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June 2008

IN THIS ISSUE:
 • In the Spotlight, by David A. Linsky
 • Know Your Vendor, by Amit Gavish

QUICK LINKS:
 • www.sscintel.com
 • www.securessc.com

How We Think About
Business Security
Responding to a Changing World
and New Security Challenges

In a world with threats across the globe and a business climate of increasing regulatory mandates, managerial complexity and shifting risk factors, the way an organization thinks about security and manages its security spending directly impacts it's business performance. Recent studies have indicated that because of security concerns, more than 80% of businesses have shied away from innovation. How we think about security drives both budgets and expectations; especially where securing critical assets are concerned. At SSC we believe the task of security management is not to reinforce traditional concepts and methodologies, but to question those very concepts and methods.

Read more >

Upcoming Events
SSC Speaking Engagements

Amit Gavish, Managing Director, SSC Corporate Intelligence and Investigation, will be speaking for the following organizations:

Organization: Sussex- Warren HRMA 
When: 9/8/08, 8-10:30 AM
Where: Wyndham Garden Hotel - 1000 Int'l Drive N. Mount Olive, NJ 07828
About: Hiring Practices and Workplace Safety in the Post 911 Era - The New Role of HR

If you would like to have an SSC security expert speak at one of your meetings, seminars or events, please contact Beth Gabriel at (203) 925-6148.

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Pre-Employment Screening
Top Considerations When Selecting a Vendor

1. Why is it important to know more about who is conducting your background checks?
There are two key elements to Pre-Employment Screening. The Pre-Employment Background Check is a smart business decision that may increase the potential employee's productivity, confidence in the company and competitive advantage. Proper screening may also reduce your turnover rate and potential liability from negligent hires. A background check contributes to a safe and secure workplace environment; it protects company assets including people, property and information.

Several industry studies have revealed the direct link between knowledgeable hiring decisions and improved employee productivity. In addition to the benefits mentioned earlier, pre-employment screening often results in higher sales, substantial decreases in internal theft and an overall reduction in employee turnover. A thoroughly executed screening of applicants is essential to preventing liability and legal issues for today's businesses and enterprises.

2. Where does the background screening information come from?
Not all Pre-Employment agencies are alike. It is essential to understand where the data the screening agency uses comes from. Knowing what databases and information sources the pre-employment vendor uses to collect and analyze applicant history data is in your best interest. Is the data collected legally and ethically?

3. What are the qualifications of the person searching and interpreting the databases?
Does the person conducting the background checks have the qualifications and experience that enables him or her to 'see' beyond the resume and application? What tools or information does the screener have to identify red flags such as gaps in employment, excessive relocating, etc.? Experience, formal education, training and most favorably, professional law enforcement backgrounds, can change the outcome of a background investigation dramatically. HR departments often overlook essential gaps in history and criminal convictions during routine screenings. Online databases should never substitute for trained and experienced investigative interpretation of raw information.

4. How to avoid negligent hire lawsuits?
Negligent hiring is the failure to use reasonable care in the employee selection process, resulting in harm caused to others. This is the main goal for background screening. Negligent hiring claims are a rapidly growing area of employment litigation.

Recommendations for Avoiding Negligent Hiring Lawsuits:

• Obtain background check consent at the forefront of the interview.
• Include questions about past criminal convictions in the employment application.
  Indicate that convictions won't necessarily bar employment.
• Clearly state on the employment application that withholding information or deceit will
  automatically bar employment.
• Review resume for red flags prior to the interview so questions can be asked during
  the interview.
• Always verify education and past employment.
• Look for signs of unease when mentioning pre-employment screenings are conducted.
• Ask about gaps in employment.
• Applicants will provide the best information regarding their own backgrounds. Make sure the job interview is conducted from a security perspective as well as the HR perspective.  These two areas can, at times, conflict, with HR's responsibility to fill positions rapidly and sometimes at the expense of security exposures.
• When making an offer, state that the offer is contingent upon favorable background check.

5. How do you determine the depth/level and extent of a background check?
The pre-employment investigation is a layer of a company's security program. It is a measure that provides you with the ability to make certain only legitimate employees have access to controlled assets. These assets are people, property and information. A metric that includes company assets and level of access should be created so HR is able to assess and dictate the degree in which the pre-employment vendor investigated the possible hire.

Unsupervised access to a company's most critical assets require the most comprehensive of background checks. It is important to include international background checks, credit reports, driving records, worker's compensation records and other proofs of experience like licensing, when evaluating your candidates. A professional pre-employment screening company like SSC can provide you with the detail you need to develop your screening program.

© 2008 SSC, Inc.

Run your business on accurate information, not guesswork. Contact SSC for a confidential Security Consultation. Our E-zine: SSC Security Matters