by Employment Screening Alliance | Aug 2, 2016 | employment background check
Employment Background Check | 8 Ways to Retain Employees After an M&A Pt. 1
Employment Background Check | One of the major challenges during any merger or acquisition is the retention of key employees.
Often, when companies go through a merger or acquisition, the employees feel insecure about the future of their employment. The ‘fusing’ of two companies often results in the implementation of new policies, procedures and business regulations. This is what makes employees feel insecure about their jobs as they are clueless about how things will turn out inside the ‘combined entity’.
As a result, many employees flee in search of greener pastures.
Here are 8 ways you can retain your top employees after a merger or acquisition:
1. Select employees on merit
While retaining employees after acquiring a company, it is important that you make your selection based on ‘merit’ and not on the ranks. When you take over an organization, you will quickly learn that there are employees who were promoted for their loyalty to a manager or team leader – not based at all on their performance.
Therefore, you should not mistake a star employee just by their number of promotions or awards. Instead, you should take a methodical approach and choose people who stand out from others on the grounds of skills, experience and talent.
2. Build your employees’ trust (the old and new)
Keeping things simple and communicating clearly makes an employee trust you more. As an acquirer, you need to share with your new employees everything from the philosophy and goals of your company to its policy and work strategy. All these things are essential for putting across the vision of your organization and how you intend to go about running the ‘new’ business moving forward.
3. Have 1:1 communication with all your team members
Effective communication plays a crucial role in gaining the confidence of everyone in the business (both the existing team members and the new employees) and keeping their loyalty with your organization.
Understand that every employee will feel some level of insecurity when a merger or acquisition occurs. Therefore, it is important to empathize with your employees and communicate with them, on personal level, to listen to any concerns they may have about their future employment prospects. –Recruit Loop
Learn what ESA can do for you! Call 866-830-3724 to discuss employment background check services or complete the form on www.esascreening.com now!
by Employment Screening Alliance | Jul 27, 2016 | employment background check
Employment Background Check | Are You About to Lose a Team Member?
Employment Background Check | Whether we like it or not, the reality of running any business is that somewhere along the way people in your team will choose to leave. And no matter how long someone has been with an organisation, and no matter what role he or she may play in the business, transitions in the workplace will have an impact on everyone in some way.
At some stage you’ll receive the email saying “I’d like to catch up with you quickly this afternoon if you’ve got time“. Or perhaps your team member will just walk up to your desk and say “Have you got a sec? Do you want to grab a quick coffee?”
It’s never fun being caught totally off guard. Trust me … I’ve been there before. In fact on one not-so-memorable occasion it happened three times in one day.
Talk about sleepless nights!
No manager has a crystal ball. You never know when it’s going to happen. But rather than only learning about their reasons during an exit interview, wouldn’t it be nice to know that someone might be looking to leave before you get kicked in the guts?
In a recent study, our friends at Cascade (leaders in HR and payroll software) found that the top 5 reasons employees cite as their reasons for leaving their jobs are:
- Lack of career progression;
- Below market salary;
- Putting in too much overtime;
- Limited teamwork; and
- Lack of flexibility.
Whilst there are some pretty obvious tell-tale signs that someone in your team has one foot out the door (such as taking several sick days, no longer actively participating in team meetings, or a rapid drop in work quality), other signs might be less obvious. It’s up to you to be more aware.
Cascade’s infographic below highlights the best ways for you to identify who might be about to quit along with some actionable advice about how best to address these issues. It gives an insight into the psychology, behaviour, company culture and HR practices that help to influence your team members’ decision-making processes.
By identifying these key indicators as they arise, organisations will place themselves in a better position to help prevent staff from quitting their job within the business.
After all, staff resignations can become a very costly exercise for your business … up to 3 or 4 times what you’ve actually paid your employee to be there. -Recruit Loop
Learn what ESA can do for you! Call 866-830-3724 to discuss employment background check services or complete the form on www.esascreening.com now!
by Employment Screening Alliance | Jun 9, 2016 | employment background check
Employment Background Check | Conduct a Backdoor Reference Check Pt. 1
Employment Background Check | “Deep reference checks”, “informal checks”, or “employment background checks” tend to generate a bit of controversy on the recruitment scene, but are still widely used, particularly for higher executive roles.
A backdoor reference check refers to obtaining information about a candidate from a source other than those referees specifically listed on the candidate’s resumé. It used to be that reference checks were the only way of determining a future employee’s personality and past experience levels based on conversations with previous supervisors.
With the advent of social media and web footprints, it’s now easier than ever to get an idea of the real candidate behind their CV.
