will have the opportunity to meet and network with HR
Executives at Joint Welcoming Cocktail Party and Lunches With
HR Executives from The Pre-employment Screeners in Human Resources
Conference. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and meet
potential clients.
For More Information
Go To http://www.thebackgroundinvestigator.com/current_issue/index.asp?id=1111&title=India
Conference Comes To Clearwater or contact phyllisn@search4crime.com
Imagination
Technologies is Ranked by Inc. 5000 as One of America’s
Fastest Growing Companies
Imagination
Technologies, providers of the FRS suite of industry leading technology
solutions for background screening companies, is pleased to announce
that they have been named one of the 5000 fastest growing private
companies in America by Inc. magazine. FRS saw its sales grow
by 95.5% over the last three years and earn them a ranking of
2928 on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list, the preeminent ranking
of privately held, independent companies in the U.S. “We
are extremely honored by this recognition for our company”,
stated Phil Chapman, President of Imagination Technologies. “We
are very blessed to have some of the top screening firms in the
country as our clients. When combined with an excellent group
of strategic partners and a top-notch in-house team, we have a
large group of people and companies with which to share in this
achievement.”
For More Information
Go To: http://www.frssoftware.com/News.aspx
| DATA
PROTECTION AND FRAUD |
Top 3 Lies
Candidates Tell HR
Competition
for jobs is high, and many candidates will go to great lengths
to stand out — including lie to you. Here are some of the
latest resume tweaks, according FakeResume.com, a web site that
advises job seekers on how to bend the truth and get away with
it:
1. Covering up employment gaps
2. Fake references
3. Phony responsibilities
FakeResume.com
provides tips to HR Managers on how to thwart these attempts to
deceive hiring managers. To Read The Full Article and To Learn
How To Catch These Lies Go To: http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/top-3-things-candidates-lie-about/
Candidate
Fraud: Who’s to Blame?
Internet and
newspaper archives are full of stories about candidates who have
been appointed into roles on the strength of fraudulent qualifications.
Are recruiters making it too easy for candidates to deceive them?
We’ve all heard horror stories of outright job seeker fraud
such as the UK minicab driver who bought a £12,000 fake
PhD, stole the identity of a real former doctor and practised
(quite literally) for five years before being caught. How about
the university professor who didn’t have any of the three
qualifications she claimed to have?
How do applicants
try to decieve you? Stealing the identity of a real person; buying
fake qualifications is another. But it’s not always that
obvious. You might interview someone, check their ID, check their
original qualifications and everything appears OK - and then someone
else turns up to the interview with the client. Sometimes fake
ID is presented at an interview. And now, there are services out
there to provide fake references for job seekers. In other words,
you call, check the dates, and the employment status - and it’s
all fraudulent, down to the business number (the number just reroutes
to an accomplice’s home phone or mobile). One company even
offers fake business cards, phone number, email address - even
a fake personal assistant! To protect there company from hiring
one of these fraudsters, recruiters must regularly use methods
that will protect their client and their own reputation from fraudulent
applications. Here are some helpful steps you can take:
To Read The
Full Article Go To: http://www.rcsa.com.au/savvy/features.htm
8
Out Of 10 Crimes Against Businesses Are Carried Out By Employees
Did you know
that eight out of ten crimes against businesses are carried out
by employees? Workplace fraud and employee theft are more prevalent
than ever: It is estimated that the average American business
loses six percent of its total annual revenues due to some form
of employee fraud. Most business owners prefer to think of their
employees as loyal, trustworthy and honest, and are unwilling
to accept the reality that those whom they regard as “family”
might be stealing from them. Typically, losses attributable to
employee fraud can range from relatively small, one-time thefts
to long-term schemes that go undetected for years. Statistics
indicate that the average length of time that an employee fraud
goes undetected is eighteen months, during which time an employer
can lose enormous sums of money. That’s why early detection
of employee fraud is vital. To protect against this ever-present
risk, companies would be wise to establish loss prevention programs
that include training in fraud prevention and detection for all
managers, sound loss control practices and all companies ought
to obtain separate employee dishonesty insurance or employee theft
coverage.
