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Background Checks Criminal Records Economy Human Resources Miscellany Staffing Uncategorized

When A Job, Any Job, Isn’t Good Enough

With the economy in the downturn common perception is that the unemployed in such a competitive market are willing to take a job.  Any job.  But according to an article in Slate Magazine, this is not always the case.    In Daniel Gross’ article, Is Any Job Better Than No Job, the answers is sometimes no.

While employers believe that qualified employment candidates will flock to their doors, many job applicants are still reluctant to settle into positions where the salary has been reduced and the benefits diminished.     As Gross points out, sometimes an employee would prefer to collect unemployment than work a job that pays a mere $8 per hour.

In theory, there is the belief that employers will be inundated with applications.  In truth,  employment candidates perceive disparities when the job being offered in one place is substantially less in wages than the job being offered at another location.    The difference in salary may make them one to rethink the strategy.  Because even if they take the job on a temporary basis and move on when the economy turns around, the Human Resources Manager at the next potential place of employment will ask the obvious question.  Why was there stay so short, and is this candidate a flight risk?

Gross’ article is worth reading.   The context of it was based on a Wall street Journal Report, which should add even more veracity to the reality versus the theory of the present job market.   Despite the economic downturn and the lousy job market, qualified people, employment candidates who demonstrate ample skill sets and clear the background checks as part the preemployment screening program,  may be tougher fish to haul in by just offering them “the job.”    The employer may need to part with a few more bucks, add some perks, and plan to retain this potential employee for the longer haul rather than as a stop gap solution for an overworked and undermanned staff that is stressed out from withstanding the recent recession.

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Background Checks Criminal Records Economy Human Resources Miscellany preemployment screening Staffing Uncategorized

When an Employee Blows You Out of the Water

In this economic downturn employers are concerned that current employees and ex-employees may cast aspersions upon them, which would negatively impact their businesses. As a result of a lot of spurious accusations, alright even very real and accurate claims and accusations, employers have started doing social media monitoring as one of their background checks.

While this glaring example of an employee being embarrassed before the world is actually one giant put on, this very funny Chive piece, Girl Quits Job on Dry Erase Board, Emails Entire Office may be reason as to why employers are utilizing social media monitoring as background checks.   I love this piece, and while it is fiction, who can blame her for working for a jerk, it has a unique way of getting its point across.  Other disgruntled employees will instead go on Facebook or some other social media and bad mouth employers past and present as well as supervisors and fellow office workers.   While sometimes you can’t blame them, as an employer, who needs the aggravation?

At the extreme, while a current employee or employment candidate may be somewhat eccentric or, as they say in some parts of the world, “a character,” this does not necessarily mean that person is not a highly qualified candidate replete with the necessary skill sets and the intelligence to measure up to the more well behaved.   However, there are also the loose cannons and the permanent malcontents who you may not necessarily desire, as they can add toxicity to the workplace.

I have written about social media and background checks before.  One such article was entitled, The Rise of the Social Media Background Check.  It is a controversial subject and as such has different perspectives.  I am sure of one thing…I will be writing about it from time to time.

In the meantime, check them out before you hire.

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Background Checks Criminal Records Economy Human Resources Miscellany preemployment screening

Getting Real About Workplace Killings

There is little doubt that workplace violence has increased with the economic downturn.  The bad economy causes debt, stress, and all sorts of worries.  I can make anyone half-crazy.  But some are crazier than others and act out on their impulses.  Some do so on the job.

This recent case at the beer distributors in Connecticut, where eight workers were killed before the fired ex-employee took his own life is always sad and startling news.  Few employers an avoid wondering what would happen if such tragedy occurred in their workplace environment.  Suppose it was their employees who were gunned down by some disgruntled employee who couldn’t keep his head on straight?    What then?

In a recent article on Boston.Com, James Allen Fox in his Crime and Punishment Column discusses the actual probability of workplace homicides.   He writes that at first blush it would appear that with 1,000 homicides on the job, this amounts to three workers a day falling prey to workplace violence.   But that statistic may not be as accurate as it first appears.    Fox maintains, and I believe rightly so that most workplace killings are as a result of robberies or assaults on police or security officers.  He maintains that workplace murders have declined over the last years.