Employment Background Check/Reference Checking Template: This guide will provide you with all the tools you need to run consistent reference checks every time and validate the information provided by the candidate at interview. Download Now!
Why would you want to conduct a backdoor reference check?
Backdoor reference checks are particularly useful to assess two things: a candidate’s personal traits and their past performance.
Are they really as good as they make out or are they just good at interviewing?
It’s crucial that a hiring manager can get to the bottom of someone’s background and work performance before bringing them on board. You don’t have to search very far to come across a story where it has become apparent that a new employee has only known half of what they said they did.
But are they illegal?
It is not illegal to get an opinion from someone connected to a candidate, however there are particular practices to avoid. If you’re a recruiter, you will probably have a legal responsibility to your clients that are best met by ensuring you conduct (typically two) thorough reference checks. Placing someone in a position without confirming his or her previous work history could get you in trouble for negligence, misrepresentation, or even conspiracy of fraud.
Let’s just say it’s not pleasant when a client calls you and says, “We’ve just had to let Stanley go today. By the way did you know he was let go from his last role for embezzlement?”
Awkward!
There are many ways you can go about finding out more about your candidate than by simply speaking to the referees listed on their resumé. Here are our favourites:
1. LinkedIn
The easiest way to begin is with a LinkedIn search and seeing what connections you might have in common with the candidate.
Depending on your level of connection, these are the first points of call to discover more about a particular candidate. It’s possible the people they know on LinkedIn may never have worked with them so don’t just immediately call your common connection and ask for information. Rather, check their background and look for people who might have deeper professional / career related information.
Many people now have recommendations or endorsements on their LinkedIn profiles. Even if you don’t have any personal connection with them, it’s not unusual to attempt to contact these people for a phone conversation. If they’ve already agreed to write a recommendation once, they’re unlikely to find it unusual for someone to call looking for verbal confirmation.
In fact by providing a testimonial for anybody on LinkedIn you’re basically putting yourself out there to be contacted as part of the reference checking process. It’s unlikely someone will give an all out bad reference, so if you get an opportunity to hear their voice you can better ascertain their enthusiasm for recommending that person.
2. Social Media
We’ve talked about the power of social media in getting a better understanding of a potential employee previously.
Rather than looking for information on a person, this time you’re looking for people they are connected to. For example do they have a lot of conversation back and forth with someone on Twitter? Are they connected to someone you know on Facebook? Are they a regular follower or commentator on someone’s blog? -recruit loop
Learn what ESA can do for you! Call 866-830-3724 to discuss employment background check services or complete the form on
www.esascreening.com now!
by Employment Screening Alliance | Jun 7, 2016 | employment background check
Employment Background Check | Conduct a Backdoor Reference Check Pt. 1
Employment Background Check | “Deep reference checks”, “informal checks”, or “employment background checks” tend to generate a bit of controversy on the recruitment scene, but are still widely used, particularly for higher executive roles.
A backdoor reference check refers to obtaining information about a candidate from a source other than those referees specifically listed on the candidate’s resumé. It used to be that reference checks were the only way of determining a future employee’s personality and past experience levels based on conversations with previous supervisors.
With the advent of social media and web footprints, it’s now easier than ever to get an idea of the real candidate behind their CV.
Employment Background Check/Reference Checking Template: This guide will provide you with all the tools you need to run consistent reference checks every time and validate the information provided by the candidate at interview. Download Now!
Why would you want to conduct a backdoor reference check?
Backdoor reference checks are particularly useful to assess two things: a candidate’s personal traits and their past performance.
Are they really as good as they make out or are they just good at interviewing?
It’s crucial that a hiring manager can get to the bottom of someone’s background and work performance before bringing them on board. You don’t have to search very far to come across a story where it has become apparent that a new employee has only known half of what they said they did.
But are they illegal?
It is not illegal to get an opinion from someone connected to a candidate, however there are particular practices to avoid. If you’re a recruiter, you will probably have a legal responsibility to your clients that are best met by ensuring you conduct (typically two) thorough reference checks. Placing someone in a position without confirming his or her previous work history could get you in trouble for negligence, misrepresentation, or even conspiracy of fraud.
Let’s just say it’s not pleasant when a client calls you and says, “We’ve just had to let Stanley go today. By the way did you know he was let go from his last role for embezzlement?”
Awkward!
There are many ways you can go about finding out more about your candidate than by simply speaking to the referees listed on their resumé. Here are our favourites:
1. LinkedIn
The easiest way to begin is with a LinkedIn search and seeing what connections you might have in common with the candidate.
