In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Drug-Free Workplace Act requiring employers of federal workers and certain federal contractors to adopt a drug-free workplace policy and create drug-free awareness programs. Today, many employers have chosen to adopt these policies and programs as the norm. If your organization is considering implementing a drug-free workplace or already has one in place, this post will offer what to consider, reasons to adopt the policy, drug screening practices and more.

Read more to learn about screening practices and how to implement a drug-free workplace.

RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) Background Screening Credentialing Council (BSCC) announced today that VeriFirst Background Screening, LLC has successfully demonstrated compliance with the Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP) and will now be formally recognized as BSCC-Accredited.

Recruiting new employees doesn't have to be about placing an ad or scouring LinkedIn anymore. These days, hiring managers have their eyes open all the time to find perfect candidates. Once the candidates are found, it's important to create a fair and consistent candidate experience to keep job seekers interested.

If you're curious how businesses recruit and hire their employees, read on.

Feeling swamped by paperwork? As an HR professional, your desk is a bevy of resumes, applications, contracts and interview notes.  You may even have some electronic or online tasks but the process isn't efficient or consistent. Going paperless not only saves trees but may also reduce the time and effort it takes to recruit and hire. 

Here's how paperless hiring can speed up your recruiting, hiring and on boarding process.

In the age of the internet and free information, a point of frustration for some business or property owners is paying fees to background screening companies. Data seems to be readily available if you simply take the time to look for it, right? This is one of our most commonly asked questions. As is our usual style, we aim to educate and be transparent to clients who use our service and those who are doing research.

Here's why professional background screening companies have access fees.

VeriFirst works with many Professional Sports Teams and Stadium managers across the United States. A number of our clients have obtained or are in the process of obtaining SAFETY Act Certification for their stadium and facilities. At a high level, they are doing this to mitigate risk, ensure the safety of their fans and facilities, and leverage a number of additional benefits that are associated with being SAFETY Act Certified.

Read more to learn:

• What is the SAFETY Act?
• Who should obtain SAFETY Act designations and certifications?
• Does the SAFETY Act require or recommend employee or personnel background checks?

Employers are at an interesting era of creating a multigenerational workforce. Workplaces are more diversified than ever and now include five different generations:

• The "Silent Generation": born from 1928 - 1945 (2% of the U.S. workforce)
• Baby Boomers: born 1946 - 1964 (25% of workforce)
• Generation X: born 1965 - 1980 (33% of workforce)
• Millennials (Generation Y): born 1981 - 1996 (35% of workforce)
• Generation Z: born 1997 - (5% of workforce)¹

In and of itself, a workforce made up of employees aged 72+ down to 18 years of age can face challenges of working together, finding inclusive motivation and battling stereotypes. Examining background checks of these groups is even more enlightening. 

Here's what to expect on background checks of a multigenerational workforce.

Over the past decade, the consumer reporting and background screening industry has seen significant growth. With growth typically comes competition, and with competition usually comes aggressive pricing. The cost of a criminal background check can vary by search type and by screening company (aka Consumer Reporting Agency - CRA). This post is to provide an estimate of what employers and landlords can expect to pay when conducting employment and tenant screening.   

Employers hiring recent graduates or first-time job candidates are faced with a different set of challenges during background checks. For one thing, there's not much in the "job history" category.  Younger generations aren't going to be familiar with a hiring process or what it entails. They need patience and understanding - especially if they really enjoyed their youth and got in trouble with the law. 

Here are some considerations during employment background checks for first time job seekers and recent grads.