Can Applicants Refuse to Disclose Their Social Security Number?

Most employers want to perform an employment background check before offering someone a job. The information contained in this background check can vary. Some employers use background checks to check an applicant’s criminal history, credit score and more.   The application form that you use for candidates has a field for social security numbers. Additionally,…

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When to Hire a Temp vs. Permanent Employee

Temporary employee reviews his contract with hiring manager

Personnel decisions are some of the most important decisions to be made when running a business. Those staffing decisions, such as hiring temporary employees vs. full-time employees, are essential aspects of effective management. Several factors have to be considered when deciding if you want to handle your staffing needs through temporary or permanent employees. Understanding…

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How Does an Educational Background Affect Salary?

Whether you’re a job seeker or a higher manager, you’ve likely wondered, “how does education affect salary“?  In reality, it depends on the industry and job title. For some fields, a professional educational background will increase salary while it doesn’t make much of a difference in others.  Job seekers want to know that employers are…

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Understanding Reference Checks vs. Background Checks

A job applicant meets with a manager following her pre-employment screening.

A reference check and background check are used as part of the employee screening process and are equally crucial in comprehensive hiring policies.   The two are pretty different, though, and provide employers with unique information about a potential employee. Knowing the difference between a background check and reference check processes will allow you to…

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What Types of Professional References Should Employers Check?

Checking professional references is an essential piece of the puzzle when onboarding new employees. A good or bad reference can make or break an employer’s impression of a job applicant.   Which professional references are important to check when determining whether an employee is a good fit, though, and which aren’t as valuable? Of course,…

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What’s the Difference Between State and Federal FCRA Laws?

Federal courtroom representing federal FCRA laws.

Background screenings are often complicated enough without even considering state and federal regulations around consumer protections as part of the hiring process. However, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and FCRA laws are essential considerations as employers move through background screenings. Navigating federal laws is further complicated by state laws that may add to…

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How to Support Workplace Mental Health

A female employee feeling overwhelmed at work.

As workplaces reopen to in-person work and employers begin welcoming employees back to the office, workplace mental health may be an additional challenge to add to already full plates. Employees may be struggling with anxieties over their safety, balancing work and responsibilities that remain at home, and generally doing the mental work of returning to a…

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6 Tips for Navigating the Return to In-Person Work

As restrictions loosen across the country and companies begin to feel a sense of normalcy following COVID-19 closures, attention shifts to returning to work.    How do companies make sure that returning to in-person work is not only efficient and well-managed but safe for everyone making their way back to the office? There are ways…

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How Your Background Screening Partner Can Help During COVID-19

As the world begins to reopen, businesses are navigating employees’ return to work, onboarding processes for new hires, and, in many cases, limited resources with which to get all of that done.   A background screening partner can support your business during and well after the COVID-19 pandemic, giving you peace of mind that returning…

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Should You Rescreen Employees After They Return from Furlough?

As the world begins to reopen and a return to work becomes possible for many employees, companies face how to handle temporary furloughs and what has become a rehiring process at their sites.   In these unprecedented times, companies may not have specific policies around rescreening employees following a return from furlough. When evaluating how…

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