To Learn More
About How You Can Protect Your Business From Employee Dishonesty
Go To: http://setnorbyer.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/09/did-you-knowemployee-dishonesty.html
CRI
Group Launches New Web-based International Reporting Platform
Corporate
Research and Investigations LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of
CRI Group. (www.crigroup.com) announced the official launch of
its new web-based international services platform. The CRI Group’s
International Services platform is specifically developed and
devoted to support the investigative screening needs of corporations
employing individuals with international backgrounds as well as
the needs of background screening providers who need to secure
these services on a wholesale basis for their screening clientele.
Simplicity meets flexibility in a revolutionary ordering process.
Our client portal puts convenience and ease into the ordering
process with innovative web technology. The new system will enable
the requestor to see, in real time, the requirements needed, the
process in which the records are obtained and real time status.
It will also show the requestor exactly what is needed and/or
required in order for CRI Group Background Screening Services
to perform the search right online as the requestor is entering
the search.
For More Information
Go To: http://www.crigroup.com/newsupdate.php
HRchitect
Presents the Beauty Pageant Webinar Series - Ms Background Screening
Beauty Pageant
HRchitect
has unparalleled knowledge of the many vendors in the HR technology
space and maintains complete vendor neutrality. As the leaders
in this marketplace, we feel it is our responsibility to help
educate you, the consumer, on the many choices available to you
and to help you make sense of the puzzling world of HR technology.
As a result, we have recently developed a series of Webinars focused
on the vendor landscape and broken down by different product areas.
Best of all, these webinars are complimentary. Each 90-minute
webinar will each feature up to six vendors and as you can imagine,
there are a lot of vendors that we had to choose from to narrow
it down to that number.
For More Information
Go To: http://www.hrchitect.com/News/Pageant
Take
Someone Special To Dinner On ME!
Is
your significant other’s birthday coming up soon? How about
an important anniversary or even better take him or her out ‘just
because he/she is your special someone!’Just think of the
possibilities if you surprise ”that special someone”
with a fantastic night out!!!! Click
Here For Information
Manpower
survey: Hiring expectations decline
U.S. employers
plan to cut back on hiring in the fourth quarter compared with
the third quarter and the same period a year ago, according to
the employment outlook survey released today by Manpower Inc.
(NYSE: MAN). The survey questioned more than 72,000 employers
around the world, including more than 28,000 in the U.S. It found
that 12% of U.S. employers plan to increase their staff in the
fourth quarter, 14% plan to decrease, 69% plan no change and 5%
don't know for a net employment outlook of negative 2%.
For More Information
Click
Here
Its
2010 Budget Season!
PreemploymentDirectory.com’s
2009 Marketing Portfolios for:
We
Specialize in Promoting the Products and Services of businesses
in the Background Screening Industry.
Click on the specific Marketing Portfolio above that fits your
business.
The
SHRM LINE® Employment Expectations Report for September 2009
Hiring
in Manufacturing and Services Will Continue to Make Strides in
September
Hiring in
September will reach a level not seen in nearly a year, according
to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading
Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey for September
2009. Hiring expectations in September QQ will follow the recent
growth pattern. Though hiring is down in September compared with
a year ago, manufacturers and service companies are planning the
highest combined level of hiring since October 2008.There is growing
evidence that the job market is improving. September marks the
highest level of hiring in manufacturing since October 2008. In
the service sector, the hiring rate will surpass the layoff rate
for the fifth consecutive month.
Source: SHRM
Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE)
To Read The
Full Report visit www.shrm.org/line
Second
Annual Record Retriever Meeting To Be Held In Clearwater
The 8th Annual
Pre-Employment Screeners Conference sponsored by The Background
Investigator will host the second Annual Records Retrievers Meeting
at their annual conference.
