Tag Archive for: background checks

One Source Voted a Pre-Employment Screening Leader Again in HRO Today’s Baker’s Dozen

We’re happy to announce that for the second year in a row, One Source has been recognized in the HRO Today Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings™ as a Midsized Program Leader. This award acknowledges the dedication we show our clients by consistently delivering exceptional service, innovative solutions, and reliable support in background screening and workforce compliance.

Committed to Our Customers

An annual online survey, the Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings™ calculates scores based on client feedback in the categories of service quality, service breadth, and deal sizes. These evaluations provide important insights into where we should focus our efforts to craft a customer experience that leads to long-lasting relationships and beneficial partnerships. 

Technology drives us forward. Accessibility is at the forefront of our solutions, so we offer integrations and a mobile-friendly system to keep applicants moving. 

Speak to a human when you call. Our support team is ready to talk you through ordering, answer your questions, or hop on a video walkthrough when you reach out. 

We help keep clients compliant. As an FCRA- and EEOC-compliant screening provider, we keep an eye on regulations like Clean Slate and Ban the Box laws. Each month, we also publish industry news about recent compliance topics in background screening. 

To Our Incredible Clients

Thank you to all our customers who shared their thoughts and have stuck with us over the years. We literally couldn’t have done it without you. In the coming year, we look forward to empowering employers to make informed hiring decisions and rolling out fresh solutions to build stronger, safer workplaces.

Evaluating background check providers? Contact One Source to learn what we can do for you today.

Are you a current client looking to prepare for the new year? Get in touch to see how we can help you make the most out of your screening process in 2025.

 

Employment Background Checks After Hire: Why Rescreening Matters

Most HR managers are starting to think about planning for the new year. Setting goals, enhancing retention, andrevisiting costs usually make the new year checklist. Though these are all important items to check off the list to start the new year on the right foot, rescreening current employees is an important consideration that often goes overlooked. According to a survey conducted by SHRM, only 15% of respondents said they rescreen employees annually—meaning that important information often goes unfound for employees who have been on the job for several years, leaving other employees and internal data vulnerable. 

Rescreening current employees provides employers with updated employee information, helps maintain a safe workplace, and ensures current employees are still qualified for their roles. If it’s been a while since you conducted annual background checks, you may want to revisit your rescreening program to ensure it aligns with your vision moving into 2025. Let’s look at some changes employers might consider by rebooting annual employee rescreens. 

Rescreening current employees where they are at  

Remote work and relocation have proved to be more than just a trend. USPS change-of-address requests show that 28.3 million address changes were processed in 2023 alone– so if your background check program is only running broad searches for records in the places where employees previously lived or where they live currently, records could easily go unfound.   

Do you have more employees working remotely in 2024 and plans for remote positions moving into the new year? You might consider expanding yourcriminal history checksto include more locations. This search can include additional counties incounty-level background checks. You may also consider other ways to locate criminal records, such asstatewide,federal, ornational criminal database searches. Other sources, likedriving record checks,may return important records that other background checkswon’t find. 

Other places to look when rescreening 

Rescreening goes beyond where employees have lived and have moved to. What current employees are doing daily can uncover important insights that can significantly impact your business, too. 

Social Media Checks 

Many employers now use social media screenings to search publicly available online profiles. This check looks for potentially risky content posted by employees or candidates. A social media record screening looks at publicly available information on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others to glean character insights. You may uncover web content that is derogatory, hostile, coarse, or defamatory. 

The reason employers might conduct social media screeningsduring their annual background checks are: 

  • They want to maintain a safe workplace and positive company culture. 
  • They want to avoid continued relationships with individuals that present a risk to their brand and bottom line. 
  • It meets employees where they may spend a lot of their time. 

Driving Records

Although a lot of employees have relocated due to flexible remote work, many still drive daily as part of their jobs, creating potential risks for employers. In fact, car accidents are theleading cause of workplace deathsin the United States. 

