Background Screening Tips & Tech

Identity VerificationThe old tools simply don't work any more. Applicants looking to deceive employers and background screeners know how to provide false identifiers. The question is, can they be stopped.The SSN Trace can present RED flags, but it's not a tool that can be used to VERIFY IDENTITY.Consent Based Social Security Number Verification/Consumer Based... Great tool, but they require additional forms and increase cost and turnaround time.Identity Verification Technology... the best solution because it stops the applicant from providing false identifiers before they can get the background check process. Enhances the quality of the background screening program while reducing risk.

Changes to CRIMINAL record searching in California is leading to MASSIVE problemsIn this episode I share details on how things used to work in California when it came to searching for criminal records prior to the Hamrick case. I also share the impact that the Hamrick case is having on criminal court research for a time and cost perspective.Please stick around until the end to hear my recommendations and solutions.LISTEN TO THE PODCAST TO HEAR MORE...Connect with Tim Santoni on LinkedIn.Website:https://www.TimSantoni.comContact Santoni Backgroundshttps://www.santonibackgrounds.com

Los Angeles Fair Chance OrdinanceWhen did it take effect?Who does it apply to?What changes do you need to be aware of? LINK TO THE ORDINANCELNK TO THE INDIVIDUALIZED ASSESSMENT FORMLINK TO FACT SHEETWatch the VIDEO Version of the PODCAST HERE

Court Access Fees on the RISE... Why?Court access fees are on the rise.  What does that mean to the screening industry and the clients that we serve?In years past we would see updates to court access fees maybe every quarter or every six months. In the last year we are seeing updated court access fees every month and the additional fees to access court records are starting to stack up.By my calculations court access fees billed to clients at my background screening company went up by more than 15% in 2024. This is a pretty big increase. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST TO HEAR MORE...Connect with Tim Santonihttps://www.TimSantoni.comContact Santoni Backgroundshttps://www.santonibackgrounds.com

Los Angeles County - Dates of Birth Removed?The Los Angeles County Superior court has announced that partial dates of birth will be removed from the public kiosks and from the court website.What does this mean?  How does it impact you? The Los Angeles County Superior Court announced on February 20th that as of the close of business on Friday, February 23rd that partial dates of birth will no longer be available via KIOSKS or ONLINE.If you read this release carefully you will notice that the partial dates of birth will be removed from the court website and the publicly available KIOSKS. It doesn't say that they dates of birth wont' be available with clerk assisted searches.So, what does this mean? What is the true impact to background screeners, employers, and landlords?Connect with TIM SANTONIConnect with SANTONI BACKGROUNDS

PBSA is celebrating 20 years. They are are a force in supporting and enhancing the background screening industry worldwide.PBSA 2023 (Texas)LOCATION:Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center (Grapevine, Texas)WHEN:Sunday, September 10th through Tuesday September 12th On this episode of Background Screening Tips and Tech, Tim Santoni provides some insights into the show.It's not too late to register for PBSA 2023. Here is a link.https://thepbsa.org/events/2023-annual-conference/See you in Dallas!

Kevin Bachman InterviewKevin was a key executive at Employment Screen IQ, which was acquired by Sterling. He consultants with industry professionals and works with end users, CRAs and data furnishers.He is the The CRA Doctor. He is active with PBSA and has served on the BSCC committee.Kevin and his partner Jason Morris now run IQubed advisors.On this episode we talk about... How to build the VALUE of your CRA Business.PBSA Accreditation and the benefits from the compliance/legal side. We also discuss benefits from a sales, marketing and training perspective.Kevin talks about non-traditional companies that are accredited.Connect with Kevin

Tech StackThe 7 Apps/Tech/Software you need to run a better a business.1.     Office 365 or Google Apps (email)2.     Accounting Software w/Payment Processing (QuickBooks or XERO3.     DocuSign or Panda Doc4.     Cloud Storage:  DropBox, OneDrive, Google Drive5.     CRM – Salesforce, Zoho, ?6.     Email Marketing (MailChimp, ConvertKit, Constant Contact)7.     Team Messaging Platform (Teams, Slack)

