Pre-employment Screening- 5 WC Blog 193
Background Check Company-5
Interviewing Skills Are Not Enough; Employee Background Checks Can
Prevent Poor Hiring Choices Part 2
In part 1 I discussed how employers think they can rely on their interview skills in order to try to find the best candidate for a job (and not do so well). I also talked about how an employer might need specific job skills or certifications for a position they wish to fill and how a Background Check Company can verify training, schooling and certifications. In part 2 of this article, I want to discuss the advantages that a Background Check Company may offer that can help you avoid asking the wrong interview questions and still get the information you need.
A Background Check Company is one that can investigate a potential new employee through a pre-employment screening and validate information they have provided in a job application or on a resume. Business owners may not have the expertise to ask the necessary questions that will lead to making a sound hiring decision. A Background Check Company can confirm employment dates an applicant has listed for a prior job. If your potential new hire will be working with financial transactions, a pre-employment screening can reveal if a candidate has liens or bankruptcies or judgements against him/her. Such revelations could determine if this might be a red flag issue for you. There are a significant number of areas a properly completed background check can validate or disprove an applicant’s claims.
If you are unfamiliar with procedures and guidelines for hiring employees and conducting interviews, you could easily ask interview questions that could lead to discrimination lawsuits even if your intent was harmless. For example, you might be curious as to whether the applicant was in the military because you served. You might be interested in where they have lived in the past because you enjoy travelling. Perhaps the applicant seems to be your age and you are curious to know about their age. All of these questions could be harmless in your mind, but at the same time illegal to ask.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “As a general rule, the information obtained and requested through the pre-employment process should be limited to those essential for determining if a person is qualified for the job; whereas information regarding race, sex, national origin, age and religion are irrelevant in such determinations.” The specifics on the website can be unclear and so organizations have made lists of questions they say should not be asked by employers during an interview.
According to Prairie View A&M, on pvamu.edu, below is a list of questions that they say may not be asked during an interview:
• Questions regarding foreign addresses which would intentionally or unintentionally indicate national origin
• Whether applicant owns or rents home or lives in an apartment
• Names and relationships of persons with whom applicant resides
• “How old are you?”
• Birth Date
• “Have you ever been arrested?”
• Whether other members of the applicant’s family are U.S. citizens
• “Of what country are you a citizen?”
• Require proof of citizenship prior to employment
• Questions regarding national, race or religious affiliation of schools attended
• Names and addresses of applicant’s relatives
Other areas that one must be careful when inquiring about include organizations an applicant may belong to, military disciplinary action they may have been involved in, and even an applicant’s gender.
By allowing a Background Check Company to conduct pre-employment screenings of candidates, they can focus on verifying the information on an application while the business owner can ask position related questions in an interview. A screening can uncover information a prospective employee may try to hide from a potential employer. It can also help an employer be confident that they truly have hired the best candidate. Hire a pre-employment screening company and get great employees!
Get more information on Background heck Companies, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
In part 1 I discussed how employers think they can rely on their interview skills in order to try to find the best candidate for a job (and not do so well). I also talked about how an employer might need specific job skills or certifications for a position they wish to fill and how a Background Check Company can verify training, schooling and certifications. In part 2 of this article, I want to discuss the advantages that a Background Check Company may offer that can help you avoid asking the wrong interview questions and still get the information you need.
A Background Check Company is one that can investigate a potential new employee through a pre-employment screening and validate information they have provided in a job application or on a resume. Business owners may not have the expertise to ask the necessary questions that will lead to making a sound hiring decision. A Background Check Company can confirm employment dates an applicant has listed for a prior job. If your potential new hire will be working with financial transactions, a pre-employment screening can reveal if a candidate has liens or bankruptcies or judgements against him/her. Such revelations could determine if this might be a red flag issue for you. There are a significant number of areas a properly completed background check can validate or disprove an applicant’s claims.
