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Background Checks Business Research Economy Human Resources Miscellany preemployment screening Retaining Employees Staffing Uncategorized

Dogs in the Work Place Can Create a Pile of Trouble

A friend of ours and the very knowledgeable President of Tech Exec Partners, Inc. wrote most interesting piece on employees who bring their dogs to the office.   This is an original take on a subject that is always fraught with concern.   As Dianne points out there are more concerns than the obvious considerations.   She lists them carefully.   As dogs at work are never compelled to undergo background checks you will never know how they behave in the office.  Around other people.  And, in some cases, where the working environment is zealously pet friendly, around other dogs.

Here is what Diane has to say–

Taking Pets to Work — Good or Bad?

Taking pets to work can be great for morale.  We all love our pets, but what are the pros and cons?

It’s usually easier to take your dog to work if you are employed by a smaller company.  And it’s usually a dog that comes to the office – more than other pets.  Dogs relieve stress.  Have you had an uncomfortable meeting with your boss?  Pet your dog and all is right in your world.

Dogs are conversation starters.  Take your dog on a walk out of the office and you’ll meet everyone in your building.  And you never know who you’re going to meet!

Therapeutic guide animals have long been allowed in public places, helping their owners navigate the world.

Dogs are universally loved, or are they?

Dogs can slow down productivity in the office because they need attention.  You’re playing with the dog, someone else in playing with the dog, or the dog needs to be walked.

Dogs marked their territory.  If another dog has been in our office, your dog might leave “a present” to establish ownership.

Not everyone likes dogs and, in fact, some people are afraid of dogs.  And how does it sound to your important client when you’re on the phone and your dog decides to bark at a delivery person?

And some people are allergic to dogs.  Unless your dog is short-haired and hypoallergenic, you’ll most likely have some fur to clean up.  Better keep Benadryl at the office.

And then there’s favoritism. Can everyone bring a pet to work?  What if you have a pet other than a dog, such as a cat, ferret, snake, or tarantula?

The cons absolutely outweigh the pros; however, it is so delightful and so joyous to have a pet at work, that if your office allows it, it’s a great perk.

Personally, although I love having my dogs at the office, they are far too high maintenance and I feel so much better knowing that they are home and happily barking at strangers.

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Background Checks Economy Human Resources Miscellany preemployment screening Staffing Uncategorized

More People Out of Work But the Bleeding is Slowing Down

The New York Times reported that the jobless rate has increased to 8.9 percent.  That is the bad news.  The good news, however, is that the job slaughter has been substantially reduced.   With the economy in such terrible condition many wondered when will it end.   Now some say at least the downturn is slowing.   If we are not at the bottom of the economy, then we are drawing closer.   As for the turnaround itself, predictions vary.

With the ease in the job losses there are also signs that certain employers are starting to hire again.   There is activity.   As a background screening company, we can see it in the number and types of background checks we conduct for clients, old and new.   There is some motion.   In terms of returning to the heights of a couple of years ago, that is doubtful at best and may take years to recover.   But, hey, just a month or so ago, many people thought there was no end in sight.  Now at least it appears we are nearing the bottom.

One thing I liked about President Obama’s  proposal that a candidate may be entitled to continue their unemployment benefits provided they enroll in school   With the idea being that education is our best investment for equipping people for the jobs of this century, I’d say there are worse ideas than assisting people with going back to school.

Still, we are  a long way out of the woods.    Nearly 14 million people are now out of work.   Job lay offs are still running over 600 thousand per month.  Businesses are folding.   Driving down the streets of Los Angeles, even in the upscale neighborhoods, it is not uncommon to see rows of vacant retail shops.  I’m sure it’s the same everywhere.

But this too shall pass.  Who knows?  We may end up a better nationf or it.

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Background Checks Business Research Economy Human Resources Miscellany preemployment screening Staffing Uncategorized

Employees Getting Less Pay for Longer Hours

As one who grew up hearing stories from the older folks on how labor was in dire straits back in the day, with long hours and lousy pay, until the unions came along.   After much turmoil the older folks would boast, the unions won out and workers were given the forty hour work week, more benefits and better wages.

