 Why do screening? I can give
you three fundamental reasons:
Companies today have a variety of choices in the selection of a pre-employment
screening process for their organization. An effective program that is implemented in a
professional manner, utilizing a consistent approach, will provide the company with the
best opportunity of hiring the best employees. On the opposite end of the spectrum,
inappropriate hiring decisions can expose a company to a myriad of potential problems,
both legal and operational.
Companies often spend thousands of dollars to advertise, recruit ,and hire the best
applicants, yet they apply only limited amounts to screen the final candidates. The
recruitment and selection process is lengthy and involved. The added burden of ferreting
out individuals who deliberately mislead interviewers adds to an already difficult task,
yet patterns of past performance and working relationships often are a strong indicator of
future behavior and should not be overlooked. Numerous studies by both government and civilian agencies indicate more than 50 percent
of all resumes contain false or exaggerated information --information that, if it were
known, would have led in many situations to decisions not to hire. A recent nationwide survey conducted by the Research Division of BEST/World Associates
found this breakdown of activities related to pre-employment background investigations
among 428 companies, each with more than 1,000 employees:
Companies should consider the following three primary options when making a
corporate-wide decision. Outside Vendors Numerous professional applicant-screening firms are available to provide pre-employment
background investigations on job applicants. These investigative companies offer many
advantages over in-house screening, and a number of them have established nationwide
reputations. They can often customize a screening package at your request to fit your
company's needs. Costs range significantly, depending upon the depth of the investigation. The product
received typically is a basic report that assists in satisfying a company's legal
liabilities and exposure. Because they have well-established systems, these companies can
obtain information quickly and return a completed report promptly.
These firms have a clear understanding of the legal rights of applicants and employers.
They document and substantiate all of their findings. Several companies now allow you
secured access to your report information through the Internet or e-mail, speeding
information to you that once was only available through hard copy or facsimile. To properly implement an outside vendor option, your company typically would require an
administrative individual to coordinate the transmission and retrieval of information.
This provides a single point of contact for your vendor. Human Resource Recruiters There are corporations that have effectively utilized human resource recruiters to
perform the background screening. While most corporations will argue a recruiter's
expertise lies in matching the selected applicant with the appropriate position, there has
been concern about time restraints and the potential for a conflict-of-interest argument. Recruiters need to become familiar with the investigative tools available, as well as
obtain training on the interpretation of data received. There have been several amendments
to the Fair Credit Reporting Act in recent years, and human
resources should be aware of these changes and how they affect company policies and
procedures. For this work, a recruiter's schedule must allow for the pre-employment screening
investigation, which includes phone calls, letter writing, follow-up, verbal reporting,
and report preparation for a standardized system throughout the company. Prior to
start-up, a system would have to be developed utilizing the various resources of
information for education, employment, criminal records, etc. Development of a
pre-employment screening manual would be advisable. In-House Investigative Units Some corporations have opted to establish their own background investigation team.
While start-up costs represent a considerable initial investment, the primary advantages
are control and cost containment. A company can structure the investigations based on its
needs, instead of relying on a pre-packaged product provided by outside vendors. Employers should develop this unit as an investigative function requiring the full-time
attention of professional investigators and supervisors. Staff legal advice should be
available for questionable areas concerning criminal record histories and negative
information. A company's technology department should assist in setting up available
systems to access credit information, criminal record violations, and motor vehicle
information through on-site technology. Each investigator should be familiar with and able to respond to questions concerning
applicable federal, state, and local laws. Again, the development of a pre-employment
screening manual is advisable.
Additional Issues Once an option has been selected, specific training issues should be addressed. Ongoing
training and investment in experienced personnel will be instrumental in determining the
program's success, regardless of which option is pursued. You will need to establish a
uniform system of collecting, maintaining, accessing, evaluating, using, and disclosing
the information to appropriate personnel. The confidentiality of all information that is
gathered must be preserved and protected. More and more corporations have implemented a process to handle their background
investigations in an effort to control their costly litigation and retraining costs.
Several companies say they reduced their liability insurance premiums when they committed
to performing pre-employment screening of potential hires. Whatever the rationale for
using pre-employment screening, each human resources/security department should make
executives aware of the current regulations, amendments, and laws affecting their new
hires.
Copyright 1998, 1999 Stevens Publishing Corporation 5151 Beltline Rd. 10th Floor Dallas, Texas 75240 |