Google Isn't As Effective As You Might Think

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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