Fox puts things into perspective.  The first blush numbers do not reflect the actual dangers employees may be facing.  Fox points to certain draconian methods, which no exmployer would ever utilize as these methods would deprive workers of their personal liberties.  Then there is the matter of legally implementing the more stringent measures.

But employers are  working to prevent possible workplace violence, by using training sessions and support groups,  counseling that will assist someone facing emotional crisis feel a little less lonely, not as alienated as he may first believe.   Fox points to more draconian methods.  There is also the increased use of background checks to ascertain whether employment candidates have a propensity for violence.   Background checks, especially criminal records search, enable employers to review their job applicants’ history for previous violent criminal histories or sexual offenses.

While Fox’s article focuses on homicides, an employer should also consider the somewhat less drastic incidents of workplace.   Sexual harassment, psychological and physical abuse are common problems within the workplace.    Fortunately, murder pales in comparison to the other issues of workplace violence.     I have written about workplace violence and in one article about workplace bullies, a pure joy to be around while working under stress in today’s economy.   This article was entitled, Background Checks to Weed Out Workplace Bullies.

As more and more incidents of workplace violence appear in the news, I am sure, along with myriad other writers and pundits, I will again be addressing this issue.  Check them out before you hire.

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Background Checks Criminal Records Economy Human Resources Miscellany Staffing Uncategorized

Background Checks to Vet Rogue Employee Cyber Criminals

In a down economy,  some people become more entrepreneurial.  Overall, this is a good thing, a time when innovation makes strides, albeit on low or even non-existent budgets.   But then there are those who are more enterprising in malicious ways that can cost the employer dearly.   These are the employees that steal.

Employee theft has been on the increase since the economic downturn.   Certain employees are desperate and to make up for their own mistakes don’t mind stealing from their employers.  It is one thing to steal office supplies, costly enough when budgets are tight, but quite another to be stealing sensitive databases.   According to Network World, a new study revealed that in a survey of 45 organizations, cyber crime coasts an average of $3.8 million, annually.    Those participating in the survey were mid-size and larger businesses in a mixture of industries, with a range of 500 to 105,000 employees.  Mind you, this is not the related expense of preventing invasion, but the actual cost of dealing with the attacks.

These cyber crimes including everything from database theft and intellectual property to stealing online bank accounts.   In conducting the survey, researchers counted  the time spent responding to attacks, the disruption to business operations, revenue loss, and the destruction of property, plant and equipment.   Response time to a cyber attack was typically14 days on average.  The average cost to an organization of $17,696 per day.

And then there were the inside jobs.   Malicious insider attacks took up to 42 days or more to resolve.  These were attacks from employees.  Rogue insiders.   It is here that perhaps background checks would help prevent an employer from hiring the wrong kind of people.  For the external attacks, the malware and bots, yes, it is all about IT security and coordinated defense.  But for the inside job, it’s the employee himself.  There is a need for the employee to be vetted.  Not only is it necessary to conduct background checks for criminal records but to also verify education and perhaps run a corporate records search to see if there is any conflict of interest.

Presumably, most employers came to work from another employer.  The fact that they worked elsewhere in a similar industry should not raise suspicion.  But a reference verification where the employer may learn of the reasons the employee did choose to leave, that may be helpful.    The education verification is on one level elementary, merely verified when and where someone graduated college.  But suppose the employment candidate lied?  Suppose they didn’t graduate or never even went to that school?  That would certainly raise a red flag.

Credit reports on employees are very controversial.  Some claim that the employment credit report does not reflect whatsoever an employees disposition to steal.  But then some of our clients believe otherwise.   Either way, the employment credit report is not nearly enough.  Sometimes the simple Motor Vehicle Driving Report will tell you more about someone’s behavior pattern, issues with substance abuse, etc.  Sometimes that is even more revealing than criminal records.

I have written about employee theft on many earlier occasions.  One such article was entitled, Swiss Bankers Upset By Corporate Data Theft.    I am sure I will write about this again.  On many occasions.  Check them out before you hire.