| |
Top
Background Screening and Checking Providers
Workforce
Magazine has republished its ‘Hot List’ of the top
background screening firms which is based on the number of employment
background-related screenings conducted and Kroll Background Screening
Group leads the pack and Hireright has been added.
Click here
to see the full list of the top background screening firms: http://www.workforce.com/tools/hot_list/HL12_12_05.pdf
Diploma
Mill Nightmare Continues
- There
are more than 300 unaccredited universities now operating. While
a few are genuine start-ups or online ventures, the great majority
range from merely dreadful to out-and-out diploma mills-fake
schools that will sell people any degree they want at prices
from $3,000 to $5,000.
- It is not
uncommon for a large fake school to "award" as many
as 500 Ph.D.'s every month.
- The aggregate
income of the bad guys is easily in excess of $200 million a
year. Data show that a single phony school can earn between
$10 million and $20 million annually.
- With the
closure of the FBI's diploma mill task force, the indifference
of most state law enforcement agencies, the minimal interest
of the news media, and the growing ease of using the Internet
to start and run a fake university, things are rapidly growing
worse.
The scary
part is that this data is based on research from the early 2000’s
and it is highly likely that these institutions have significantly
increased. The lack of law enforcement resources focused on eradicating
these fake degrees virtually ensures they will continue to proliferate.
The best defense is educated employers who verify the credentials
of new hires to ensure they have valid degrees.
For more information
go to: http://www.degree.net/html/diploma_mills.html
KPMG
Corporate Finance’s Valuation Update for the Security
Industry
The
security industry maintained consistent deal flow through the
month of July as highlighted by the following publicly announced
news and transactions:
- First
Advantage Corporation acquired Refsure Worldwide
Pty Ltd., the leading provider of employment background
screening services in Australia and New Zealand. Refsure provides
screening programs to multinational and local companies in financial
services, telecommunications, and retail industries. Financial
terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This deal comes
on the heels of First Advantage’s May 2005 acquisition
of Quest Research, a provider of background screening services
in Asia. With these acquisitions, First Advantage has established
itself as the leading provider of employment screening services
in the Asia-Pacific market. (July 24, 2006)
-
ChoicePoint Inc. announced their intent to divest various
business segments following a company-wide strategic review.
As a result of the divestments, ChoicePoint has revised their
business segments for financial reporting purposes. The business
services segment has been broken out into two segments: the
screening and authentication service segment and the financial
and professional services segment. ChoicePoint released 2005
segment results from continuing operations under their new configuration.
Screening and authentication services revenues of US$242 million
in 2005 accounted for 26.5 percent of total revenues. For 2005,
screening services recorded an operating profit margin of 24.4
percent. Furthermore, the segment realized 11.3 percent organic
growth and 13.8 percent growth including acquisitions. For the
first quarter 2006, screening and authentication services reported
revenues of US$61.8, a 23 percent operating profit margin, and
an internal revenue growth rate of 11.1 percent. (July 10,
2006)
- Garda
World Security Corporation, a major supplier of physical
security, cash-handling, investigative, and pre-employment screening
services in North America, has acquired Toronto-based Intertec
Security Corp for CAN$4.9 million. Intertec has annual revenues
of CAN$16.1 million, implying a revenue multiple of 0.3x . Intertec’s
services include providing security officers, mobile patrols,
executive protection, and parking control. (July 1, 2006)
For a copy
of the full report contact Cherie Smith Homa
at 410-949-8692 (csmith@kpmg.com)
or Jason Cross at 410-949-8683 (jecross@kpmg.com).
902 East 5th Street Suite 101
Austin Texas, 78701
(v) 888.690.9297
(f) 512.485.3111
sales@deverus.com
|
What
if you could give HR exactly what they really want? What
if you had the cutting edge solutions to the most pressing
issues, the best technology and expert team to make it happen?
deverus
is the leader in technology solutions for the background
check industry. From the most powerful industry software
applications and data exchange solutions to process consulting
and tools that connect disparate background data sources,
we enable background check companies to deliver more of
what HR wants, quickly and profitably.
Call us today to find out how we can help 888.690.9297
|
| TECHNOLOGY
& DATA PROTECTION: |
State:
Felons must provide DNA
Thousands
of convicted Indiana felons are being required to give DNA samples
at county probation offices. Felons in Marion County must begin
providing the samples. Felons in counties surrounding Indianapolis
must begin the process in August, with the rest of the counties
phased in after that. By matching the DNA from old crime scenes
with that from the felons tested, "we're going to get hits,
we're going to get investigative leads, we're going to get suspects,"
said Mark Renner of Strand Analytical Laboratories, which will
extract the samples.
