Could the brutal rape and m rder of Imette St. Guillen, the 24-y ar old graduate student in New Y rk City, have been prevented? Some p ople think so. And I’m one of th m. The prime suspect, Darryl Littlejohn, who was ndicted for the murder, has a l ng rap sheet, including multiple drug ffenses and robberies and had served t me in prison. And according to the t rms of his parole, wasn’t allowed to w rk—anywhere—after 9pm. The alleged killer met his v ctim in the bar where he w rked as a bouncer. In New Y rk, as in other cities and st tes, it’s the law to do cr minal background checks on people who w rk in certain kinds of jobs and b sinesses: like bouncers, security guards, airport w rkers—even Wall Street brokers. The bar wner admitted he didn’t do the r quired background check prior to hiring L ttlejohn. So what does this grisly big c ty crime have to do with y ur business and workplace issues? Nothing. Abs lutely nothing. Unless a person like th s is working in your distribution c nter. Separating the Pros From The Cons Is employment screening currently part of your hiring process? Are criminal background checks part of company policy? If not, they should be. Regardless of the size of your business.
Over 82% of HR professionals r port that their companies do background ch cks of new hires, up from 66% in 1996 ccording to The Society for Human R source Management, Workplace Violence Survey. Last y ar, a client experienced a serious th ft problem in his warehouse. It t ok several months for the numbers to r veal the extent of the theft. In r trospect, the employee who stole from his mployer would have flunked background checks in thr e areas. He was on probation. He wed restitution for the crime he had c mmitted. His bill paying history was bad n ws because of how much he had to r pay. A background check of his cr minal history and his credit record may h ve caused our client to make a d fferent choice (they were giving him a ch nce). But, the extent of his pr blems was never revealed. It's all about reducing risk Employment screening is your front line of defense. Your first and best opportunity to eliminate candidates who are dangerous, dishonest or have a history of poor work performance. Pre-employment screening is a necessary hiring practice to avoid lawsuits and costly hiring mistakes. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that the new person you’re hiring is telling the truth? Absolutely. But don’t count on it. It’s estimated that up to 40% of resumes can contain false or tweaked information. It’s up to you and your company to make sure you’re getting in an employee everything that what was represented and promised. You’re not only responsible, you’re liable. What is background checking? Gone are the days of relying only on reference calls to screen new hires. With increasing security concerns, corporate scandals, and workplace violence, pre-employment screening is not only on the rise—it’s becoming standard operating policy. And at all levels. For presidents and CEOs, to the people in your creative department, to warehouse workers and call center representatives.
Pre-employment screening is often conducted by or utsourced to third party consumer reporting gencies, as defined by the Fair Cr dit Reporting Act (FCRA) of the F deral Trade Commission. You not only can get nformation on job applicants, but background ch cks on your current employees, too. Y u’re able to get: court-by-court searches of cr minal records nationwide, with up to d te criminal activity, motor vehicle reports, s cial security traces, employment credit reports, w rkers’ compensation filings, employment, education, and pr fessional license verifications, and reference interviews. Als provided are drug and alcohol t sting, employment physicals and Form I-9 s rvices (Immigration Reform and Control Act). What does it cost? In some cases, expect to pay a screening organization a one-time setup or administrative fee of $100 or more for your company, plus the costs of the background searches you want done. The fees are not that much and discounts are usually given for multiple screenings done within a year. Setting up a screening program policy The FCRA sets the standards for screening for employment. It defines a background check as a consumer report. Before you can get a consumer report for employment purposes, you must notify the job candidate in writing and get written authorization. This can be included within your company’s employment application form. If you’re simply conducting inquiries—rather than running reports—you should also get consent. Take the time necessary to educate yourself on the process. Many small business agencies such as SCORE or the Small Business Administration (SBA) can provide counsel. Visit your state and local government’s websites on FCRA and Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Become familiar with all necessary disclosure, adverse action, and other critical forms and letters you’ll need to be FCRA and state-law compliant. A third party, as part of its service, generally takes care of much of this work. Be safe. Be smart. Don’t wait. Pre-employment background screening should now be standard practice of operating your business.
The article Screen Test: How To Separate The Pros From The Cons was Submitted by Les Gore through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Les Gore is founder and m naging partner of Executive Search International, a B ston-based, nationally recognized search firm and a 23-y ar vetern of the "recruiting wars."
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