Employment Statistics Every Employer Should Know

Statistics Every Employer Should Know

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As an employer, it is important to be aware of the history of the employees you hire and the type of work environment that they will be working in. Knowing the backgrounds of your employees and having a proper screening process in place could help prevent your business from potential losses and liabilities. Some business owners may be reluctant to have an employment background check system but having one could mean life or death for a company. Below, you will find some of the many reasons, or statistics, to why ordering an Employment Background Screening from Accredited Background Checks is not only a good idea, but it could save your company.

Did You Know?…

In the United States, there are over 2 million crimes that occur in the workplace annually and 30% of business failures are due to poor hiring practices according to the Department of Commerce. These staggering figures alone should be enough to encourage employers, especially small and new companies, to conduct at least a basic criminal background check on all potential employees.

Workplace Safety

According to the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration, workplace violence costs employers $36 billion each year and the average award in a workplace violence lawsuit exceeds $1 million per case according to the Workplace Violence Research Institute. Workplace violence, including its most extreme form, homicide, is a very serious issue. It is imperative that businesses properly vet potential employees to ensure that they are hiring candidates that are least likely to commit violence in the workplace. At Accredited Background Checks, we care deeply about maintaining a healthy and safe workplace which is why we recommend employers to conduct multiple background screenings. We have multiple background check packages to choose from to ensure employers have as much information to make the best decisions possible.

Employee Fraud & Theft

Theft in the workplace is one of the main concerns companies have. Workplace theft tops out at more than $120 billion annually with 95% of all companies being victims of theft. Unfortunately, only 10% of these employers will ever discover that they were victims of employee theft. Again, having a proper vetting system in place through Accredited Background Checks will give you the tools to hire the most qualified and trustworthy candidates.

Job Application Claims

Unfortunately for business owners, job candidates tend to minimize their criminal history when applying for a position or leave it off their application all together. The reason for this may be because applicants feel comfortable misrepresenting this information because employers will not follow through on conducting a criminal background search anyway. This is why we suggest to every employer, no matter what industry, to conduct the most basic background search in the form of a criminal background check.

Unemployment rates coupled with competitive job markets for what jobs that are available has led to a rise in misrepresented information on job applications and resumes. Job seekers who don’t have a degree or special skills are inventing them out of desperation due to unemployment. About 40% of information on a resume is misrepresented with 67% of resume’s and applications in the U.S. contain false information. The consequences of false information on applications and resume’s tend to affect the employer because candidates who misrepresent information on applications, tend to misrepresent issues on the job. It is said that resume fraud costs employers over $600 billion annually.

What Does This All Mean?

If you’re an employer, taking the previous information and statistics into account should be step number one. You must consider the costs to your business and decide whether you want to become a victim of these statistics or take steps and precautions to ensure you’re hiring the right candidates for your organization. Instituting a background screening program within your hiring process will no doubt save your company from unnecessary losses and liability. When you order an employment background check from Accredited Background Checks, you are receiving the most accurate reporting available as well as the keys to a successful business.

For more information, contact us online or give us a call for your background check needs at (800)-441-2728.

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NYC Fails to Review Over 6,000 Background Checks

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NYC Fails to Review Over 6,000 Background Checks

This week the Department of Transportation for New York City discovered over 6,000 background checks for city workers have been backlogged and not reviewed before being offered a job. This means thousands of workers for the city have gotten employment without proper review of sex offender registry, county and federal criminal record checks.

How did this happen?

The DOI reports they are finally making headway in shifting through all of these checks, but how did this happen in the first place? “We know there is a serious backlog and are concerned,” DOI Commissioner Mark Peters said in a statement. “This, however, is a result of a very thorough process and too few staff.”

 Each of DOI’s 16 background check investigators is working on an average of 160 reviews, DOI said. With too few staff, hundreds of checks have gone more than three years without being reviewed. This could be a huge issue for New York state should any workers be found with federal crime records or sex offender registry on their checks that the city did not review before offering them positions that have gone to compensate upwards of $100,000 a year.

The Numbers

There are approximately 2,000 city workers who fall into those categories each year, according to DOI. That number has steadily gone up as the city now employs close to 294,000 full-time staffers, a historic high, payroll records show. Further complicating the matter, DOI recently audited two unnamed city agencies and discovered more than 1,000 staffers who were never even sent over for background checks. The employees are now being checked.

