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.

Most organizations pre-screen potential candidates during the hiring process. They understand that pre-employment background checks minimize the risk to their business, their employees and their customers.  The organization also assumes that a person's history will determine their current and future actions. 

But what happens if a candidate passes a background check and then commits a crime? Can an employer or hiring manager assume a background check is valid for a specific amount of time?

How long is a background check valid?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was enacted so that consumers would have access to their personal information being stored and shared to employers and others.  This information could be false, inaccurate or incomplete and was being used against them.  While background screening is a vital tool to protect your business, FCRA compliance is another necessary protection. Non-compliance could be costly if an applicant were to take legal action. 

Do you know if your business hiring is FCRA compliant?

Performing background checks as an employer or landlord is vital to keeping your business, property, customers or employees safe. Unfortunately, the time and cost of a background check may lead to opting out or choosing to do research online in lieu of working with a professional background screening company. This can be a problem if the results found online aren't accurate or if the new hire or tenant isn't screened thoroughly. Denying employment or housing could cause the applicant to litigate because they weren't given a fair chance. Instead of putting yourself or your business at risk of EEOC or FCRA noncompliance, we have some practical ways to help.

Here are 3 simple ways to lower your company's turnaround times and screening costs. 

"We're very impressed with your skill set and are happy to offer you the job.... pending a background check investigation."

Even to those with nothing to hide, the second part of that sentence can shatter nerves of steel for job seekers. They wonder, "What will they find?" And, "Have I done anything wrong that I can't recall?" Or "What about that one mistake I made in college?"

Your recruiting and hiring staff can help ease these fears when running employment background checks.