For More Information
Go To: http://www.thebackgroundinvestigator.com/
Among unemployed
adults aged 18 or older in 2008, 19.6 percent were current illicit
drug users, which was higher than the 8.0 percent of those employed
full time and 10.2 percent of those employed part time. However,
most illicit drug users were employed. Of the 17.8 million current
illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2008, 12.9 million (72.7%)
employed either full or part time. The number of unemployed illicit
drug users increased from 1.3 million in 2007 to 1.8 million in
2008, primarily because of an overall increase in the number of
unemployed persons.
Source: Results
from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National
Findings
To Read The
Full Survey Results Go To: http://www.swiftpage6.com/CampResource/2Y0RJSUNHQZ542IS/1/text.pdf
One
Site! Many Suppliers! |
Looking
for the Top Suppliers in the Industry? Need to find a new Supplier?
Visit
PreemploymentDirectory.com’s VENDOR SHOWCASE which
features suppliers to the Background Screening Industry (go to
www.PreemploymentDirectory.com,
click on ‘Click Here’ and then scroll down to Vendor
Showcase for Background Screening Industry Suppliers)
STOP
STRUGGLING WITH WRITING AND PUBLISHING YOUR NEWSLETTER: |
We can help
you have a high quality e-newsletter to help nurture your relationship
with your clients and attract new clients. Our customized newsletter
service will take over your newsletter task or create a new one
for you. We can manage the creation of your newsletter for you.
We are constantly
researching information to use for The Background Buzz and
you can put our research to use for you. Using the information
rich content from The Background Buzz (minus the ads
and competitors information) we will create a custom newsletter
for you.
Use your staff’s
time to do more valuable work and save all the hassle of researching
or writing articles, formatting and managing all the other ezine
tasks with our customized ezine process.
Contact Barry
Nixon at 949-770-5264 or at wbnixon@aol.com
for more information.
West
Not Prepared To Compete for Talent in Asia
U.S. and European
companies are not prepared for the fierce competition for talent
that is brewing in Asia at a time when doing business in that
part of the world may decide a company’s future, Kevin Wheeler
told recruiters at a Global ERE Expo. Asian countries will dominate
the global economy by 2040, and “every major company will
have a presence there by 2020 or probably not exist,” said
Wheeler, who is president and founder of Global Learning Resources
(www.glresources.com). The “two giants” of the Asian
economy are China, with 1.3 billion people, and India, with 1.1
billion people, he said. Demographic trends show the populations
of the United States and Europe are getting older every day. “Asia
doesn’t need us,” he said. “The biggest danger”
to western corporations is the lack of knowledge about, or even
the dismissal of, Asia as a factor in business decisions, he said.
Western executives think of China and India as places to send
low-end jobs, but both countries are investing heavily in research
and development. China, for example, has a space facility and
can build its own spy planes, he said. What is occurring in China
and India is an economic evolution that took a century to occur
in the United States and Europe. But “it’s concentrated,
it’s bigger and faster” in Asia’s two giants,
he said.
To Read The
Full Article Go To: http://www.shrmindia.org/west-not-prepared-compete-talent-asia
NAPBS
International Committee Update
Our committee
is co-sponsoring with The Best Practices Committee a very special
4 hour workshop on Navigating the International Data Protection
Maze at the Mid Year conference coming up in October
to help prepare NAPBS members to deal with the numerous international
data protection and privacy laws. You won’t want to miss
this practical and thought-provoking workshop that will be presented
by Peggy Eisenhauer who has helped companies develop and document
privacy, security and fair information practices programs for
the past 17 years.
