December 31, 2012
As we come to the end of another year, there is a lot to remind ourselves of – both for Mind Your Business, Inc. and for the employment screening industry as a whole.
With 2012 being an election year, there have been a lot of political issues that have affected the industry, while several tragic incidents have highlighted how important it is to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key points in 2012 for MYB, employment and background screening:
Industry trends
Welfare drug testing has once again been a hot topic of debate with legislation introduced in several states, while others removed welfare drug testing programs that they felt had not succeeded.
We saw huge increases in gun background checks and firearm sales following the mass-murder tragedies we’ve experienced in this country during 2012. More and more people believe the only form of protection for their families is to arm themselves, and we saw Black Friday gun sales hit an all time record high this year with demand for new firearms so overwhelming that it caused outages at the FBI background check center on two separate occasions.
Employment screening saw an increase as America went back to work, with the unemployment rate dropping to 7.70 percent in November. This is the lowest we have seen since December 2008.
A final deserving mention is the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) establishing a framework to achieve the EEOC’s mission to “stop and remedy unlawful employment discrimination.”
Mind Your Business, Inc.
We have again attended numerous events and received recognition for the efforts of our team in the employment screening industry, such as the 2012 Blue Ridge Business Growth Awards and our CEO Karen Caruso speaking at Spark & Hustle in Raleigh, NC.
It’s always an honor to be recognized as a contributor in the industry, and we feel privileged to be a part of such an important and necessary support system for improving society. Our influence in the North Carolina background screening space remains stronger than ever, and we can’t wait to hit the ground running in 2013!
Our work in the community included sponsoring and attending ‘Queen for a Day’ at the Hendersonville Boys and Girls Club, as well as participating in Asheville ‘Relay for Life’ and Earth Day 2012. These were so fun to participate in and it means so much to us that we’re able to give back to our community in such meaningful ways.
Most popular blog posts
We’ve also seen some big successes with our blog this year, driving more visitors and sales, and providing more industry resources, than ever before.
Our different types of background checks article continues to bring new visitors to our website on a regular basis, and does a great job highlighting to both employers and job applicants the different types of background checks that are commonly used in employment verification.
We also revealed the high costs involved for employers when they make bad hires, with an employer’s average cost of a second-level manager bad hire potentially reaching $840,000. The article also points out how you can avoid making bad hires, and avoid these dramatic costs, in the future.
Another post that has received a lot of attention this year was our article on why drug testing in the workplace is important. The fact that alcoholism costs 500 million lost work days each year, while alcohol and drug abuse cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars a year is surely enough to catch any employer’s attention.
Overall, 2012 has had it’s ups and downs – as is the case of every year. At MYB we like to focus on the positive – of which there has been plenty. We can’t wait to get started in 2013, and look forward to working with current and new customers as the new year rolls in.
Wishing you all the best, and a prosperous 2013!
November 07, 2012
The monthly Employment Situation Report was released on November 2nd, 2012 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics - only a few days prior to the election yesterday. Even though the report was released a few days after the super storm known as Hurricane Sandy made landfall over the Eastern United States, the storm had no effect on the data.
The US economy added 171,000 jobs in October, which marks the twenty fifth straight month the economy has added jobs, and the figures from August (from 142,000 to 192,000), and September (from 114,000 to 148,000), were also revised upward. According to The Examiner, since the month of July, the economy has added an average of 173,000 jobs per month. This figure is up from the average of 67,000 jobs per month from April through June. So far in 2012, the number of jobs created averages out to 157,000 per month. The average monthly jobs gain in 2011 stood at 153,000.
Most of the job gains were in the private sector; and the Labor Force Participation Rate also increased, to 63.8 percent. Total employment over the month of October rose by 410,000. The civilian labor force now stands at 155.6 million; and the employment to population ratio stands at 58.8 percent, after an increase in September of 0.4 percent.
Employment and background checks
As companies begin to start hiring again and the ‘cycle’ gets going, the importance of a formatted and valuable hiring process should not be forgotten. When you hire new employees, you want to be sure that they are trustworthy – which can be achieved through background screening checks such as drug screening, education verification and criminal record checks.