Due to the risks driving presents, employers often rescreen driving records even if it’s not a compliance requirement. Here are a few reasons employers choose to conduct regular driving rechecks on their employees:

  • More control over driver safety and company reputation: Samba Safety shows that a history of negligent driving can increase the likelihood of a crash by 64%. The ability to act fast means that unsafe drivers can be suspended before it happens again if needed. 
  • Reduced administrative time:The same study from SambaSafety showsthat employers save an average of $50,000 annually just from the time saved alone on manual rechecks – not to mention time filling out paperwork for accidents you never saw coming. 
  • Big savings: Employers with employees who drive as part of the job knowthat the cost of an accident, whether frequent or infrequent, can quickly outweigh the cost of automated driver monitoring. A study by The Network of Employers for Traffic Safetyshows that U.S. employers lost $72.2 billion in 2019 alone to employee traffic accidents. 

Social media and driving record checks are just two simple ways that employers can save overall and protect a company’s reputation. By modernizing your rescreening stack with new tools and types of background checks, you can uncover more relevant records and add a new layer of protection for your organization.

A new year calls for new technology  

Rescreening current employees may sound like a lot of extra work, but a lot can happen over the years that turn quickly into safety issues and affect your bottom line, too. 

The good news is that with the right team and technology on your side, rescreening doesn’t have to be such a hassle. Having the right processes, tools, andsupport upfront can make a major difference. If your company is adapting policies to how employees live and work, consider how you might adjust your background rescreening program. Do your checks line up to the amount of change your employees may have experienced over the year?

A new approach to background checks  

Taking the time toreevaluate your needsand how you might improve empowers your hiring team to create the best version of your annual employee rescreening program. You might alsofeel more confident as you continue through the year!

Update your background screening program in 2024. Contact One Source today to learn more about getting started with post-hire rescreens.

 

Keeping Up with FCRA Compliance Requirements

HR leaders have to stay in front of a lot of regulatory concerns. Maintaining compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) with background checks is undoubtedly one of them.

FCRA in the beginning

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the FCRA was enacted in 1970 to regulate the practices of consumer reporting agencies (“CRAs”) that collect and compile consumer reports for use by certain third parties, including employers.

The FCRA has seen amendments since its inception, but the intention remains the same – to keep the use of consumer information fair and allow space for consumer privacy. The Electronic Privacy Information Center states the Act does this through “…rights of data quality (right to access and correct), data security, use limitations, requirements for data destruction, notice, user participation (consent), and accountability.” For employers, the FCRA has created specific requirements that must be maintained.

Staying in compliance

The requirements imposed on employers that procure background reports are muddled with gray areas. Compounding the confusion is the fact that the FCRA can be supplemented by state and local laws. These laws can be amended, and they are subject to reinterpretation. Because of the changing nature of the FCRA, as well as state and local laws and regulations, the best way to stay compliant is to regularly consult your legal counsel. We’ve also compiled a short checklist with a few basic requirements to help you think about obligations under the FCRA

Download the FCRA Background Screening Compliance Checklist to help you get started thinking about your compliance requirements ››

If you want to learn more about what One Source’s FCRA-compliant background checks are all about, schedule a consultation today.

 

Understanding & Simplifying Adverse Action

Background checks are part of every employer’s routine, from candidate screening to rescreens on employees, and along with these checks come important discoveries, too. Unfortunately, some of these discoveries call for adverse action, meaning an employment-related action that adversely or unfavorably affects a prospective or current employee. This blog covers some of the general steps employers should understand before they take adverse action on a candidate or employee.

Adverse Action Process

The adverse action process includes a series of letters informing a candidate or employee of their rights after they authorized procurement of a background report on them but before an employment decision has been made based on its content. In general, the first letter notifies the candidate or employee that an employment decision may be forthcoming based on the content of a background report; attached to this letter is a copy of the background report and a Summary of Your Rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”). The employer then waits for a set period of time to permit the candidate or employee to respond to the employer or dispute the accuracy of the background report with the consumer reporting agency, before final notice is sent is provided.

When taking adverse action on a candidate or employee, employers must comply with applicable laws including the FCRA and other state and local laws such as ban-the-box and fair chance laws. An employer who fails to comply with these laws could be held liable for actual damages, punitive damages, and other costs and fees.

