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Background checks and

Reference Analysis

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• 37% of resumes are phony

• 25% of work histories are falsified

• 85% of university students have admitted to cheating

Do you know

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42% of a manager's time is spent addressing conflict

33% of employees admit to stealing

30% of business failures are directly related to employee theft

A corporation fails every 3 minutes

96% of all companies fail within 10 years

"A Bad Beginning Makes a Bad Ending"

Euripides (Greek Writer)

So what are the consequences??

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Perform reference checks

• Make sure the candidate has signed a release

• Always get two forms of identification and make applicants fill out job applications

• Use a structured reference checking form

• Use given references as a source for others

• Ask the right questions and judge whether the reference’s answers are evasive

Reference Checks

Microsoft Word 97 - 2003 Document

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Reference Checking Format

(Verify that the applicant has provided permission before conducting reference checks)Candidate Name:

Reference Name: Company Name:

Dates of Employment: (From: and To:)

Position(s) Held: Salary History:

Reason for Leaving:

Explain the reason for your call and verify the above information with the supervisor (including the reason for leaving)

1. Please describe the type of work for which the candidate was responsible.

2. How would you describe the applicant’s relationships with coworkers, subordinates (if applicable), and with superiors?

3. Did the candidate have a positive or negative work attitude? Please elaborate

4. How would you describe the quantity and quality of output generated by the former employee?

5. What were his/her strengths on the job?

6. What were his/her weaknesses on the job?

7. What is your overall assessment of the candidate?

8. Would you recommend him/her for this position? Why or why not?

9. Would this individual be eligible for rehire? Why or why not?

Other comments?

Source: Society for Human Resource Management, © 2004.

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Falsification of background information

• Many applications and resumes contain factual misstatements and significant omissions

Background Investigation

Types of background information• Previous-employment records• Criminal records• Drug tests• Education/degree documentation• Professional certifications/licenses• Motor vehicle records• Credit history• Honesty tests• Social Security number• Sex offenders lists• Worker’s compensation records• Military records

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Background check process

• After an applicant accepts the job offer, HR Representative

must proceed with the background process

• The HR department will contact the candidate to explain the

background check procedures

• The applicant will then receive an email from a background

screening company

• He/ She must complete the requested information in order for

the background check and hiring process to proceed

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• The background check cannot begin until the applicant has

completed the requested information

• After the candidate has provided the information to screening

company, the background check will proceed

• Complete background checks may take up to five business

days after all of the appropriate information has been received

from the candidate

Background check overview

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• If the background check is unsatisfactory, the initial review of the information

is conducted by the Director of Human Resources. When appropriate, the

checks will be escalated to the Vice President’s office for review

• If the background check is satisfactory, the HR department will email the hiring

authority the approval of the candidate and if applicable, will submit the

applicant back through recruitment department for the necessary

departmental approvals

• The hiring authority should contact the candidate to finalize the start date of

employment

• After the background is complete the offer letter and all other applicable

paperwork should be completed and forwarded to the HR Department

Background check results

Sample 2Sample 1

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• Include on the application form a statement for applicants to sign

explicitly authorizing a background check.

• Use telephone references if possible.

• Be persistent in obtaining information.

• Ask open-ended questions to elicit more information from references.

• Use references provided by the candidate as a source for other

references.

• Make sure checking references is done by authorized managers

• Can be ineffective due to legal repercussions or a current supervisor

might give a bad employee a good reference to get rid of the

employee

Making Background Checks More Useful

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• Extent of investigations and checks• Reference checks (87%)• Background employment checks (69%)• Criminal records (61%)• Driving records (56%)• Credit checks (35%)

• Reasons for investigations and checks• To verify factual information provided by applicants.• To uncover damaging information.

Background Investigations and Reference Checks

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• Sources of information for background checks:• Former employers

• Talk to current and previous supervisors to discover more about person’s motivation, competence and ability to work with others

• Commercial credit rating companies

• Written references

• Check social networking sites

Background Investigations and Reference Checks

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Limitations of Background Checks

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• Pinkerton India• http://www.pinkerton.com/india

• National Skill Registery• https://

nationalskillsregistry.com/background-verification.htm

• Fullerton • http://www.fullertonindia.com/

• Icrederity India• http://www.icrederity.com/background-check/

Background check companies in India

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More queries?