For More Information
Click Here
Global
Job Prospects Recover
Global job
prospects are improving for the first time since last autumn,
according to Antal’s Global Snapshot survey. The survey
reveals that current hiring across the globe was up from 46% in
the spring to 50% now. The number of organisations intending to
hire in the coming quarter was up from 44% to 48%, while those
intending to shed staff had fallen from 35% in the spring to 25%
now. Highest hiring levels in Western Europe are to be found in
France (54%), UK (50%) Belgium (50%) and Germany (46%), while
in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, Russia (62%), the Czech Republic
(60%), Poland (53%) and Bulgaria (54%) recorded highest levels.
Hiring levels were also high in Egypt and the Gulf, while India
and China are mounting a recovery.
Source: http://www.recruiter.co.uk/global-job-prospects-recover/1002640.article
INTERNATIONAL
ANNOUNCEMENTS |
CRI
Group Launches New Web-based International Reporting Platform
Corporate
Research and Investigations LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of
CRI Group. (www.crigroup.com) announced the official launch of
its new web-based international services platform. The CRI Group’s
International Services platform is specifically developed and
devoted to support the investigative screening needs of corporations
employing individuals with international backgrounds as well as
the needs of background screening providers who need to secure
these services on a wholesale basis for their screening clientele.
Simplicity meets flexibility in a revolutionary ordering process.
Our client portal puts convenience and ease into the ordering
process with innovative web technology. The new system will enable
the requestor to see, in real time, the requirements needed, the
process in which the records are obtained and real time status.
It will also show the requestor exactly what is needed and/or
required in order for CRI Group Background Screening Services
to perform the search right online as the requestor is entering
the search.
For More Information
Go To: http://www.crigroup.com/newsupdate.php
EMPS
Launches I Check Integrated Screening & AFIS Criminal Fingerprint
System
Employers'
Mutual Protection Service is proud to announce the launch of their
new development in background screening technology. As South Africa’s
oldest screening company we have developed an all in one solution
for the AFISwitch fingerprint technology that will change the
way your business conducts background checks.
For More Information
Go To: http://www.emps.co.za/
Accurate
Information Systems Launches New International Reporting Platform
Accurate Information
Systems, Inc. (www.accinfosys.com) announced today the official
launch of its new webbased international services platform. The
AIS International Services platform is specifically developed
and devoted to support the investigative screening needs of corporations
employing individuals with international backgrounds as well as
the needs of background screening providers who need to secure
these services on a wholesale basis for their screening clientele.
For More
Information Go To: http://www.accinfosys.com/documents/InternationalReportingPlatform.pdf
Leading
Fingerprint Software Chosen to Enroll and Verify Pilgrims at Hajj
by the Kaduna State Muslims Pilgrims Board in Nigeria
The Kaduna
State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board will now be able to enroll
more than 8,000 potential pilgrims for Hajj, and eliminate the
hassle of multiple registrations from a single person. Kaduna
State can also accurately verify each of the pilgrims in attendance
at Hajj in Mecca (KSA), the Holy Pilgrimage City of Saudi Arabia.
This breakthrough in precise and efficient authentication is a
result of using biometric technology from M2SYS, an award-winning
biometric technology research and development firm. The software
will enable Kaduna to keep a database of records that include
every detail related to Hajj, including how many times a pilgrim
performed. The biometric fingerprint solution will also allow
Kaduna to track and prevent any blacklisted offenders from being
registered by fraudulent means.
For More Information
Go To:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19110512/Leading-Fingerprint-Software-Chosen-to-Enroll-and-Verify-Pilgrims-at-Hajj-by-the-Kaduna-State-Muslims-Pilgrims-Board-in-Nigeria
Job
Ads Grew In August: Olivier
The Olivier
Job Index last month recorded its first real growth since May
2008. Job ads grew by 2.4 per cent in August, showing "job
creation has turned a corner", according to Bob Olivier.
The upswing follows a slowing of the decline in job ads over the
past four months, and last month's steady figures. There were
big positive swings in part time jobs (up 10.8%) and casual work
(up 11.5%). And allaying fears of 'underemployment', full-time
jobs grew, too, Olivier said. Western Australia bounced back strongest,
adding almost 10 per cent more jobs in the month. NSW fell 1.3
per cent, reflecting its economic problems, and the ACT was down
4.2 per cent, but all other states saw job ads grow. The sectors
that have been hurting most have bounced back best, Olivier noted.