Depending on your level of connection, these are the first points of call to discover more about a particular candidate. It’s possible the people they know on LinkedIn may never have worked with them so don’t just immediately call your common connection and ask for information. Rather, check their background and look for people who might have deeper professional / career related information.
Many people now have recommendations or endorsements on their LinkedIn profiles. Even if you don’t have any personal connection with them, it’s not unusual to attempt to contact these people for a phone conversation. If they’ve already agreed to write a recommendation once, they’re unlikely to find it unusual for someone to call looking for verbal confirmation.
In fact by providing a testimonial for anybody on LinkedIn you’re basically putting yourself out there to be contacted as part of the reference checking process. It’s unlikely someone will give an all out bad reference, so if you get an opportunity to hear their voice you can better ascertain their enthusiasm for recommending that person.
2. Social Media
We’ve talked about the power of social media in getting a better understanding of a potential employee previously.
Rather than looking for information on a person, this time you’re looking for people they are connected to. For example do they have a lot of conversation back and forth with someone on Twitter? Are they connected to someone you know on Facebook? Are they a regular follower or commentator on someone’s blog? -recruit loop
Learn what ESA can do for you! Call 866-830-3724 to discuss employment background check services or complete the form on
www.esascreening.com now!
by Employment Screening Alliance | May 31, 2016 | employment background check
Employment Background Check | 10 Ways To Having Happy Employees Pt. 1
Employment Background Check | We all know that we seem to have more energy, are less stressed, more creative, more helpful to others and achieve more when we are happy. Yet when it comes to workplaces, the same ‘formula’ often doesn’t appear to apply. While keeping customers and clients happy has been a focus of business success for years, ensuring employee happiness has not always been such a priority.
But if we are more energised, more creative and get more stuff done when we are happy and companies want to be more productive and profitable, it follows that having happy and engaged employees is something every employer should strive for.
The growing body of research around employee engagement and the link to profitability is irrefutable – happy employees mean improved productivity and increased profits. Whether we look at entrepreneurial startups or large, established enterprises, the same holds true: People are more productive and creative when they have more positive emotions.
Positive and happy people are not only more likely to come up with a new idea or solve a complex problem that same day, but also do so the next day.
Creating a workplace filled with happy people isn’t as difficult as you might think. And it isn’t about salary increases.
In fact, research confirms that salary is never the primary reason people leave jobs – they leave jobs first and foremost because they feel under-valued or unappreciated. They feel their contribution is not valued.
This is not to say that an appropriate salary is not an important component of recognition – it is. It’s just not the most important component.
Here are 10 things you can do immediately to change the happiness level in your employees and improve your bottom line.
1. Building trust
On Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, trust is at the foundation. At the peak of the pyramid, are the qualities associated with engagement: self-actualization, creativity and problem-solving.
Bridging the gap between these levels is the key to high performing and happy employees.
When employees feel they are trusted to perform their job functions they have the freedom and confidence to engage creatively and participate in solving problems, which in turn creates a feeling of value, maximising their contribution.
Just make sure you keep any promises you make to them. Broken promises will remove any feelings of trust they may have!
2. Providing consistent feedback
Most people want to know that they are “getting it right”, or at the very least, know how they can improve to be the best they can be.
Providing consistent feedback opens up communication between employees and managers and the benefits flow both ways – employees gain a better understanding of where they’re succeeding and what requires more attention; managers glean insight into office dynamics and daily work flow.
But feedback is effective only when it is delivered objectively and fairly and should be treated as a tool of instruction, not chastisement or punishment.
3. Respecting your employees
New research suggests that overall happiness in life is more related to how much you are respected and admired by those around you, not to the status that comes from how much money you have stashed in your bank account.
A crucial part of fostering employee engagement is acknowledging and utilizing the unique skills and qualities a person brings to the table.
Thomas Britt, an organizational psychologist at Clemson University, suggests that if people aren’t given the chance to use their talents, their level of engagement is reduced and their job commitment diminished. Respect also goes beyond the projects and tasks assigned at work.
Understanding and supporting an employee’s commitments outside of work, such as caring responsibilities or community service activities increases loyalty and job commitment, both of which translate into profit for you!
4. Providing career growth opportunities
Employees who are fully engaged and demonstrate the ‘nirvana’ that is job satisfaction and initiative won’t want to be put in a corner to beaver away on the same tasks day after day. If you really want someone to be a productive, contributing member of your team next year and the year after that, then offering career growth opportunities is a sure-fire way of making that happen.
