Ever have that client or department that needed that background done yesterday? Yeah, I get that one alot. So, how do you get that background done yesterday?  Prepare for it the day before yesterday by having a solid policy and direct connection to your customer service representatives. Lets face it, when it comes to the background industry the information returned is a commodity, but the firm that you deal with can greatly reduce turn around time and errors.

     It has happend many times where the information passed to us (Allied Information Resource, Inc.) may be suspect, but we have processes in place to verify and check the information given to us is usuable. If the information is not usable, then prompt communication will save time and provide a good background check/verification.

     Lets say that the information passed is perfect. Now timing is determined on when the information passed. Entering information into an online system is a good way to go. Faxing represents possible Client/Firm issues that can unfairly strain relationships for both parties.  Online is better because it lowers entry issues and both Client/Firm know when an order was placed.  Most importantly, it is the time of day that the order was placed.  Like everyone else, court researchers get up first thing in the morning, grab their orders and head out to the courts.  They sometimes go two and three times a day depending on work load.  Because the courts are a government office, they tend to close earlier and also have furlough days (due to current economic conditions). 

    What does this mean?  Simple, early bird gets the worm.  Putting into place a routine where the background is placed as soon as possible, even before they leave the office.

Yeah, Right!

     I know quite a few people in the HR industry and your jobs are tough.  You may have ten people applying, a client on the phone and some background agency asking for more information and then there is the email piling up, oh and don’t forget to sell something while your at it.  The goal of an vendor should be to fit into your organization at your speed and the “at your speed” thing is critical.  If a vendor does not understand you then how can they help you.

How can I help?

Have you ever called an employment screening company and asked “how much for a standard background”? I know that you are expecting a 10 word or less answer and I have no idea how to answer that question to the satisfaction of the caller.

It is the question that is the problem. What is the problem with the question? I am glad you asked. That question can only be answered by asking another question. What is that question you ask? My, you are curious today. That question is ….. wait for it ….. “how much do you really want to know”? Within the law of course. That is not the best answer/question. There is a better question, so read on.

“Within the law” is the scariest statment known to HR and employment background agencies. It causes great pause and lowers your life expectancy. So how much do you want to know about your prospective employee. You want to know “just the right amount”! Well, what is that? I guess I should have been a politician. Okay, I’ll get to the point.

Background screenings should be approached from the position from which they are being put. A retail clerk would not have the same check as a truck driver or even an accountant. You may wonder what is the difference between an accountant and a retail clerk. They both work with money and have personal access to company assets. The background that you can perform on the accountant may include more personal detail, leagally, due to the size of salary. All of this is dependant on what you know about your state laws. A good lawyer or resource that watches state and federal laws surrounding employment is paramount in the employment business and that is everyone who employs people in the united states. I can’t speak for china, but I think a pulse is the only thing required for employment and that might even be a stretch (jusy kidding).

The long and the short of it is that you should have some information about the positions you are hiring for and what state they are working within prior to asking the standard cost of a background. You should also know more about your screening company and what are their resources. They should be a member of NAPBS. Not because NAPBS membership is important but because its resources to screening companies is invaluable. Your screening company may know its home state laws but needs help for national accounts where employees are being employed in other states.

To sum it up, lets do this together. We do not want a background to be a mystery cost nor what we do to be a mystery either. We cannot answer the standard background question to your satisfaction. If a backgorund search agency does not ask for what type of position and what state will they be working, hang up and call another agency.

A resource for HR professionals in case they didn’t know.  This seams a little early for major elections but this refers to all voting days.  HR beware!

State-by-state list of employee Election Day rights.

Just thought you might want to know.  Useful if you are doing business with the Feds.  I am sure the list will expand in the near future.

Who has to use E-Verify? Complete rundown.

Question
We’re thinking about having a question on our job application asking if the applicant has ever been charged with a crime.

Is it legal to ask? Can the question cause problems?

ANSWER -> Answers to tricky HR questions: OK to ask about criminal charges?.

If you’re not careful you’ll miss the subtlety of the syntax of the answer.  Just as lady justice is blind, a charge does not mean a conviction.  A charge has no bearing on guilt just as guilt has no bearing on the conviction. Notice that guilt is really not part of the equation between charge and conviction. Guilt is ours to own and take up with our maker – the real victim. Whoa, that was deep – sorry.