The Benefits of Automation

All these steps can be a challenge to tackle alone or even with a robust team. Not only does it take time and energy to put the correct materials together and send them at the proper intervals, but whenever a team member carries these out, there’s a risk of human error. That’s why many turn to automated services to handle tasks like these. Deel, an HR platform provider, notes that automating tedious manual HR processes can make a big impact in several ways. Here are just a few:

  1. Guaranteed compliance. Automated document management and scheduled communications mean everything you need to keep compliant is done for you.
  2. Fewer manual errors. Decrease the likelihood of costly liability claims and enhance efficiency with human error out of the equation.
  3. Improved consistency. Provide a consistent experience for applicants and employees across the board.

Like all highly regulated employment practices, it’s best to review your policies and procedures with your organization’s legal counsel. Ensuring that the language is clear to applicants and employees is a great place to start, but employers also need to have a strategy in place if adverse action is required.

Free up time and reduce stress by handling adverse action through automation. Learn more about One Source’s One-Click Adverse Action service >>

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always consult with legal counsel for personalized guidance.

 

Identifying & Reducing Employee Online Misconduct

Previously, we’ve touched on why employers utilize social media screening. To summarize, two businesses found out the hard way that problematic team members can draw negative attention to their employer and waste a lot of time, money, and resources along the way. Of course, those wasted efforts could have been avoided had they thoroughly vetted the online behavior of those in question.

When properly administered, this type of check contributes to lower staff misconduct, higher productivity, and a larger talent pool thanks to a positive perception of employer brand. Now, we’ll explore the most common types of misconduct found while reporting before learning how to mitigate it.

Common Offenses

With a litany of online activity resulting in red flags, it helps to categorize them for reports. Eight of the most common labels applied are Criminal Offenses, Violence, Drugs, Intolerance, Hate Speech, Harassment, Sex, and Threats.

  • Violent and Threatening content often include mentions of physical aggression or express an intent to cause harm.
  • Content labeled for Drugs could relate to the use, distribution, or advocacy of any variety of mind- or body-altering substance, regulated or otherwise.
  • Flags of Intolerance or Hate Speech often show intolerance of or a bias towards specific demographics.
  • Material can be flagged as Harassment if the individual has kept up persistent, unwelcome communication with specific users or groups.
  • Sexually explicit material or discussions of a sexual nature result in the Sex label.
  • The Criminal Offenses label can be broadly applied to any indication of illegal activities or involvement in criminal behavior.

Once you know what kind of behavior to keep a lookout for, it’s important to prepare a plan to minimize their effects on your organization.

Moderating Misbehavior

The first step is to ensure you’re equipped to handle potential issues that arise. One way HR teams can do so is by including a social media policy in the organization’s employee handbook. Make sure it details what’s acceptable, what isn’t, and the consequences of non-compliance.

Second, work with IT support to implement monitoring systems and software tools that track online activities within the organization’s network and detect potential misconduct. This could include content filtering and firewall technology to reduce access to certain websites or platforms. Periodically providing regular training on responsible internet usage and the organization’s policies regarding online conduct can also further reinforce a culture of accountability and professionalism among employees.

Third, consider encouraging your personnel to use their paid time off. Why? According to a study conducted by Hiscox, an insurance provider, it’s not only one of the easiest ways to identify potential cases of fraud, but it also gives team members additional time to relax, reducing the likelihood that they act out.

Last, it’s necessary to have an effective HR tech stack. Tools like anonymous whistleblower forms or hotlines, workplace communication monitoring, and necessary background and reference checks make identification and prevention easier to handle.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if your team is big or small; misconduct in any form is a threat to business. Facing it may sound daunting, but One Source can help. Reach out to learn how to best integrate social media screening into your policies for a successful staff.

 

5 of the Top Reasons to Use Continuous Criminal Monitoring

The HR toolkit contains many means of keeping your organization staffed and running efficiently. Tools like applicant tracking systems and performance measuring software help bring in fresh faces and follow your team’s progress, but those are strictly for the pre-hire period and to track working hours. What may be lacking is a way to know that team members are avoiding conflict with the law. Thankfully, that’s where continuous monitoring comes in.

