Background Checks - How They Can Help Your Business

If you're thinking about hiring a new staff member, it's important to know that there are screening processes that can help determine if this individual is the right fit for your company. That's why conducting a background check is so crucial. Human resources specialists should work with their specific state and federal laws to define what information is gathered from the applicant being screened. This process can range from checking references to running criminal history records.

By making sure you screen your candidates thoroughly before bringing them on board, you're maximizing the probability of success in your business venture because you are able to weed out unsuitable candidates before they have a chance do any damage or steal any of your time and money. Background checks are also crucial for entrepreneurs to ensure that they are hiring someone of high moral character who can contribute not only to the success of the company, but also be a positive influence in the workplace.

Every business owner will face different challenges when it comes to screening new hires, so human resources specialists and business owners should work closely with one another to set up a screening process that is reliable and effective.

If you're not sure where or how to begin your search for a candidate, start by looking at the job postings that you have already placed on your website. Look carefully at each candidate and make sure that you know what to look for in terms of background information – this will help you create better questions throughout the interview process. For example, if the job posting asked for someone to have experience working in a retail store, you'll need to ask the candidate questions about retail experience.

While you might start out interviewing one candidate for a job, you may end up with a shortlist of finalists and will then choose one person from each list to interview in person. You'll want to keep notes on this interview process to see if there are any red flags that come up during the process. You may find that you need to make some changes to your screening process, or you might discover that the person has no red flags.

All new hires can benefit from a good background check and it's important for both employers and employees to find out as much information about the background of a potential new hire as possible. Running a thorough search for this information and figuring out what is required by your state will help you avoid hiring unqualified or potentially dangerous candidates.

The bottom line is that your new hire will be an integral part of your business, so you'll want to ensure that they are the right fit during their first day on the job. A background check is one way to ensure this vital step towards success happens smoothly.

Source: http://www.inc.com/kevin-j-ryan/how-to-get-people-to-stop-lying-on-their-resumes.html

Title: How To Protect Your Business From Stolen Credit Card Numbers

Author: Mike Freedman | February 14, 2012 | www.business2community.com/technology/how–protect–business–stolen–credit–card–numbers–0092194#ixzz1pZUX9XKj

URL: http://www.business2community.com/technology/how–protect–business–stolen–credit–card–numbers–0092194#ixzz1pZUYx54b

Background Check 101: How to Get Background Check Information From a Potential Employee

Background Check 101: How to Get Background Check Information From a Potential Employee by Karla Moeller, HireAHelper.com. Whether you're hiring for customer service positions or dealing with employment law issues, it's essential to run background checks when evaluating prospective employees. However, you must know the laws in your state before seeking this information. In this article Karla Moeller tells you how to get the information on a potential employee's driving record, criminal history and more.

Being able to check a prospective employee's background is an essential part of the hiring process. Hiring the right candidate can help you build your business and hire the wrong one can waste time, money and resources. A background check will help you avoid finding yourself in a bad situation or even help with employment law issues that may come up down the road. You'll need to check state laws before running any background checks on potential employees, but it's well worth it for your business.

About Background Checks

You don't want to know simply whether or not a candidate has broken the law - you also want to know if he is likely to do so in the future. A criminal record indicates the type of behavior the person conducted while they were getting into trouble with the law and a driving record can help you determine if they are safe to be on the road. Background checks also tell you a lot about a person and can help you decide whether or not they're right for your business.

What is Included in a Background Check?

If you are hiring an employee, it's important to know that there are four types of background checks: criminal, education, employment and motor vehicle records. Most states allow employers to access three of these types of reports on potential employees and some require written consent from the candidate for each report requested. Some states require candidates to pay for the background check, while others charge employers. Not all states allow employers to request an employment background check and some will not allow you to access a state motor vehicle record without a subpoena called a "civil commitment order."

Education Checks

You can generally obtain education, work and/or school history from students when they're 16 years old or older. This information can even include transcripts of classes and results of exams, but this is only the case in most states. In the majority of cases you'll have to obtain written consent from the student on what information you'll be able to access. You'll need to find out what state laws apply to your company. If you're looking for potential employees for a retail store, you'll probably want to know that the student completed their high school graduation requirements and graduated from a regionally accredited institution.

Employment Checks

Many states consider a work history when they're reviewing applications. In most cases, you'll be able to obtain this information unless the employee has their employment in a state other than where they live or is over 18 years of age. The majority of states also require employers to provide written consent before accessing this type of background check. For example, in Virginia it's only possible to access previous employment information if you have evidence that the person has been employed elsewhere.

A criminal record check is required almost everywhere. You'll usually be able to access a court record for the person in question, including any information about the charges and how they were resolved. You may also see their conviction date listed with the arrest date and that information will help you judge the candidate's character.

What is Not Included in a Background Check?

Charges from juvenile or domestic cases do not appear on most records. In order to assist with background checks, many states will only show crimes that resulted in convictions or sentencing for jail time or fines.

Conclusion

Many people are concerned that candidate information can be accessed illegally, fearing employment discrimination and a lawsuit. However, most states have laws in place to prevent a candidate's information from being accessed by those who don't need it. For example, an employment background check may only provide basic information about the person. If you're going to run background checks on potential employees, it's important to understand the laws of your state and whether or not they allow you to access this type of information on job applicants.

Are Background Checks Necessary? Here is Why You Need Them

Background checks may seem like an unnecessary expense to some business owners, but they can actually save time and money for your company in the long run.