All 50 states
have criminal DNA databases. Some test only those convicted of
murder or other violent offenses. Some states collect samples
from juveniles convicted of crimes that would be felonies if committed
by an adult. Several states, including Virginia, permit DNA tests
on people upon their arrests.The information also will be put
in a national database, which contains the genetic "fingerprints"
of more than 3 million Americans.
For more information
go to: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060730/NEWS01/607300406
Laptop
Loss Rampant
Vontu, a data
loss prevention provider sponsored the "U.S. Survey: Confidential
Data at Risk" of 500 information security professionals.
The survey was conducted by the Ponemon Institute. Key findings
included reporting that more than 80% of U.S. firms who responded
said they had lost one or more laptops containing sensitive information
during the last year. Additionally, nearly 65 percent of companies
reported never conducting an inventory of sensitive consumer information
or employee data. A surprise was that most companies said they
would "never" be able to determine what data was actually
on a lost or stolen laptop, desktop, fire server or mobile device.
For more information
go to: http://www.vontu.com/uploadedFiles/global/Ponemon-Vontu
Background
Screening The Way You Want It
-
Easy to use
-
Feature-rich
-
Affordable and Flexible
-
Robust and Reliable· Backed by Personal service
- Motor
Vehicle Records, Criminal Records, Credit Reports, Tenant
Screening, Social Searches, and more!
Whether
you’re just getting started in screening, or looking
for a new provider, give us a call. You’ll be glad
you did.
|
| TECHNOLOGY
& DATA PROTECTION (continued) |
Outbound Email and Content Security in
Today’s Enterprise, 2006 Survey by ProofPoint, Inc
| Outgoing
emails contain content that poses a legal, financial
or regulatory risk |
23%
|
|
|
| Ordered
by court or regulatory body to produce employee
email |
25% |
|
|
| Business
impacted by the exposure of sensitive or embarrassing
information |
35% |
|
|
|
 |
To download
the complimentary report go to: http://www.proofpoint.com/id/outbound/index.php
The
Insider Threat Benchmark Report: Strategies for Data Protection
| This
research report discusses key findings from 88 companies surveyed
to determine the degree by which best-in-class organizations
are utilizing a security solution to address the risk of the
insider threat, also referred to as “data leakage”
or “data loss prevention.” http://www.apani.com/cso-insider |
 |
Take
Your Firm to the Next Level
So you have
done a great good job at bringing in new clients to your firm
that you’re swamped with business, your firm is growing,
and all parts of your marketing system are in place and running
smoothly? Even if this is true for your firm, what happens
next in many successful firms, however, is not good news.
Instead of sticking with what’s created success in the first
place, the focus shifts away from a marketing mindset. Instead
of being an essential lens through which people in your firm view
their role, marketing as an every-day focus fades from importance.
After all, why continue to invest the time and resources
on marketing when you’ve got more business than you can
handle now anyway? And shouldn’t you spend time
on what’s now important, like internal operations, serving
current clients, and other more urgent priorities? The
answer is an emphatic NO! Not only will you erode all
the hard work you’ve invested to get to where you are, but
it will be much harder (and expensive!) to turn your now larger
and more complex ship around, once you lose that marketing mindset.
To Read the
Full Article go to: http://www.turningpointemarketing.com/Free_Resources
Alternatives
to Webzines
Those of you
that already have webzines or those that have started one and
not continued, know first hand that while it sounds great to publish
a webzine it takes a lot of time to do it on an on-going basis
particularly keeping up with constantly finding content. Fortunately,
there is more than one way to skin a cat (it is just an old saying,
animal rights activist please don’t start a campaign against
me.) Here are two alternative approaches to helping you achieve
your goal of establishing credibility, staying in touch with your
prospects, and capturing your Web site visitors.
Click
Here to Read the Full Article
JOB
BOARD DEDICATED TO THE BACKGROUND SCREENING INDUSTRY LAUNCHED |
Find
resumes of people with industry experience and industry employers
seeking industry experience.
