Monday, July 31, 2017

What can You Do to Combat Background Check Delays?


You Want it and You Want it Now!
After all, who wouldn't love having their wants and needs instantly fulfilled? What a wonderful world it would be if that were only possible!

And, if you happen to own your own business, this sentiment couldn't be more true ~ especially when it comes time to hire or expand your business. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't often work that way.

Just when you need to get some new talent or additional help in to jump start or keep you business running smoothly, you hit snags! 
Maybe you aren't finding the "right" person? Maybe the quality of your applicants isn't what you had hoped it would be?

But it can be even worse when you think you have actually found the right hire and delays in your background check are getting in the way!

These obstacles are just as problematic if you happen to be the one applying for the job!

Background Check delays can frustrate you, your applicant, and even your screening company.
That is why it makes sense to do what you can both before and during the screening process to combat potential background check delays.

Your first course of action is to both recognize and identify potential delays. 

The Top 10 Obstacles than can Delay Your Background Check are:
  1. Resume/Application Mistakes, Errors, & Fabrications
  2. Timing of Your Request
  3. Manual Court Checks
  4. Individual Court Dynamics
  5. Employment and Reference Checks
  6. Incomplete Case Information
  7. Power Outages or System Maintenance
  8. International Requests
  9. Government Shutdowns
  10. Changing Legislation
Learn more about these potential delays, and how to develop a plan to deal with them, in "10 Obstacles that can Delay Your Background Check"!


In Employment Background Checks, Quality should be King! "Tweet This"
Once you have identified these potential delays, then you can create a sound plan to help eliminate, or at least alleviate, their impact on your hiring process.

When any of these obstacles hit, it can seem to throw a wrench in your hiring works.

A good background check company can help you overcome these delays and keep you on the right track. After looking at your candidate's resume or application, they are there to identify potential problems and suggest sound solutions. Your screening company will also keep you informed when a problem occurs along the way and what can be done to get past it.

But it is also important that you do your part!

As an employer, you should:
  • Stay up to date on compliance issues (your screening company can help).
  • Develop easy to fill out applications that require your candidate to supply information pertinent to your background check. Examples of this are: strong identifying information, education information including name and location of institution and type of degree and date earned, employers' names, locations, dates and job title, and accurate contact information.  
Making sure you, in conjunction with your background check company, have taken all the necessary steps and have all the information you need before even starting your background checks simply makes good business sense! And it can go a long way towards lessening the impact of any potential obstacles.

You also need to remember that when it comes to employment screening, the accuracy of the background information must be more important than the speed in getting it!

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Monday, July 24, 2017

Tips to Help You Use Your Background Check Report to Hire!



Do You know how to use the information found in your employment background check report? 

As an employer, you know "Why" employment screening is so important to a quality hiring process and you should also "How" to choose the best background check company for you. 

But when it comes time to actually USE the information you receive in your background check reports are you, like many employers,  stymied?
Employers and Hiring managers often worry about running afoul of local, state, and federal employment laws. Even ever changing EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) regulations cause angst.

The bottom line is ~ it doesn't have to be that way!
While we addressed how finding the right screening company solves some of these issues in Part 2 of this series, that does not mean that is where it ends.

As an employer, you also need to take into account how these laws and regulations can impact your hiring policies and process.

This is where knowing exactly WHAT information contained in your background check report can legally be used when making your hiring decision is vital! 

Before even considering making a new hire, you should work in conjunction with your background check provider to make sure your hiring policies are compliant. Avoiding and eliminating anything that could be considered discriminatory is key.

Any references in your job descriptions, help wanted postings, or anywhere within your hiring policies to age, sex, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or anything else considered a "protected class" are taboo.  


Your Background Check Report is the Key to Hiring Safely and Effectively! "Tweet This"

Your dedication to hiring fairly and in compliance is even more important when it comes time to use your background check to make your final hiring decision.

Your background check report should be treated like your best friend. It is there to give you the honest truth and to help you make hiring decisions that are best for you and your company.
That is why it makes sense to use the information contained in that report wisely.

