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

It Is Not Nice to Slam Human Resources

A fair number of people like to slam human resources.   People criticize human resources personnel for any number of reasons, from causing a bottleneck in the hiring process to being too rigid on their hiring practices.   It’s an ongoing discussion, perhaps, but one that really has no true resolution.  Perhaps in the end it may not have any real credibility.

Personally, I like human resources personnel.  As a background check company,  we like to do business with them.  Most human resources personnel know the drill and they are easy with work with.   They understand the process of background checks and how that process relates to their preemployment screening programs.   The more experienced HR people are fluent in criminal records background checks, always the most complex, and for the most part they understand the exigencies of turnaround times in relations to the criminal courthouses in a world of governments without a budget.

Most HR people are pretty dedicated and care about their work.   They do the best job, often under pressure from managers and various adversarial circumstances.     Most will take more seriously the results of background checks.  In certain cases I recall, the manager may want to hire a job applicant in spite of the very negative criminal records report or other aspects on their background checks.   But it is the HR Manager who goes the extra mile and provides evidence as well as an experienced opinion that this employment candidate is simply the wrong hire.

Laurie Ruettimann has written an interesting piece on Punk Rocker Hr.  The piece is entitled You Are Not Allowed to Criticize HR.   I happen to like the Punk Rocker blog.  I like its presentation and certainly its attitude.    Besides anyone who accompanies her blog post with a photo of W.C. Fields  has got to have something on the ball.

In her article, Laurie discusses the genesis of the Human Resources Department and its logical relevance.  Stuff I didn’t know.   She rightly claims that HR wasn’t started in a vacuum.  It evolved out of perceived need and expanded to accommodate the ongoing requirements of the employers’ recruiting facility.  Makes sense.

Laurie admonishes those who criticize Human Resources while having no idea of what HR does really and how it does it.    As for the rest of the article, I won’t ruin it for you.  It is fun to read, especially when the site is Punk Rock HR.   So read it.  Enjoy it.  Or not.  Leave your opinion.

I will add this.   Laurie protests that HR critics think of HR personnel as ” old biddies.”   For Laurie, at least, this certainly is not the case.

Check them out before you hire.

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Background Checks

An Interesting Twist on Criminal Fugitives and Social Networks

This hardly comes under your standard pre-employment background check.  But according to BreitBart, Interpol is asking Web Surfers to assist them in tracking down fugitives from justice.  Wisely, Interpol has realized that its chances are greatly improved if concerned citizens find something fishy on the Internet social networking sites than the chances of spotting someone on the streets.  Even criminals on the lam, apparently can’t resist Facebook and the other social networking sites.

Since Interpol has first requested assistance, the operation has reportedly been successful.   More than 100 fugitives from justice have been arrested or located.   This request for public assistance was first initiated launched  May3, 2010.    Interpol was seeking some 450 people who were  either convicted or suspected of serious offenses.    The suspects are thought be located in, 29 countries. As Interpol covers crime on a worldwide level, public assistance could prove  a pretty significant resource.  Interpol has  also displayed the photos of some 26 people it is currently seeking.

Many employers resort to monitoring social networks as a background check related to their pre-employment screening programs.   Most are not looking for criminal behavior, just the usual misconduct that may deem someone an unworthy candidate or an employee marked for dismissal.   So this is a new twist on citizen service in relation to International Crime.  Knowing how many people are on various social networking systems, this can prove a potent weapon in fighting crime.

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Background Checks

Get Your Pre-Employment Background Checks Up Front

Here is the perfect example why employers should conduct their background checks up front.  In fact, employers should not only order the background checks but be sure to review them upon their return, in order to avoid costly and embarrassing situations.

Canadian Business Online reported that the proposed work on a nuclear plant in Eastern Georgia was halted because the contractor failed to ask  in writing his employees about their past histories with drug and alcohol abuse.   Can’t have workers stoned or high working on the construction power plant.  Not a good idea.  Can we say, Chernobyl?    So now the progress on the new nuclear plant may be delayed  as the employer waits for the  drug and alcohol side of background checks on his employees to return.   According to the article, the employees were asked verbally, and background checks were conducted.  However there were no actual drug tests and the employees weren’t quizzed about their substance issues in writing.

Every contractor should be aware of the necessary background checks it must conduct in order to meet compliant issues.   Usually, these background checks are spelled out in a basic statement of compliance.   You read it, review it, and then attend to the compliance issues accordingly.

Check them out before you hire.

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Background Checks

Addressing the Perils of Do It Yourself Background Checks

I suppose this comes under the category of kids don’t try this at home.   Even in the era of do it yourself, or DIY as it is more commonly known,  conducting in-house background searches can lead to awkward issues.    Attorney, Lester Rosen, points out some of the possible mishaps resulting from in-house background checks in his recent blog on Toolbox for Hr.   He entitled his article, appropriately enough,  The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Background Checks.

Rosen points out to a variety of complications when you conduct in-house background checks.  Among them are the issues arising from Fair Credit Reporting Act or FCRA compliance standards.   If your Human Resources Managers and support staff are not  fully aware of the FCRA compliance standards, and most are not, certain liability concerns may result.  Rosen also sites education form, meaning when an employment candidate  claims to have graduated from a college or university that is little more than a diploma mill.   These are scam colleges that award diplomas for a few hundred bucks based on “life experience.”   Just what you need.

Rosen does point out the possible benefits of conducting reference verifications in-house.   Arguably, the person conducting the reference verifications would be more aware of the skill sets required of the job applicant and be able to direct questions to the reference source accordingly.

In all, a good article with valid arguments.

Just remember, whether it be a do-it-yourself system or a third party provider, when it comes to employment, check them out before you hire.