Fri, December 28th, 2007 - 12:52 pm - By Gordon Basichis
Corra believes that nothing is smarter than running background checks on your employment candidates and conducting corporate research on prospective vendors, clients and strategic partners. These checks can reveal the histories of your candidates and the current status of your business relations.
With the changing paradigm of the economy, corporate research is becoming more essential. It is important to know who is heading up the companies with which you are entering strategic ventures. It is good to know their economic and legal health and whether they can pay you on time.
Corra offers business credit reports as well as business partner background research. We offer a complete range of background searches for your preemployment screening needs.
In this changing landscape, be smart and do your homework. Be it business ventures or recruiting candidates, you will find that the necessary research will help you avoid needless and costly litigation and uncomfortable hiring and ventures that could result in embarrassing situations.
Check them out before you hire.
Thu, December 27th, 2007 - 4:27 pm - By Gordon Basichis
Corra has seen the background checking industry change dramatically in the last several years. More and more companies are discovering the smart move is to have a preemployment screening program in place. It is smart business It is cost effect, and it will go a long way in reducing expensive liability issues.
With the year coming to a close and the new year about to begin, Corra suggest you take stock of your needs. Establishing a good pre-employment screening program, and be sure that the background searches in your program are more than sufficient to cover all your needs.
After all, with the changing landscape of the workplace, more businesses are conducting international criminal searches as well as education verification on their foreign candidates. Corra conducts international criminal searches for most nations around the world.
Corra isn’t saying new about the world being full of surprises. Some are pleasant surprises, but most unfortunately are not so pleasant. The trick is to take necessary measures to reduce the level of unpleasant surprises. In the world of employment that means conducting background checks as a good means of avoiding mishaps.
So put a preemployment program in place for the coming year. And if you have one, be sure to update it so it meets your present needs.
Remember, check them out before you hire.
Happy New Year to one and all.
Fri, December 21st, 2007 - 11:42 am - By Gordon Basichis
Corra would like to wish clients, colleagues friend and associates a wonderful holiday season. We know more than a few of you have been rushing to get in your last minute preemployment screening checks or have been signing up for new background checking accounts. But now it’s time for all of us to take a break for a few well deserved days.
Next year we may see many changes in the industry. Corra will be offering more sophisticated criminal reports and will be expanding its corporate research. I’m sure you will find new challenges and adjustments will be necessary. Think about it over a nice glass of egg nog.
So whether it’s Christmas, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, or merely the Holiday Season, have a good one, have a safe one. And remember, check them out before you hire.
Thu, December 20th, 2007 - 3:49 pm - By Gordon Basichis
Reinventing the Cheeseburger
Burgerville’s Tom Mears took an icon of damn-the-whales consumer excess–the drive-thru cheeseburger–and turned it green. In the process, he reanimated his business.
From: Inc. Magazine| By: Chris Lydgate
Distinguishing itself from the pack
Burgerville had been a Northwest institution since its founding in 1961. But by the early 1990s, the chain had lost its sizzle. Guest counts were flat; the menu was stale. Heavyweight rivals such as McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) and Burger King (NYSE:BKC) were stripping away customers. CEO Tom Mears ultimately figured that a family-owned chain of 39 quick-service restaurants, based in Vancouver, Washington, would never beat the big chains on price–so he put the focus on quality. It was a risky move for a burger joint. Nonetheless, Burgerville’s emphasis on fresh, local food appealed to diners’ hometown pride and tapped a nascent consumer hunger for more healthful, less processed food. Since then, Burgerville has launched several products built around key local ingredients. The most popular is probably the Tillamook Cheeseburger, shown here, which is made up almost entirely of sustainable, locally grown ingredients–and costs a mere $3.29.For the entire article go to Inc.com
Corra sees the trend where going green can bring you bucks. Given this trend, which we assume will expand as more industries are created with the intent of cleaning up the environment, a business would be smart to review its environmental standards.
It would also pay to hire employment candidates who are cognizant of this new trend. It is even better to hire those who can lead you in the green direction. Be it the lowly burger standard of major industries where part of their attraction is the fact they are environmentally sound, ecologically progressive employees may help expand your client base and generate higher revenues in multiple channels.
Corra also notes that doing business with environmentally conscious businesses is good PR and good business practice. Consumers and clients prefer companies who try to work with other companies who support environmental causes. A bit of business research would never hurt before choosing a vendor or supplier.
As for your employment candidates, it may pay to check out their driving records as well as their education history as a means to help assess their interest in the environment. Those who drive responsibly and are better educated tend to pay more attention to the environment.
Go green. Grown your business. Check them out before you hire.
Wed, December 19th, 2007 - 3:09 pm - By Gordon Basichis
Communicating Across Cultures
Working in a global corporate environment does not mean having pockets of the same ethnicity on different floors. This does not count as diversity at its best.
Diversity within the workplace does mean promoting an environment where differences are valued and everyone has the opportunity to achieve his or her potential without bias.
For a company to promote diversity, it means more than just hiring those from underrepresented groups. And it is more than lip service on a Web site.
