A person should not be prohibited from getting a job simply because they have a criminal conviction. However convictions for certain crimes might prevent a person from getting certain jobs. Let’s set some ground rules for our discussion. First we’re talking about convictions, not charges. To put it in simple terms, the judge said “guilty” and banged the gavel. Second, …
Let’s say you’re about to hire a new CFO. He’s been a CFO, comptroller, and vice president in the last 10 years at three different companies. All the right skills and qualifications are listed on his resume. He’s had several interviews, and he’s fantastic. He’s had the right answer to every question you’ve asked. You’ve heard nothing but good things …
Recently, we were working on a pre-employment background investigation where the scope of work was limited to a criminal search. When we looked at the criminal history of the applicant, we saw the image on the right. What do you see? The subject has charges and convictions for identity theft and drugs, but what else? I see a pretty decent …
We’re asked all the time if we offer a “nationwide criminal search” or a “multi-state criminal search”. The answer is always “No.” Why not? Because it just doesn’t exist. Let’s talk about courts and criminal records in the US. No national database exists Currently, there is no comprehensive national database for all the criminal records in the US. Yes, the …
We conduct a wide variety of background investigations for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes we’re conducting due diligence on companies who want to do business together. Other times it’s a threat assessment as part of an employment termination. Sometimes we’re conducting a background investigation in support of a larger investigation, like fraud or employee misconduct. Our most common …
At Protus3, we believe that employers should have as much relevant information as possible in order to make the best hiring decisions. We have always prided ourselves on the fact that we report everything we possibly can when conducting pre-employment background investigations. This included everything from felonies all the way down to minor traffic offenses. The FCRA allows us to …
In a typical week, I spend a good part of my time conducting background investigations. So what’s different now that we’re all dealing with COVID-19? Honestly? Not much. Nearly every background investigation we conduct includes a criminal search. For locations where the process is automated (i.e. records are online), there is no change based on COVID-19. Records were readily available …
Hiring new employees is a vital component of any successful business. Every company collects some type of background information. From the initial application to the final interview, employers seek to obtain information in order to assess several qualities about a potential hire. Are they competent? Do they have the right skills? Who is the best person for the position? Running …
Dragons. Mermaids. Fairies. The Loch Ness Monster. Bigfoot. Leprechauns. Nationwide criminal searches. All are mythical creatures. We’re asked all the time if we offer a “nationwide criminal search” or a “multi-state criminal search”. The answer is always “No.” Why not? Because it simply doesn’t exist. When you talk about a “nationwide criminal search” or a “multi-state criminal search”, what do …
Time is the number one challenge for employers in the background investigations process. That was one finding in the study entitled “How Human Resource Professionals View the Use and Effectiveness of Background Screening Methods” published by NAPBS and HR.com in June 2018. You can read the entire report here. The report did not include the expectation about how long background …