 

This has apparently been an ongoing problem for the DOI of NYC but with more employees every year falling through the cracks, where will the line be drawn? “This has always been a problem,” said a former high-ranking DOI official during the Bloomberg administration. “It kind of makes a mockery of the whole system.”

Background Check Prep 101

Background Check Preparation 101

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If you are a job seeker, you may have to undergo a background check during the hiring process. Undergoing a background check is usually a verification of information that you have already provided to the employer and potentially a review of public records about you. For example, if you included past education information on your resume, an employer may wish to conduct an Education Verification to verify that you have received the educational credentials you claim to possess.

A background check helps ensure that the information you’ve provided to your potential employer is accurate so that they can determine if you are a good fit for the position.

Here’s how you can prepare for your background check.

  • Have a copy of your resume along with the best contact phone number and email address for Accredited Background Checks to contact you if they have questions regarding the information that you’ve provided.
  • Research your own history, including employment dates, job titles and salaries, so that you are able to provide complete and accurate information to Accredited Background Checks if asked.
  • You can perform a personal background check to view your own public records history. This way you can contact the courts to rectify any inaccurate information that may pop up before your employer sees it.
  • In case schools or past employers don’t have records available to confirm your background history, locate transcripts or diplomas in advance and collect past paycheck stubs or W-2’s.
  • Be prepared to provide your current and past addresses, as well as your driver’s license number in some instances.
  • Please be as accurate as possible when providing your information. Employers may withdraw their job offer if you are found to be dishonest.
  • Know your rights. When employers run a background check using Accredited Drug Testing, they must notify you in writing and get your written consent. Usually results will come back in 3-5 business days.
  • If you have a criminal conviction on your record that could cost you a job, consider expungement. Different states have different laws on expungement but if you do your research and make a valid claim, having a clean record will automatically make you a more competitive applicant for most jobs.

Nowadays virtually every type of employer runs background checks on new hires so it is important to stay ahead of the curve and find out for yourself what may show up. Running a personal background check is the MOST preventative way of having an employer find some information about you that may be incorrect. Get ahead of it with Accredited Background Checks, Inc.

 

If you have any questions regarding background checks and our variety of screening options, please call (800)-441-2728.

 

Sources:

https://theinterviewguys.com/7-ways-to-prepare-yourself-for-a-background-check-before-your-interview/

Employment Background Checks

What is in a Background Check?

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What is in a Background Check?

The first thing to note about finding out what is in a background check is knowing that answer can be almost anything. It all depends on the KIND of background check your company chooses to run, if you are doing them for pre-employment purposes, or if you decide to run one on yourself you can choose what you want to find out. A standard background check package, also known as our Standard Level Package , will do a National Criminal Database Search (which draws searches from over 550 million records in all 50 states, Guam and Puerto Rico, as well as a Social Security Verification, National Sex Offender Registry Search, and County of Residence Criminal Search (county to be searched in is needed). This package is the most common among employers and is very comprehensive. You can also add a drug test to your background check package here to get a full sense of who you are hiring.

 

Below you will find a full description of our most common background checks, and they do:

Criminal Background Checks

Criminal background checks are the most common search requested and provide an accurate account of a candidates criminal history. A criminal background check should be every employer’s starting point when seeking information on potential employees during the hiring process as to alleviate the risk of criminal activity, unnecessary costs and legal risks. However, not all criminal background checks are created equal. There are three types of criminal background checks which employers can choose from depending on how in depth an employer wants to go.

County Criminal Searches

Based on the candidate’s address history, the County Criminal Search is considered the most accurate and comprehensive criminal background search. At Accredited Background Checks, we utilize a team of researchers to access criminal records directly from the courthouses in the county(ies) you are requesting.  This check provides felony information and may contain misdemeanor or even minor law infraction information.

State Criminal Search

Administrative Office of the Court (AOC) Report or Law Enforcement Repository. Accesses the statewide criminal repository, if available, in a given state. Statewide Criminal Searches cover all counties in a specific state should you not know what county you specifically want to test in, this is especially useful if your candidate is moving from another city within the state of employment. Also certain industries require a State Criminal Search such as health care workers. Accredited Background Checks can inform you if your industry is required to do a state search upon creating an account here.

Federal Criminal Search

A Federal Criminal Search reports the records of crimes committed against Federal criminal laws. This information is not included on a county or or statewide record, (i.e. bank robbery, interstate theft, kidnapping, etc.). This report is especially relevant for screening management and executive candidates for white-collar crimes. This search is ideal for employees with access to secure or financial information, C-level executives, CPAs, and financial and banking staff.

