Documenting Business Policies and Procedures

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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Employment,
Education, and Reference Checks October 24, 2007
200 ET Laura Goble and John Beaudette NAPBS
Education Committee
NAPBS Education Series Background Screening 101
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Official Disclaimer

• NAPBS web seminars are presented by volunteers
  who are members of the NAPBS education
  committee. The information shared is for
  educational and discussion purposes only, and
  does not necessarily reflect the official policy
  of NAPBS. In some instances, reasonable minds
  may disagree. However, discussions that may
  arise from any disagreement are all part of the
  educational process. Nothing stated in these
  seminars is given or intended to be relied upon
  as legal advice. Any reference to any legal
  matters are also for educational purpose only.
  Any listener that has a specific legal concern
  should consult their own counsel.

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Todays Agenda

• Definition / Description of Employment
  Verifications Statement of Work
• Employment Verifications details, details
• Types of Reference Calls
• Education Verifications
• Tips of the Trade Maximizing your Efforts
• Diploma Mills
• Dealing with Third Party Verification Services

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Statement of Work

• Your client should have a good understanding,
  preferably in writing, of what your employment
  verification process will entail.
• What questions will be asked?
• How many employers or span of time will be
  covered?
• Will you contact HR offices, Supervisors, or
  both?
• How many attempts will you make?
• What is an attempt?
• What is the turnaround time? reasons for
  exceptions?
• What will be done to find good phone s?
• How will you handle periods of self employment?
• How will you handle military service
  verification?
• How will fee-based, third party verifications be
  handled?
• Are you allowed to contact the applicant if more
  information is needed?

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Employment Verification - Definition

• An employment verification may be defined as a
  confirmation and/or collection of employment data
  that typically includes
• Dates of employment
• Position Duties
• Salary or Wage
• Reason for Leaving
• Eligibility for Rehire
• SSN Confirmation
• Performance Information
• The information should be obtained from a company
  representative whose job includes verification of
  employment. Record the contacts name and title.

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Employment Dates

• Make your best effort to get exact dates
• Ask for complete dates, including any
  termination/rehire dates
• If no record is found
• Confirm name and location of business
• Ask how it was searched by name, SSN, how far
  back?
• Ask about temporary or contract agencies used
• May need to contact both HR and Supervisor
  depending on your statement of work

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Position/Duties

• Ask the contact for position or title they have
  on file, rather than confirm yours if possible
• Not all contacts will be able to provide duties
  however when possible, ask for a description of
  the positions essential functions and main
  responsibilities
• Are positions comparable?

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Salary or Wage

• Does salary include shift differentials?
• Bonuses?
• Other types of compensation?

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Reason for Leaving

• The applicant may provide ambiguous or incomplete
  information attempt to put Reason for Leaving
  into
• Voluntary Resignation
• Proper Notice? Satisfactory Terms?
• Layoff (reduction in force, downsizing, etc)
• Subject to Recall?
• Termination for Cause?
• Why? Violation of Company Policy?

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Eligibility for Rehire

• if a position were available?
• if another type of position were available?
• If not, why not?
• Do you have a no-rehire policy for all former
  employees?

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SSN Confirmation

• If not confirmed at the outset of the
  verification
• Are you able to confirm the SSN, if I read the
  last four digits to you?
• Always get name and title of contact

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THE CURRENT EMPLOYER

• To call or not to call, that is the question

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The Current Employer

• Instructions with the Order, Application?
• - when in doubt, dont call, find out
• Applicants may list the current, no-call
  employer more than once
• - due to transfers, promotions, layoff/rehire,
  company acquired/merged
• Compare the contact information for the no-call
  employer to all other employers within your scope
  of your work (name, phone number, addresses,
  supervisor name) and to References.

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Reference Checking Types

• Professional/Business References
• supervisors, co-workers, (work related)
• technical reference
• Personal References
• not work related character reference
• Academic References
• Developed/Independent References
• - references from people not listed by the
  applicant

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The Professional Reference

• Seven Core Inquiries
• How do you know the applicant how long where
  did you work together describe the work
  relationship?
• What was his/her title? Briefly explain his/her
  essential functions and key responsibilities in
  the position.
• Did he/she meet all the expectations and
  objectives for the position?
• Please describe his/her strengths, skills, and
  talents as you observed him/her?
• Where might you suggest he/she continue to
  improve and develop additional skills or
  experience?
• Why did he/she leave this position?
• Would you rehire/recommend him/her?

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The Professional Reference

• Gathering Specific Details
• Tell me about the candidates most important
  contributions to the achievement of your
  organizations mission and goals.
• Describe the candidate's relationships with
  his/her coworkers, reporting staff (if
  applicable), and supervisors.
• Talk about the attitude and outlook the candidate
  brought to the workplace.
• Describe the candidate's productivity, commitment
  to quality and customer service.
• How well did he/she manage his/her time, or deal
  with pressure or deadlines?
• In what way, and to what extent, did this person
  require supervision?
• What motivated him/her, or what did he/she like
  most about the position?
• What part of the job frustrated him/her, or what
  did he/she dislike most about the position?
• How would you describe his/her management style,
  or how he/she worked with his/her employees to
  help them meet their objectives?

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Personal and Academic References

• Personal References
• How long have you known the applicant?
• How would you describe his/her character, honesty
  and dependability?
• Any reason whatsoever you would not recommend
  him/her for position with a high level of public
  trust and responsibility?
• Might be able to answer school or business
  name/geographic questions
• Your profession or occupation?
• Academic References
• Depth of the association? (one class vs. adviser
  or TA)
• Where might you suggest he/she continue to
  improve or develop as he/she enters private
  industry?