If you are unfamiliar with procedures and guidelines for hiring employees and conducting interviews, you could easily ask interview questions that could lead to discrimination lawsuits even if your intent was harmless. For example, you might be curious as to whether the applicant was in the military because you served. You might be interested in where they have lived in the past because you enjoy travelling. Perhaps the applicant seems to be your age and you are curious to know about their age. All of these questions could be harmless in your mind, but at the same time illegal to ask.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “As a general rule, the information obtained and requested through the pre-employment process should be limited to those essential for determining if a person is qualified for the job; whereas information regarding race, sex, national origin, age and religion are irrelevant in such determinations.” The specifics on the website can be unclear and so organizations have made lists of questions they say should not be asked by employers during an interview.
According to Prairie View A&M, on pvamu.edu, below is a list of questions that they say may not be asked during an interview:
• Questions regarding foreign addresses which would intentionally or unintentionally indicate national origin
• Whether applicant owns or rents home or lives in an apartment
• Names and relationships of persons with whom applicant resides
• “How old are you?”
• Birth Date
• “Have you ever been arrested?”
• Whether other members of the applicant’s family are U.S. citizens
• “Of what country are you a citizen?”
• Require proof of citizenship prior to employment
• Questions regarding national, race or religious affiliation of schools attended
• Names and addresses of applicant’s relatives
Other areas that one must be careful when inquiring about include organizations an applicant may belong to, military disciplinary action they may have been involved in, and even an applicant’s gender.
By allowing a Background Check Company to conduct pre-employment screenings of candidates, they can focus on verifying the information on an application while the business owner can ask position related questions in an interview. A screening can uncover information a prospective employee may try to hide from a potential employer. It can also help an employer be confident that they truly have hired the best candidate. Hire a pre-employment screening company and get great employees!
Get more information on Background heck Companies, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Retail Theft Prevention-3 WC blog 218
Stop Shoplifting-3
Checkpoint security system-4
Checkpoint tags-3
Security Enhancement; From Military Gates To Checkpoint Security System EAS Antennas
Once I was stationed on a temporary duty assignment to an Air Force base in Italy. I took to the new assignment eagerly. It was interesting for me to see how the operations varied from how things were done at my stateside base. Bases operated differently based on their mission assignments. For example, some bases have aircraft assigned to them that require stricter access to get to them. When I arrived to this base, things were a little heated in some parts of the world and we were supplementing the security forces already in place. In a way this was similar to my later experiences in retail loss prevention. When we had a spike in theft activity we would sometimes bring in Loss Prevention officers from our other stores to supplement our security in an attempt to stop shoplifting that was taking place. We would also make sure our Checkpoint security system was tested daily to be sure all the equipment was functioning, thereby maximizing our effectiveness at retail theft prevention. I know they aren’t on the same level, but there are similarities in how each improves security concerns.
In the Air Force, manned installation entry gates control access to the base. Security personnel monitor who is coming and going and can close gates as necessary. During times of increased security, military working dogs and their handlers may supplement the entry control point. In retail we use Checkpoint security system electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas for retail theft prevention. The antennas are a visible deterrent since would-be thieves know that the antennas detect Checkpoint tags on merchandise when someone tries to steal merchandise. When someone does try to exit through an EAS antenna with stolen product that is tagged, the alarm in the antenna sounds and staff respond to identify the issue and recover the merchandise. Stores with security staff may even prosecute a shoplifter. If theft increases, stores may use Checkpoint tags on additional merchandise to try to stop shoplifting. As I mentioned previously, we occasionally sent additional security to a store to stop a problem.
