Failed Employment Screening in Washington Navy Yard Shooting

Former navy reservist and contractor, Aaron Alexis opened fire at the Washington D.C. navy base where he worked, killing 13 people. With no pre-written note or additional suspects to interview, investigators now search for answers while others are left wondering the inevitable questions, how and why.

On Monday, September 16 the navy computer technician drove his car onto the base, walked to building 197 and entered with his work-issued security card to open the door, carrying with him a black bag. He would then carryout his attack in the atrium of that building.

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Anatomy of a Background Check

Lately, there has been quite a bit of discourse on the topic of background screening in the news. Between the EEOC suing Dollar General and BMW over their alleged discriminatory screening practices, the Philadelphia building collapse in June,and the Snowden/NSA information leaking case, there’s certainly plenty to discuss. But what exactly is a background check?

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Minimize White-Collar Crime in the Workplace

White-collar crime is on track to cost the USA more than $300 billion annually, with the trend steadily growing as technology takes a prominent role in day-to-day business, according to the FBI. White-collar crime is defined as nonviolent financial crimes – commercial or consumer fraud, embezzlement, bribery, etc.

Recently, Mike Levy, Chief of Computer Crimes, U.S. Attorney’s Office, presented “White-Collar Crime: Are You At Risk?” to Fort Washington Business Alliance (FWBA) members at Talamore Country Club in Pennsylvania. Mr. Levy shared how businesses can proactively prevent cyber-crime by managing disgruntled employees, installing software updates and uncovering phishing scams.

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Top 10 Background Check Trends for 2013

The rising popularity of background checks has given rise to new trends for vetting new hires and employees by organizations across the U.S.The growth of background checks also permeates other areas such as screening of volunteers, contractors, business partners, board members, housing tenants and even purchasers of guns. Here’s a list of the latest 10 ten trends for 2013 complied by First Contact HR.

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Hiring Concerns in Philadelphia Building Collapse

Center City, Philadelphia was faced with a tragic event Wednesday, June 5 when a building came crumbling down onto an adjacent building on 22nd and Market Streets. A total of six lives were lost and 13 people injured as rescue crews excavated bodies and survivors from the rubble.

A two-story wall of a building being demolished came down around 10:30am EST onto a neighboring Salvation Army thrift store below. The loss of life in this demolition accident is tragic, and now people are asking the questions: why and how did this happen?

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Background Checks on Summer Interns?

Another school year is coming to a close, summer is just a few weeks away and hundreds of thousands of students who have been vying for coveted summer internships will soon begin their work. For the students, these internships can be invaluable learning opportunities and are often necessary stepping-stones for their career paths or higher education.

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Three Drug Abuse and Detection Trends Employers Need to Know

Quest Diagnostics has recently released a new report on work-related drug testing and the associated trends. The comprehensive report details comparisons between 2011 and the first half of 2012 (January to June) and reveals some striking facts about the state of drug use in a sample of job seekers. The data they collected comes from more than 3.4 million drug tests handled in 2012. Below are the three most significant trends gleaned from the report.

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How to Conduct a Proper Employment Background Check [Infographic]

Employers today know all too well the importance of conducting a background check on new hires. Their reasons however may vary as to why they perform background checks. In our recent infographic on “Why You Need to Background Check,” we graphically illustrated some of the reasons for background screening.

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City of Newark to Implement EEOC Suggestions on Criminal Background Checks

A recent ordinance has been passed that will change the way most employers in Newark, New Jersey are allowed to use and conduct criminal background searches on applicants. Effective November 18th 2012, the ordinance will have a significant impact on the process of hiring new employees for all employers of five or more people that do business in, employ in, or take applications from, the city of Newark.

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Why You Need To Background Check [Infographic]

Your new potential hire has just left your office following a final interview. You feel great about their attitude and they appear to have the pedigree of a top candidate. They have all the signs for success: a resume full of great experience, stories about converting tough clients, and the charisma/charm and character you’ve only ever read about in hiring books.

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