- Verify the applicant's Social Security number - One of the most important factors is to verify the applicant's identity using a Social Security number. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America and an easy way for a criminal to hide their past.
- Verify the applicant's residential history - 98 percent of crimes are committed within a 50 mile radius of the offenders home address. Being armed with an address history tells you exactly what counties and states to check for existing records. You can save money by visiting the courthouses in the counties your applicant has lived in order to access public record information.
- Sex offender searches - You can use the FBI's Crimes Against Children Web site to check an applicants sex offender status for free.
- Don't just search criminal records - Also search bankruptcies, tax liens, judgments, municipal court and traffic court. They can go a long way in telling you about a person's character. A person with financial problems may not be the one to put in charge of the company till and a person with DUI charges is not someone you want driving kids around. This information can usually be accessed at the same courthouse criminal records are held at.
- Check state and federal records - Both types of convictions can be very serious. To save money you can run a preliminary scan of Federal records at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/. If you get a name match you can dig deeper to see if it's your applicant or someone else with the same name. PACER charges you 8 cents per page and you will not be billed if your charges do not exceed $10 per year.
- Check coverage before you order a database scan - Many companies offer both instant database scans and hand searches. Although database scans are usually much cheaper, not every record is included in a database search. Some states and counties don't make this information available in electronic format. Make sure you check the database coverage against your applicant's address history.
- If you're a non-profit or work with children, you may be entitled to a discount - Many background check organizations offer large discounts or free searches to non-profits and youth organizations. Make sure you check with a perspective provider to see if you qualify.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Background Check Tips
Background check provider IntegraScan recently released a list of seven powerful tips to help small businesses perform background checks on applicants without hurting their budget.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Pre Employment Test? Prepare for a Drug Screening
Drug screenings have become an important part of the pre employment test process for many companies.
The recent Drug Screening Pulse Survey from the Institute for Corporate Productivity found that three-quarters of companies have a drug test policy. Of those companies, 95 percent said that drug screening is the most common type of pre-employment test. Of organizations with at least 10,000 workers, that number increased to 100 percent.
Of the nearly 300 respondents, 70 percent administer drug tests when there is "reasonable suspicion" of drug use, 62 percent require a drug test following an employee accident and 41 percent do random drug testing.
Of the companies that administer pre-employment drug tests, 47 percent require the test to be conducted within four days after the applicant accepts a position, while 30 percent allow the test to be done any tiem before the employee begins working.
“Most companies aren’t messing around anymore with the drug issue,” Jay Jamrog, senior vice president of research at i4cp, said. “They can afford to be picky in the current climate, and one of their demands is applicants who are squeaky clean. Not only is it a legal concern in some cases, there’s also employee health and productivity issues that can’t be ignored by organizations either.”
So how are drug tests done? About 95 percent of companies use urine testing, while 10 percent use breath tests. That number increases to 18 percent at large companies. Only 49 percent of companies allow a re-test following a positive result from a drug test.
When it comes to who should be tested for drug use, 84 percent of respondents said the entire workforce, 13 percent said those who drive as part of their job and 10 percent said those in administrative, clerical and professional roles.
In general, most companies are satisfied with their in-house or vendor-administrated drug screening programs, according to the study. Overall, 61 percent of all companies queried say their program is better than average or excellent. That number increases to 69 percent among large companies.
The recent Drug Screening Pulse Survey from the Institute for Corporate Productivity found that three-quarters of companies have a drug test policy. Of those companies, 95 percent said that drug screening is the most common type of pre-employment test. Of organizations with at least 10,000 workers, that number increased to 100 percent.
Of the nearly 300 respondents, 70 percent administer drug tests when there is "reasonable suspicion" of drug use, 62 percent require a drug test following an employee accident and 41 percent do random drug testing.
Of the companies that administer pre-employment drug tests, 47 percent require the test to be conducted within four days after the applicant accepts a position, while 30 percent allow the test to be done any tiem before the employee begins working.
“Most companies aren’t messing around anymore with the drug issue,” Jay Jamrog, senior vice president of research at i4cp, said. “They can afford to be picky in the current climate, and one of their demands is applicants who are squeaky clean. Not only is it a legal concern in some cases, there’s also employee health and productivity issues that can’t be ignored by organizations either.”
So how are drug tests done? About 95 percent of companies use urine testing, while 10 percent use breath tests. That number increases to 18 percent at large companies. Only 49 percent of companies allow a re-test following a positive result from a drug test.