Getting back to my temporary duty assignment in Italy; things were a little heated and while most of the citizens I came into contact with were very nice, there were some who were not so happy with the U.S. presence there. One day we learned there were going to be protests against the base and the base compounds situated around the town. Not all base facilities were located in one place and so there were several locations that had to be staffed with Security Police. I was assigned to a walled compound with a full gate that could be pulled open or closed and locked. I went to my post and was told an Italian Air Force counterpart would arrive shortly to assist. A few hours later, no Italian counterpart arrived but I did see the protesters making their way down the road in my direction. There were communist flags mixed with home-made signs in the crowd. I will admit I was becoming a little uneasy as I could peer through the closed gates and see this collection of people getting closer to my post. I made a radio call to try to find out if my Italian back-up was on his way, but no one had any information on his whereabouts. The protesters started to walk by my location, shouting and yelling and waving their signs, flags and banners and looking in my direction but they did not make any move directly towards me (did I emphasize I was still alone?). About half the crowd had passed by me when all of the sudden they stopped, no more yelling, no shouting they just walked away in their own directions. I was perplexed, I was fairly certain there was nothing I had done to cause this dispersion. I was amused to learn later, it was lunch time and they were breaking for a couple hours to eat and sleep. I had to give them credit, they had their priorities straight! It was not until I worked Black Fridays in retail that I would see similar mobs again.
Retail theft prevention is not as important as installation security but for the store owner it is still a big deal. A Checkpoint security system may not stop a protesting mob but it can enhance store security and stop shoplifting and improve store profits. Invest in a Checkpoint security system and Checkpoint tags, the impact will be nearly as quick as a mob breaking for lunch.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Once I was stationed on a temporary duty assignment to an Air Force base in Italy. I took to the new assignment eagerly. It was interesting for me to see how the operations varied from how things were done at my stateside base. Bases operated differently based on their mission assignments. For example, some bases have aircraft assigned to them that require stricter access to get to them. When I arrived to this base, things were a little heated in some parts of the world and we were supplementing the security forces already in place. In a way this was similar to my later experiences in retail loss prevention. When we had a spike in theft activity we would sometimes bring in Loss Prevention officers from our other stores to supplement our security in an attempt to stop shoplifting that was taking place. We would also make sure our Checkpoint security system was tested daily to be sure all the equipment was functioning, thereby maximizing our effectiveness at retail theft prevention. I know they aren’t on the same level, but there are similarities in how each improves security concerns.
In the Air Force, manned installation entry gates control access to the base. Security personnel monitor who is coming and going and can close gates as necessary. During times of increased security, military working dogs and their handlers may supplement the entry control point. In retail we use Checkpoint security system electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas for retail theft prevention. The antennas are a visible deterrent since would-be thieves know that the antennas detect Checkpoint tags on merchandise when someone tries to steal merchandise. When someone does try to exit through an EAS antenna with stolen product that is tagged, the alarm in the antenna sounds and staff respond to identify the issue and recover the merchandise. Stores with security staff may even prosecute a shoplifter. If theft increases, stores may use Checkpoint tags on additional merchandise to try to stop shoplifting. As I mentioned previously, we occasionally sent additional security to a store to stop a problem.
Getting back to my temporary duty assignment in Italy; things were a little heated and while most of the citizens I came into contact with were very nice, there were some who were not so happy with the U.S. presence there. One day we learned there were going to be protests against the base and the base compounds situated around the town. Not all base facilities were located in one place and so there were several locations that had to be staffed with Security Police. I was assigned to a walled compound with a full gate that could be pulled open or closed and locked. I went to my post and was told an Italian Air Force counterpart would arrive shortly to assist. A few hours later, no Italian counterpart arrived but I did see the protesters making their way down the road in my direction. There were communist flags mixed with home-made signs in the crowd. I will admit I was becoming a little uneasy as I could peer through the closed gates and see this collection of people getting closer to my post. I made a radio call to try to find out if my Italian back-up was on his way, but no one had any information on his whereabouts. The protesters started to walk by my location, shouting and yelling and waving their signs, flags and banners and looking in my direction but they did not make any move directly towards me (did I emphasize I was still alone?). About half the crowd had passed by me when all of the sudden they stopped, no more yelling, no shouting they just walked away in their own directions. I was perplexed, I was fairly certain there was nothing I had done to cause this dispersion. I was amused to learn later, it was lunch time and they were breaking for a couple hours to eat and sleep. I had to give them credit, they had their priorities straight! It was not until I worked Black Fridays in retail that I would see similar mobs again.
