Trust, but verify
President Ronald Reagan described his policy on dealing with the Soviet Union on arms treaties this way: “Trust, but verify.” That’s not a bad position to take when you’re considering hiring someone to provide elder care for your parents.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the largest senior advocacy organization in the United States, has gone on record supporting a bill sponsored by Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Pete Domenici (R-NM) that would establish a national criminal background check system for employees whose jobs involve one-on-one contact with patients in long-term care.
Normally, I get my back up a bit when the government has got yet one more idea of how to tell people or businesses what to do, but I’m in favor of this idea. That’s because the world has changed.
When society and communities were more closely knit, the people we picked to help us care for our older parents or young children were people we knew. We either knew them personally or we knew people who knew them. And we may have known them for their whole life.
So, when we admitted them to a position of trust, we had a basis for it. No more.
Today the people who may wind up caring for our fragile parents or vulnerable children are people we’ve just met. And those care positions are positions of great trust. We trust those people with the lives and well-being of those we love.
That’s why I’m in favor of mandatory background checks for anyone that […]
The inside threat
American Surveyor just published an article titled Surveying Equipment Theft. The author, Bryan Baker, discusses theft by outsiders, but he points out that: “It is a sad fact that some equipment is stolen by company employees.”
That’s not just true for surveyors. It’s true for you, too. Here are four reasons why untrustworthy employees are especially potent theft risks.
They have access. If you’ve got an office, they’re already inside. If you’ve got a job site, they’re already there. They don’t have to break in or sneak through a gap in the fence.
They’re familiar. If a stranger wanders into your office or on to your job site, people notice. They stop what they’re doing to see what the stranger wants. People who work for you can wander about freely.
They know the value of what they steal. Mr. Baker makes that point about special surveying equipment, but it’s true for most office and construction equipment, too.
They have your trust. When you hire someone, you start treating them like part of the team. Most of the time that’s just fine, but someone who’s got mischief on his or her mind is going to use that trust for their own ends.
You can’t hire security guards to watch everyone all the time. But you can screen everyone well and investigate thefts rigorously.
Screen well. A criminal background check can highlight applicants who may have a criminal past. A pre-employment credit check can help you spot applicants living beyond their apparent means.
Screen everyone. Don’t just screen the […]
Red flags for new employees
There’s an interesting discussion going on at the EvilHR Lady Blog about “Red Flags” and hiring. It got me thinking about some basic things you should do when you receive an employment application that looks good enough for you to consider the person.
A “red flag” is any indicator that you may want to find out more. You may want to clarify an issue. You may want to get more information. You may want to ask about why your applicant did something.
Before the background check
Start with the basic documents. You should have an application and a copy of the applicant’s unaltered, government-issued photo ID. You may have a resume or other documents that the applicant has shared with you.
Gaps are red flags. Go over the application. Make sure everything is filled in. If it isn’t, find out why. If there are gaps in the employment history, get an explanation. Clarify reasons for leaving previous jobs.
Inconsistencies are red flags. This sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how often employers don’t check to make sure that the names and signatures are the same everywhere. Make sure the picture on the ID looks like the applicant.
If everything still looks good, it’s time for a background check. With a criminal check in hand, you can look for another set of red flags.
Using the pre-employment credit check
If the position involves access to cash or significant financial responsibility, a pre-employment credit report may be called for as well. Look for inconsistencies again. Start by comparing […]
Avoiding drug labs with tenant screening
One of the worst things that can happen to a landlord is to have the police find a drug lab on the landlord’s property. That happens a lot. According to statistics published by the state of Washington, half of all residential drug labs are found on rental property. If that happens to you, the results can be catastrophic.
To start with, there’s the cost of cleanup. As the landlord, you’ll be responsible. There are widely varying estimates about what it can cost you to decontaminate the property, but they are all big numbers. The state of Washington offers a figure of $6,500 for a 1,200 square foot property and $2,000 for a single room.
It’s likely you will lose income, too. Tenants may have to move out during the decontamination process, leaving you with less income than before.
Drug labs are a problem that keeps on giving. Many jurisdictions will require you to inform future tenants that your property has been the site of a drug lab. Jurisdictions often have registries and web sites where they list properties where drug labs have been found. The largest of these is the DEA list.
What can you do about it? Start with prevention. Have a detailed rental application. Do your background checks.
Learn what to look for. Your local law enforcement agency can give you information about how to spot drug activity and what to look for if you suspect it. Your local police or sheriff’s department may […]
Good Employees are Worth Screening For
In the May 2007 issue of Dental Economics, there’s an excellent article titled: “Hiring a great team.” In that article, the authors say the following.
“No management function is more critical than the ability to hire qualified and competent people. Dental schools tend not to provide any help in this area. As a result, this all-important task can be – at its best – overwhelming, mysterious, and challenging, and – at its worst – a pure gamble.”
That’s not just true for dental offices. It’s true for most small businesses.
If you run a smaller business, you probably didn’t start your business to master the art of hiring good people. You started it because you wanted to run a retail store that appealed to your passion. Or you liked working in construction and thought that you could do better on your own.
Whatever the case, you’re going to have to hire. If you want to get great people on your team and avoid lawsuits for things like negligent hiring, you need to do it right.
The authors of the Dental Economics article outline good hiring for a dental office. Here’s my version for everyone else.
Have a process. Your process should attract lots of candidates so that you can narrow your search down to the good ones.
Know what you’re looking for. Before you start, make sure you have a clear idea of who your ideal employee will be.
Include different evaluations in your process. The authors of the Dental economics article state that: “Statistically, […]
Screen them all
If you read the Chicago Tribune, you may have caught the article on “Staying festive but secure” about the security measures the bid committee is planning if Chicago is awarded the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
One particular line caught my eye. It’s a quote from Doug Arnot, director of venues/operations for the bid committee. He said: “If you’re selling a hot dog, we run a background check.”
What about you? Are you screening every job applicant? Are you screening every prospective tenant? Why not?
The people planning security for the Olympics know a simple fact. You don’t screen people simply because of the job you may give them or the apartment they may rent. You screen people make sure they don’t get access to the “employees only” parts of your business or to another tenant’s property.
If you’re not doing it already, think about screening them all. There are two ways a “screen everyone” policy will work for you.
First, and most obviously, your screening will catch people with criminal records, bad driving records and an unstable history.
Second, and not so obvious, there is a deterrent effect. Prospective tenants and employees who know you screen everyone are less likely to apply at all. That narrows down your list to a higher percentage of good prospects.