Employment screening predictions for 2012

employment screening industry over the last twelve months, and at MYB we feel we’ve got a pretty idea of which trends will continue and which will fall by the wayside. With that in mind, we’ve come up with our three predictions for what to expect in the employment screening industry in 2012: Increase in Diploma Mills and Fake Credentials What is a Diploma Mill? “Diploma mills are largely online entities whose degrees are worthless due to the lack of valid accreditation and recognition. The wide reach and anonymity of the Internet offers these operations the perfect market to exploit, which is alarming not just for prospective employers but for society as a whole”. People purchase these fake certifications in the hope that a potential employer will not verify their claims. With the job market in the state it is in, people are becoming more and more desperate. Which is why it would come of little surprise to see an increase in the number of job-seekers making use of these illegitimate businesses. Verifile Limited’s second annual Accredibase report into diploma and accreditation mill activity has revealed an astounding 48% increase worldwide in the number of known diploma and accreditation mills in the last year. We can expect to see this number rise again in 2012. Self Background Checks Job applicants are starting to come to expect background checks as part of the pre-employment process. With this in mind, job applicants are finding ways to check on their own personal information before their prospective employers do to verify its accuracy. One way to verify public information found during employment screening is through a “self” background check. By performing such a check, applicants are ensuring they discover any incorrect information that a check may come up with. For example, mistaken identity is an issue – and checks may sometimes provide information on someone else with the same name. Additionally, a check would discover as to whether an individual has been a victim of identity theft. By discovering these issues themselves, the applicant can clear up any problems or incorrect blemishes before a potential employer runs a background check. Continued Rise in Employment Screening Finally, we predict an increase in employment checks. Employers are seeing more and more the benefits of running these checks, and tie that in with the economy and levels of unemployment, and we can expect to see the number of employment checks increase. This would of course be a positive for employment screening companies as well as ensuring that the national workforce overall is a safer and more productive environment. Did we miss anything? What are you predictions for employment screening in 2012?  ]]>