Over 8 percent of applicants have criminal records; 26 percent inaccurately report past employment
The importance of applicant background checks and employment verification was made clear by a survey that revealed 8.3 percent of all job applicants have criminal records.
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Who is checking the background checkers?
Some 80 percent of employers now require background checks for all potential employees, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC), a consumer rights advocacy group in San Diego…. But what if a background check is in error? Read more

Biz (off)beat: Potential employers not afraid to pry
You're qualified. You've mastered the interview. And the drug test? No problem. That may not be enough to land the job, not if you have a past and try to hide it. Read more

Study Finds FBI Criminal Database Search Ineffective for Employment Background Checks
As US employers increasingly utilize criminal background checks in their hiring process, the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) has identified one source of information that employers should avoid: the FBI Criminal Database. Read more.

Background checks screen hires: Extensive investigations becoming more common
Extensive investigations becoming more common. Medium- and small-sized companies are increasingly using background checks to verify whether job applicants are fibbing or telling the truth about their education, employment history and even their credit records… Read more.

Potential Employees Checked Out
Job applicants are having a harder time keeping their skeletons in the closet as more companies and organizations turn to background checks for help with hiring decisions. Read more.

Protect Your Organization Against Negligent Hiring Suits
Speaking to a packed house June 20 during his session at the SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition, Nadell said that nothing takes the place of thorough applicant background checking. However, no background checking process is foolproof, so it's crucial for companies to know how to obtain the most accurate information while remaining compliant with the myriad federal and state laws that regulate the industry. Read more.

Background Checks Could Have Problems
More and more employers require employee background checks, which is why it's no surprise more and more private companies are popping up offering to provide them. A Target Five Investigation shows it can be risky business. A bad background check nearly cost Eric Williams a job. Read more.

The Importance of a Complete Background Check
In a recent background check for a manufacturing client, InfoLink Screening Services, a national background screening firm, learned that the applicant transposed the last two numbers of her Social Security number (SSN) and provided the employer a false date of birth (DOB) when she applied for employment. Based on the information the applicant provided, InfoLink might have reported “No Record Found” if its Quality Assurance had not identified discrepancies which lead to InfoLink’s uncovering 8 criminal convictions on the applicant’s record. Read more.

Volunteer Firefighters May Face Background Checks
Volunteer firefighters are trained to put out fires, but Caldwell County fire officials say that wasn't the case when a vacant home was intentionally set in flames on June 23 by volunteer firefighters.
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Pre-Employment Screening A Must For Employers
What's the worst thing an employer can find out after hiring a new employee? That there should have been a good background check. It could have saved a lot of money, time and frustration and a lot more. InfoLink Screening Services performs pre-employment background checks, drug testing and employment physical exams nationwide. Read more.

Form I-9 Compliance, LLC Launches the First Web-Based Form I-9 Employment Verification Service and Begins Executing Its Reseller Strategy
Form I-9 Compliance, LLC, the first federally-approved Designated Agent of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) for Form I-9 employment verifications, announced that it has launched the first web-based service that enables employers to easily conduct legal right to work Form I-9 employment verifications on new employees.
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Preventative Measures Background checks can help contractors save face
They also can help save lives. So why are so few in the cleaning industry actually performing them? Read more…

$10 million wrongful death lawsuit filed against employer
The family of slain Truro writer Christa Worthington has filed a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against her alleged killer and the Cape Cod trash-hauling business that employed him at the time of the slaying. The lawsuit alleges that the company failed to use reasonable care in hiring McCowen, who had a history of criminal and violent behavior. Read more…

Screening Of Workers On The Rise
Employers are running background checks on long-standing employees as well as new ones. The number of checks on all workers has tripled during the past eight years, experts said, mostly because of growing security concerns, the technological ease in obtaining the information and its declining costs. Read more…

Workplace violence is on the upswing, say HR leaders
Workplace violence has increased over the past two years despite federal statistics to the contrary, a majority of senior executives responsible for human resources or security say in an April 2005 survey. In addition, more than half (58 percent) report that disgruntled employees have threatened senior managers in the past 12 months. But despite their view that workplace violence is a bigger problem today, only 15 percent of those companies have increased their spending to combat the problem, the Prince & Associates survey found. Read more…

Wal-Mart, employee sued - Retailer faulted in molestation case
A Phoenix law firm has filed a "Jane Doe" lawsuit against big-box retailer Wal-Mart for failing to check the background of an employee accused of molesting several young girls in a Scottsdale store. The suit, filed by the law offices of Gregory A. Patton in Maricopa County Superior Court, alleges that Wal-Mart either did not check Mark D. Ricchetti's criminal background or hired him knowing of previous criminal charges when he came to work as a greeter in the company's store on Northsight Boulevard in 1998.
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Screening process can have its drawbacks. Background information is only as good as its source.
Eighty percent of employers were conducting criminal background checks on potential hires in 2003, up from 51 percent in 1996, according to surveys by the Society for Human Resource Management.
Experts attribute the trend to technological advances that have eased the collection and sale of personal information; more media coverage of dishonest job applicants; employers' fears of negligent hiring litigation; and a heightened sense of insecurity after the Sept. 11 attacks. A rush of online data brokers are cashing in, offering services at a wide range of prices.