SSN Trace... Show it or Hide it?On this episode Tim Santoni discusses the history of the SSN Trace. What it's good for. What it's not good for.The legal/compliance arguments for including the SSN trace in the report and why it might be better to run it and hide it from the report.A few options to consider.OPTION 1 -Run the SSN Trace and include all of the results in the report with no review.OPTION 2 - Run the SSN Trace and remove misspelled names, obvious errors and addresses that do not belong to the applicant.OPTION 3 - Run the SSN trace BUT do NOT provide the data on the final report.OPTION 4 - Don't run the SSN Trace at all.Connect with Tim on LinkedIn

Derek Hinton - CRA Zoom- InterviewOn this episode of Background Screening Tips & Tech, Tim Santoni interviews Derek Hinton of CRA Zoom.They discuss Derek's history in the screening industry, the PBSA Accreditation process and why it is valuable for background screening companies to complete have it.  They also dive into the services that CRA Zoom offers.Stick around until the end to learn about Derek's Human Trafficking Compliance Package.CRAZoomDerek HintonTim Santoni 

Background Screening Packages... so many optionsAt a bare minimum the social security number trace and national criminal database search are the typical starting point for most screening packages.  The national criminal database has obvious flaws, but this search also covers high level government watch lists and sex offender registries, so it is something that employers are comfortable with as a foundation for their background report.So, once you have the SSN trace and national criminal covered the next question becomes the county criminal searches.  There are a few flavors of this search LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE TO LEARN MORE.Connect with Tim on LinkedIn: 

Social Media Screening... current trendsStatistics- many employers are using Social Media to screen applicants, but the big question is are they doing it themselves or are they using an FCRA compliant screening partner.The current available sites being searched by the AI and Technology Solutions available cover PUBLIC profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & TikTok.Trends- as price comes down and lawsuits arise employers will see the value in using a partner for social media backgrounds.Compliance- HR professionals get uneasy when they look at new searches and assessment of those searches in hiring decisions due to the massive amount of litigation in the HR/Compliance/Hiring space.Suggestions- if you are going to do it, do it right and avoid potential risk.The trusted partners in the social media screening space.Social Intelligence (now owned by FAMA)Ferretly

CRA Help DeskThe CRA Help Desk is a great tool offered by BRB Publications.  The CRA Help Desk offers state & FCRA compliance and reporting guidelines when it comes to reporting of criminal records.If you are a researchers handling compliance and adjudication this tool is a must have.The HR Help Desk is an 'add-on' option for Background Screeners that want to offer similar resources to their clients. Things like the 7-year states, Ban The Box guidance, EEOC Guidelines and much more. The full version that includes the CRA Help Desk and the HR Help Desk runs about $200.00 per year.BRBPublications.comBRB also offers MVR Decoder & PRRN (Public Record Retriever Network)

On this episode of Background Screening Tips & Tech we review the CourtSmart Product from Equifax.With the recent changes forcing redaction of PII by courts in California this product is a great solution.Tim Santoni discusses how the solutions came to be, the pro's, the con's and dip into a bit of compliance.For more information on the CourtSmart product CLICK HEREThis episode is brought to you by Santoni Backgrounds.

California Legislative ALERTCalifornia again proves to be a challenging state for background screening industry as evident from the most recent legislative session. We are still early in the legislative calendar for 2023 but information I want to share is CRITICAL because employers and background screeners need to be prepared to engage and take action.CA SB 647– Is a bill to restore access to full dates of birth in California. You might recall that last year this BILL made it through both houses before BEING vetoed by Governor Newsom. This year efforts are again being made to restore access.  CA SB 460– a bill effectively banning TENANT screening unless you have a legal requirement to conduct a background check for tenancy. It mirrors recent actions by Alameda County and cities of Oakland and Berkley. While this bill was recently dropped from the 2023 legislative calendar, it is expected to be reintroduced in 2024 so efforts defeat the bill and work alongside our allies is necessary.CA SB 809– a bill effectively banning employment screening unless there is a legal requirement to background check for employment purposes. This bill remains active and PBSA has information to suggest that it is undergoing amendments. This is bill is will be discussed in a committee hearing on April 11th. The expectation is that this bill continues forward it will pass out of committee because the author of the bill is also the chair of the committee where its first hearing will take place.Contact directly with any questions. https://www.timsantoni.com

The PBSA 2022 annual conference was held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, ColoradoOn this episode of the PODCAST I share some insights, favorite sessions, event recap and much more.