This process is, in form, similar to a preliminary employment background check for criminal history. However, instead of being a one-time affair, the subject is rescreened regularly to identify changes, if any, in the subject’s criminal history. Organizations might order this process due to any number of reasons, but today we’re going through the top five:

1. Compliance

Depending on your business’s trade, rescreening may be mandatory after a pre-determined time. Highly regulated industries like transportation, healthcare, and financial services — to name a few — often include requirements to have your background checked annually, biennially, or after several years with the employer.

2. Protecting Brand & Reputation

Companies, more so than individuals, live and die on how the public perceives them. If current staff make headlines for delinquent or criminal behavior, the community may ask, “Why are they still employed with you?” which can lead to a decline in business opportunities.

3. Safeguarding Sensitive Assets, Information, & Finances

Between trade secrets, billing data, intellectual property, and more, there are many resources and a great deal of customer information that employers don’t want to fall into the wrong hands. A slip-up in trust can be disastrous, threatening an entire business and contributing to the billions of dollars lost annually to intellectual property and trade secret theft, according to the Associated Press.

4. Maintaining a Safe Environment

Two groups comprise the core of all organizations: their staff and customers. Without the trust of both parties to move things forward, there are no deals to close or goals to achieve, making it paramount to protect them.

5. Streamlining & Automation

Keeping up with the goings-on of staff can be tedious and time-consuming. Many HR professionals choose to automate this process to free up valuable time they could spend recruiting and onboarding new staff, evaluating employees, or tending to other essential responsibilities.

No matter the reason, Continuous Criminal Monitoring can help your team remain safe and protect confidential resources. One Source can help by setting up a schedule to keep you informed. Reach out to learn how you can get started.

 

One Source Ranked as an HRO Today Pre-Employment Screening Leader

One Source would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our clients for helping us achieve a first: ranking as an Enterprise Pre-Employment Screening Leader in the 2023 Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings by HRO Today. This was only possible through feedback from our clients directly to the multi-channel network for HR decision-makers themselves. Our first accolade with the organization, we hope for the chance to exceed customer expectations moving forward.

What Is the Baker’s Dozen Award?

Each year, via an online survey, HRO Today gathers feedback from the customers of businesses in HR-related industries. Organizations are ranked in three categories to determine their standing: service breadth, deal sizes, and service quality. Service Breadth looks at the variety of available services tailored to distinctive audiences, Service Quality measures how customer expectations have been met, and Size of Deals refers to the average scope of contracts drawn up.

We’re Always Striving to Improve

As an Enterprise Pre-Employment Screening Leader, One Source is committed to providing an excellent experience from day one. We believe that the best way to begin is with a diagnosis of needs followed by:

  • Clear Communication – We listen to our customers and regularly adjust our system, services, and offerings based on feedback. If delays or important compliance updates arise, clients receive notices detailing the situation alongside relevant resources and details on possible resolutions.
  • Proactive Support – We’re happy to provide customers with the resources they need to hire confidently through onboarding and beyond. Plus, our support team is available by call, email, or chat whenever you need them.
  • A Streamlined Experience – Our process offers a smooth and accessible experience for both clients and applicants. Between ATS/HRIS integrations, bulk order uploads, automated reminders, and more, we have the tools needed to keep candidates moving.
  • Quick Turnaround Times – At One Source, accuracy is only one of our primary focuses. The other is ensuring that reports are delivered within 24 to 48 hours, allowing us to deliver the TotalCheck experience every time.

Let Us Know How We Can Help

After 20 years of providing trusted screening solutions, One Source greatly appreciates this new honor. We deeply value old and new relationships with clients, so we pledge to continue improving, listening, and learning.

For more information on how One Source goes above and beyond for our customers and their applicants, contact us.

 

A Comprehensive Review of Screening Compliance

In the world of background checks, compliance is a must. It’s simply a fact of life for both Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) and any organization or business that screens consumers. A nuanced topic though it may be, this article sheds light on the industry-, permissible purpose-, and location-specific requirements that may apply to you. Of course, this article is only a starting point for ensuring your organization complies with background screening laws; consider discussing further with your legal counsel.

Below, we’ve broken down the most important factors to allow you to hone in on what’s relevant to your organization.