When it comes to who should be tested for drug use, 84 percent of respondents said the entire workforce, 13 percent said those who drive as part of their job and 10 percent said those in administrative, clerical and professional roles.
In general, most companies are satisfied with their in-house or vendor-administrated drug screening programs, according to the study. Overall, 61 percent of all companies queried say their program is better than average or excellent. That number increases to 69 percent among large companies.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Florida Job Seekers Among the Discouraged
Is your job search so frustrating that you're ready to give up? You're not alone.
In some states throughout the country, almost half of the job seekers who have stopped looking for work have done so because they just don't think they can find anything. In fact, according to an article by U.S. News & World Report, the number of discouraged workers has more than doubled during the last year.
It seems as though Mississippi has the highest number of discouraged workers at about 50 percent, compared to 32.6 percent throughout the country. South Dakota has the second-highest number of unhappy job seekers, at about 48.5 percent. Those looking for a job in Florida, Michigan, Connecticut, West Virginia and New York also rank among the top for being discouraged.
Whether a positive or negative, these discouraged job seekers aren't included in the unemployment rate. Many have gone back to school or devoted themselves to other responsibilities.
Discouraged workers usually think that no work is available or they don't think they have the necessary skills to get hired. Others think they are too young, too old or would be otherwise discriminated against.
Several factors surrounding the current recession could be adding to the rising number of discouraged job seekers, such as negative media coverage of the job market, unsuccessful friends and family and long-term unemployment. Men, younger workers, blacks and Hispanics are all more likely to become discouraged during a job search.
The current housing market also is adding to the amount of discouragement. Workers who might normally move to another area because they can't find jobs in their current location are more likely to give up. Even if they wanted to move, it would be difficult to sell their current homes and afford new ones.
In some states throughout the country, almost half of the job seekers who have stopped looking for work have done so because they just don't think they can find anything. In fact, according to an article by U.S. News & World Report, the number of discouraged workers has more than doubled during the last year.
It seems as though Mississippi has the highest number of discouraged workers at about 50 percent, compared to 32.6 percent throughout the country. South Dakota has the second-highest number of unhappy job seekers, at about 48.5 percent. Those looking for a job in Florida, Michigan, Connecticut, West Virginia and New York also rank among the top for being discouraged.
Whether a positive or negative, these discouraged job seekers aren't included in the unemployment rate. Many have gone back to school or devoted themselves to other responsibilities.
Discouraged workers usually think that no work is available or they don't think they have the necessary skills to get hired. Others think they are too young, too old or would be otherwise discriminated against.
Several factors surrounding the current recession could be adding to the rising number of discouraged job seekers, such as negative media coverage of the job market, unsuccessful friends and family and long-term unemployment. Men, younger workers, blacks and Hispanics are all more likely to become discouraged during a job search.
The current housing market also is adding to the amount of discouragement. Workers who might normally move to another area because they can't find jobs in their current location are more likely to give up. Even if they wanted to move, it would be difficult to sell their current homes and afford new ones.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Jobs in Boston Created by MLK Summer Scholars
Several officials are working together to make finding a job in Boston a reality for several young people. To learn more about finding a job in Boston, visit http://www.bostonjobs.com/.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino; Police Commissioner Ed Davis; John D. DesPrez III, John Hancock chairman and CEO; Boston Globe Publisher P. Steven Ainsley; and Boston University President Dr. Robert Brown recently kicked off the second year of MLK Summer Scholars, a teen summer jobs collaboration that will serve 20 percent more students than last year.
John Hancock, the Globe and Boston University have worked to expand summer employment opportunities in the city. Hancock will provide more than $1 million in funds, the Globe will contribute organizational support and in-kind services and Boston University will provide the educational setting and resources to support more than 600 jobs throughout the city. That is 100 more jobs than the program supported last year.
Partners HealthCare also joined the collaboration this year. MLK Summer Scholars is the largest corporate supporter of summer jobs in the city this year and is believed to be the largest program of its kind in the country.
"We are committed to providing our young people with productive and educational experiences during the summer," Menino said. "A summer job is a great way to learn life skills, but with thousands of teens needing employment, the city can't do it alone. That's why I am so pleased we have partners like John Hancock, The Boston Globe and Boston University as well as new supporter Partners HealthCare who make summer jobs for kids a reality."