PBSA 2022 'The Preview Show"PBSA Annual Conference (LINK)On this PODCAST Tim Santoni highlights the tracks for the PBSA Annual Conference in 2022.Legal ComplianceBusinessInternationalDrug TestingTenant ScreeningTim also points out the sessions and speakers that he will be focused on at the show.IQubed Advisors (Jason Morris, Kevin Bachman & Nick Fishman)Pam Devata, Seyfarth Shaw LLPScott Paler, DewittLeah Braukman, Arnall Golden Gregory, LLPBruce Berg, Berg Consulting GroupThe conference will be he held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Denver, Colorado from September 13th -15th.

Tim Santoni interview Gary DeWitt, President of Epic Concepts.Gary is a veteran of the background screening industry (30+ years). He has owned a Background Screening Company (Vericorp) and he now runs Epic Concepts which is a software platform used by Background Screeners (CRAs) and data furnishers/providers.Gary continues to be excited about the Background Screening industry and the suite of "EZy" products (EZy Check, EZ APP, EZy ATS, EZy v-interview) developed and optimized within the Epic Concepts system are something he is proud of.  Connect with Gary on LinkedInContact Epic Concepts

Kirill Klokov, the CEO & Co-Founder of TRUV joins Tim Santoni on the podcast.Kirill shares his story from an immigrant needing to get a loan without a credit history and how that impacted the quoted rate.  Kirill got his MBA at Standford and has worked at SIDEKICK, CARTA, TRUST WATE & EZHOME.  Kirill launched TRUV in lated 2021.TRUV is a technology that background screeners (CRAs) and mortgage companies use to verify employment.  The TRUV solution allows applicants to authenticate directly to the Payroll providers and platforms used by their former employers to securely pull back information needed to verify employment.TRUV unlocks the power of CONSUMER-PERMISSIONED DATA to avoid the expensive alternatives like The Work Number.  Also, because TRUV gets SOURCE information there is little no concern about an applicant providing names and contact information of employers that are friends, family or relatives.  In short the accuracy of verifications when using TRUV is extremely high.The TRUV solution also allows for verifications be completed in minutes instead of days.The other benefits of using the TRUV solution are as follows;Current employment can be verified discreetlyVerifications that are not completed due to The Work Number price increases are being done which help background screeners do more comprehensive background checksSpeedCost Savings ($50+ in some cases)Integrations (Tazworks, Accio, etc.)White labelingCustomized notifications/settingsLearn more about TRUVConnect with Kirill on LinkedIn

Tom PilkingtonROLE: Strategic Customer Success Executive at MeridianLinkTom has vast experience and knowledge of the background screening industry.1) Industry experience & current role at Tazworks/MeridianLink2) Tom shares insights into the transition of Tazworks being acquired by MeridianLink and what that means to Tazworks clients3) What's new at Tazworks? New advancements in the products, tools, analytics and resources4) Industry trends5) Highlights why partnering with a software platform as opposed to building your own is beneficialConnect with Tom on LinkedIn

James Tunkey of I-OnAsia joins the podcast.We discuss these topics.1) What is top risk factor that comes with not screening international employees?  Risk Factors Defined  Who does I-OnAsia work with in uncovering RISK FACTORS?  What are the problems with PROPER background screening & investigations (INTL)?  Problems with most investigation & screening practices2) Best practices on Supply chain vetting.  What issues can arise when companies are NOT thoroughly vetting suppliers/distributors/partners/consultants?3)When you get the call because a company is in trouble what proactive things could most of the companies have do as it related to employees and contractors to mitigate the exposure?  How much more does it cost the company after the fact?4) What are the KEY risk concerns for publicly traded companies?Connect with James on LinkedIn

