Background Screening Blog

Where and how people work has changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The most modern change may be the increase in the number of remote employees. Estimates suggest that one in every four Americans worked remotely through 2021. Efficiencies, cost savings, and employee demand that remote work provides may continue this upward trend. A recent survey found that “59% of respondents said they would be more likely to choose an employer who offered remote work than those who didn’t.” Hiring remote employees may become a necessity in the years ahead. Is your background screening program prepared for this new reality? This blog will cover some popular solutions that can be useful in conducting background checks for remote candidates and employees:

Topics: Employment Verifications, Academic Verifications

As we look ahead into 2023, it may be a good time to look back and reevaluate your company’s professional verification process. Confirming a candidate’s employment history can be critical in determining whether they are the right fit for a particular role. To make sure your processes are ready for the year ahead, ask yourself these nine questions for a verification tune-up:

Topics: Employment Verifications, Academic Verifications

Clare Horvik, Vice President of Marketing for Verified Credentials, invited Ben Mones, CEO of Fama Technologies, for an interview to discuss a hot topic – social media screening. 

Topics: Employment Background Checks, Candidate Experience, Employment Verifications, social media screening, Employee Experience

  Consumer demands impact what stores and sites keep stocked on the shelves. Producers of toilet paper, packaged food, and cars work double-time to avoid low inventories. What's consumers need in 2020 is different. U.S. manufacturers mobilized to create new equipment and increase supply. So how do the companies keep their assembly lines moving? It's all about their skilled workforce.

Topics: Employment Background Checks, Employment Verifications, Academic Verifications, Manufacturing Industry

How many reminders do you have set on your calendar, your phone, or the classic stand-by sticky note? We’re a Minnesota company, the place where Post-it notes were invented, so we have nothing against this helpful tracking method. But chances are that you’ve got more than a dozen reminders on your list. Before you see your workspace littered with colorful flags and reminders to keep your background checks on track, we have a couple decluttering solutions.

Topics: Efficiency, Employment Background Checks, Candidate Self-Service, Employment Verifications, Academic Verifications

Nearly everyone knows the Forrest Gump quote about life and boxes of chocolates. But the classic movie features another gem of wisdom when Forrest explains, “My mama always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where they going, where they been.” This folksy observation holds an essential lesson for HR professionals. Do you know where your candidates have been in their careers? Because much like shoes, employment verifications can give you much insight into the candidate’s past. Verifying a candidate’s work history can confirm the information they provided or listed on their resume, give you a peek into how they perform as an employee, and even offer detail about their personality.

Topics: Employment Background Checks, Employment Verifications

Company culture is the personality of every organization, and so, your culture says a lot about who your organization is to candidates and employees alike. Signs from your culture can greatly influence how they expect to be treated and viewed in their professional lives. No matter if your culture is casual or formal, finding ways to remain consistent with it through your HR policies and procedures can genuinely benefit you. A recent Gallup survey even links well-established company culture to an increase in revenue.

Topics: Report Scoring, Employment Background Checks, Recurring Screening, Employment Verifications, Background Check Packages, Background Check Scope, Company Culture

When you want to vet job candidates thoroughly, those get-to-know-you validations may come by way of an employment verification. It can give you a look into how that candidate is as an employee — confirming that they may be a good fit, or not, for your organization. On-the-job insights can be a loaded with value, but you may experience hurdles on the way to find out if that candidate is experienced, qualified, and a cultural fit for your team.

Topics: Employment Background Checks, Candidate Self-Service, Employment Verifications

In part one of our series discussing visible signs of effective background checks, we highlighted how itemized invoices might indicate the overall result of a program. By looking beyond using a bill for payment purposes, you can get details on how broad your background checks really go. Now we will take a look at how these areas may signify the effectiveness of a background screening program:  Management reports from your screening partner Your final background check results

Topics: Employment Background Checks, Employment Verifications, Academic Verifications, Technology

As an HR professional, you’re tasked with making sure every new employee is the right fit for your company. You need to verify that candidates will meet your company’s standards, which is why you conduct background checks. You may even perform recurring checks periodically to confirm that the employee still aligns with your company’s standards. While searches and verifications in your background check packages may remain fairly constant, new ways to manage background check processes can lead to areas of improvement. When was the last time you reevaluated the quality of your pre-employment screening processes?

Topics: Efficiency, Employment Background Checks, Candidate Self-Service, Employment Verifications