BackgroundScreeningJobs.com
- your one stop source to quickly and easily find people in the
background screening industry. Go to backgroundscreeningjobs.com
today!
 |
One
of the true test of any association or organization is the
added value it gives to its members. In today’s fast
pace environment busy professionals have to make choices about
how to spend their time and which organizations they want
to be associated with. The following is one person’s
experience that clearly demonstrates the value that NAPBS
has contributed to her. |
Contributed
by Lisa Olvera:
I have been with Corporate Intelligence Consultants for almost
5 years now and can see how I have grown. My first NAPBS conference
was great. The information was useful and helpful with issues
I was dealing with regarding courthouses, runners, different states,
their laws and now my concentration in the marketing area. The
part of NAPBS that I am most proud of is the community or team
we are all a part of. The interaction of members is impressive.
Instead of looking at the person sitting next to you at lunch
at the conference as a competitor, they have become a confidant!
To illustrate my point, Barry Nadell was invaluable in helping
me with problems I was having. We see Barry speak at the conference
or other conferences, but he shared information with me, one on
one. His counsel was priceless. The entire association is accessible,
Tracy Seabrook our director has played a vital role in our committee,
she works, and she works hard! I constantly tell other associations
I belong to about NAPBS and how proud I am of the work everybody
does to keep it running. This association takes hard work from
all its members, but especially the committees. I look forward
to becoming more involved in the near future.
Lisa A. Olvera,
Corporate Intelligence Consultants, 419-467-2482, lolvera@corpintel.com
Go To www.NAPBS.com
to Join Today
START
GETTING ADDITIONAL SALES OPPORTUNITIES TODAY:
JOIN
PREEEMPLOYMENTDIRECTORY.COM |
PLATINUM MEMBERSHIP HAS IT’S PRIVELIGES
- You
are provided a full page to display your marketing message.
- Your
web site URL appears with your listing and is linked to
your web site so potential clients can go directly to
you.
- You
get an automatic pop up email to connect visitors directly
to your sales staff.
- Your
logo will be placed at the top of the page along with
other Platinum member’s logos in the alphabetical
and geographical (US or International) sections. In addition,
Your logo will rotate on the front page giving you a substantial
advantage over non Platinum members.
- On
your specific alphabetical and geographical (US or International)
page your firm’s logo will appear at the top ahead
of all other non platinum listings.
- You
can update your ad copy at no charge if you introduce
new products and services or your marketing campaign changes.
CLICK
HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PLATINUM MEMBERSHIP AND TO BECOME
A PLATINUM MEMBER TODAY
New International Series will Give Insight to Conducting
Background Investigations Around the World
Employer
Responsibilities for Employees Driving on company
business:
Under
Section 87 (2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, you
are liable if you encourage or permit an employee
to drive a vehicle of any class without the correct
licence. The offence can carry a penalty of 3 points
and a fine of up to £1000. You can find the
full text of the Road Traffic Act 1988 at the following
location:http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/Ukpga_19880052_en_4.htm.
Additionally, employers are vulnerable to prosecution
for offences ranging from corporate manslaughter to
aiding and abetting in the event of a serious incident.
Read more to find out about Scope of Employer Responsibilities,
Potential Offences and What Employers Should Do.
Click
Here for More Information
London Firm Analyzes
CV Discrepancies
Powerchex
a London-based pre-employment screening agency has just
completed an extensive research survey analysing CV discrepancies
as they occur in the financial services industry (banks,
insurance firms, asset managers etc). 2,487
employment applications were examined over the period on
one month (July 2006) in an extensive project conducted
in conjunction with the Shell Technology and Enterprise
Project.
Key
research findings include:
-
25% of applicants for positions in banks and other
financial institutions have lied on their application
forms.
-
38% of applications submitted by British men had
at least one major lie on their application form.
-
The income group with the largest amount of discrepancies
were earning £80,000 to £90,000 per
year.
-
51-60 year old applicants have the most discrepancies
on their application forms.
For
more information go to: http://www.powerchex.co.uk/
I-9
Employment Eligibility
USIS’
Commercial Services Business has launched its I-9 Employment
Eligibility Verification Product. It is designed to verify
that an employee is legally authorized to work in the United
States. The I-9 Employment Eligibility product uses information
provided by the employee on the I-9 form. USIS will then
submit a request to search the files of the Social Security
Administration as well as the Department of Homeland Security
to determine if the employee is eligible to work in the
U.S. However, this product cannot be utilized during the
pre-employment process and must be utilized within three
days of hire. After the information is submitted by the
employer, the results of the screen are completed by USIS
and returned back to the customer. Based on the results,
additional action may be required by the employer.This verification
is available in all 50 states and can be implemented on
a location by location basis.