On this episode I talk about the issues that the social security number trace / person search / address history can cause as part of a background screening report.Generally speaking the SSN trace is bad data. The true source of the data cannot be confirmed and it cannot be verified.The legal guidance suggests that the SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER TRACE should no longer be part of a background screening report (client facing report or consumer facing report).It should be used by background screeners to develop address history and potential alias names.

The Tazworks / MeridianLink user forum was held in Huntington Beach, CA. This podcast is a recap of the event.

The new landscape, the new technologies, and the new players.  On this episode Tim Santoni talks about the new technology and providers that are looking to get around employment verifications that previously required The Work Number.The providers that Tim talks about are list below.Measure OneTRUVSJV (now Inform Data)

The date of birth redaction changes in Michigan and California are causing issues. On this episode of background screening tips & tech we dive into the current state of affairs and provide some updates.It is no surprise that the DOB Redaction changes in Michigan and California are impacting criminal case research.  The turnaround times are up and the ability to verify records is challenging. Listen in to see what PBSA and their attorney are doing to fight the battle.PBSA Bulletinshttps://myemail.constantcontact.com/PBSA-Member-Advisory--California-Redaction-Update---Merced-and-Sonoma-Intervention-Updates.html?soid=1101484724288&aid=q-cpn8vtwFUhttps://myemail.constantcontact.com/PBSA-Member-Advisory--Continuing-Positive-Developments-in-Michigan-DOB-and-Identifier-Access.html?soid=1101484724288&aid=fn_l2eCps4oMelissa SorensonMelissa.Sorenon@thepbsa.org

Delays...Outages... Service Challenges- The "NEW" normal?The delays encountered by the background screening industry due to the COVID 19 pandemic were significant. Courthouses were closed, then they were open with reduced staffing, then they closed again.  Clinics and labs saw their employees leave they had to reduce hours of operation and even closed some facilities.Now the industry as a whole is seeing a dramatic increase in the number of applicants to be screened which is putting more pressure on the system.  The weird thing is that many of the same issues we faced during the pandemic are still issues.This is not good news for background screening companies and their clients who are under a ton of pressure to recruit, hire and on-board talent in record time. Here are some of the issues that the industry is facing.  Be sure to stick around until the end of this episode as I share some solutions… and don't worry I won't recommend doing away with county criminal searches to speed up background checks like CheckR did back in the pandemic. That is not a viable solution. Let's start with the challenges in California…

Greg Hauser, VP of Global Talent Acquisition joins the showTune in to here some of the secrets that Greg has to share...The discussion is focused around talent acquisition, on-boarding and background screening in the post-COVID environment.Greg shares his 5 key points of focus... 1) Candidate led environment 2) New and improved focus on BRAND values3) Virtual Work & On-site work (Hybrid Approach)4) Retention & Development focus5) Data Driven Decision MakingWe also discuss the changes and challenges facing employers as they work to diligent screen and on-board applicants in an environment filled with uncertainty and delays.For more information about a career at Ingram Micro visit...careers.ingrammicro.com

Staffing Shortages, Supply Shortages & Updated CCF = DELAYSStaffing shortages, Supply Shortages, and the new Federal Chain of Custody form are causing delays with regard to substance abuse, drug testing and occupational health screening.According to i3 Screen the delays are costing employers approximately 3-6 additional days. COVID Testing scheduling from i3Screen & eScreen is not an option at this time.What can be done?  Expect client inquiries.