But accuracy also can vary widely, said Shawn Bushway, associate professor of criminology at the University of Maryland. "These companies are basically running unchecked and doing what they want, and we don't know how accurate they are," Bushway said.Checks vary widely
Bushway's study of the industry found 467 companies offering background searches on the Internet. The ones that claim to do national background searches for as low as $10 typically piece together data from a variety of public records sources, including correctional databases, online sex offender registries and county courts that sell their records to data companies.

Other more established firms claim to be professional background screeners and have recently formed an association that has adopted a set of standards in an effort to distinguish themselves. They charge anywhere from $30 to more than $200 for the so-called "gold standard": physically sending runners to courthouses in counties where the prospective employer knows an applicant has lived, Bushway said.Although these companies are likely more accurate than their bargain rate competitors, even they are suspect, Bushway's study found.
Read more…

InfoLink Screening Services Launches New Automated Solution for Form I-9 Employment Verifications and Additional Form I-9 Services

June 14, 2005, Los Angeles, CA – InfoLink Screening Services, a nationwide provider of employment background checks, drug testing and physical exams, today announced that it has launched a new automated solution for Form I-9 compliance services, including the first web-based service for verifying employees have a legal right to work in the United States.

InfoLink's secure, web-based service enables employers to conduct Form I-9 employment eligibility verifications through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA). Employers are able to use the information on newly hired employees’ I-9 Forms to verify the accuracy of Social Security and Immigration “A” numbers and in real-time obtain employee’s legal right to work status with a DHS-issued verification number.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 legally mandates that U.S. employers verify the employment eligibility status of newly-hired employees and makes it unlawful for employers to knowingly hire or continue to employ unauthorized workers. Noncompliance, whether intentional or caused simply by oversight, has severe legal and financial consequences imposed by the DHS, as well as the potential of a corporate image tarnished by negative publicity.

In addition to employment eligibility verifications, InfoLink will also offer the following services to help companies manage their Form I-9 processes:

• A self-correcting electronic Form I-9 that virtually eliminates processing errors and simplifies the document completion process.
• Secure, paperless Form I-9 storage, providing anytime, anywhere online access for updating, re-verification and governmental inspection.
• Automated alerts in advance of employees’ expiring work authorizations, enabling employees to renew their work authorization documents and legally continue to work without interruption.
• Pre-filled employment eligibility verification forms if the company has conducted a background check on the new employee through InfoLink or uses an integrated ATS or HRIS solution.
• Form I-9 consulting services performed by trained and experienced I-9 consultants including former INS officials and executive-level Human Resources professionals.

InfoLink’s Form I-9 employment verification services:

• Provide peace of mind that new employees’ Social Security and Immigration documents are valid.
• Simplify and improve the efficiency of Form I-9 processes.
• Substantially decrease human errors in completing I-9 Forms.
• Cost-effectively reduce exposure to government audits, financial penalties and negative publicity resulting from non-compliance.
• Improve the accuracy of payroll and tax reporting and helps eliminate SSA inquiries concerning unmatched Social Security accounts by identifying current employees with fraudulent Social Security numbers.

“We’re excited to be the first company to offer an automated, web-based solution for ensuring U.S. business employ individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States,” said Barry Nadell, president of InfoLink Screening Services, Inc. “Because of our focus on legal compliance in employment screening, we felt it was important for InfoLink to be an early mover in Form I-9 compliance services. InfoLink’s Form I-9 employment verification services provide business with new, efficient methods for managing their I-9 processes and complying with the law.”

About InfoLink Screening Services

InfoLink Screening Services is a leading provider of employment background checks, drug testing, physical exams and Form I-9 employment verification services. Thousands of companies nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 500's, rely on InfoLink's exceptional service, fast turnaround, legal compliance and accurate reports. Its easy-to-use web-based solution enables easy order entry, status tracking, hit notification and secure archiving. InfoLink's drug screening and physical exam programs include a nationwide network of thousands of collection sites and clinics, secure online reporting and consolidated billing. And its new Form I-9 employment verification services enable companies to reduce Form I-9 errors and verify employees’ legal right to work in the U.S. InfoLink's comprehensive employee screening services and seamless integration with Human Resource software increase Human Resource efficiency and enable businesses to Hire with Confidence™. Visit www.infolinkscreening.com or call (800) 990-HIRE (4473) for additional information.