Rules & Regulations

Background screening compliance is a joint effort between the CRA who provides the report, the furnishers of data that end up in some reports, and the end user who procures the report. Different regulations and obligations apply to each type of entity, and two federal agencies—the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)—are charged with enforcing them.

Background screening companies can also become accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association’s (PBSA’s) Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP). In short, accredited CRAs like us are committed to excellence and delivering the highest level of standards in six critical areas through accountability and continuous improvement of policies and procedures. For more information about this designation and the process of achieving it, check out our PBSA Accreditation page.

Of course, every business is part of an industry—some of which have specific requirements regarding background checks and additional searches (credit history, social media, USDOT, etc.). Organizations in education, finance, healthcare, or transportation (to name a few) need to adhere to specific constraints regarding hiring and continued employment practices. If you have questions about the specifics of your industry, check with your legal counsel.

End User Responsibilities

When working with an accredited background check company, companies must agree to several policies as end users. These may include, but are not limited to:

  • Reports won’t be used to violate the law
  • Consent has been given by applicants
  • Reports will be used confidentially
  • You won’t sell or disclose information to a third party
  • Applicant identities are confirmed

Further, a permissible purpose must be present to run a background check. Most often this is a Written Instruction for site access or personal screening, a Legitimate Business Need like tenant screening, or for Employment such as hiring, promotion, or retention. No matter the purpose, the organization must first be credentialed before they’re allowed to order a report. Most often, this process involves verifying business information, licenses, and tax documents; it may occasionally require an on-site inspection as well.

State-Specific Legislations

Among the myriad of laws and regulations are two that have been taking the country by storm in recent years: Clean Slate and Ban the Box laws. Essentially, these are legislations passed by individual states to limit the amount of information employers can use to deny individuals employment based on criminal history. The former removes eligible offenses from an individual’s criminal record once they’ve completed their sentence and any post-sentence requirements such as parole or probation and have committed any re-offenses. The latter provides certain procedures regarding criminal history inquiries during the application process and, in some cases, limits employers from asking about criminal history on job applications altogether.

To learn more about these measures and if/how they affect your state, read our previous coverage on these subjects here:

Additional Obligations

Accompanying the larger regulations at play are additional necessary forms and procedures. Each carries its own significance and it’s important not to neglect them:

Disclosure & Authorization forms ensure applicants consent to being screened. All candidates must complete this form either on paper or electronically, it must be up to date, and it must include what will and may be searched.

Adverse Action means rescinding a job offer due to the results of a background check. This is a two-step process where a letter is sent to the applicant in advance to give them time to review the accuracy and completeness of their report and a chance to dispute inaccuracies.

If a prospective hire chooses to dispute information on their report, the CRA is required to perform a re-investigation and notify the furnishers of the data in question. Both the end user and applicant will be notified of the results of said re-investigation.

In summary, compliance should always be top of mind. Your organization needs to adhere to state and industry regulations, be properly credentialed, follow agreed-upon policies and procedures, and provide candidates with the tools they need to ensure their report is accurate.

For questions related to industry-specific standards, consult your legal adviser. For additional information, check out the Society for Human Resource Management’s website or our archive of compliance coverage.

How Social Media Screening Protects Employers & Staff

We have something exciting to share: One Source has a new-and-improved, FCRA-compliant Social Media Hiring Report to offer! It examines common social media sites like Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as over 10,000 other online sources of information for nine different types of workplace misconduct like violence, fraud, harassment, hate speech, and more.

“That’s great,” you might think, “But why should my team incorporate it in our employment screening package?” Well, we’re here to fill you in by covering what information can be revealed and the impact employee social posts can have on a company.

Areas of Concern

These days, nearly everybody (and their dog) has a social media presence. The myriad of platforms available may have different logins, feeds, and content options that can make it difficult to get the full picture of someone’s character; but when viewed together, they can form a cohesive look at a person’s attitudes, beliefs, and online presence.

If hostile language, harassment, or bullying are found on an individual’s account or within their activity, it can be a substantial cause for concern. Should an incident happen due to a lack of oversight in vetting new hires properly, your organization may be liable for a negligent hiring lawsuit. This form of litigation can be costly, too. Reports indicate that the average settlement cashes in at almost $1.5 million, and that’s only in monetary costs. In cases such as these, and even those that don’t make it to court, it doesn’t take long for word to spread and the public to take notice. Let’s look at two examples.