At the very least you will want to cross-check the information in your report with what was supplied by your applicant.
Do dates and title of employment mesh? Was the degree stated in their resume actually earned?

If you find that your applicant was honest about the information listed in their resume or application it can go a long way towards getting the employer / employee relationship off to the right start.

But it doesn't stop there.

The majority of employment screenings include criminal court record checks. And this is where you need to tread carefully. 

If you find that one of your applicants has a prior criminal record, then there are definite guidelines you need to follow! 
Only under specific circumstances, such as where an industry is prohibited by law from hiring an ex-offender, can you simply dismiss from consideration anyone with a criminal record.

Instead, if your applicant has a criminal past, you need to first ask yourself the following:
  1. How recent was/were the conviction(s)? 
  2. How is this record relevant to your open position?
Your answers to these questions will help determine your next steps.

You can find more details on these questions and about how you can safely use your employment background check results in "You Have Your Background Check Report, Now What?"!

But what do you do if you decide that what you learn may keep you from offering your candidate the job?

This is where you need to understand your applicant's rights. If adverse information found in your candidate's background check report may prevent them from being hired, you must:
  • Notify the applicant, in writing, of your determination and provide them a copy of the Background Check Report.
  • Give the applicant the opportunity to correct the information in the Background Check Report or for them to offer information to mitigate the report’s findings.
  • Determine whether any additional information you receive from the applicant will reverse your initial decision to exclude the applicant from hire or promotion.
  • Notify the applicant of your final determination.
Only after you have complied with these steps can you legally make your final hiring decision.

In addition, it is vital that you document this entire process! You need to keep detailed notes as to what decisions you made concerning the hiring of your applicant and when you made them. Good records will help protect your company in the event of litigation. You will find more information on safe hiring in "Tips to Help Your Business Fly Under the EEOC Radar".

Remember ~ Your background check report is there to help you. What you find there can help determine your applicant's honesty and decide whether they are qualified for the job. It is knowing in advance "What" you can legally do with the information in that report that makes all the difference!

Want to learn more about how Background Checks can help You and Your Business Succeed? Contact UsAPI will work with you to develop a sound and compliant hiring program especially for your company!

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Monday, July 17, 2017

How to Pick the Right Background Check Company!


Choosing the best background check company for you may seem like a daunting task. It is easy to question yourself and your decisions. 

Will the company you are considering do the job right? Will they be easy to work with? What kind of information can they find, and is it quality information? And of course, you are always worried about cost.

But most importantly, you may wonder if a background check company is really on the up and up. 

How do you really know who you can trust?
Can Your Background Check Provider Be Trusted? "Tweet This"

Here we take a look back at the second installment of a three part series we wrote when launching our blog. We wanted to focus on the 3 common and confusing questions that many employers have about background checks
  1. Why should I use background checks to hire? 
  2. How can I choose a quality background check company? 
  3. What can do with the information in the background check report to help me hire?

We covered the "Why" in, "What You Need to Know about Background Checks".

Now you need to know "How" ~ specifically, how to pick the right background check company for you!

When choosing a screening company, it is important that you do your research and ask the right questions.
Our advice is to focus on finding a company that will with WITH you, not just for you! The company you choose should be a true partner in your quest to find the right employees that will help your company succeed.

Now you just need to know what to look for!

A good Background Check Provider should:
  1. Focus on Your Needs
  2. Use Direct, Reliable Sources for their Information
  3. Take the Time to Do It Right
  4. Stay Informed on Hiring Laws and Regulations
  5. Not Put Cost over Quality
You can find out more about these tips in; "5 Tips to Help You Choose the Best Background Check Company for You"!




In addition to these suggestions, you should also do the following:

Word of Mouth
Ask other business owners you know. Who do they use for their employment screenings? If they are satisfied with that company's work, chances are you will be too!

Reviews / Customer Referrals
Find out what their clients are saying about them. Search for them online and see what is posted. While you can't take every review as gospel, it is possible to look for a trend.