According to statistics from recent studies on drug abuse by American workers, workplace drug and alcohol use costs U.S. businesses an estimated $100 billion each year. Furthermore, almost 1 in 3 failed businesses that may have been saved had employment screening occurred. Can you really take the risk of not performing proper checks on your new hires?
Get in touch to find out how you can protect your business. Ultimately, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
October 05, 2012
Companies added more workers than projected in September, evidence the labor market may be perking up, a private report based on payrolls showed. The 162,000 increase in employment followed a revised 189,000 jump in August, figures from Roseland, New Jersey-based ADP Employer Services showed today. The median forecast of 38 economists surveyed by Bloomberg projected a 140,000 advance.
The hiring gains, which were led by companies with fewer than 500 workers, will help shore up consumer confidence and spending, which in turn will bolster economic growth.
“Small and medium-size firms continue to be the driving force behind job growth,” Ward McCarthy, chief financial economist at Jefferies & Co. Inc. in New York, said in a research note. “Hiring at startup and small firms will continue to be the key to the sustainability of the labor market recovery going forward.”
Separate data from the Institute for Supply Management showed that new orders helped growth in the service sector to pick up to 55.1 in September, the best pace since March, from 53.7 a month earlier.
“It looks more like things are heading in the right direction. It is this new reality – we don’t have robust growth, we just have very moderate growth,” said William Larkin, fixed income portfolio manager at Cabot Money Management in Salem, Massachusetts.
Small businesses are hiring
Small businesses – firms with fewer than 50 workers – added 81,000 new works, or half the jobs in September, according to ADP. Large companies with 500 or more workers added 17,000 jobs, while companies in the middle created 64,000 jobs.
With an increase in employment comes an increase in pre-employment screening. It’s ever more important to have a screening policy in place, and a pre-employment screening company by your side as you hire. Get in touch today to find out your best route for maintaining the safety of your business, your profits and your employees.
August 15, 2012
Have you heard of Shannon Eastin?
If you’re a football fan, the likelihood is that you have. She has become the most talked-about replacement official in recent times, initially because she’ll be the first female to officiate an NFL game.
She also has participated in the World Series of Poker, which has prompted the NFL Referees Association to plan an assault on her credentials and the NFL screening process.
We have highlighted on this blog previously how important a part of the NFL the screening process is, whether that be drug screening of players or background screening of officials and employees.
The league has issued a statement to PFT explaining that Eastin’s credentials are acceptable. “The NFL does extensive background checks on prospective officials, including the current group of replacement officials,” NFL spokesman Michael Signora said. “All of them have passed the NFL’s rigorous screening process, including Shannon Eastin.
Replacements hired in a rush
However, Yahoo Sports believes that the NFL made some huge mistakes in bringing in replacement refs for these games in such an abrupt manner – and that this doesn’t bode well for the future:
“The NFL has totally and completely botched the hiring process of the replacement officials, and…the league should be forced to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the real refs as soon as is legally possible.”
Employment screening, whether through a pre-employment screening service or via your own HR department, is an integral part of any company – from a small mom and pop shop to a business as large as the NFL. In this case, network sports professionals clearly feel the right processes have not been implemented, and the NFL are facing the consequences of this inaction.
To avoid putting yourself and your own business at risk, get in touch with us today.
August 06, 2012
A recent report stated that almost 70% of companies now run some form of criminal background checks on their employees. These criminal background checks are part of wider employment screening practices, which are implemented to protect a business and its future.
With pre-employment screening becoming an ever-increasingly important part of many hiring strategies, one of the key questions to ask is how exactly to perform these checks – do you attempt to do it yourself, or hire a pre-employment screening service to help?
Why perform employment screening?
Before we discuss professional services, let’s first understand exactly what employment screening is, and why a company should practice it.
Employers perform employment checks for three primary reasons – due to legal requirements, to protect their business from bad hires, and to ensure an individual is who they say they are.
By running employment screening checks, an employer can ensure that they are hiring within the law, that all hires are honest and have integrity, and to ensure they protect themselves from any future risk (such as lawsuits, employee theft or violence in the workplace).
Considering that 1 in 3 of all business failures are caused by employee theft, that 10% of all background checks have at least one serious flag, and that the average costs of a bad hire may equal 30% of a new company’s first year’s potential earnings, employment screening is not something you want to forgo.
