Background Investigation Blogs

The case of Brain T.  Valery has brought to light how education verification is just one more reason why background screening is far superior to a cheap background check.

Valery, whose story is detailed at law.com, passed himself off as an attorney in two states, and worked for a major New York law firm.

However, what no one knew was that Valery had not passed the bar.  He had not even gone to law school.  And, he continued with this ruse for almost 10 years before he was caught.

How did he get away with it?  He was never subject to background screening, or education verification.

In some law firms a background check is required for new applicants, but even then education verification isn't included in anything but thorough background screening.  At one point Valery claimed to be in law school, but knowing whether or not this was true would be impossible without a more detailed look into his school records.

This is why there's no substitute for background screening.  Whether it's passing the bar, graduating in good standing, or reference checks, only quality pre employment background screening makes sure that you've got the right hire for the job.

In Minnesota, a school coach was hired regardless of numerous convictions because he managed to skirt the cheap background check required by the school board.  However, even if he had completed the check, many of his convictions would not have turned up.  Only quality pre employment background screening services offer the kind of hiring strategies that employers and managers can really rely on.

At the timesargus.com, staff writer Daphen Larken asks, "How does a man with eight misdemeanor convictions in Vermont and an arrest warrant in North Carolina on a crack cocaine possession charge, who has been indicted for negligent vehicular homicide with DUI and heroin possession charges stemming from an accident last August in New Hampshire, get hired by a school as a coach for 12- and 13-year-old boys?"

In this case it was because he never completed his background check, but even if he had only the DUI and DUI-related convictions would have turned up, since misdemeanors are not a part of the criminal background check performed by the school.

Of course, background screening would have found all of the necessary information, quickly and efficiently, keeping another dangerous employee out of the workplace.  Pre employment background screening is about much more than a simple criminal records check, it's about everything from social security verification to driving record checks, from employment verification to a credit report.  

Here is just another reason why managers and employers who take their hiring seriously will always turn to background screening services when they want to reduce negligent hiring lawsuits, maximize on-the-job performance, and protect clients, other employees, and the company itself from harm.

In Chicago, a federal prison inmates search may be required of prospective employees whose jobs require them to enter the homes of clients.  However, if the Chicago City Council truly wants to protect its citizens, a more thorough background screening policy must be insituted to guarantee reliable results.

The potential ordinance stems from the recent slaying of 2 Chicago women who were victimized by a cable TV technician.  At the chicagotribune.com, the details of the crime and the proposal are laid out; the measure "would bar companies from hiring ex-offenders found guilty of violent crimes and sex crimes for positions that would give them access to private homes."

And while this is certainly an excellent idea, relying on a criminal records search or a simple federal prison inmates search alone won't be too helpful.  Public records are in such disarray that to expect accurate results on a regular basis is impossible.  Much of the records are poorly orgranized, lost, or just false.

But relying only on a federal prison inmates search, without further screening of potential hires, isn't smart hiring either.  To really keep dangerous individuals out of the work force, and away from clients, a quality background screening program needs to be in place.  This would include an inmates search, alongside drug testing procedures, criminal records checks, resume checks, and more.

For employers and managers it's important to know exactly who has access to your clients and to their homes, but without real background screening there's really no way to be sure that every step has been taken towards that goal.

In Flint, Michigan, the case of Julius B.  Anthony has brought up the issue of background screening, and reveals yet again why a simple criminal records background check isn't enough to protect employers, managers, or even the public.

Anthony, who worked as a school administrator, failed to register as a sex offender when he applied to work in Genesee County.  He had been charged in 1996 for molesting a 3-year-old boy, an offense that did not turn up in a background check conducted by school officials.

At the flintjournal.com, this kind of phenomenon is attacked as negligence on the part of the schools in the area, who often allow employees to start working before the results of a criminal records check are released.  But, what the article fails to address is that even if the cursory background check was completed, there's a pretty decent chance that the criminal records could be incorrect, not updated, or just plain wrong.

This is why background screening is the only real option for employers who take pre-employment screening seriously.  Public records are so poorly maintained that to rely upon them alone is like asking for another Julius B.  Anthony to work for you; and this is why real background screening offers so much more than a simple check.

From resume checking, to education verification, to drug testing, by relying on a thorough screening program employers and managers can rest assured that any previous misconduct on the part of a new hire have been exposed, maximizing on-the-job safety and allowing for them to hire the right person for the right job.