Googling yourself may be a fun way to burn a few minutes at work but, as a research tool, Google is generally ineffective. People often think they have a very unusual name until they Google it. A Google search will reveal numerous people with that same name who are as different from each other as their names are similar. You're seeking information on Joe Smith but which Joe Smith? Is it the Joe Smith who is a taxidermist, an internist, a plumber, a nuclear physicist, an inmate or a priest? How can you know for sure? The answer is that you can't. Even such defined details as a birth date, in the case of a very common name, are likely to turn up more than one result in a search.

The information is also never complete. The records are spotty at best. There's also the big problem of the reliability of sources. Anyone with a grudge against someone can post outright lies all over the Net. It has happened many times. If you consider the disparate opinions of ten people you know, can you imagine what they might have to say? Some like you and some don't. Some know you. Others don't know you at all but think they do. Are you to take the word of someone's disgruntled ex-boyfriend?

The average online biography is said to be less than 50% accurate. Those are biographies generally written by researchers, not netizens in general.

A professional background screening provider works around those problems. It will gather solid and current information. It will research places that Google can't possibly search. The information it brings out will be verified. There will also be a chain of information in case you need to do further research.

It will also bring out information that Google cannot. You'll have past addresses and patterns of relocation. You'll get the real data on jobs the person has held, including all the ones not on their work application. You can learn about past employers who can tell you important information you need to know. Any negative patterns in relationships will be visible. All these can reflect on the person you bring into your company. Forewarned is forearmed.

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In response to the recent preliminary approval of a $5.9 million settlement in a class action suit against a major transit company, Pre-employ.com is offering a free guide for businesses, “Top 5 Reasons to Avoid FCRA Non-Compliance” available here: http://www.pre-employ.com/5Tips

This free guide provides valuable information about how to stay compliant in these commonly missed areas:

• The Release Form
• Reacting to Criminal Arrests and/or Convictions
• Adverse Action Notification
• Establishing a company policy regarding pre-employment background screening
• Yearly analysis to ensure compliance

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit brought charges against the employer for not providing appropriate disclosures to job applicants prior to a pre-employment screening and background check, and for not following the required “adverse action process” as set forth in the FCRA. The Federal FCRA documents that lay the groundwork for the class action suit may be found here: http://www.pre-employ.com/FCRASettlement

Screening job applicants for criminal convictions or other red flags has become commonplace among employers, but the rules governing pre-employment screening are complicated, and willful non-compliance can be financially devastating to a business. Statutory damages of up to $1,000 per violation, attorney’s fee, and unlimited punitive damages may result. Negligent non-compliance penalties are the same with the exception of statutory damages, which are not included.

Many states have screening laws that can be confusing, and how these regulations relate to federal laws such as those employed in the above case is never clear. All businesses utilizing pre-employment screening are strongly encouraged to review their background screening programs through careful, yearly analysis available from the industry experts at http://www.pre-employ.com/quote

*We welcome relevant comments and questions from consumers, experts, and human resources professionals. Please do not submit comments with advertisements as they will not be posted publicly. Thanks for visiting our blog!

Employers are entitled to run background checks on prospective new hires but they must adopt a policy that complies with federal and state laws. Job applicants may sue the employer if it is possible to prove discrimination if the pre-employment screening is biased based on equal opportunity laws. Therefore, it may be prudent to hire a background screening company that specializes in running background checks and is able to do so within the constraints of all applicable laws.

The business should consider the type of background check to determine if it is appropriate for the vacant position the company needs to fill. While it may be appropriate to check an applicant’s credit when the position involves financial responsibilities, an individual’s credit is hardly ever an indication of a potential hire’s ability to perform the job for which he or she is applying.

For any type of background check, the hiring employer needs to state the types of background checks required of any applicant and the employer needs to have each prospective employee sign a form that grants the company to do so. Notification that the company conducts pre-employment drug tests and background checks may discourage many people who know they would not pass these checkpoints from applying.

