Employee background recommendations.

"People believe what they perceive," says Allen Brown, CFE, CPA, director of internal audit for the Louisiana Community Technical College System in Baton Rouge and an ACFE faculty member.

"That's why public image is so important," he adds. "When an organization recruits staff — especially highly visible senior officials — those selected become part of its image. And this profoundly influences confidence in the organization’s ability to fulfill its mission."

"As most people know, pre-employment screeners aren't all the same," says Thomas Lawson, CFE, CII, and CEO of APSCREEN, Inc., a factual employment screening firm he founded in 1980.

"The problem is that many companies think the most important differences are in price, speed and what passes for convenience," Lawson adds. "Unfortunately for them, it's not that simple. The most important parts of effective screening — quality and reliability — take time."

Whether you engage a screening firm or vet candidates internally, Lawson offers these key recommendations:

•Formulate a standard employee screening policy, include it in your company procedures manual and mandate adherence to it.

•Design a background check questionnaire that obtains the information you need to conduct a thorough search. A comprehensive form can help you weed out unsuitable candidates who refuse to provide essential information.

•Obtain candidates' written permission to perform credit checks and other inquiries to evaluate their financial history — which can be a measure of integrity. (Though one has to take into account all factors that can have a negative impact on credit scores, such as the recent recession.)

•Search civil litigation indexes and tax court liens. Candidates frequently involved in civil actions — as plaintiffs or defendants — might be more trouble than they’re worth. Likewise, candidates sued by tax authorities might have questionable judgment and/or other problems that could make it difficult for them to be productive in your organization.

•When engaging a screening firm, look for membership in certain professional associations, such as the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), a professional association for security managers, which may indicate proficiency and integrity.

•When considering a candidate you previously employed satisfactorily — as was the case with Becker at the SEC — update your files with a new background check. Much might have changed — your company, the candidate, the law and other factors — introducing important new (and perhaps negative) dynamics.

•Obtain a criminal history report, and make sure the candidate is who he says he is. Many candidates use aliases; 60 percent of the signed consent and identity disclosure forms APSCREEN receives contain falsehoods or omit important information. Unless you conclusively identify a candidate, you can't be certain your search results pertain to him or her.


Link:
http://www.fraud-magazine.com/article.aspx?id=4294969331