The Court of Public Opinion

In January of this year (2023), TechRaptor reported that a Twitter/X user pointed out that several posts made by the community manager of Limited Run Games, a company that publishes physical copies of popular digital video games, contained targeted and hateful language. Quick to respond—on the same day the tweets were posted, no less—the company investigated the situation and proceeded to terminate the employee in question.

Another instance in May, as reported by New Delhi Television (NDTV), reveals that a now-former-employee of global professional services organization Deloitte called Adolf Hitler “charismatic,” “intellectual,” and a “massive action taker” in a LinkedIn post. Shortly after, backlash grew online until Deloitte terminated their employee as well.

These cases may seem benign, but they represent much more. Each employee had to be trained and compensated, wasting valuable time and money that could have been better spent elsewhere. In addition, the amount of revenue lost to potential customers choosing another company or service provider may not be known for years to come.

At this point, the question becomes, “How can my organization stay ahead of these issues?”

A Solution You Can Trust

The first thing to do is to have a clear policy in place regarding the use of social media. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recommends that it outline what kinds of content can be flagged, the scope of the searches being conducted, and the consequences incurred if problematic content is found.

Following that, you’ll want to include social media screenings as part of your company’s background checks for employment purposes within the hiring process. If hits are found through searches or specific buzzwords, you can receive actionable data to base hiring decisions on in one convenient document. Below is an example of one such report One Source offers:

For more information on the benefits of social media screening, read 3 Reasons Why Companies Should Utilize Social Media Checks or get in touch with us today.

The Impact of a Candidate’s Experience on Your Organization

Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic set job markets ablaze and the “great resignation” in motion, organizations across the globe are still feeling the burn. According to CNBC, it’s still “a favorable environment for many jobseekers,” meaning companies must continue to keep their onboarding tools sharp through 2023 and beyond. After all, the effect applicants have on employers — be it positive or negative — can be felt long after your decision on them has been made.

In this blog, we’ll explore those repercussions and provide actionable steps to keep applicants engaged and your organization top of mind to job seekers.

Word Gets Out

First, according to Starred, a candidate experience analytics platform, applicants are found to often share their experiences with their inner circles — friends, family, and coworkers who may be looking for new jobs themselves. If those interactions are favorable to your organization, you may see an increase in referral candidates as word-of-mouth travels and you enjoy a boost in popularity. Inversely, you may receive fewer referrals if those interactions are poor.

Second, past immediate social circles, many are also found to share their job-hunting experiences through online review sites like Glassdoor and Indeed. These sites have the chance to draw much more attention — which can either be a blessing or a curse. If the critiques shared on those sites are found lacking, quality prospects may pass up your company in favor of others with better reviews, increasing the cost of hiring per employee in the long run.

Finally, your talent pool could be on the line. 65% of rejected candidates say they’d re-apply to a company that has a great application experience. Lose out on them and your pool dries up much quicker. Additionally, candidates have a higher likelihood of entirely withdrawing their application if the experience is bad enough, wasting valuable time and resources.

Keep Your Candidates Moving

As reported by Human Resources content platform HRO Today, eight primary factors influence a positive candidate experience through the employment background screening process: An easy online experience, communication options, elimination of redundant data entry, easy-to-follow instructions, reminders for missing information, report access, turnaround time, and proactive communication.

For a straightforward online experience, clear instructions should be included as part of your proactive communication and throughout the remainder of the process as well. You’ll want to ensure your screening platform is accessible and mobile-friendly, allowing e-signature on forms, autofill, and ATS/HRIS integrations to reduce repetitive data entry if possible.

With time of the essence at this step, confirm that the system can send necessary links to candidates through email or text and, if information is missing, daily reminders to prompt them until completion. Reports should then be returned to you within 24-48 hours to maintain the momentum and, as required by the FCRA, sent to applicants who request them within 24 hours.

At One Source, all of the above comes standard with our TotalCheck package, allowing you to provide a first-rate employment screening experience and maintain a strong employer brand.

To improve your applicant experience, contact us for a free consultation.