The author of this article sites a problem with retention in the call center industry cites a FurstPerson white paper discusses methods of raising the retention rate for this industry. One the ideas is to conduct pre employment screening and offer various pre employment screening tools for a call center to employ. A pre employment screening program can give you a better understanding of who you are hiring. Read more…

1. Resume Fraud. An estimated 52% of applicants lie on their resumes. If you are able to determine which applicants have misstated their credentials, you can eliminate them from the get-go without wasting any more time in the process. Read more…

So which Rodney E. Miller was the real one?

Was it the chief operating officer who joined Hollywood’s Memorial Regional Hospital eight months ago, after receiving glowing reviews from his old bosses? Read more…

This article underscores the importance of hiring a background screening company that will conduct the proper due diligence when executing their searches. In this case, the hiring company, H&M Distributing Co. utilized a service that ran a database check for their criminal records. In this case, the records of another individual were added to the report and the applicant was not hired, and is now suing for damages. Read more…

It seems that at some point in life, everybody gets into a driving related accident of some kind or gets pulled over for some form of driving violation. Typically these accidents or misdemeanor driving citations are glanced over by employers as they are seen as being “no big deal” and “irrelevant to employment”. However, at what point do these driving tickets and accidents stop being “no big deal” and start being relevant to the pre-employment screening process? Read more…

The vast number of individuals participating in social networking has surpassed the hundred million mark. The appeal of these sites, such as MySpace.com, Facebook.com and others, is the availability of searchable profile data they contain, such as past employment, affiliations, schools, hobbies, interests, pictures, and personal web log entries.<!–more–>

A growing number of employers are searching social networking sites as part of their pre-employment screening process. According to a CareerBuilder.com 2006 survey of over 1,000 hiring managers, 12% used social networking sites to verify information about a job candidate. While many managers found these sites useful in confirming a hiring decision, 63% reported not hiring a candidate based on what they found.

The implication is a hotly debated issue among hiring managers, especially when it comes to information found on these personal sites not posted there by the candidate. Examples being: comments posted from teens venting their frustration about a parent or from a disgruntled co-worker with an ax to grind. Although there is no body of case law concerning the regulations and use of content from social networking sites, when placed in the context of FCRA compliance, hiring managers are required to use reliable and verifiable methods and data sources. Because content on social network sites is public, many hiring managers argue that these sites fall within the guidelines, especially when the site is created and managed by the applicant. The argument becomes critical when it comes to protecting an organization from negligent hiring suits. Due diligence requirements almost make it impossible to ignore information found on a job applicants’ social network site. The question becomes, should that information be accessed at all?

In the upcoming years, the debate over the uses of social networking sites in pre-employment screening will define if they have a place in the hiring process. The critical issue for many organizations now is how to use data found on social sites. Key findings from the CareerBuilder.com survey offered these tips in evaluating a candidate based on their social network site:

1. Does the candidate’s background/profile information support the professional qualifications submitted with the application/resume?
2. Is the candidate well rounded? Shows a wide range of interest?
3. Do the candidate’s posts demonstrate great communications skills?
4. Does the candidate’s site convey a professional image?
5. Does the candidate’s personality fit the organization?
6. Have others posted recommendations and positive appraisal of the candidate?

Warning signs include the following:

1. Is the candidate linked to criminal behavior?
2. Has the candidate posted negative comments about previous employers or co-workers?
3. Has the candidate posted information about drug and/or alcohol use?
4. Has the candidate posted confidential information from a previous employer?

Ultimately, searching social network sites as part of a screening process should just be one of the many tools an organizations uses. As with simple background checks, you will find that not all relevant information is accessible. It remains to be seen if social networking sites will garner enough support to become viable tools in the pre-employment screening industry.

57% of hiring managers say they have caught a lie on a candidate’s application, according to an online survey.
What is the top lie when prospective employees are applying for a job? <!–more–>

It is usually stretching dates of employment to cover up employment gaps! One in five hiring managers have discovered this problem in the past. Some of the other areas that candidates have lied about include, Past employers (18 percent), Academic degrees and institutions (16 percent), Technical skills and certifications (15 percent), Accomplishments (8 percent).

Of the managers that were asked 93% of them stated that they did not hire the applicant once they found out they had lied!