Pay Attention to the Company's "Vibe"  
How do you feel when you are talking with them? Are they showing genuine interest in you are does it feel like they are just in it for the sell? Your gut feelings can go a long way towards picking the right screener. Having a comfortable working relationship with any company you do business with often takes time, but your initial impression should be given some weight.

Choosing the right background check company doesn't have to be difficult. All it takes is asking the right questions and using your instincts. And when done right, you will find that your company's hiring process is easier and more productive than ever! 
Be sure to check back next week when we revisit the final article in this series on how you can use your background check report to hire right! 

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Need Help Hiring for Your Business? Contact Us! We are here to answer your questions and get you the quality talent you need!


Monday, July 10, 2017

What You Need to Know about Background Checks


Why, When, and How Should You be Using Background Checks in Your Business?

This is the one big question that drove us to start our blog, and one that continues to stymy many business owners! 

Back in 2012, when we were just getting started with the whole social media marketing thing, we found that so many companies were confused and unsure about background checks. They really didn't understand how using them to help make hiring decisions was good for them and their business.

Many cited money reasons ~ after all, they were looking at spending their hard earned funds on someone that they may not even end up hiring. Others didn't think that the information they could find during an employment screening would really be of any value.

Then there were these 3 big questions ~ 
  1. Why should I use background checks to hire? 
  2. How can I choose a quality background check company? 
  3. What can do with the information in the background check report to help me hire?


Background Checks are Crucial to Every Good Hiring Process "Tweet This"!

This confusion prompted us to write a 3 part series of articles designed to answer these questions and help alleviate the confusion ~ a lofty undertaking if we do say so ourselves!

We began by focusing our first article on the question of "Why" using screening potential employees makes sense.

At API we believe in this as a fundamental truth ~ employment background checks are a crucial step in helping you hire the most qualified and safest employees for your business.

Employment Screening will Help You:
  • Determine Your Applicant's honesty
  • Create a Safer Workplace
  • Protect Company Assets
  • Keep Compliant
  • Increase Your Protection from Lawsuits 
Discover more about the "why" of background checks in "5 Reasons Why You Need to Use Employment Background Checks".

In the next few weeks we will take a look back at the rest of this series and touch on "How" to choose the best background check company for you and "What" you can do with your background check report during your hiring process.

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Learn how API can Help both You and your Business by visiting our About Us, Background Investigation & Applicant Services, Business Mentoring, and Security Consulting Services pages.


And for more Business News and Tips, follow our blog at www.accessprofilesblog.
   

Monday, July 3, 2017

Celebrating Our Small Business Independence!


Business Owners value our Independence!

Other than the love and dedication to our families, our businesses are what drives us, worries us, and sustains us. Daily, we celebrate our ability to create something that is ours and to take it in the direction we want to go. 

We relish the idea that we are able to build a company that speaks to our core values and fulfills our biggest goals.

For us, that has always meant creating a company that is dedicated to helping others achieve their own entrepreneurial dreams ~ and that is still our ultimate goal today.

So this 4th of July, we are celebrating our, 
and our fellow entrepreneurs, own Independence Day!

We are celebrating our independent spirit and embracing our entrepreneurial freedoms. 

That is why we believe that Independence Day really speaks to Small Business Owners.

We believe in and appreciate the rights we have in this country to pursue our dreams ~ and owning our own businesses are a large part of those dreams!

We recognize and continue to fight for those freedoms. We cherish the opportunities that allow us to reach our goals and build something of our own we can be proud of.
We believe Small Business Owners are trailblazers, and nothing says “independence” more!

"I personally celebrate the freedom and independence I feel in running my own business.  The ability to pursue my own dreams is unequaled.  To me, this is true independence", quote from "Independence and What it Really Means to Your Small Business"!
  

Small Business Owners Celebrate Our Independence! "Tweet This"

We leave you with one last thought from our article on Independence and Small Business,

"This 4th of July, while we celebrate the independence of our nation, let us also remember that it is alive and well in the hearts, minds, and businesses of our Small Business Owners - our innovators, our inventors, and our instigators!".
Happy Independence Day!


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