Background checks get another look
High School administrators review the district’s pre-employment background check process after the arrests of employees working with students. A background check through the state’s Crime Information Bureau did not reveal prior criminal history. Read more…

LexisNexis: Files May Have Been Breached
LexisNexis Says Thieves May Have Breached Computer Files containing the personal information of 310,000 people, a tenfold increase over a previous estimate of how much data was stolen from the information broker. Read more…

At least 30 FEMA inspectors had criminal records

At least 30 inspectors who visited disaster victims' homes or verified damage claims for federal aid had criminal records for offenses such as embezzlement, drug possession, robbery and drunken driving, a newspaper reported Sunday. Read more…

Criminal background checks incomplete
Employers and volunteer organizations are increasingly turning to national commercial database searches - but experts say the nationwide tallies are often full of holes, and contain as few as 70 percent of all felony conviction records, leading in turn to a false sense of security. Read more…

Employers Win Most Drug Testing Cases
David Shadovitz, Human Resource Executive

A new book released by the Institute for a Drug Free Workplace in Washington reveals that employers are winning most drug testing related court battles. Employers prevailed in roughly two-thirds of the nearly 1,200 legal decisions on drug testing, according to the book, 2004-2005 Guide to State and Federal Drug Testing Laws.

In the last year,” says Gina M. Petro, counsel to the institute and a co-author of the guide, “87 court decisions upheld drug testing, and 46 did not.” Since the group began tracking suits in the mid-1980’s, employers prevailed in 825 cases, while challenges have been successful in only 374 cases. The numbers are somewhat higher for federal court cases, in which employers have prevailed 76 percent of the time.

The Importance of a Complete Background Check

By Barry J. Nadell

In January 2005, InfoLink Screening Services, a national background screening firm, was completing a background check for a manufacturing client. Based on the identifying information provided by the applicant, InfoLink might have reported “No Record Found”, but discrepancies where identified during the Quality Assurance phase of its investigation. What InfoLink learned was that the applicant transposed the last two numbers of her social security number and provided the employer a false date of birth (DOB) when she applied for employment.

The key to InfoLink’s research was a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) that the client ordered. The Motor Vehicle Report revealed that the applicant’s date of birth was 05/05/1973, not 08/05/1973 which she reported to the employer. When InfoLink conducted a second investigation at the court with the correct date of birth, it found a vehicle violation in the court’s records that exactly matched the violation on the MVR and eight (8) other criminal convictions including a felony for forgery. In addition, the court records included the applicant’s social security number which revealed that she had also transposed the last two digits of her SSN from 10 to 01. Using other research tools, InfoLink confirmed that the Social Security Number it received from the MVR (ending in 10) belonged to applicant, while the SSN ending in 01 belonged to someone else who had a clean criminal record.

What Human Resource and security professionals can learn from the above case is that criminals are learning that the primary identifier in court records is date of birth and that they can conceal their past by providing a false DOB.

In his new book “Sleuthing 101, Background Checks and The Law,” Barry J. Nadell, President of InfoLink advises employers to always conduct a motor vehicle report as part of their background screening program… even if the job position does not include driving. Employers can learn a great deal about a person’s character by identifying DUI’s, possession of drugs, current arrest warrants and failures to appear. In addition, the MVR search is the only verifiable source to help identify the subject’s actual date of birth.

InfoLink’s 2004 Applicant Hit Ratio Analysis – “hit ratio” is an industry measure of the percentage of convictions, MVR violations, verification discrepancies, etc. to the total background checks – reveals that 8.4% of individuals who received prior notice that a background check may be conducted and authorized the investigation in writing, had criminal convictions. These included felonies for Assault with a Firearm, Sexual Abuse, Forgery, Robbery, Possession of Stolen Goods, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Welfare Fraud, Larceny, Hit and Run, Passing Bad Checks, Dealing Cocaine, Grand Theft by Employee, Felon Possessing Firearm, Check Fraud, Aggravated Battery, Sexual Assault, Burglary, Attempted Murder and more.