California Criminal Record Change Complicates Background Screening (UPDATE)The court case impacting the changes was not heard by the appeals court so now the courts are making changes that impact all of us.Here is a summary of the case in question...In All of Us or None v. Hamrick, the plaintiffs, including a civil and human rights organization supporting ex-offenders, alleged that Riverside County and its executive officer and clerk allowed users of the Riverside Superior Court's public website to search the court's electronic criminal case index by inputting a defendant's known date of birth and driver's license number, in violation Rule 2.507.  Rule 2.507 specifies the information to be included in and excluded from court calendars, indexes, and registers of actions. The courts throughout California are removing the full dates of birth from their public access terminals and from the computer systems of the clerks.Searches by full name and partial date of birth (MM/??/YYYY) are still possible.  If the subject you are searching is clear of hits then all is good. If you have a possible hit now a case docket must be requested.In Los Angeles County the clerks are returning docket requests in approximately 5-business days, which is pretty good. The challenging thing is that each courthouse in Los Angeles County has different rules on how many dockets can be requested per day. Some clerks are limiting researchers to five (5) cases per day while others are not limiting requests.In San Luis Obispo County the courthouse is closed to the public, so even searches must be sent in via email, fax or mail. Once those come back with hits then dockets must be requested.The impact to employers is slower turnaround time and potentially increased costs. This is tough especially when employers are staffing up and trying to get people to work so quickly.

PBSA 2021The PBSA Annual Conference was held in Anaheim, California.  PBSA utilized a hybrid model allow physical attendees and speakers as well as remote access.There were in-person attendees and remote attendees could access the sessions and networking events virtually.It was exciting to see friends, colleagues and partners face – to – face, but the conference lacked the typical energy. This was mainly because there were far fewer attendees and there were very few exhibitors. In fact the exhibit hall looked a bit bare because the exhibitors were spread  out.PBSA does a great job of elevating and protecting the screening industry.  The massive changes in laws every year impact background screeners and their customers. PBSA is continually monitoring and lobbying to help all of the businesses within the space.  The members of PBSA are extremely passionate about helping others.Here are my big take-aways from the show.  While the legal and compliance stuff that is highlighted every year by Pam DeVata and the other attorneys is helpful and scary it is necessary.From my perspective the most noteworthy change since the last in-person PBSA conference which was in San Antonio back in 2020 would be the efforts by companies to tackle EDUCATION VERIFICATIONS.  There have been some really innovative approaches to employment verification that work around The Work Number. SJV (ebay style marketplace) Bill Wilder  Citadel Kirill Klokov  Velocity Network Foundation (Blockchain network) John Hartigan

Interview with Darrin Lipscomb of FerretlyDarrin is the Founder & CEO of FerretlyCONNECT WITH DARRIN ON LINKEDINFerretly is a web-based technology that leverages Artificial Intelligence for social media screening.Darrin has a degree from Virginia Tech and he is a 30-year veteran in the technology industry including launching several software startups with successful exits. His companies have provided unique, forward-thinking solutions focused primarily on Fortune 500 companies and government organizations at the federal and state level.   Prior to launching Ferretly Darrin was the Global CTO for Public Safety and Smart Cities division of Hitachi Data Systems that was formed from the acquisition of his company (Avrio Group) in 2014. Mr. Lipscomb founded Avrio Group in 2003 and within 5 years became known as the premier city-wide video surveillance and smart cities company in North America.   What do we cover on this episode? 1          Is Social Media Background Screening Legal?2          Why are companies turning to Social Media Background Checks to vet their candidates?3          Who are the early adopters and what industries do you think can benefit the most?4.         What role does AI play in social media screening at Ferretly?5.        What social media platforms does Ferretly support?6.        Can Ferretly analyze private posts?7.       What type of information do you pull about the subjects?Integrations:  Currently Ferretly has an integration built with Accio which is a common software platform utilized by many background screening companies and they are looking to expand their integrations.  They are in talks with Tazworks and they offer integrations via their API.