Diversity means hiring, promoting and working together without discrimination.
For the entire article go to www.techexecpartners.com
To borrow a baseball slogan, this country is as good as the depth on its bench. This means that more skilled and educated people from more places add special dimensions to our labor pool. Corra believes this helps us remain competitive in the global market place.
Job candidates from different national backgrounds can only help you understand the global environment, the particular cultures of the developed and developing nations. Some candidates already enjoy relationships in developing markets. At the very least they can assist in gaining footholds and expanding in selected nations.
To accommodate this change in the way we do business, Corra provides International Background Searches for foreign candidates. We can provide international criminal searches as well as international education and employment verification searches. Prices will vary from country to country, but in most cases, running international background checks will prove cost effective.
Check them out before you hire.
Tue, December 18th, 2007 - 12:45 pm - By Gordon Basichis
Survey: Most Employees Don’t Care About Going Green
Environmentally friendly business practices rank near the bottom of what job seekers consider.
From: Inc.com By: Liz Webber
More Americans may be going green at home these days, but when it comes to the workplace, environmental concerns fall near the bottom of a list of what they look for in a new position, according to a new survey.The survey, conducted by Jobfox, a McLean, Va.-based online job service, found that 5 percent of respondents prefer a company that is “ecologically-friendly” — making it 18th on a list of the top 20 characteristics job seekers look for when considering a career change.”I think what it’s saying is people will take environmentalism if it’s a free good,” said Rob McGovern, founder and CEO of Jobfox. “Will people pay more for it or make a career sacrifice for it? We’re not seeing that.”
For the entire article go to Inc.com
Corra has always found it odd that many workers fail to see the advantages of a green environment. Not only do they fail to understand how a non-environmentally sound work place impacts their health, but they don’t see how the savings and lack of waste will help advance the business itself.
Smart employers will take into consideration a candidate’s disposition toward the environment. Those who are uncaring about the environment will probably prove less responsible in managing their affairs int he workplace. These are the employees who will be more wasteful, at least, less inclined to conserve on materials and power.
It’s fair to say any shrewd business owner wants employees who are progressive. More so, these are the employees who will prove more in touch with the tone and tenor of the times. They will be more aware what clients and customers are looking for and how clients and customers regard a green company, compared to one that ignores any environmental factors.
Conducting a credit history report and MVR Driving report are smart ideas when ascertaining a candidate’s behavior and sense of responsibility. Those who are fiscally irresponsible will not be as responsible in handling business affairs. They will leave the lights on and help themselves to a disproportionate share of office supplies. Their expense accounts might prove more creative than usual.
Conducting an education verification search and taking note of what courses someone took outside of his major may prove helpful in determined his sense of environmental responsibility.
At any rate, the world is going green. The world is less sanguine about those that don’t get the message. Don’t risk upsetting your clients and customers. Be progressive. As for your candidates, check them out before you hire.
Mon, December 17th, 2007 - 2:20 pm - By Gordon Basichis
Hollywood Writers Strike Threatens to Hit Small Businesses Hardest
Small production companies and other firms in Los Angeles are already considering layoffs.
From: Inc.com By: Jason Del Rey
As the Writers Guild of America strike threatens to stretch into its second week, small businesses that depend directly or indirectly on the entertainment industry for revenue are starting to feel the financial crunch.Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, said that 84 percent of the companies in the Los Angeles TV and movie production industry are small businesses that employ less than 10 workers.
“Prop houses and companies that are doing costumes are starting to consider laying people off,” Kyser said. “And then there’s the ripple impact on restaurants, coffee houses, and other businesses in these areas.”
For the complete story go to Inc.com
The recent Writers Guild Strike in Hollywood is but one strong example of how a labor dispute can disrupt many small businesses. Since we are based in Los Angeles, Corra gets to see first hand how the small businesses in the area are starting to feel the economic pain of a protracted strike.
Mind you, small business sufferings aren’t just limited to strikes, but to weather conditions, factory closures and relocations, and even something as terrible as a terrorist threat. So perhaps the lesson to be learned here is to decide whether you will live your regional business to the fates or whether you will expand to a national or greater regional landscape.
Clearly, with the Internet and all the incumbent electronic technology, one can grow a business from a very tiny seed. But in growing that business, one has to explore strategic partnerships and ventures and to research whether new clients can be trusted to pay you in a timely fashion.
Corra suggests you look into our business research services. We can conduct all corporate credit checks and partner-vendor/comprehensive background checks on principals in different companies to help you gauge whether they are reputable and reliable.
It may be time to go national, or even global. But first check them out before you do business.
Thu, December 13th, 2007 - 12:28 pm - By Gordon Basichis
The Holiday Season is upon us. Soon we will be in the New Year. We all look forward to he prospect of better times, what with this year often proving a bit rough economically.
Corra sure hopes we see an upswing and that everyone has the kind of year we hope for.
Meanwhile, you may be planning to hire more employees next year or to switch your employment background screening providers. If so, think Corra. We provide the intimate personal service we have come to be known for.
Check them out before you hire.