Why hire professional help?
By hiring an employment screening service, you’ll get an idea of what sort of checks you’re after. There are many different types of employment checks, and only some will be relevant to you. A screening service can help you choose.
In addition, a professional service knows how to find this information in a speedy and reliable way. What might take you weeks could take them days, as they know exactly where to look. While it may cost a little bit extra to hire a service, it will be worth it when you have this vital information in your hands. Word of warning: ‘Free’ and ‘Instant’ background check companies are often either fake or simply don’t do a very good job. This sort of information on people is neither free nor instant, so keep this in mind.
Ready to take that next step? Get in touch today to find out what sort of screening service we could tailor to suit you.
July 09, 2012
PilotOnline reported this week how some felons in North Carolina would get a fresh start under a bill passed by a Senate panel that allows judges to erase some nonviolent convictions if the individuals met a series of requirements.
To get the crimes expunged, 15 years must have passed since the conviction, and “good moral character” must be established and vouched for. It also permits probation officers to conduct a background check, district attorneys to contact victims and judges to throw out requests they feel don’t have merit.
“We put every safeguard we could possibly put in it to make sure those people asking for a second chance are truly deserving of it,” said bill sponsor Republican Rep. Leo Daughtry of Johnston County.
Daughtry shared anecdotes of people who could not get jobs decades after felony convictions. He said the bill will allow the repentant to contribute to society: “There are so many instances where I think people need a second chance.”
Concerns
Still, opponents worry the measure is soft on crime and harms business owners. The bill received pushback in the House last week when it passed 76-39. Rep. Frank McGuirt of Union County was one of two Democrats who opposed the bill. The former sheriff said it could pardon undeserving felons.
“This has all kinds of felonies and serious misdemeanors in there, and there was no age limit as I recall, and I just thought it was too wide and too broad,” he said. He said there should be a way to expunge records but that this bill “just went too far.”
Far reaching effects for employment checks
When it comes to an employment background check in this scenario, there are two distinct sides of this debate – those who believe in offering second (or more) chances to people, and those who want to safeguard their business from any potential harm.
Yes – you can understand that an individual might have changed their ways, and therefore it’s unfair to let one mistake affect their job opportunities decades down the line. But what about those who will slip through the gaps? Just because someone has not been arrested for a crime for 15 years, it does not mean they are not committing crime.
Lawmakers are certainly putting themselves on the line by passing such a bill. Should even one business owner fall victim to a criminal who has had their record expunged due to this law, there will surely be uproar among the many critics.
June 27, 2012
An employment background check can be a scary process for employers at times. You might list excuses that include lack of time, lack of need, lack of understanding and lack of finances to name just a few. This blog post aims to prove these excuses wrong, and show you why an employment background check is integral for any business.
What is it?
Firstly, what is an employment background check? An employment background check is the process of looking up and compiling criminal records, professional records and (in some circumstances) financial records of an individual either prior to, or during, their employment with a company.
Why is it important?
From resume fraud to reference checks, drug abuse to employee theft, you might be surprised at the amount of illegitimate activity that goes on in the workplace.
For example, did you know that workplace drug and alcohol use costs U.S. businesses an estimated $100 billion each year? Or that the average costs of a bad hire may equal 30% of the first year’s potential earnings? Perhaps it might be news to you that 1 in 3 of all business failures are caused by employee theft, and that 10% of all background checks have at least one serious flag?
A gut feeling doesn’t cut it these days – you need to be sure that any employee is safe, honest, has integrity and will be an addition to your team. An employment background check will help you ensure that every employee at your business is the right fit.
What about the excuses?
Lack of time: Yes, it can be time consuming. So get some help! Hire a trustworthy employment screening company to do all the hard work for you.
Lack of need: If you still think you don’t need checks after reading this post so far, check out some more shocking statistics on why background checks are important here.
Lack of understanding: Hopefully the first paragraph of this post answered this for you. If you’re still unsure exactly what the checks are all about, read more here.
Lack of finances: Yes, you may have to pay now. But trust us, it will mean you save later. When you take into consideration the future potential financial losses – workers compensation, law suits and loss of earnings – what you spend now will be more than worth it.