A few ideas are compensating advanced education, funding attendance at conferences and participation in internal mentorship programs.
Career development enhances employees’ skill sets, which will further enrich your business and it also communicates to employees that they are important members of the team who are expected to learn new and better ways to meet goals and objections.
5. Sharing the big picture
If you want someone to be part of the dream you need to first share the dream with them.
People engage more readily in a task or project if they know both the purpose of the task and the contribution their effort will make to a bigger picture. Spend time ensuring your employees understand the business goals and vision and you will be rewarded with increased levels of engagement. This isn’t just about organizational flow charts, canned mission statements and revenue charts.
People want to understand how the goals that they accomplish contribute to the overall success of the company. -recruitloop
Learn what ESA can do for you! Call 866-830-3724 to discuss services or complete the form on our website www.esascreening.com
by Employment Screening Alliance | May 26, 2016 | employment background check
Employment Background Check | Tips to navigate awkward conversations Pt. 1
Employment Background Check | When it’s handled clumsily, pre-employment background checks has the potential to drive a wedge between employers and employees. Employers naturally want to know as much as possible about a person they will put in a position of trust. On the other hand, candidates can see it as an invasion on their personal information, or an apparent lack of trust from their future employer, even if they have nothing to hide. So, communicating the purpose and process of pre-employment screening is a way for employers to defuse any concerns on the part of the candidate.
US law obliges employers to ask for the candidate’s permission before they run a employment background check. Afterwards, they also have to inform candidates of their intention to reject them (adverse action notification) to give them time to rebut a false report. The candidate will inevitably have their own concerns and questions on the pre-employment screening. Leaving them in the dark means great candidates will question the employer’s motivation, their approach and whether they should best accept another offer that doesn’t involve employee screening. Go to website for more employment background tips!
To avoid this confusion, an open discussion is vital. Think about candidates’ concerns so you can alleviate them and answer their questions.
Here, we provide you with some questions your candidates are likely to ask (or at least have on their mind) before a pre-employment screening, and tips to answer them without causing awkwardness:
Question 1: Why is this necessary?
It’s not unreasonable for a candidate to think that any information that can’t be found on their resume is obsolete because it isn’t job related.
Tip: Think about your reasons and be honest
You may want to do thorough background checks on everyone you interview. Depending on the role this won’t be cost effective and may even expose you to litigation. So, think about how necessary or legal it is to request a background check. Build your argument on how the results of the screening correspond to the candidate’s ability to do the job. For example, if you’re interviewing a candidate for an accounting position, you can reasonably explain why a credit check is important. But if you’re thinking of doing a credit check for a shop assistant position, it will be much harder to persuade them it’s necessary.
Question 2: Do you do it to everyone or just me?
This question hides a serious discrimination hazard.
Tip: Say it’s your standard procedure (and mean it)
Employment background checks should be mandated by the nature of the position and be part of a determined hiring process. Don’t decide suddenly that you want to run a background check for a candidate you have a “feeling” about. That may expose you to legal risks under equal employment opportunity laws which can be difficult to respond to. Ideally, you should have already informed candidates that they’ll have to go through a background check in your job ad.
Question 3: Isn’t this a violation of my privacy?
Candidates may not be aware of laws about background checks. They may reasonably think it’s something unethical and potentially illegal.
Tip: Discuss your rights (and theirs)
This is a valid concern among candidates, regardless of whether they have something to hide or not. They may naturally feel exposed to the company and that may foster an issue of trust with a future employer. Explain carefully that the law permits background checks as long as protocol is followed and discrimination is avoided. Talk about the candidate’s rights also, their right to receive a review of the final report or the right to refuse a background check (also forfeiting the position). Speak explicitly about confidentiality and equal opportunity compliance.
Question 4: Are you looking for reasons to reject me?
A candidate might think that if they were good enough they’d be hired on the spot. A request for a background check could mean that you don’t really like them and are looking for a reason to avoid hiring them.
Tip: Tell them what the background check means to you
First, let the candidates know that you wouldn’t be willing to spend money and time for a background check on an employee you don’t want to hire. Tell them the background check is meant to reinforce a hiring decision rather than prevent it. On top of that, discuss what would be an unacceptable “red flag” that could make you retract interest in the candidate. Obviously, if there’s a sex offender record and you’re hiring for a teacher, you wouldn’t look much further before rejecting them. Discuss also what wouldn’t influence your decision, a bad driving record ten years ago or a poor credit report. -Workable
Learn what ESA can do for you! Call 866-830-3724 to discuss employment background check services or complete the form on
www.esascreening.com now!
