What an incredible year of change it has been so far – especially when it comes to employment screening. The processes are always evolving. In February, we made some predictions about the background screening industry. We still hold firm to those predictions. But since we’re about halfway through the year now, we thought we’d share more of our insights and trend analysis.
Ban the Box – The national movement that seeks to remove the check box for “prior criminal record” from online and paper applications seems to be here to stay. By the end of 2017, it’s possible that all employers will be subject to this legislation. If this is the case, you won’t be able to request information regarding an candidate’s criminal history until after you have made them a job offer, conditional on passing a background check that meets your hiring criteria, or have conducted one interview.
Ongoing Screening – What used to be limited to the occasional, random substance-abuse test is expanding to regular background screening. More and more businesses are recognizing the need to make this an ongoing process to ensure a safe and secure workplace. If you are considering this approach, make sure that job candidates are aware of this and give consent to future checks during the term of their employment with you.
Social Media Screening – You always hear, “You can’t believe everything you read on the Internet.” That is certainly true when it comes to social media profiles of potential hires. Everything from their number of followers to their emotional rants are unreliable at best. However, many employers continue to struggle with how to use this information when deciding whether to hire a person. Just remember that making your decision based solely on this information could challenge your non-discriminatory policies.
One thing is for sure: ClearStar is your best choice for screening services. To learn more, contact us today.