Retail theft prevention is not as important as installation security but for the store owner it is still a big deal. A Checkpoint security system may not stop a protesting mob but it can enhance store security and stop shoplifting and improve store profits. Invest in a Checkpoint security system and Checkpoint tags, the impact will be nearly as quick as a mob breaking for lunch.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
When you have worked for any length of time in Retail Loss Prevention you begin to accumulate those incidents that stick out in your memory. Some of those retail theft prevention stories can be really funny. One instance when I was able to stop shoplifting and catch the crook still tickles me when I think back on it. It started when I began watching a young woman, in her upper teens, as she began to look around the ceiling for cameras. Then when satisfied she wasn’t being watched, began tearing clothing and Checkpoint tags off of clothes. I assumed she was tearing off all tags to be sure if there were security tags on the manufacturer tags, she would avoid the Checkpoint Security System antenna from activating.
For those readers who may be trying to learn more about what a Checkpoint Security System is, the terminology may be new so let me digress briefly. A Checkpoint Security System consists of all the components required to stop shoplifting in a store. This includes Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) antennas, Checkpoint tags, deactivation pads, detachment tools and support service. The antennas and tags work together using radio frequency waves emitted by the tags and received by the antennas to set off an alarm when someone tries to walk out of a building with merchandise that has not been paid for. Deactivation pads de-tune soft Checkpoint tags at the point of sale so the antennas won’t be set off when the customer leaves. The detachment devices are used to remove the Checkpoint hard tags from merchandise at the register and these tags are stored for re-use.
Checkpoint tags are available for all types of merchandise. Soft tags can be peeled from a roll and applied to almost any surface, including manufacturer hang tags (as the shoplifter in my story was looking for). There are even soft tags that are “Food Safe” and can be placed under the soaker pad in a package of meat. Hard tags are available for items such as clothing that need even tougher security protection. These tags are designed to make forced removal almost impossible without damaging the product. Shoplifters aren’t looking for damaged merchandise when they steal so they stop shoplifting and deter theft.
So, our shoplifter was removing manufacturer hang tags and in some cases Checkpoint tags from clothing and filling her purse. After watching for several minutes my boss continued to monitor her on closed circuit television. I went to the sales floor to be closer to her when she decided to leave the store. The young woman started making her way towards one of the exits, but she was taking her time, looking over her shoulder to be sure she wasn’t being followed by security. My boss radioed me and told me which exits she was walking towards so I decided it would be a good time to try something new. Our store had one exit that led to the mall, but the other exits that went to the parking lots had two sets of doors, an exterior and an interior which created a small closed in area. Our shoplifter was heading towards one of the side exits but I got there first and locked the exterior door then hid behind a clothing rack next to the exit. As she walked through the interior door, I came behind and locked it as well. Our shoplifter was trapped in a glass box! It was funny to watch as our thief was pounding on the glass yelling to be let out. An added bonus was when her boyfriend who had been waiting in a car for her, saw she was trapped. He got out of his car and started pounding on the door yelling and threatening me. I let him know the police were on the way and he could talk to them about the situation. The knight in shining armor chose to leave his damsel in distress trapped in her glass case. So much for chivalry! The police arrived and took custody of our crook.
While this was a funny shoplifting story, one thing that we did not have available at our store back in those days were the Checkpoint hard tags. This was a long time ago and we were just getting accustomed to using the soft tags. Today the story would have been different the items being stolen would have been protected with hard tags while the soft tags would have been used on other items, such as socks. The situation probably would not have happened and I would not have had a good time retelling this tale of the trapped rat.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
