 |
Beware: The Five Deadly Sins of Background Checks
 This month, I would like to quickly cover the most common mistakes I find when talking with employers about their background checks. It’s essential to remember an important rule of thumb when considering the services that any employer requests of their background screening provider. That important rule of thumb is that more information is better than less information. I am constantly surprised by the number of HR professionals who have been led down the primrose path to believing that an instant search of one database is sufficient for their needs. This is an egregious disservice to both the employer and the employees of the firm in question. The concept of transfer of liability and the negligent hiring doctrine are excellent reasons not to run your background checks in this way.
But I digress. Here are the five most common mistakes that HR professionals make when running background checks for their organizations.
- Using Database Information Only – If it took a few seconds and cost a few bucks, that’s the amount of liability transfer you received.
- Running Only Single County or State Searches – With so much information available at such low prices, there's no reason to be so limiting. You’d be better off doing nothing at all.
- Not Including Federal Courts in Your Background Checks – This is the most frequently overlooked search by employers. Some very serious criminal offenses will only be found by searching these federal courts.
- Putting Your Applicant Release to Run the Background Check on the Back of an Application or in an Electronic Form – The FTC suggests a more thorough approach.
- Failing to Notify Applicants/Employees When Adverse Action is Taken – Violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act is no joke.
Over the next few months, I am going to break these down and write about how these processes can actually negate the value of the background check altogether. There are numerous instances where companies have failed to do adequate background checks and courts have found that constituted, "-failure to provide reasonable care when such failure results in injury to consumers or other employees.” Next month, I’ll go over the wonderful world of databases. You will find out when to use the information and how to interpret the results.
Have a great month!
Sincerely,
Jeff Rackler, CEO
KRESS Employment Screening
jrackler@kressinc.com
|
 |
Survey Reveals Top 5 Competencies for HR Managers
In a recent Global HR Leaders' Agenda survey, sponsored by Cendant International Assignment Services, in association with U.K. published HR World and the International Institute of Human Resources, the leading 50 global HR leaders were questioned on new trends in the HR management industry. These leaders were from global organizations such as Microsoft, DaimlerChrysler, Wal-Mart, Shell, Ericsson and Deutsche Bank. As part of the survey, these experts were questioned on the top skills that are essential for success in the HR industry.
The top 5 skills, as defined in the survey, are:
- Change Management - the ability to deal with uncertainty and change
- Maturity - the stability of performance under stress
- Openness - being open to new ideas and different practices
- Flexibility/Adaptability
- Contextual Thinking - the ability to see the bigger picture and develop cognitive complexity
Read More: vault.com
|
|
|