Montserrat Miller of Arnall Golden & Gregory joins the podcast!Montserrat is a partner at Arnall Golden & Gregory and she is co-chair of the background screening industry team She is certified by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) as Certified Information Privacy Professionals in both the designations for the United States and European Union (CIPP/US and CIPP/E).AGG is a recognized member in good standing with the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA).She recently spoke on legal panel at the Tazworks user group  1)Practical guidance on authorizations and disclosuresArnold v. DMG Mori-2)California Court decision and Michigan change restricting searches by full date of birthDiscussion around reasonable diligence and ways to verify records.3)Illinois Law restricting use of criminal history- Interactive Assessment requirement ·       SB 1480 requires an employer to conduct an “interactive assessment,” which takes into account the following mitigating factors, prior to disqualifying an applicant or employee because of a conviction record: ·       The length of time since the conviction;·       The number of convictions that appear on the conviction record;·       The nature and severity of the conviction and its relationship to the safety and security of others;·       The facts or circumstances surrounding the conviction;·       The age of the employee at the time of the conviction; and·       Evidence of rehabilitation efforts.LINK TO ARTICLEhttps://www.agg.com/news-insights/publications/illinois-employers-take-note-human-rights-law-expanded-to-require-interactive-assessments-when-considering-conviction-records-for-employment-screening-purposes/Have a listen to AGG Talks Background Screening - the new podcast hosted by Montserrat Miller & Kevin Coy. 

California Court Ruling Complicates Background ScreeningThe court decision would force California courts to removes full dates of birth and drivers' license numbers from their indices.The court case is on appeal, but many counties are already making changes that impact how records can be searched for. Most notably, Los Angeles County has made the change as well as Tulare, Fresno, Kern, and Yuba Counties.This change will increase the overall cost of conducting background checks and increase the turnaround time to receive verified information.ARTICLE:https://hrwatchdog.calchamber.com/2021/07/california-court-ruling-could-complicate-background-checks/

Brett Buettner InterviewBrett Buettner, managing partner at Buettner Insurance Agency joined the podcast. He answered questions related to employee benefits (specifically HEALTH insurance) and how it impacts recruiting.He also discussed industry trends and the biggest mistakes employers make when evaluating their healthcare benefits.Connect with Brett:LinkedInBuettner Insurance

Craig Caddell Interview (Wholesale Screening Solutions)Craig is an industry veteran. He has worked previously at a leading software provider to the CRA industry.  He was a founding, board member of NAPBS (now PBSA) and also worked at Reference Pro. On the podcast we discuss the following:Industry TrendsWholesale Screening Solutions research capabilities and history. Continuous Court Records Monitoring                        Methodology/Technology                        Why to search for arrest and court records.                        Industries that are early adopters                        Surprising statisticsConnect with Craig Caddell on LinkedInConnect with Wholesale Screening Solutions

Credit Reports... they aren't what you thinkToday on Background Screening tips and tech we talk about, Credit Reports… they aren't what you think.Credit Reports seem like the most straight forward search that an employer might request, but they aren't. Misconceptions/Myths:They should be part of every background check report.They include a credit or FICO score.They contain public records like Bankruptcies, judgments & liens.They are easy to interpret.Facts:Credit reports run as part of a pre-employment background check cannot and should include contain a credit score.  Credit reports run on a potential tenant can include a credit score.Credit reports run as part of a background check do not impact the credit rating of the applicant because the inquiries are soft hits.If an applicant has a freeze on their credit, you will not be able to pull a credit report. The applicant will have to lift the freeze for a report to be pulled.GUIDANCE:Check your state laws to see if there are any restrictions that guide when you can run a credit report on an applicant.If you will be running credit reports as part of your background screening packages get familiar with how to interpret the information reported so that you can use it to make an informed hiring decision.Since credit reports no longer include PUBLIC records which include bankruptcies, judgments and liens consider running a Bankruptcy, Judgment, Lien search as a standalone search.Connect with TimConnect with Santoni Backgrounds

Brian Fleming of Coastal Payroll - InterviewOn this episode of the Podcast Brian Fleming shares some insights into the challenges that employers have when working with BIG BOX payroll providers. He shares how compliance and reporting requirements change as you grow your company.Brian is very excited about the Employer Retention Credits that are available to employers and he shares who is eligible and how Coastal Payroll can help with the necessary reporting and forms.Connect with BrianBrian Fleming (LinkedIn)Coastal Payroll

