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Background Checks, Why Bother?
Don Schmitz / Human Resource Staffing
Do
you ever think background checks are just a formality? Ninety-three
percent of managers will not hire a candidate they catch lying.
Simply put, background checks verify that the candidate did
what they said they did, and when they said they did it.
Inflated job titles, increased salaries and benefits, length
of service and qualifications are the most common areas applicants
will try to lie to get the job. Some lies caught in background
checking include;
- Bausch & Lomb's chief executive, Ronald Zarella, was
found to have lied about having a master's degree in business
administration from NYU
- Kenneth Lonchar, finance chief of Veritas Software, resigned
in 2002 after the company learned he misstated his educational
credentials, including falsely claiming to hold an MBA from
Stanford
- Sandra Baldwin, president of the U.S. Olympic Committee,
left office in 2002 after admitting she lied about having
a Ph.D. in English (she never actually completed her dissertation)
As an HR Professional, your time is continually challenged.
Background Screening is one area that can effectively and efficiently
be outsourced to those better suited and qualified to handle
your screening needs. A good third party Consumer Reporting
Agency can not only help but is positioned to conduct this screening
more efficiently. For liability reasons, if for no other, it
is recommended that each candidate’s information provided in
the interviews be compared with the references provide. Questions
you may consider include;
- How would you rate the candidate’s skills in _____?
- Can you describe the candidate’s communications abilities?
- Can you describe the candidate’s attitude toward work?
- How well does the candidate interact with co-workers?
Is the candidate a team player?
- How would you describe the candidate’s honesty and integrity?
- Can you describe the candidate’s key strengths and weaknesses?
- Given a description of the position the candidate is
applying for, do you think the candidate is a good match?
- Can you describe the candidate’s leadership, managerial,
or supervisory skills?
- Do you have any additional information or comments that
might help us make a better decision about this candidate?
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Reproduction
of this article cannot be accomplished without the expressed
consent of Human Resource Staffing. Don Schmitz is a popular
speaker and writer on all aspects of HR and CEO of Human Resource
Staffing. Don holds graduate degrees in Education, Administration
and Human Development.
Contact Don@HumanResourceStaffingInc.com
952 854 6040
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