While some businesses face layoffs during the economic downturn and COVID-19 pandemic, hiring in other industries is going strong. The supply chain is being challenged to keep up with customer demand (and panic) so the manufacturing, transportation and retail industries are hiring more and quickly. Retailers such as Walmart and CVS are going online and working together to fast-track hiring. Because factory workers and truck drivers work with heavy equipment, the hiring process must be streamlined, and with safety in mind. 

Here are best practices in pre-employment background checks for transportation and manufacturing industries.

Mass layoffs, store and restaurant closures have left many hourly workers concerned about income and insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Retailers, such as Amazon, Instacart and Domino's Pizza, are taking advantage of an expanded talent pool to hire nearly a half a million employees. It's important that these employers hire efficiently as the situation and customer demand calls for it. Can employers hire quickly and still protect their interests?

Here are best practices retailers are using to hire quickly during a pandemic.

Due to social distancing/quarantine requirements across the country, employment or tenant background checks can be affected. Select courthouses in various states have temporarily closed onsite access.  Automated (electronic) access may still be available.

In states where not all courts have closed (only select Counties), VeriFirst clients can talk to us about options to conduct electronic court searches, national database searches, and/or statewide criminal searches.

We urge HR teams to contact us to discuss options for screening applicants and employees during these closures. Options may include modifying current background check packages and/or proactively submitting requests to stay ahead of researcher backlogs. 

The following list  includes current courthouse statuses for reopening and closures that may affect background check turnaround times.

The future of work is remote, according to statistics, and more employers are making accommodations to meet the trend. Whether they're meeting the demands of a tight labor market or the necessity of a public health scare, employers are integrating telecommuting, flexible work days and remote workers into their workforce at a rapid pace. There are plenty of questions surrounding these accommodations - the right tools, the right technology - but the most important component in a successful remote workforce is the right employee.

When implementing a new telecommuting policy, can employers trust remote workers?  

Last month, retailer The Body Shop announced that they would take a different approach to their hiring process. Doing away with the typical application-interview-background-check, the cosmetic company has decided on a simple short interview to determine the employment status of applicants. The intention, much like "ban the box" or other fair chance laws, is to reduce hiring bias and discrimination. The available jobs are then up for grabs to the first applicants who can answer "yes" to the three interview questions. 

While reducing bias is the intention, what are the risks of an "open hiring®" policy?

When employers want highly qualified top talent, they seek out the best with those skills. Finding an employment background check service is no different.  Some background check services may offer bundled packages or volume discounts. Others may allow employers to pick and choose. Depending on the employer needs, one may be a better fit than the other, much like the talent they need as well. While cost is important,  there is more to an employee background check than price.

What's the best employment background check service? Here's what to look for.

With more states legalizing marijuana use for medical and recreational use, employers have a right to be concerned.  VeriFirst has previously acknowledged that employers have the right to terminate an employee if they test positive for marijuana, however, some states are fighting against this. Even though marijuana is still considered a Schedule 1 substance under federal law, states like Nevada and California are considering or passing legislation to rule out drug screening for pot.

Let's take a look at states changing laws regarding pre-employment drug screening for marijuana and what it could mean for employers.

Human resources professionals face daily pressure to hire the right personnel, quickly and efficiently.  They're also tasked with ensuring the new hires are qualified, meet job requirements, fit the personality profile and are adaptable enough to grow with the organization. After a while, a hiring manager may feel that they can see right through exaggerated resumes or lies during an interview.  A background check will also offer more information to determine a worthy candidate. So, what happens when human resources notices something amiss with their candidate?

When HR notices red flags during the hiring process, what happens next?

Interviewing potential employees can take up a lot of time as you try to find the right candidate that fits the job. Apart from learning about the qualifications of the applicants, there are other important things to review including their criminal background, work history, license verification and more. Some companies overlook this because receiving the results on the background checks can take too long. However, in addition to local court searches, there are instant options that you can use to minimize risks to your business.

Know when and how to get Prompt Results for Employee Screening.

The VeriFirst blog is meant to be an invaluable resource to background screening clients and hiring managers alike. We value the questions YOU bring to us and work diligently to create helpful posts and tips for employers looking to hiring the right candidate and reduce risk. We've examined the analytics to determine the blog posts that you read the most so that we can bring you more of what you want. Use this list as a refresher on the blog or as a resource. And please provide feedback in the comments below if there's another topic you'd like us to cover. 

Here are the top employment background check blogs and topics.