To Read The
Full Article Click
Here
Canadian
Employment Picture Improves
Among the
more than 1,900 Canadian employers surveyed by Manpower, 15% planned
to increase staff in the fourth quarter, 11% planned cuts, 73%
anticipated no change and 1% said they didn't know for a net employment
outlook of 4% -- or 5% when seasonally adjusted. This compares
with a seasonally adjusted net employment outlook of 14% for the
fourth quarter of 2008.
For More Information
Click
Here
School
Bus Driver Wins Privacy Battle
A Saskatoon
bus driver who was worried a mandatory background check with a
U.S. security firm would result in a loss of her privacy has scored
a victory. She had refused to let her employer do a background
check on her because it was using a U.S.-based security firm.
She was concerned about what would happen to her personal information
once it crossed the border, where privacy laws are more lax than
Canada's. She was also worried that, by refusing to submit to
a check, she'd lose her job. But First Student announced Wednesday
that from now on, it will use a Canadian company to do background
checks.
To Read The
Full Article Go To: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2009/08/13/privacy-bus.html
 The
International Screener Spotlight
We are adding
‘The International Screener Spotlight’
column. Each month we will feature one International Screening
firms’ owner or executive. The column will be based on an
interview with the business owner or senior sales or marketing
executive. The column will be focused on helping clients and potential
clients get to know you on a more personal level, beyond just
your products and services, because ultimately people buy from
people they know and can relate too. The column will include a
photo. We are particularly please to announce that we will be
offering this program at no charge (it’s a $350.00 value)
to our Platinum Members as a way of ‘giving you more than
you expected’ and to fulfill our goal of continuously seeking
out ways to create additional sales opportunities for you. Click
here for more information.
The program
will also be available to other international screening firms
that are not members of our Platinum Club after we have scheduled
our Platinum Members. If you are interested in learning how you
can participate in The International Screener Spotlight
Column program please click
here for more information.
Indian
Companies Taking A Fresh Look At The Way They Hire
- Firms have
slowed down their pace of hiring and are stressing on matching
skills to the job profile.
- Hiring
standards have gone up relatively and organizations are focusing
on performance productivity.
- Recruiters
are laying stringent hiring norms and strictly adhering to it.
- Employers
are putting enough filters and bettering their hiring mechanism
by incorporating assessment tests, background checking, more
interviews etc.
- Easy availability
of experienced manpower at lesser salaries is leading employers
to recruit from within their industries.
To Read The
Full Article Go To: http://www.shrmindia.org/fewer-better-hires
Workplace
Fraud Increases By 69%
The
number of thefts and deceptions in the workplace has increased
by 69 per cent in the first half of the year compared with the
last half of 2008, according to fraud prevention service CIFAS.
The effects of the recession are clearly demonstrated by the increased
number of frauds during the year to June 2009, according to the
260 members firms of CIFAS, which includes banks insurers, investment
managers and share dealers. It stated that this demonstrates that
as the effects of the recession cut deeper, more people are turning
to fraudulent activity that they would not have considered before.
"Desperate times do, indeed, lead to desperate measures,
and businesses need to put in place all possible controls to ensure
that they, their employees and customers are not subjected to
fraud risks that can be avoided."
