While the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting businesses, some organizations are in need of candidates, from front line workers in fields like the medical industry, retail or those transporting goods across the country. Remote work is also challenging employers to consider applicant qualities that they may not have considered before. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is creating new employment background screening challenges for employers. Here's how to adapt.

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.

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?

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?

Diversion and Inclusion (D & I) have been the topic for HR managers for a few years now.  The truth is, diversity and inclusion is helpful to the business as a whole, not only as a human resources policy. In 2015, the U.S. Census reported that, for the first time in history, a majority of children (50.2%) under age 5 were considered part of an ethnic group or a minority race. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2018 that 83.9 % of chief executives were white males.  There simply is no reason not to include diversity and inclusion in your business to better reflect your customers and the changing population of the country.

Here's how HR affects diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

As a professional background screening company, we receive numerous questions from clients and readers of this blog. As an example, someone asked recently if adverse action notices are necessary if the employer sends a note, in writing, stating that the job seeker's qualifications were "not within guidelines." Our question is this: What guidelines? Are the guidelines discriminatory? Was the candidate aware of these guidelines before applying?

We thought we'd start with a basic answer to the most basic of questions:

What is an Adverse Action Notice?

Tis the season of gratitude and service and your employees are looking forward to the break. As an employer, there are a multitude of ways to say thank you. Science has proven that gratitude and sincere acknowledgment improves lives and self-care in a stressful work environment. As an HR professional, you can also help encourage a culture of thankfulness and praise.

Here are four ways that HR can show gratitude to employees.

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?

"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.

Most employees expect to be screened during the hiring process. It may be a surprise to find that employers do have the right to run a background check post-hire. In both cases, the employee must have given written consent to be screened and the employer must follow adverse action procedures. The reasons for running a background check after hiring vary depending on industry, promotions or other events that may trigger an employer to screen again.

Can an Employer Run a Background Check after Hiring?