Dickinson State University audit results show importance of education verification

Diploma mills and degree mills sound like fiction, but they are a very real threat to an employer’s workforce. A recently released audit of Dickinson State University in North Dakota underscores that fact. The audit examined foreign students who have taken part in a special program since 2003 allowing them to earn degrees both from DSU and a university in their home country.

Out of 410 degrees issued through the program in question, 400 of them failed to meet standards for required coursework or credits. DSU had 127 agreements with international schools to have their students study in North Dakota, but of those 127 agreements only four met the requirements to be valid as part of this program.

Such astounding lapses in the collegiate level of academics suggest it is imperative for employers to include education verification as part of the vetting process for all job applicants. The college should be able to produce full transcripts of the student’s time at the college, including all grades and degrees or certifications earned. No pre-employment screening is complete without this important step.

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Employment screening just as important for small businesses

Are background checks only necessary for large companies? Many think pre-employment screening can and should be done when a company is in the position to hire so many people that there’s a greater risk of a potential problem employee slipping through the cracks.

Conversely, employers of smaller companies sometimes believe they have more time to spend face to face with a candidate during an interview judging someone’s character. They assume they are more thorough in their reference-checking for employment verification. They believe that because their staff is smaller and they get to know each employee fairly well, that their employees are like family and needn’t be subjected to drug testing and credit checks.

Fact is, small business owners should have a pre-employment screening process in place just like employers of large companies. In fact it could be even more important for small business owners, because unlike large corporations, small business owners are often unable to absorb the risks and liability that may come from bad hiring decisions. If you don’t have employment screening protocols in place, don’t delay. The investment you make today in tomorrow’s staff will be well worth it.

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Majority of retailers surveyed conduct background checks

A recent survey by the National Retail Federation has found that nearly all of the country’s leading department stores, grocery stores, large drug stores, discount stores and restaurants surveyed — a whopping 96.6 percent — use some form of background screening during the application, hiring and employment process.

This includes pre-employment screening on senior executives, store associates, and particularly those in customer service. The survey also showed that retailers are concerned over potentially new Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines that would “Ban the Box” – a term referring to the box asking about criminal history seen on most application forms – and prevent businesses from asking job applicants about their criminal history during the application and pre-employment process. Twenty-eight cities and counties across the country have “banned the box,” no longer asking potential employees whether they have any felony convictions.

The survey also found retailers conduct post-employment screening at a high rate on store associates, store management, and distribution center employees. The most common type of background check is the criminal history check, followed by the Social Security Number trace, and a check of the applicant’s sex offender status.

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Avoid Online Job Postings That Sound Like a Scam

Online job postings are the norm and have been for many years now. As with anything, scammers are out there trying to swindle money from honest folks who believe what they read on the Internet and trust “employers” they’ve never met.

According to the Better Business Bureau, employment listing scams sometimes involve the so-called employer asking for payment to run a background check on the job applicant. The Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas recently uncovered a scam where job applicants were told they had to pay $64.50 for a background check before they could be considered for a cleaning job. But after paying for the employment screening, the job hunter never heard back from the company.

Job seekers should never submit their bank account information, credit card information, or Social Security number over the phone or email. As an employer, you should disclose that pre-employment screening will be part of the application process, but never put job seekers in the position to question the validity of your job listing by asking for personal information or payment of any kind.

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Make Sure Your Work Staff is Clean and Sober

If you’ve considered doing pre-employment drug testing, or implementing random drug testing for current employees, there is much to learn about the process. First of all, there is not one standard drug test. A reputable employment screening service will have several types of drug testing services to suit your specific needs. A sampling may include:

• Drug Test - 5 Panel: This is the most commonly used drug test and tests for amphetamines (crystal meth), cannabinoids (THC and marijuana), cocaine, opiates (codeine, morphine, heroin, Oxycodine, Vidcodin, etc.) and phencyclidine (PCP).
• Drug Test - 10 Panel: In addition to the 5 panel, this test includes a check for barbiturates, benzodianzepines, methadone, methaqualone, and propoxyphene.
• Alcohol Test: This regulated breathalyzer determines an individual’s breath alcohol level.

In addition to drug testing, there are also various pre-employment physical exams available from some full-service pre-employment screening services, so find out what types of medical tests are appropriate and necessary for your specific business needs and make sure your pre-employment screening package is tailored to include everything you need to ensure your company’s staff is healthy, safe and ready to work!

Even Temporary Summertime Employees Should Be Screened

Summer is the time of vacations, workplace turnover and temporary positions. Tourism and hospitality industries see a lot of transient workers pass through its businesses, as temporary and part-time employees swell the ranks to fill holes in schedules and make up for the increased demand.

While all that shifting and adding to the workforce is just a part of life for many businesses, it shouldn’t come at the expense of keeping everyone safe and keeping your business free from liability risks. Some employers may be tempted to skirt the usual protocol of conducting pre-employment background checks, rationalizing that these workers will only be here a few months so why bother with the expense and hassle? But that’s a dangerous decision to make.

It’s a good idea to do a criminal background check on all job applicants who pass the initial interview and application process. Employment screening companies will work with employers to comply with federal and state laws and recommend the types of pre-employment screening necessary based upon the job’s requirements. Remember that some seasonal employees may become full-time staff, so it’s best to have all the background information available for all employees in order to make the most informed decision about someone’s future employment.

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Is Checking Social Media Sites the Next Wave in Pre-employment Screening?

Last week the Federal Trade Commission decided to stop investigating a start-up company that searches social media and other websites to perform background checks on potential (and current) employees.

The government has decided that as long as the company complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act by telling applicants if something that was found in their employment background check resulted in them not being hired.

This is potentially big news in the pre-employment screening industry, as it could signal the future of background checks may include an element that delves into personal information shared on social media websites and other online outlets.

There could be a slippery slope there of what some employers would want to find out about a potential employee’s personal life, and whether knowing such things as sexual orientation or religious preferences could taint an employer’s view of the applicant, or even hurt their chances of being hired.

It’s true that many employers already check out applicants’ Facebook and Myspace pages and perform other cursory Google searches to find out whatever they can about a potential employee. Stay tuned for more as this trend possibly develops into something more…

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