It's that time of year again, when employers are in hiring mode for
seasonal temporary workers to bolster their workforce in anticipation of
the barrage of shoppers, diners and visitors this holiday season. The
global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas estimates that
retail stores will hire 700,000 temporary workers to weather the holiday
shopping rush.
As the holiday shopping season kicks into full gear, the National
Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) reminds
employers that properly screening job applicants is more important than
ever.
"Seasonal workers are an absolute necessity to handle the increased
volume of customer transactions during the holidays, but employers need
to make sure they're not compromising their hiring process in the rush
to find workers to meet the increased demand," said Judy Gootkind, NAPBS
Chair. "Consumers willingly share their personal information in
increasingly crowded stores and restaurants, and it's an employer's
responsibility to make sure their workers are both skilled and
trustworthy. Now is not the time to cut corners when faced with time
sensitive hiring decisions."
Background screening enables employers to meet their legal
responsibilities for providing a safe and secure environment for their
existing employees and the customers they serve. By using a professional
background screening company to conduct background checks, employers
will receive the most timely and accurate information under the
appropriate state and federal laws.
"For our part, NAPBS has developed educational programs and training
aimed at helping our members to better serve their clients and to
maintain the highest standards of professional excellence, accuracy and
legal compliance, including a comprehensive company accreditation
program as well as individual certification programs," said Gootkind.
Background screening is also an effective tool for mitigating risks,
such as theft or violence in the workplace. According to the 25th
Annual Retail Theft Survey released by Jack L. Hayes International,
one out of every 40 employees stole from their retail employer in 2012,
and on average, dishonest employees steal approximately 5.5 times the
amount of retail goods than true shoplifters.
NAPBS offers some Do's and Don'ts for conducting effective background
checks during the heavy holiday hiring period:
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1.
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Don't try the do-it-yourself approach to background
screening - Conducting a Google search or quickly checking social
media is not adequate or appropriate for vetting potential
employees and could leave you open to legal issues.
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2.
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Do hire a professional background screener - Partnering
with a professional will ensure you obtain the most comprehensive
and accurate data to help make informed hiring decisions.
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3.
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Do treat all employees the same during the background
screening process. Whether full-time, part-time or seasonal, they
are still your employees and will most likely be interacting with
your customers every day. The classification of their employment
should not change the need for conducting a background screen.
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4.
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Do make sure you're aware of your responsibilities as an
employer under the law - Background checks are subject to state
and federal laws intended to protect those being screened, so
obtain an understanding of what you are required to do by law to
avoid penalties.
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5.
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Don't fail to communicate with the job applicant - Notify
the applicant prior to conducting a background check and allow
enough time for the individual to resolve any disputes related to
information on the background check.
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About NAPBS
The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) is
the leading national resource for issues related to the background
screening profession. NAPBS promotes and advocates for ethical business
practices and fosters awareness of privacy rights and consumer
protection issues. NAPBS is the foremost leader in the movement toward
establishing generally accepted and reliable standards for background
screening professionals and organizations. For more information on
background screening, visit our website at www.napbs.com.
National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS)
Media
Contact:
Abbey Race, 202-223-4933
arace@stantoncomm.com
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