Background Checks

Assignment scope determines background checker liability

12/06/2017

If you run background checks before hiring, the information you request may limit liability for the investigating firm you use.

Don’t base hiring decision on medical history

11/09/2017

When evaluating applicants, you may consider whether their current health affects their ability to do the job, but you can’t factor in old injuries or medical conditions.

‘Criminal’ doesn’t get Title VII protection

09/26/2017

For an applicant to sue under Title VII, she can’t merely allege that she suffered because of having a criminal record.

Résumé lies are on the rise

08/22/2017

What’s the truth about lying on résumés? Almost half of workers (46%) polled by staffing firm OfficeTeam said they know someone who included false information on a résumé, a 25-point jump from a 2011 survey.

What’s the problem with checking social media accounts of applicants and employees?

08/02/2017

Q. I would like to ensure that all of the individuals working for us do not engage in morally questionable behavior. Since many people show their true selves on social media, not at work, can I check the social media profiles of applicants and employees?

Employers count on social media to screen applicants

06/15/2017

Seventy percent of employers use social media to screen candidates before hiring, according to a new survey by Harris Poll and CareerBuilder.com.

Top 10 employment application mistakes employers make

06/13/2017

Employment applications may seem innocuous, but they contain a number of minefields of which employers should be aware. In general, avoid asking applicants questions that elicit information that cannot be considered when making a hiring decision.

Under ‘ban the box,’ how to handle criminal background checks

04/19/2017

Beginning during the Great Recession, the EEOC began to aggressively push for what has become known as “ban the box”—shorthand for prohibiting employers from asking about past criminal history before making a job offer.

The real story behind 4 background check myths

04/09/2017

When it comes to selecting the best candidates, going deeper than just face value should be routine.

Legislation proposed to ‘ban the box’ statewide in Calif.

03/29/2017

A.B. 1008, a bill currently before the California legislature, would bar employers from asking about an applicant’s criminal history before making a conditional job offer.