Employers must conduct and use background checks in a uniform manner. It is extremely important for an employer to use background checks as a basis for hiring with uniformity. In addition, the employer may consider discussing with applicants concerning the nature of any derogatory information found in applicable background screenings. In the event that the employer decides not to hire an applicant based on negative findings, they should carefully explain to the applicant why the company made the decision and why the negative information is undesirable to the company.

In conclusion, while it may seem like a good idea to run background checks on prospective employees, the employer needs to exercise caution concerning the way they conducts the checks and how it uses the information in their hiring decisions. If the applicant is in a protected class, he or she may decide to file a discrimination lawsuit against the employer in the event that the employer does not make or retracts a job offer. An employer may avoid litigation by retaining a professional background screening company. Firms that are below competitive rates that other established companies charge may indicate that they do not conduct background checks thoroughly and accurately or that they cut corners and skirt around state and federal laws.

Pre-employ.com encourages employers to review their background screening program carefully, through yearly analysis and can do so free here: http://www.pre-employ.com/quote

*We welcome relevant comments and questions from consumers, experts, and human resources professionals. Please do not submit comments with advertisements as they will not be posted publicly. Thanks for visiting our blog!

As is the case with many companies in the retail industry, because of a subpar hiring process, a large retailer was experiencing many business disruptions associated with the hiring of less than desirable employees. Employee theft was up, as were customer service complaints. After analyzing the situation, the company realized that both situations were rooted in the same source -- improper and incomplete vetting of potential employees during the hiring process. The company was also suffering through a Department of Homeland Security audit for problems concerning the eligibility of some of their employees hired through this process. In many cases, the company simply did not screen potential employees in order to save money, money which they were quickly finding was not worth the risk to save.

Obviously in need of a more precise solution for new hires, the company employed the services of Pre-employ.com to standardize and automate a background screening process and ensure employment eligibility compliance with the government. The company implemented the pre-employment background screening process, which did incur an extra cost per employee. However, the company soon recouped its investment and realized a substantial return with the subsequent decrease in employee thefts after the background check implementation. The company also chose to outsource its entire employment eligibility process to the solely dedicated and automated pre-employ.com service. Fully employing pre-employ.com served as company best practice, as it freed their manpower to focus on business operations. The company also realized full return and profit on their investment in the rate of non-incidence of non-compliance. No longer spending money defending itself from audits, the company again realized savings far beyond the cost incurred.

Overall, the company enjoyed savings of $650,000 over the next five years because of the changes implemented by Pre-employ.com. The company also enjoyed the peace of mind of full compliance with government standards for employment eligibility. Also, as mentioned before, employee theft and customer complaints were considerably decreased as a direct result of programs implemented by Pre-employ.com.

*We welcome relevant comments and questions from consumers, experts, and human resources professionals. Please do not submit comments with advertisements as they will not be posted publicly. Thanks for visiting our blog!

Having a successful business is hardly something to be upset about; after all, you are edging closer and closer to achieving exactly what many can only dream of. However, more employees also means a lot more work when it comes to hiring them. You have to keep track of them and make sure they are reliable and up to the standards of your company. This usually involves pre-employment screening, which also implies background checks and even drug testing. There is no reason to panic, no matter how much you may want to. All you need to do is consider Outsourcing the screening process.

Outsourcing means there is more time to focus on important projects. If you are too busy tracking applicants, reviewing background check reports and processing i-9 forms on multiple systems, you are less likely to fixate on what should be your main concern. When you are not distracted, your business can grow and flourish at a healthy rate. And when you have to pay expenses for pre-employment screening in-house, odds are you will be forced to pass on those costs to your customers. Outsourcing means both you and your customer base are happier and with fuller wallets.

Your business is taking off, but your sanity should not be checking out at the same time. Do not make what should be a thrilling situation into an overwhelming one. Outsource your HR department and you can go back to what is most important; getting your business where it needs to be, without the headaches.

When you are finally ready to take that step, consider a company like Pre-employ.com. They have experience working with growing businesses, and they can help get you where you need to be. Get through the growing pains as smoothly as you can.

*We welcome relevant comments and questions from consumers, experts, and human resources professionals. Please do not submit comments with advertisements as they will not be posted publicly. Thanks for visiting our blog!