How about getting started?
If you feel ready to move forward with employment background checks, or if you still have a few questions or reservations, get in touch with us today. We’ll discuss how an employment background check program can benefit your business, and help you take that first step!
March 28, 2012
Employment screening is still an unsure topic for some employers. They might argue a lack of trust, financial costs and lack of resources. But ultimately, employment screening should be a must for all employers in order to protect their business.
If you’re unsure, here are ten thing everyone ought to know about employment screening – and hopefully these will help you change your mind:
- According to statistics on drug abuse by American workers, workplace drug and alcohol use costs U.S. businesses an estimated $100 billion each year. Make drug testing a key part of your screening process.
- 53% of all job applications contain inaccurate information during the application process. Don’t you want to know who’s lying?
- There are currently four applicants for every vacant position. Use this to your advantage and choose only the very best.
- Employers have lost more than 78% of negligent hiring cases. Screening out bad applicants prior to hiring can save you a lot in long term.
- 30% of all business failures are caused by employee theft. That’s almost 1 in 3 failed businesses that may have been saved had employment screening occurred.
- 10% of all background checks have at least one serious flag. Find this red flag before it’s too late.
- It may seem confusing, but hiring a pre-employment screening company can make it a lot easier for you.
- There is no such thing as “free” or “instant” background checks. Avoid companies offering these.
- Workplace violence accounts for 18% of all violent crime. Employment screening can help you screen out those with a violent history during the application process.
- The average costs of a bad hire may equal 30% of the first year’s potential earnings. Do you really want this cost hanging over you? A little cost for proper employment screening checks can help save a lot down the line.
These cover what we feel are ten of the most important facts you should know about employment screening, and will hopefully emphasize the need for all employers to practice them.
But what do you think – have we missed anything?
February 01, 2012
Continuing to build our online community, as we did last year by creating MYB profiles on Facebook and Twitter, we have decided to take the next step by entering the world of Google+. You can now find our Google+ page here.
With Google+ recently passing the landmark of 90 million users, it’s an important place to be – both in terms of reaching customers, users and in terms of it’s SEO value. We are hoping to capitalize on our success so far on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn by extending our reach into the Google+ community and driving employment screening conversation there too.
With this in mind, here are ten fun facts on the Google+ platform:
- There are now over 90 million people using Google+
- It was rolled out in June 2011, and brand pages became available in November
- Google+ has a video chat feature, known as hangouts, in which users can chat with each other. This is a great tool for brands to optimize their customer service capabilities
- The Google+ Hangouts work with Google Translate to make multi-language communication possible instantly
- Google+ was developed under the code name ‘Emerald Sea’
- There is a 5000 maximum friend limit on every Google+ profile
- Google+ cost $585 million to build
- 500 employees helped to build the platform
- Google+ has now been integrated into Google search – meaning that the more social you are the more visible you will be in their search results
- Mark Zuckerburg, founder of Facebook, is one of the most followed users of Google+
Mind Your Business, Inc. really has taken the next step into social media, and we’re loving it! Become a fan of us on Facebook, Circle us on Google+ or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter and join in the conversation.
October 07, 2011
Nearly all retailers use background checks to vet potential employees, according to the results of a National Retail Federation survey.
“As retailers across the country begin to hire hundreds of thousands of holiday employees, the National Retail Federation today released a survey that illustrates the importance of employee background screenings in keeping customers safe,” says an article posted by Security Management.
Responses from the survey, which was conducted in July, came from 96 executives from various retailers and showed that 97 percent of respondents used background screening sometime during the application process.
“Pre-employment screenings are one of the tools retailers use as a first line of defense, especially during the holiday season when companies may have hundreds–if not thousands–of applications to sift through,” NRF senior asset protection advisor Joe LaRocca said.
Most of the background checks (60 percent) examine records available from the last five to seven years. These records often include credit history, criminal records, motor vehicle records, and education records.
The survey was released in part to show the importance of background checks to employers and to raise awareness of new guidelines being considered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that would prevent businesses from asking potential employees about their criminal history during the application process.
The survey didn’t include data for how many of the companies had rejected potential employees because of information found during a background check.
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