For
More Information Go To: www.cifas.org.uk/default.asp?edit_id=926-57
Recruitment
Fraud Detected At Local Authorities
In a new report called 'Protecting the Public Purse' published
by The Audit Commission, the independent watchdog organisation
in charge of auditing the 200 billion Pounds spent by 11,000 local
public bodies in the UK, has found various examples of temporary
and permanent recruitment fraud. Councils employ more than two
million permanent staff and many thousands of temporary and agency
workers at any one time. The vast majority of these employees
are honest. However, the importance of verifying the identity,
qualifications, employment and, where appropriate, criminal history
of those already employed or applying for posts has been shown
to be a key defence against fraud. There are also clear risks
associated with allowing someone with false or overstated references
to carry out tasks for which they are not qualified. People wishing
to gain employment in order to exploit opportunities for criminal
purposes have used weaknesses in recruitment processes to gain
access to an organisation and have then gone on to perpetrate
other frauds. The London Borough of Waltham Forest which has improved
the effectiveness of their employee vetting arrangements have
been surprised at the scale of what they have discovered.
To
Read The Full Report Please Click
Here
Directors
Urged To Use The Data Protection Act To Reduce The Risk Of Hiring
Serial Fraudsters
Arjun
Medhi, staff fraud adviser at CIFAS - the UK's Fraud Prevention
Service – commented “Dishonest actions by staff such
as the falsification of expenses or time sheets have shot up by
a staggering 69% in the first half of 2009 compared with the last
half of 2008” - indicating that fraud is directly linked
with the recession. Medhi told Personnel Today that employers
should work with competitors to share data, in line with data
protection rules, to avoid being stung by fraudsters. He said:
"[By having] data-sharing capabilities, they can identify
[a fraudster] and not hire that person. In HR you may see lots
of people hide behind the DPA. In this case you can use it to
your advantage. This [DPA] acts as a deterrent.
For
More Information Go To: http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2009/08/28/51942/data-protection-act-can-limit-staff-fraud.html
   
 Paul
founded ERC Dataplus in 1993. Prior to starting ERC, Paul practiced
law and from 1980 until 1992, was the General Counsel of Bakers
Industries, a large private security firm with more than 100,000
employees.
As Baker Industries’
General Counsel, Paul had to deal with many of the issues that
large firms encounter such as high turnover, employee negligent
behavior and the many challenges associated with hiring the right
person. When he left Baker, he believed there was a business opportunity
to impact these issues. Initially he focused on pre-employment
testing; but, was serendipitously introduced to interactive voice
response (IVR) and saw the opportunity to use it in the prescreening
process. As fate would have at the law firm where he rented office
space one of the other tenants was an IVR programmer. They developed
a relationship and starting working together to build a pre-screening
interview process built on an IVR platform that would make applying
for a job a better experience for applicants and the employer.
Paul indicated
that in parallel to building the IVR system Marriott Hotel in
Philadelphia had a really bad experience when they ran an advertisement
for 400 new positions and 13,000 people showed up for interviews.
Somehow having experienced this situation Marriott found out about
Paul‘s new venture (by this time, Peter Clarke, an IVR expert
had joined ERC Dataplus as its Chief Technology Officer) and contacted
him to see if ERC could help them by adding an interview scheduling
system to the employee pre-screening. As an added bonus, ERC also
collected each applicant’s residence zip code that would
allow Marriott to demonstrate its community outreach efforts,
a requirement under its redevelopment funding. ,This was the beginning
of many contracts with Marriott who they still have as a client
today.
Although the
company’s first name was “Employers Resource Corporation,”
as time passed its customers started calling them ERC, the name
stuck, and was formally changed in 1995. “Dataplus”
was added to reflect the fact that it was doing much more than
collecting data, it was providing clients with the opportunity
to use it to enhance their human resource planning.
ERC started
getting involved with the background screening industry because
clients were asking them to integrate their applicant front-end
processing with different background screening firms. After several
of these integrations, Paul realized doing these one-by-one on
an ad hoc basis, was too costly for it and its clients and started
exploring a better way to fulfill what was an apparent market
need. Characteristic of his visionary approach Paul pursued a
design that would engage applicants in the data entry process.
This approach improved accuracy, sped up turn around time and
eliminated this time consuming activity from recruiters’
responsibility and has now become an industry standard. In addition,
the company has integrated with all the major background screening
industry platforms: Accio Data, Clearstar.net, Epic Concepts,
FRS, Tazworks, ISS, and TeamScreen.