Aashi Arora InterviewOn this episode of Background Screening Tips & Tech, Tim Santoni interviews Aashi Arora of iRise Executive Coaching.Aashi Arora, is the principal executive coach at iRise and has over 20 years of executive and administrator level experience in operations, healthcare, professional mentoring and coaching.She has many certifications Gallup (Certified Strength Coach)Lean Six Sigma Yellow BeltAssociate Certified Coach, International Coaching FederationEmotional Intelligence- EQ-12.0Basic Mediator, State of California Dispute Resolution Programs ActConnect with Aashi:

Bruce Berg - Berg Group Consulting- M&A, Trends... (Interview)On this episode of Background Screening Tips & Tech, Tim Santoni chats with Bruce Berg.  Bruce is a legend in the background screening "CRA" space. He successfully grew and sold his background screening business to HireCheck which is now First Advantage.His consulting business, Berg Consulting Group, just celebrated 20 years in business. Bruce helps background screening companies improve processes and profits. He is an industry expert on the M&A side as well and is the go to person if you looking to buy or sell a background screening company.Bruce was a founding member of PBSA- Professional Background Screening Association (formerly NAPBS).Connect with Bruce...https://www.bergconsultinggroup.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-berg-6566b11/

On this episode Tim Santoni interviews Leslie Groene of Groene Consulting.Leslie is sales trainer, consultant and coach to businesses. Leslie focuses on determine the goals of the organization and then creating strategies and assembling a team to meet those GOALS.Connect with Leslie:Groene ConsultingLinkedIn:Leslie Groene on LinkedIn

On this episode we interview Anita Nygaard of CorHR.Anita Nygaard is Founder and Lead Consultant of CorHR, Inc. a Human Resources consulting firm.  CorHR partners with professional services businesses across the state and country to provide expert advisory on the three C's: Compliance, Coaching and developing Managers, and building Cultures that reinforce an effective workplace. Resources...State Website for COVID-19 guidance: https://saferatwork.covid19.ca.gov/employers/Connect with Anita. -       Email:                 anita@corhr.com-       Phone:                (949) 363-0084-       Website:             www.corhr.com-       LinkedIn:             https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitanygaard/

Kathy Dawson - Dawson & Dawson InterviewOn this episode Tim Santoni interviews Kathy Dawson. They talk about the current state of hiring for office positions. A key area of focus is how to get productivity from a workforce that is nearly 75% remote at this point. Kathy provides some great insights from her experiences.Kathy is the former president of NAWBO and she has a Woman Owned Small Business Certification (WBENC)- Women Business Enterprise Council. She is also a Certified Staffing Professional- American Staffing Association.Kathy enjoys being a group leader for the Irvine South Group of PROVISORS.

Substance Abuse Screening...cannabis, compliance, policiesOn this episode we talk about the changes in substance abuse screening due to legalization of marijuana in many states.We also cover policies that need to be in place to have an effective substance abuse screening program.Diluted SpecimensForeign Substances in SpecimensPositive TestsTimeline for ELECTRONIC passport

Social Media Screening & MonitoringThere is a ton of buzz around social media screening. Is it going to be adopted by employers?What are the compliance risks? What can be reported? What social media platforms can be searched? Can you search private accounts?Tune in to learn more...https://www.santonibackgrounds.com

Transgender Applicants & Team Members- Background Screening MethodologiesIn this episode Tim Santoni talks about how the considerations you should evaluate as it relates to the background screening procedures when it comes to transgender employees and applicants.Check with your background screening partner that you are running a robust search that covers all legal names the applicant might have used. It also important to understand the difference between a legal name, alias and "nickname."  They can often be used synonymously, but when it comes to background screening there are big differences.