Apart from gaining valuable workplace experience, students will attend a series of life skills workshops each Friday morning at Boston University. A variety of speakers will address personal finance, communication, interviewing, personal presentation and leadership. Students will be employed at John Hancock, the Globe, Boston University and Partners HealthCare, as well as community service organizations throughout the city.
"We are pleased to be able to make a difference in the lives of Boston youth who represent our future workforce and our future leaders," DesPrez said"As business people, we can't solve the whole problem, but we can help move things in the right direction."
Mayor Thomas M. Menino; Police Commissioner Ed Davis; John D. DesPrez III, John Hancock chairman and CEO; Boston Globe Publisher P. Steven Ainsley; and Boston University President Dr. Robert Brown recently kicked off the second year of MLK Summer Scholars, a teen summer jobs collaboration that will serve 20 percent more students than last year.
John Hancock, the Globe and Boston University have worked to expand summer employment opportunities in the city. Hancock will provide more than $1 million in funds, the Globe will contribute organizational support and in-kind services and Boston University will provide the educational setting and resources to support more than 600 jobs throughout the city. That is 100 more jobs than the program supported last year.
Partners HealthCare also joined the collaboration this year. MLK Summer Scholars is the largest corporate supporter of summer jobs in the city this year and is believed to be the largest program of its kind in the country.
"We are committed to providing our young people with productive and educational experiences during the summer," Menino said. "A summer job is a great way to learn life skills, but with thousands of teens needing employment, the city can't do it alone. That's why I am so pleased we have partners like John Hancock, The Boston Globe and Boston University as well as new supporter Partners HealthCare who make summer jobs for kids a reality."
Apart from gaining valuable workplace experience, students will attend a series of life skills workshops each Friday morning at Boston University. A variety of speakers will address personal finance, communication, interviewing, personal presentation and leadership. Students will be employed at John Hancock, the Globe, Boston University and Partners HealthCare, as well as community service organizations throughout the city.
"We are pleased to be able to make a difference in the lives of Boston youth who represent our future workforce and our future leaders," DesPrez said"As business people, we can't solve the whole problem, but we can help move things in the right direction."
Monday, July 6, 2009
Virginia Healthcare Jobs
If you're looking to get into the medical field, you should know that there are a lot of healthcare jobs in Virginia.
Many people are focusing on jobs in the healthcare field, which is often considered to be recession proof. The healthcare industry as a whole has continued to add jobs throughout most parts of the country, despite the current state of the economy.
In May, Virginia's education and health services industry employed 440,300 workers, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 441,000 workers during April, but a .8 percent increase from last year.
The State of Virginia isn't lacking when it comes to medical institutions or care providers. The state is ranked 13th in the nation for primary care physicians, with 124 primary care physicians per 10,000 people. There are 85 hospitals throughout the state.
Some of the most notable employers include:
In 2008, the United Health Foundation ranked Virginia as the 20th overall healthiest state. The state ranks 21st in premature deaths, with African Americans seeing 63 percent more premature deaths than whites.
The lack of health insurance remains a problem, with 14.1 percent of state residents lacking any insurance. And Virginians aren't the healthiest in the country. In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 25.3 percent of state residents are obese, 36.6 percent are overweight and only 78.4 percent exercise regularly.
Many people are focusing on jobs in the healthcare field, which is often considered to be recession proof. The healthcare industry as a whole has continued to add jobs throughout most parts of the country, despite the current state of the economy.
In May, Virginia's education and health services industry employed 440,300 workers, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 441,000 workers during April, but a .8 percent increase from last year.
The State of Virginia isn't lacking when it comes to medical institutions or care providers. The state is ranked 13th in the nation for primary care physicians, with 124 primary care physicians per 10,000 people. There are 85 hospitals throughout the state.
Some of the most notable employers include:
- Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center is the most comprehensive academic medical center in Central Virginia
- Inova Fairfax Hospital is the largest hospital in the Washington Metropolitan area
- University of Virginia Health System is ranked eighth in the nation and the best in the south for endocrinology specialty
- Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, part of the Sentara Health System, is nationally ranked and was the site of the first successful in-vitro fertilization birth
In 2008, the United Health Foundation ranked Virginia as the 20th overall healthiest state. The state ranks 21st in premature deaths, with African Americans seeing 63 percent more premature deaths than whites.
The lack of health insurance remains a problem, with 14.1 percent of state residents lacking any insurance. And Virginians aren't the healthiest in the country. In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 25.3 percent of state residents are obese, 36.6 percent are overweight and only 78.4 percent exercise regularly.
Friday, July 3, 2009
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