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Education Verifications

• Be sure to understand client needs/expectations
• One degree, or more?
• Highest degree obtained, or highest level
  attended?
• Obtain education level, discipline/major,
  graduation date, and dates of attendance if
  available.
• - Attend Fall 1984 to Spring 1988
• - B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering
  06/12/1988
• If the institution gives you No Record Found,
• Confirm schools name, address, campus location
• How was the search conducted by name, SSN how
  far back?
• Are records for graduation and withdrawal kept in
  the same location?
• For older graduations you may need to stress
  that. Many times they are kept in separate
  locations.
• If female, is there another name to provide?
• Do you know or can you determine date of
  graduation?
• High schools normally require year of graduation,
  DOB, and name used at graduation.

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Tips of the Trade

• Making Contact with
• Employers
• Maintain a database of employers called special
  handling
• Leave name and phone twice, beginning and end
  ask for turnaround time for faxes
• Leave enough information as needed to avoid phone
  tag - fax, email secured voice mail
• Zero out and ask if any one else can help with
  VOE
• Follow up within 24 hours to confirm they
  received message and/or fax
• Be polite, but persistent verification needed
  for job offer

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Tips of the Trade - cont

• Making Contact with
• Supervisors
• Dont ask HR people to speak to/transfer to
  Supervisor
• Speak quickly, drop a name so they know you are
  not telemarketer
• Dont ask a Supervisor directly if he/she will
  provide a Reference establish the conversation
  and verification first.
• 3. References
• Phone s and emails for professors may be on
  schools website
• If they call back and miss you, either have a
  back-up person, and/or leave your fax and email
  in your voice mail
• Due Diligence Attempt HR/Supvr/Ref 2-3
  messages/faxes Education never give up

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Advise Clients on Leveraging the Employment
Application

• Help clients set the expectation that a complete
  and legible employment application is critical in
  order to be considered for a position
• A comprehensive background check, including a
  criminal history search will be performed prior
  to a job offer.
• Employment and Education will be verified
• Provide complete names, addresses, phone numbers
  (no abbreviations)
• Dont leave any question / section blank (no see
  resume)
• Provide all employers for past 5-10.
• Explain all gaps longer than 1-3 months.
• If you worked through a temp service, provide
  name
• References will be checked
• If possible, review the application with the
  applicant to clarify ambiguities

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NEED SOP FOR HANDLING NEGATIVE INFORMATION

• Discrepant Information on a Consumer Report
• Document attempts to eliminate all reasons for
  education or employment discrepancies
• Call back, confirm through another person use
  another verifier
• Adverse Information on an Investigative
  Consumer report (FCRA 606)
• Reasonable procedure to obtain confirmation or
• The person interviewed is the best possible
  source.
• Ask contact if adverse information is documented.
  Any charges filed?
• Designate a senior person to sign off on adverse
  information in an investigative consumer report

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Recognizing Fraudulent Verifications

• Questionable Employment Verifications
• When you are asked to only speak to one person
  verify with HR when possible
• Utilize business directories, reverse
  phone/address directories check with neighboring
  business
• Check on Companies that are out of business
• Verify Military Experience
• Checking periods of Self-Employment
• Questionable Reference Checks
• Ask for some specifics name of employer,
  address, approximate dates how did you work
  together on what type of projects?

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Diploma Mills

• Diploma mill An institution of higher education
  operating without supervision of a state or
  professional agency and granting diplomas which
  are either fraudulent or because of the lack of
  proper standards, worthless.
• Tell tale signs
• Credit for life experience few requirements
• Pictures of diplomas and/or transcripts
• Degrees are purchased, low rates quick
  turnaround
• No mention of Accreditation, a long argument as
  to why accreditation is not necessary, or it is a
  questionable source
• No fixed address or just post office box
• Similar name to well known university

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Accreditation

• Accreditation Mills Providers of accreditation
  and quality assurance or operations that offer a
  certification of quality of institutions that is
  considered bogus, or at minimum not accredited by
  a CHEA/USDE recognized agency.
• Verify accreditation even if they claim CHEA
  and/or USDE recognized HELPFUL SITES
• www.chea.org
• http//ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.asp
• www.osac.state.or.us/oda/diploma_mill.html
• http//www.michigan.gov/documents/Non-accreditedSc
  hools_78090_7.pdf
• Do not accept documentation from the applicant

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Sample Diploma from a Diploma Mill
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Sample Transcript from a Diploma Mill
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Dealing with Third Party Verification Services

• Education Verification Services
• Employment Verification Services
• Maintain internal listings with all information
  necessary to complete the verification, including
  direct contact information for the school or
  business if needed
• Provide constructive feedback to the verification
  service representative as to your experience
• For the consumers benefit, we should expect the
  same accuracy and timeliness of information as we
  receive through direct source employer and
  education verifications.

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Good Resources for this Topic

• The Safe Hiring Manual by Les Rosen
• Reference Basics by Craig Caddell on the
  NAPBS site, Conference Presentations section
• NAPBS Employment Education Verification
  Provider Guidelines.
• Directory to College and University Student
  Records BRB Publications (www.brbpub.com)
• Diploma Mills The 200 Million a Year
  Competitor You Didnt Know You Had, by John Bear
  (http//www.degree.net/html/diploma_mills.html)

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THANK YOU!

• If you have any questions or comments, please
  feel free to contact us
• Laura Goble can be reached at 1-800-991-9694 ext.
  268 or laura_at_backtracker.com
• John Beaudette can be reached at 1-800-473-7778 x
  101 or johnb_at_employscreen.com
• Plan to attend the next NAPBS education webinar
  on November 28th, Re-verifications and
  Disputes. The speakers will be Butch Hite and
  Vince Pascarella.

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Thank You for Attending! Laura Goble and John
Beaudette NAPBS Education Committee
NAPBS Education Series Background Screening 101