Now granted it was a different world and the older folks were Great Depression Survivors or who at least grew up in its shadow, hearing stores from their parents, uncles, aunts and the like.   They were focused on basic labor.   Then America was a place for  heavy industry, manufacturing and a lot of manual labor.  It’s a different world.  Instead of white collar and blue collar you have today the employees working in technology and other industries that are not as easily defined in terms of labor and management.   Today it seems there are more polo shirts or even tee shirts in the workforce than white collars or working person’s uniforms.

But now we don’t necessarily face the Great Depression, at least not yet.   We do face a major recession and an economic meltdown that may flatten outbut take years in restoring us to our former economic status.   If ever.    The recession is a wake up call and while employers are struggling in every way to keep afloat the smaert ones are trying to retain their working staffs for the eventual if even limited turnaround.

So now you have media giant, Hachette Filipacchi imposing salary cutbacks and increased working hours.    Unlike other companies that are cutting salaries and creatiing mandatory free days, according to an article int he New York Post, Hachette is imposing six percent pay cuts on all overtime exempt employees and three percent pay cuts on all those workers eligible for overtime.  The company is also extending the workday from 7.5 hours to 8 full hours.  Being Hachette is French owned, this is a notable difference.

But Hachette believes it can save between $3 Million and $5 Million with this move.  They believe it’s the difference between earning a scant profit and going underwater.   This comes on top of the company closing down certain magazines and trying to sell others within its group.   Hachette also wants to sell its office building and move into cheaper digs downtown.

So while the strategic measures from Hachette and others imposes harsher working conditions on its employers, they are not the harsher standards or a throwback to the early union or even pre-union days.    Even the unions realize certain measures have to be taken to keep their members working.   And working, in a market of extreme layoffs and employee buy outs, is the key.  As the elders said about the Great Depression, “you were lucky to just have job.”

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Background Checks Business Research Economy Human Resources Miscellany Retaining Employees Staffing Uncategorized

Background Checks and Interviewing Part of Preemployment Screening

U.S. News and World Report had a recent article in its Small Business and Entrepreneurs Section.   the article was entitled “Interview for Integrity”.    In the article, one of the subjects, Jay Meschke, offers some great tips about interviewing employment candidates.  He comments on everything from spotting possible lies to the increased deception as a result of the economic meltdown and the resulting pressure and desperation in a lousy job market.

Below you can find some of my comments–

Jay Meschke makes some excellent points in his article. But as Co-Founder of Corra Group, and Employment Screening Service, we have had dozens of incidents where the candidate has passed all interview stages and then, in their background check, it was discovered to the surprise and chagrin of the employer that everything was not what it appeared. It could be a falsified education, a criminal record, a lesser job position than what the candidate claimed. It could be a driving record that revealed DUI’s and other issues that would lead an employer to believe this was not the soundest choice.

The example about a candidate claiming he was CFO at a larger company like General Electric is a bit misleading. When we conduct employment verifications, it is a simple matter to obtain verification, including the date started, date completed, and final position. We will even obtain the name and position of the verifying party. However, when verifying employment with a smaller company, it is best to first verify whether the company phone number is indeed that and not the phone number of your candidate’s wife or good friend. Again, it is important to get the name and title of the verifying party.

Most candidates may embellish their employment history. But where those who lie are most prone to fabricate is with college degrees. Most who lie will claim to be graduates when in fact they only attended for a couple of years. Others never attended at all, which always leaves us wondering what motivated them to pick that particular school instead of any one of thousands out there. Was it a large school, where they thought they could get lost in the shuffle? Or was it a smaller school, where they thought it so obscure no one would bother checking? Hard to say.

As noted earlier, Jay Meschke gives some useful tips on how to better utilize the interview process to pick up on red flags and suspicious claims on the part of your candidate. But the fact remains, with most employers it is only after they have decided on their candidate’s do they move forward on their background checks. Any any good backgorund checking service may indeed pickup on the fact it is the candidate’s mother providing a reference and boasting on his outstanding capabilities.

Always remember, as Meschke cautions, the best liars are very good. So check them out before you hire.