For
More Information go to: http://www.usis.com/commercialservices/I9_Employment_Eligibility.htm
Easylobby®,
Inc. Partners With Ecustoms For Restricted Party Screening
For
many years EasyLobby has had a Watch List feature in their
visitor management system to alert customers about unwanted
visitors. Traditionally, their customers have used the Watch
List feature to stop ex-employees, estranged spouses, and
the like from entering their facilities” said EasyLobby
CEO Howard Marson. “With the integration of eCustoms’
Restricted Party Screening solution, we are now able to
extend the Watch List concept to identify and bar entry
to individuals who appear on any one of the government’s
Restricted Party lists, in real time, and without having
to periodically download those lists into our own database.”
For
More Information go to: http://www.easylobby.com/about_easylobby/EasyLobby%20eCustoms2%20press%20release2.pdf
New
series of mini-courses introduced for the ESR Safe Hiring
Certification Training
Novato,
CA -- August 29, 2006 -- Employment Screening Resources
(ESR), a leading nationwide pre-employment background screening
firm, announced today it has released a new series of mini-courses
for the ESR Safe Hiring Certification Training -- the first
and only online educational and professional development
courses in safe hiring and employment screening. The four
new modules enable users to take and complete installments
of the ESR 30-hour intensive course. As an approved provider
of human resources programs by the Human Resources Certification
Institute (HRCI), HR professionals can also take the programs
to receive recertification credits.
The online course is the first in-depth training and education
opportunity aimed at employers, human resource and security
professionals, background screeners and anyone responsible
for risk management and due diligence in hiring.
For
More Information go to:http://www.esrcheck.com/ESRonlineSafeHiringCourse.php
|
| NEW
INTERNATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER: |
“Got
International Information?”
We have greatly enhanced our International Resource Center
to be a valuable resource for anyone looking for information on
doing international background verifications, vetting or verifications.
It includes information on EU countries data protection and other
laws, Canada, terrorist searches and much more. Also included
is very practical information on time zones, locating cities,
etc. Check it out and I am sure you will want to Bookmark it so
you can use it over and over. To view the International Section
go to www.PreemploymentDirectory.com and look under the line in
the middle of the page:
|
With the advent
of ‘Continuous Employee Screening’ tools becoming
available we believe this will be an invaluable tool to assist
firms in knowing who is on their payroll and addressing the issue
of negligent retention. This tool will help firms to be able to
identify whether mandatory licenses or professional certifications
are current as well as derogatory issues such as DUI’s,
criminal warrants, convictions, etc. that could have an impact
on an employee continuing to qualify for their position or a proposed
one.
Implementing
a continuous screening program will require careful consideration
by organizations because of a number of potential employee relations,
organizational and legal issues that need to be addressed. To
begin with it will be critical that firm’s have a comprehensive
background screening policy in place that addresses how problem
situations will be handled. In addition, the need to have pre-identified
‘sensitive jobs’ with clear qualifications and prerequisites
included in job descriptions will become even more important than
ever. Each company will need to develop a decision tree regarding
how potential issues will impact employees. Because of these issues
the National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence,
Inc. has established a new consulting practice specifically focused
on addressing these issues and helping firms to implement continuous
screening.
Since overwhelming
employers use outsourced background screening firms to conduct
their background checks, we have decided to primarily offer this
consulting service through background screening firms. This will
be a value added service that you can offer to your clients when
you are selling them your ‘continuous screening’ tool.
We have developed a proprietary implementation process for assisting
firms with continuous screening that you can offer to your clients.
Contact Barry Nixon at 949-770-5264 or online at wbnixon@aol.com
for more information.
Call
Barry Nixon at (949) 770-5264 today to find how the Continuous
Employee Post Hire Screening consulting can contribute to increased
sales, revenue and increased customer satisfaction
| SOCIETY
OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (SHRM) 2006 FORECAST: |
Implications
of the 2006 SHRM Forecast on Background Screening Industry
In reviewing the SHRM 2006 Forecast and its likely
impact on the business of background screening one of the most
pervasive trends that cuts across much of the results that are
projected to have major impact on Human Resources is the rapid
growth of outsourcing, particularly its popular twin offshoring.
Some of the noteworthy trends mentioned include increased concerns
about security, privacy, offshoring in Asia (top six destinations),
global expansion and economic growth in Asia. Overall, my assessment
of the forecast is that many of the projections are likely to
expand opportunities for background screening worldwide, but particularly
in Asia.
