The Fact Finder
A Monthly Publication of USA Background Search
July 2006 - Vol 101, Issue 2
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Rebekkah,

Welcome to the July issue of The Fact Finder brought to you by USABackgroundSearch.com. In this issue we highlight the Need to Screen Current Employees, Applicant Identifiers, and Tenant Screening. We've also included several links to breaking news stories in the background screening industry and the companies it serves. Please let us know if there are any topics you would like to see addressed in a future issue. Email us at info@usabackgroundsearch.com.

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While resumes are the objects of much scrutiny during the hiring process, what happens to them after an employee is hired? Unfortunately, they’re often tossed into a personnel file and forgotten. However, a recent high profile case of resume fraud demonstrates why, if this happens at your company, you could be making a big mistake. In February, RadioShack CEO David Edmonson resigned from his position after it was discovered that he lied about his academic background. According to Edmonson's resume, he earned degrees in theology and psychology from Pacific Coast Baptist College, but the college says that it has never offered a psychology degree and that Edmonson only completed two semesters of coursework.

The company did perform a background search at the time of his hiring, but Edmonson’s educational credentials were not included in this process, and the company failed to perform another background check before promoting Edmonson to CEO. Although more employers are performing background checks as part of the hiring process, very few use screening as a human resource tool with current employees. As a result, companies who have just recently started to screen new hires may have a number of managers and executives who were never screened. While the there a variety of reasons for employers not screening current employees, this case and others like it show that when your company’s integrity and reputation are at stake, there are an abundance of good reasons to open up personnel files and take another look at employee resumes, particularly when considering employees for promotion.

(Sources: www.kwtx.com/news, www.usatoday.com, www.radioshack.com, www.infomart-usa.com)
Even before you submit an applicant’s data to USA Background Search for screening and before we search criminal records, a very important step in the screening process takes place; the potential new hire fills out an application. So, what’s the big deal about it? When an applicant fills out the application accurately and completely, the identifiers play a crucial role in uncovering whether or not your applicant has a criminal past.

Each source of criminal records includes different identifiers. For example, Federal criminal records do not contain date of birth or Social Security Number data. Even though this makes an exact match for individuals with common names difficult, it isn’t impossible, because of other applicant-provided identifiers. Full names (including middle name), maiden names and any other aliases used in the past are all very helpful. Home addresses going back as many years as will be searched can aide in finding accurate information. By using these and other identifiers, USA Background Search can verify that the records for a particular “Henry Jones” or “Susan Jones” are being accessed—helping you decide whether that ideal applicant is in fact a perfect fit or a costly mistake for your company or organization.
house
Well, the summer is going fast and before you know it fall will be here. For many property owners, managers, and landlords, the end of July and beginning of August is when they have large numbers of tenant changes. It is vital to know who you are renting to to ensure the least amount of possible problems for your business.

USA Background Search understands that you want to do everything possible to protect your investments. That is why we offer complete tenant screening, now including credit reports. Visit us online at www.usabackgroundsearch.com or call 1-800-403-3807 for more details and to start today!

USA Background Search is pleased to announce that we now offer Credit Reports! This new product will be featured under Employee Searches, Tenant Searches, and A La Carte. Pricing will be $14.95 per candidate. More details coming soon at USABackgroundSearch.com

Sincerely,
Rebekkah Dorhout
USA Background Search

phone: 1-800-403-3807 or 515-292-5777

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This email was sent to rd@usabackgroundsearch.com, by rd@usabackgroundsearch.com
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