Starting in
the fall of 2007,the company has put a concerted focus on the
background screening industry. In April, Carla Knoll, EVP-Partner
Programs, who had returned to ERC after a two year “family
time hiatus,” took on the responsibity of launching the
new program. Carla’s business savvy, high energy, enthusiasm,
drive to succeed have contributed to the wide acceptance ERC has
received from the industry in such a short time.
On the personal
side, Paul grew up in Camden, N.J. and attended Haddonfield High
School. He paused to reflect for a moment on how positive an experience
his growing up was in Camden despite its current reputation for
high crime and being among the poorest cities in the country.
He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of
Pennsylvania and studied for a year at the London School of Economics.
He earned his law degree at Temple University. He is married with
two children and proudly stated that he has six grand children.
Paul is no longer fired up about sports although if Penn is playing
someone good he may attend a game. He has very diverse interest
in music noting that his favor genres are classical and reggae.
He added that he is a big Bob Marley fan.
In addition,
traveling is one of his true passions. His two favorite trips
took him to diverse countries – China and South Africa.
He was amazed by the vibrancy and buildings in Shanghai and Beijing.
He noted the beauty of Cape Town and reveled in how much he enjoyed
the safari experience. Next on his adventure list is Egypt.
Returning
to a discussion of the business he shared that their new I-9/Everify
tool had been approved and they are introducing an Automated Job
Posting System which integrates with 3300 job boards. He also
chuckled as he said, “We have some ‘game changing’
products on the drawing board,” but noted it was premature
to talk about them at this point. He did share that his continued
focus is on products that will give broader and deeper information
about applicants noting that employers need tools to help them
make high quality hiring decisions and should live by the slogan
to be ‘slow to hire, quick to fire.’ He also feels
that there is a growing need for applicants to have a much more
realistic picture of the job they are being hired for to close
the gap between what employers know about the applicant and what
the applicant knows about the employer.
In response
to my question about what he sees in the future for the background
screening industry he was uncomfortable trying to speculate on
what might be happening in the industry 10 years out. However,
he did offer a perspective on something he believes that firms
in the industry need to consider. First, he believes that since
background screening firms essentially buy their data from the
same sources there is a great opportunity to differentiate themselves
other than by price. Second, he believes that background screening
firms could take a broader view of the business that they are
in and see that they are not just delivering profiles, but are
part of a bigger picture: the Hiring Process. This simple reframing
can open doors to new service offerings and new customer opportunities.
For More Information
About ERC Dataplus Visit http://www.ercdataplus.com/
JOB BOARD DEDICATED TO THE BACKGROUND SCREENING INDUSTRY |
 |
Background
Screening Jobs
Visit
the Job Board for the Employment and Tenant Screening Industry.
Here you will find resumes of people with industry experience
and employers seeking applicants with experience in Employment
and Tenant Screening and related businesses. |
For More Information
Go To: http://www.backgroundscreeningjobs.com/
|
ADVERTISERS IN THIS EDITION |
|
UPCOMING CONFERENCES & EVENTS |
2009
Events (Click
Here to View full list of 2009 Events) – Updated Monthly
SHRM
State Conferences, visit
http://www.shrm.org/Conferences/StateAffilliateConferences/Pages/default.aspx
Drug
and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA), 2008 Training
Course Schedule, visit
http://datia.org
Navigating
the International Data Protection Maze
The Best Practices
and International Committees have joined together to co-sponsor
a very special 4 hour workshop at the Mid Year meeting to help
prepare NAPBS members to deal with the numerous international
data protection and privacy laws. You won’t want to miss
this practical and thought-provoking workshop.
Click
Here For More Information
World
Federation for Personnel Management, Events,
hhttp://www.wfpma.com/events/default.asp
|
Talofa!