Click
Here for More Information
Zero
to $1 billion
A new study shows that companies that spurt from
saplings to giants tend to share the same seven traits. How does
your business stack up? The Seven essentials:
- Create an sustain a breakthrough value proposition
- Exploit a high growth market
- Focus relentlessly on cash flow
- Leverage big brother alliances
- Pack your board with industry experts
- Use blue-chip customers to gain credibility
- Bu8ld an inside-outside leadership teamHow
does your business stack up?
To Learn
more go to: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2006/05/01/8376202/index.htm
As many
of you know, Bruce has been providing expert consulting in the
industry for many years. Earlier this year he embarked on a
new exciting venture and started BackgroundScreeningJobs.com,
an online job board specifically for the background screening
industry. I had the opportunity to talk with him about his new
service and he shared many of his thoughts on the job board.
1. What led you to start the BackgroundScreeningJobs.com?
As the premier consultant in the background
screening industry, I would regularly get calls both from people
looking to change employers and from employers looking for candidates
with industry experience. I would try to hook these two up when
there was a match. I was happy to help both parties. In addition,
I was asked several times to do recruiting, but I felt that
to effectively accomplish this, I would have to "steal"
good people from companies that were, or had the potential to
be, clients. I felt this was not ethical. I found myself spending
several hours a week "helping," but this was getting
in the way of "earning." Thus, why not put it up on
a Job Board for this exchange of information to take place more
efficiently and effectively.
Click
Here For More Information
| 2006
Background Buzz MEDIA RATES: |
Click
here
for more information about advertising in The Background Buzz
and PreemploymentDirectory.com (Sections: US Provider, International,
Vendor Showcase.)
Terry Corley
from Global Screening Solutions, Inc., a Platinum member, will
be speaking at the HR-XML European HR/Staffing Conference in
Barcelona, Spain Oct 25 where he will be speaking on the topic
of “Credential Verification Goes Global”
He will speak on the Increasing labor mobility in Europe
and through out the world has brought additional attention to
the issue of credential fraud. Identifying "inflation"
of achievements and experience claimed on CVs and resumes as
well as fraudulent licenses and certifications is difficult
within a single country. How might enterprises reasonably manage
this challenge globally? Moreover, the level and variety of
data privacy and consumer reporting and investigation laws vary
considerably from country to country. This session will examine
how enterprises might protect themselves against employee and
candidate fraud without running afoul of an increasingly complex
web of data privacy protections in Europe, North America, and
beyond.
| UPCOMING
CONFERENCES & SEMINARS: |
Society
for Human Resource Management (SHRM) - For Details on
State Conferences, go to http://www.shrm.org/conferences/state/CMS_004287.asp
World
Federation of Personnel Management Associations (WFPMA)
For Details on International events by date go to http://www.wfpma.com/dates.html
Business
Forums International's HR RISK SUMMIT 2006, September
5, 2006, London W6, http://www.bfi.co.uk
Global
Security China 2006, Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition
Centre, Shenzhen, China, 5 - 7 September 2006, http://www.globalsecchina.com/docs/GSC-brochure.pdf
ASIS
International’s 52nd Annual Seminars and Exhibits,
San Diego, CA, September 25-28, www.Asisonline.org
Ninth
Annual HR Technology Conference, October 4-6, Chicago.
Go to for special invitation and to register - http://www.hrtechnologyconference.com
Business
Forums International's European Employee Vetting Conference,
October 12, 2006, London, England, http://www.bfi.co.uk
ISC
East, October 24-25, 200 New York, NY, http://www.isceast.com
HR-XML
Summit, Oct. 25-26, Barcelona, Spain, http://www.hr-xml.org/meetings/barcelona/
Securing
New Ground, New York City, November 15-16, http://www.securingnewground.com
|
PRINT ARTICLES OF INTEREST (HARDCOPY): |
How
to Spot a LIAR
The US government
has reputedly spent millions researching new lie detector technologies
including exploring exotic areas such as magnetic resonance imaging,
electroencephalogram, periorbital thermography (eye scans) and
microexpressions.
See ‘How
to Spot a LIAR,’ Time. Augusts 28, 2006, page 46.
Personality
Testing Controversial, But Poised to Take Off
Advocates of personality testing say such assessments offer useful
and legitimate insights into how well people might fit into an
organization including assessing honesty and integrity. Because
of expensive turnover, it is likely these assessments tools will
continue to gain in popularity despite critics concerns about
false positives.
See ‘Personality
Testing Controversial, But Poised to Take Off,’ Workforce
Management, August 15, 2006
|
|