Professional License/Certification Verification

Professional licensing searches research information on individuals who need state licenses or certifications to engage in a professional activity, including medical professionals, Department of Transportation (DOT) employees holding CDL licenses, attorneys, CPA’s and educators. (Licensed professions may vary by state.) Reports may include license/membership type and current status, license number, date issued, expiration date, disciplinary actions and restrictions.

Education Verification

If an employer wants to verify a candidates’ education claims, such as on a resume, the employer can request an Education Verification. An Education Verification is a direct verification of an applicant’s educational records including dates attended and degree, certificate or diploma received at the provided educational institution.

Motor Vehicle Reports (MVR)

If an employer has specific roles within their company that requires driving company vehicles or even personal vehicles as part of job duties, the employer may wish to request Motor Vehicle Report, specially for a driver under the Department of Transportation, this check is required. The MVR gives you the most up-to-date information on license status, class, moving violations, and restrictions. We access information directly through state Departments of Motor Vehicles.

National Sex Offender Registry

The national sex offender registry search is critical for professionals and volunteers who will interact with youth or work in childcare, education, healthcare and human services environments. The search includes sex offender registration records from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Please note that the types of crimes that require registration vary by state. Therefore, not all individuals convicted of a sex crime in one state may be included in another state’s registry. Know that your results will include what level, out of 3: low risk, moderate risk, and high risk, the offender leveled at should their name come up.

A More Thorough Employment Screening Process with Drug Testing

For added protection from liability or risk to your company, many employers will request a Drug Test in conjunction with a Background Check. Performing a drug test will ensure you are maintaining a drug free workplace and hire more qualified individuals. Employers have a variety of drug testing available that can be chosen depending on the specific duties a potential employee will be performing and/or how in depth an employer would like to test for. For example, DOT Safety Sensitive employees within the Department of Transportation are required to take 5-panel Urine Drug Tests as per CFR Part 40 regulations. 5-Panel urine drug tests screen for basic narcotics such as marijuana and cocaine. However, although the DOT regulation requires 5-Panel urine drug testing, an employer may require as part of their company drug free policy, that all employees must undergo more comprehensive drug testing such as expanded opiate testing including morphine or oxycodone.

Fortunately for employers, Accredited Background Checks, Inc. not only provides accurate and FCRA compliant employment background screenings, but we also provide a more thorough screening process by offering drug testing in conjunction with background checks.

 

At Accredited Background Checks, we aim to provide a complete background reporting solution for employers and companies of all sizes. Whether you’re a local trucking business in small-town U.S.A. or a major international corporation, our goal is to provide you with the tools necessary to make better hiring decisions and lessen potential risk to your organization.

Contact Us Online or give our experts a call at (800)-441-2728 to get started with an employment background reporting solution.

Accredited Background Checks, Inc.

Accredited Background Checks, Inc. Launches Nationwide Background Screening Service

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ORLANDO, FLORIDA (JUNE 12, 2017)

Accredited Background Checks, Inc. is a nationwide firm based out of Winter Park, Florida that provides background screening services for companies seeking information for job applicants or current employees. In addition to employment background checks, Accredited Background Checks, Inc. also offers screenings for individuals wishing to search records pertaining to themselves.

The staff at Accredited Background Checks, Inc. has several years experience in the background screening industry and are certified by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). “Our mission is to help alleviate staffing risks by providing businesses with the necessary tools to hire the right person for the job,” said James Greer, CEO, Accredited Background Checks, Inc. “We pride ourselves in providing easy-to-use, safe, secure, confidential and FCRA compliant background screening solutions.”

Whether you’re a small trucking company in rural America or a large global enterprise, Accredited Background Checks provides employment and personal background check solutions and exceptional customer service throughout the United States that supports increased efficiency.

The types of nationwide searches offered by Accredited Background Checks, Inc. can include but are not limited to:

  •     Criminal History Search (Local, State, National)
  •     Social Security Verification
  •     Professional License Verification
  •     Motor Vehicle Reports
  •     Credit Reports
  •     Sexual Offender Registry
  •     County of Residence Search
  •     Civil/Lawsuits/Bankruptcy

Accredited Background Checks, Inc. provides quality pre-employment and personal background screenings that are accurate, secure and confidential. For more information, request a background screening or become a client, please contact us at 800-441-2728 or contact us online.