Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Employee Background Checks - In the News
Excerpts from: Careless hiring can be painful- Companies have been burned by new employee's backgrounds
By Paul Herrera
RIVERSIDE PRESS-ENTERPRISE
For as little as $100 for a background check, the Arizona Diamondbacks could have avoided embarrassment after it hired as manager a man who had a pair of arrests and a bankruptcy in his past. Four days after announcing they'd hired Wally Backman as their new manager, the baseball team withdrew its offer and named someone else. In between the two events, The New York Times uncovered the arrests and bankruptcy, revelations the team said were not previously disclosed. Although Backman never signed a contract, the team could have prevented an avalanche of bad press for as little as $100, the cost of a background check, industry experts said.
They could have probably uncovered his background for about $60.00 with Inquest
There is no centralized data bank where companies can screen clients. Firms...use networks of court researchers nationwide to search files in county courts where an applicant has lived previously, Reese said. The companies also research previous employers and check on college degrees to make sure that they're genuine.
There are centralized databanks. The NCIC is a database used by law enforcement and government agencies. However, this database is not available to the public (or private pre employment screening companies).
Matt Thalmayer, president of Redlands-based Arrow Staffing, said screening has become an integral part of most workers hired by the employment agency. The company probes gaps in employment histories and drug-tests 80 percent of its applicants, Thalmayer said.
Employee screening is usually not performed by temp agencies unless the client requires it.
Companies can't immediately reject candidates based on a criminal record, Rosen said. Federal law requires employers to further examine the record and base their decision on the specific merits of the charges and how they could pertain to the job for which they applied.
If the criminal record uncovered by the employee background check is not relevant to the position being filled, then you shouldn't take adverse action.
By Paul Herrera
RIVERSIDE PRESS-ENTERPRISE
For as little as $100 for a background check, the Arizona Diamondbacks could have avoided embarrassment after it hired as manager a man who had a pair of arrests and a bankruptcy in his past. Four days after announcing they'd hired Wally Backman as their new manager, the baseball team withdrew its offer and named someone else. In between the two events, The New York Times uncovered the arrests and bankruptcy, revelations the team said were not previously disclosed. Although Backman never signed a contract, the team could have prevented an avalanche of bad press for as little as $100, the cost of a background check, industry experts said.
They could have probably uncovered his background for about $60.00 with Inquest
There is no centralized data bank where companies can screen clients. Firms...use networks of court researchers nationwide to search files in county courts where an applicant has lived previously, Reese said. The companies also research previous employers and check on college degrees to make sure that they're genuine.
There are centralized databanks. The NCIC is a database used by law enforcement and government agencies. However, this database is not available to the public (or private pre employment screening companies).
Matt Thalmayer, president of Redlands-based Arrow Staffing, said screening has become an integral part of most workers hired by the employment agency. The company probes gaps in employment histories and drug-tests 80 percent of its applicants, Thalmayer said.
Employee screening is usually not performed by temp agencies unless the client requires it.
Companies can't immediately reject candidates based on a criminal record, Rosen said. Federal law requires employers to further examine the record and base their decision on the specific merits of the charges and how they could pertain to the job for which they applied.
If the criminal record uncovered by the employee background check is not relevant to the position being filled, then you shouldn't take adverse action.