Do Organizations Rely on Background Checks Too Much?https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/do-organizations-rely-on-background-checks-too-much.aspxIn this episode of the podcast Tim & Joe discuss the points raised in this article. Of course this article illustrated some scenarios that don't occur very often and are "worst case" offenders, but it points out how flawed the system can be.The implied trust that we have in government, public companies, private companies, and non-profits to screen and monitor the activities and criminal behavior of their employees, teams and volunteers is something that needs to be examined further.At the end of the day if an organization cares about building a solid culture and mitigating exposure to risk (Violence, Theft, Embezzlement, Fraud, Workers' Comp Claims, Accidents & Reputation) they must take many steps throughout their organization. This involves the recruitment process, pre-employment background checks, re-checking backgrounds, audits, safety procedures and training...The bottom line is that if you are an HR Professional, Risk Manager, Safety Professional or Business owner it never hurts to have a look under hood to make sure you are taking the necessary steps t protect your team members, customers/clients, partners and patients.

Episode 16; Nick Fishman InterviewOn this episode we interview Nick Fishman who was part of the leadership team at Employment Screen IQ (CRA) where he helped grow the company that was eventually acquired by  Sterling. Nick now has a consulting practice and is also the CMO at SJV Data Solutions.Biggest changes Nick has seen as far as change in policies or philosophies by HR Professionals as it relates to background screening in the last 10 years.What trend or issue scares you the most regarding the background screening industry?What is the one thing that you WISH HR professionals would improve on or address that they consistently overlook or fail to address?What are the key elements of the relationship with HR Professionals that makes them feel like their background screening provider is more of a PARTNER than a VENDOR.Connect with Nick Fishmanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nfishman/

On this episode Tim & Joe cover the Holiday Wishlist for Human Resources Professionals.1) Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)   Acquire TM (EON Applications) is one of our favorites2)  Add something new to Screening & Risk Mitigation programs  Social Media Screening  Criminal Monitoring  COVID 19 Testing3) Evaluate / Audit your current Background Screening Provider4) Networking... find a way to connect with industry professionals and trusted advisors  SHRM, PIHRA, Chamber, etc.What is on your wishlist that we didn't cover?

Matt McGregor of First Advantage (Non-Profit & Education Expert)  InterviewOn this episode we interview Matt who is truly an expert in working with NONPROFIT organizations to support their mission while mitigating exposure to risk. Matt understands the mission of his clients.On this episode we talk with Matt about the following topics;1.    As you work across the nonprofit space what are you seeing as organizational focal points heading into 2021?2.     Honing in on safety, what aspects are most important in preparing for 21?3.     With volunteer attraction and retention, what are orgs looking for?4.     What are nonprofits doing to ensure they protect their brand & reputation? 

7 Year Criminal Background Checks...What does that mean exactly?On this episode we clear up some of the confusion around what a 7-year criminal background check is or can be.Establishing a history of addresses reported or utilize by an applicant going back 7 years will give a background screening partner the ability to look for criminal records in all counties of residence going back that far.The 7-year reportability of convictions and non-convictions is governed by where the employer and/or applicant are located because state rules govern if non-conviction within 7 years or beyond 7 years can be reported. In some states criminal records with a disposition date beyond 7 years cannot be reported.Keep in mind that often times having too much history on an applicant can lead to longer turnaround times, increased cost and most importantly having eyes on information that is not reportable and should not be used for a hiring decision.

COVID-19 Test Kits - Brad Carmon of Clinical Reference LaboratoryOn this episode of Background Screening Tips & Tech we bring on Brad Carmon, Directo of Sales (Employer Services) to talk about the capabilities of Clinical Reference Laboratory. A privately owned testing laboratory that is one of the largest in the country.CRL was founded in 1979 and obtained their DOT (Department of Transportation) certification in 1989.  They process more than 16,000 samples each day at their lab in Lenexa, Kansas. Brad talks about the specifics around COVID-19 Testing kits. Everything from CRL - Saliva based (molecular testing) versus nasal swab tests.Connect with Brad...Brad Carmonbcarmon@crlcorp.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-carmon-86852061/