Tag Archives: International Background Check

Vetting a potential new employee the best practice

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When vetting a potential new employee the best practice is to conduct a thorough and comprehensive employment background check this background check of course includes the obvious criminal check but it is important to also verify and confirm the employment and education that a candidate presents on his/her resume.

Unfortunately some candidates do embellish, falsify and sadly flat out lie on their resumes thinking that the employment and education will not be verified. This is not only true for domestic employment and education but also for International employment and education.

Many times candidates believe a potential employer will not check their international employment and education. They may give themselves a “promotion” on paper or may claim a higher degree in order to improve their chance of landed a desired job position. When you order an international verification from your Background Screen Company provide them with as much information as you can i.e. Employer Name, Contact Number, Job Title Provided and Dates of Employment. With an International education verification information should be provided such as the candidate’s name while attending the college/university, date of birth, the complete name of the University the candidate attended included the campus location, the degree awarded, major, dates of enrollment, date degree was conferred and a copy of the degree/transcript with a signed consent form as many International Universities require the signed consent of the past student and degree copy.

International employment verifications typically take 3-5 business days but international education verifications may take 5 business days up to 14 business days. For some regions it can be longer. For that reason it is important to arm your Background Check Company with as much information on the candidate and their history as possible at the time of the request. International schools do not keep records as well as schools in the United States and often have to go thru paper records hence for the longer turnaround time as well International schools close for extended periods of time thru Holidays and during the summer which can extend the turnaround time.

Although it may seem burdensome to have your Background Check Company complete international employment and education verification because of the longer turnaround time it is important you know who you are hiring and leaving out this aspect of the background check would be ill advised. A candidate may not have a criminal record but if he/she falsifies information on their resume it can raise red flags for your HR Department as to the character of the candidate. Doing your due diligence is important when hiring an employee and with the global market that due diligence now extends past the border of the United States.

Global Information Network, LLC / www.searchinfo.com

International Background Checks for Employment Finding a Reliable Research Company

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International background checks are becoming more commonplace in the business world with international boundaries becoming blurred.  Many companies do not know where to begin the process to perform an international background check.  Searching the internet you will find many companies that will offer an international background check for a couple hundred dollars claiming they will return the results the same day.  The old saying if it sounds too good it probably is.  A real international background check will take anywhere from 5 to 15 business days.  When looking for a reliable company to perform your international background checks you will want to take a few things into consideration.

  1. How long has the company been in business?
  2. Where are they located?
  3. Do they provide a business address?
  4. Can you reach the company by phone?
  5. Is the company listed in the internet phone directories?
  6. Have there been any complaints with the BBB?

Once you have verified they are a real company you will want to ask about the sources they obtain their information from.  Never work with a company if they tell you they use a database there is no international database available to the general public that can be accessed to perform an international background check.  The majority of the background check information will come from local police and local courts some countries will have a national repository that will provide a national criminal check using a special release that is provided or approved by the repository.

Available countries and report pricing the company should be able to provide you with a coverage matrix providing the available countries, requirements, average turnaround time, the source information is obtained from and pricing.  If the company cannot provide you with this information this will be a red flag.

After establishing the company is legitimate most companies will have you sign a user agreement this typically does not lock you into any length of time the company will be collecting information to verify your company is who you say you are.  They will most likely want a copy of your business license or papers of incorporation.  Many companies will not provide reports to a home based business or individual.

The last important thing is how do you place your orders and retrieve the results.  Many companies will have online internet ordering.  If the company only works with faxing this can be a problem if you order several reports a week.  Before signing the company user agreement have them walk you through their web ordering site.  You will want to make sure it is a user friendly wizard style ordering platform that you can upload documents such as releases or any required diplomas when verifying education.  Also it will be good to have a status report to review the outstanding orders.

Conclusion: Make sure you are comfortable with the company; perform your due diligence.  Make sure the web ordering website suits your companies’ needs and the customer service is easily reached and responds to your questions and concerns in a timely manner.  Obtaining International background checks should be an easy process.

Global Information Network, LLC / www.searchinfo.com

Employment Background Checks and the EEOC

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Date: 09/19/2018

Topic: Employment Background Checks

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the “Commission”) approved, by a 4-1 vote, a revised Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (the “Guidance”). This law has already gone into effect.

The revised guidance reflects the EEOC’s long-held position that employers’ reliance on arrest and conviction records may have a disparate impact on individuals because of their race or national origin. Before disqualifying an individual with a criminal record from employment, the Commission emphasizes, employers should engage in an individualized assessment involving a dialogue with that individual. While the Guidance states that employers would not violate Title VII if they disqualify an applicant based on separate federal restrictions on the employment of persons with criminal records, an employer may not defend a decision to disqualify an individual solely on state restrictions on the hiring of persons with criminal records.

The EEOC has stated that there are two ways in which an employer’s use of criminal history information may violate Title VII. First, Title VII prohibits employers from treating job applicants with the same criminal records differently because of their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin (“disparate treatment discrimination”).

Second, even where employers apply criminal record exclusions uniformly, the exclusions may still operate to disproportionately and unjustifiably exclude people of a particular race or national origin (“disparate impact discrimination”). If the employer does not show that such an exclusion is “job related and consistent with business necessity” for the position in question, the exclusion is unlawful under Title VII.

Companies should seek or check with their counsel to review their employment background screening policy. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has provided substantial information on their website outlining their stance on the use of Arrest and Conviction Records.

Some of the main points are “disparate treatment” a violation may occur when an employer treats criminal history information differently for different applicants or employees, based on their race or national origin.

Also, “job related and consistent with business necessity”.

Employers will consistently meet this standard, according to the EEOC, if:

The employer validates the criminal conduct exclusion for the job using the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures or

Two, the employer develops a targeted screen considering at least the nature of the crime, the time elapsed, and the nature of the job. This would allow an individualized assessment for those people identified by the screen, rather than a blanket policy, for example, not to hire.

Some Direct Web Links to the EEOC

www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/4-25-12.cfm

www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/arrest_conviction.cfm

www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/qa_arrest_conviction.cfm

Global Information Network, LLC. / www.searchinfo.com

Domestic and International Background Check