InfoLink’s 2004 Hit Ratio Analysis, summarized in the chart below, is calculated based upon the aggregate number of hits* as a percentage of the services InfoLink conducted in 2004. The chart includes an average of all clients and details on specific industries as hit ratios vary from industry to industry. If you’re not conducting checks that have a high hit ratio in your industry, you may want to consider revising your screening program. The chart is available on www.infolinkscreening.com.

Summary of Analysis

Automotive Industry - Highest Credit hit ratio and higher than average Criminal Record, DMV and Drug Testing Hit Ratio
Business Services - Highest Drug Testing hit ratio and higher than average Criminal Record, Education Verification and Worker's Compensation hit ratios
Construction - Highest DMV and Past Employment Verification hit ratio
Food Services - Highest Criminal Record hit ratio and higher than average DMV, Drug Testing, Credit History and Past Employment Verification hit ratios
Hospitality - Higher than average Drug Testing, Credit History and Social Security Trace hit ratios
Retail - Highest Education Verification hit ratio and higher than average Criminal Record, DMV and Worker's Compensation hit ratios
Transportation - Highest Worker's Comp hit ratio and above average Criminal Record, DMV and Credit History hit ratios

* Hits may include criminal search convictions, motor vehicle violations, discrepancies in employment and education verifications, positive drug test results, derogatory credit information, prior workers compensation claims, etc.

Screening Helps Keep Six Flags Theme Parks at its Peak

High Volume Hiring for Sensitive Positions Presents Unique Challenges

February 10, 2005

For Valencia, CA-based Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc., selecting and hiring the right employees presents unique challenges due to the sheer number of new hires and the fact that most hires are for somewhat “sensitive” positions. When you’re hiring as many as 500 employees per month for positions working with children, handling cash and operating machinery, there is no room for error. An efficient screening program is essential.

“It can be tough in the interview process as people tell you everything you want to hear and more. However, through background screening I am able to discover that these people are not all that they appear to be and get to the heart of the matter. Considering that we have more than 4,000 applicants per year, screening for the right employee is vital,” commented Six Flag Theme Parks Human Resource Assistant Manager, Brent Houchin.

When Houchin first arrived at Six Flags three years ago, he was surprised to find a very low hit ratio for the volume of applicants being screened (few criminal records or resume falsehoods were uncovered). As a 12-year Human Resource veteran, Houchin was suspicious, being familiar with resume lies and falsehoods.

Houchin attended a certification course at CSUN Northridge, at which Barry Nadell, President InfoLink Screening Services, Inc., was one of the speakers, “Nadell seemed to know what he was talking about and I was impressed. As I was concerned about our low hit ratio, I had InfoLink conduct a one week trial at Magic Mountain and in that one week we had more hits than in the entire previous year; a 12% hit ratio,” commented Houchin.

In order to handle such a high volume of applicants, Houchin has to have an efficient screening program. “With InfoLink, due to the thoroughness of their searches, we now get an average hit ratio of 9-10%, which shows us that a good number of our applicants are not all they claim to be; it really helps us with the challenge of finding the right employee,” commented Houchin.

Unearthing the Truth = Savings in Time and Money

Houchin was surprised to find a lot of those applying for jobs in cash handling areas such as food services had Grand Theft on their records. “A thorough screening program has definitely saved our cash flow – the budget and everything else. These people have been caught up front, before starting in these positions,” Houchin commented.

According to Houchin, InfoLink has helped not only in screening, but also in establishing a correct employee interview process. “InfoLink has changed the way in which we look at and review an applicant and helped revise how we ask questions related criminal records to ensure we are completely legal and not liable,” Houchin stated.

“At InfoLink everything happens quickly and effectively. InfoLink president, Barry Nadell also dedicates a lot of time to speaking with clients; there is no Ivory Tower, and that tells me a lot about the company,” Houchin added.

Screening Improves Quality of New Hires, Customer Experience
Due to the nature of its operations as a family oriented theme park, Six Flags has to have confidence in the quality of its employees.

According to Houchin, the hit ratio has gone down significantly over past couple of years as the word is out that the company does not hire people who lie on their applications. “We are hiring a better quality of person and keeping people out that could be a future risk liability-wise. This all results in helping to bring smiles to the faces of our guests as they are dealing with appropriate employees, people who have the qualifications applicable to that job,” Houchin stated.

InfoLink Screening Services has posted its Annual Applicant Hit Ratio Analysis.

This summary report shows the number of hits as a percentage of the services InfoLink clients conducted in 2004. Hits include criminal search convictions, motor vehicle violations, discrepancies in employment and education verifications, positive drug test results, derogatory credit information, prior workers compensation claims, etc.

Use this report to determine if your company is conducting the right background checks and drug testing employees in industries that have high hit ratios.