Spring Screening: Why You Need Background Checks for Your Spring Hires

First quarter is one of the busiest for hiring trends. Between February and May, many firms are taking on several new employees. As an employer, this is a good time to be thinking of conducting appropriate employee screening & background checks. On-boarding employees can be a complicated task, not including the risk of hiring someone with a criminal background unknowingly. 

There are huge costs associated with hiring the wrong employee for your organization. If the employee has problems that don't show up on the resume: such as addictions, credit issues, or criminal activity, these may show up later and cause massive HR problems that otherwise may have been avoided.

A background check can usually identify potential problems and may help in the decision making process. It is estimated that more than 40% of resumes contain false or tweaked information. You need to know if the potential employer actually graduated from and worked at where they claimed to have on their resume.

Some types of data may require the new hire to approve the release of information. Depending on the position, a police records check may be necessary.

We’ve compiled a list of Do’s and Don’ts to make things clearer for you,

1.) Do Be Broad - validate previous employment history, check references, check the internet, run a criminal record check

2.) Don't Break the Law - use a reputable firm to advise you on the type of information that can be checked without breaking privacy laws

3.) Do Be Consistent - apply the requirement for pre-employment screening to all short-listed candidates

4.) Don't Seek Only the Negative - background checks can be used to locate positives that can help you choose between well-qualified candidates

5.) Don't Try to do it all Online - Everything is not online! Much of the data that can be legally obtained is best accessed by a licensed firm.

The Renwick Group has experience working with many different types of businesses and organizations providing skip-tracing, fraud investigations, WSIB support, legal team assistance, evidence gathering, employee back-ground checks, and more. We also work with individuals who need help with personal matters. Call us at 1 (888) 722-9807   or visit our website for more contact information.

6 Steps to Prepare for an Employment Background Check

If you’ve recently had a job interview, and you’ve found out that your potential employer will be conducting a background check or pre-employment screening, it is important you prepare for this just as you prepared for your interview.

Understanding what is in a background check can enable you to pro-actively prepare as part of your strategy for employment search. When an employer requests a background check from a Private Investigator, you'll have a better idea of what will be discovered and more confident about how you will look to your potential employer.

So what is involved in a background check? Investigators will most likely look into the following things:

• Your Identity
• Your Education
• Your Financial & Credit History
• Your Driving Records
• Criminal Records
• Online Presence

So what are the steps you can take to prepare for this investigation into your background?

Clean Up Your Online Presence

This is the easiest way for you to make sure your background check comes up clean. Google yourself and see what comes up. Clean up your social media profiles, especially your LinkedIn and Facebook pages. On LinkedIn, your work history should match exactly what you’ve said on your resume.

Personal Identity

As part of the hiring process you should be able to confirm your identity without hunting around for the information you need. Keep at hand proof of identity such as your passport, driver's license and social insurance card.

Education

Employers may want to confirm your educational credentials, so be pro-active and order transcripts of your degrees, diplomas and important certificates. It's a good idea to keep a folder of documentation about courses you have attended or important conferences.

Financial & Credit History

If you are going to be put in charge of or responsible for money or company finances, your prospective employer may investigate your credit history. In Canada contact Equifax or Trans Union Canada to request a copy of your credit report. Take care of any issues right away so you know things are clear beforehand. You may need to confirm previous earnings with a T4, so be prepared to produce a T4 or your Notice of Assessment.

Criminal Record Checks

If you are applying for a position that requires a high security level or will be working directly with the public, you can obtain a Certified Criminal Record check from the RCMP and have this in your file. It is a good idea to verify this information is accurate before your employer pulls it up, just in case there are discrepancies that need to be corrected.

Give Friends, Families, and Coworkers a Heads Up

It is a good idea when you know that a background check will be performed on you to alert the people around you who may be contacted as part of the search. Give them a heads up that they may be contacted so they are prepared.

Discrepancies raise questions - and having a clear, consistent, authenticated story is so much better than trying to explain why sources of information about you, are not aligned.

Mark Swartz, Monster Senior Contributing Writer, writes - What you need to know before Potential Employers Investigate you, on this subject.

"Have you made an employer’s short-list in a job hunt lately? If you’re one of the finalist candidates – or the chosen applicant – the employer may want to conduct a background check on you before bringing you on board. Your work history, identity, financial, and criminal status may be scrutinized as part of the process.

Employers who conduct background checks want to confirm details about you and see if you present a risk to them. Being prepared will help you avoid any nasty surprises. After all the work you’ve done to get this far, you don’t want to let incorrect or missing information prevent you from getting that great new job."

The Renwick Group has experience working with many different types of businesses and organizations providing skip-tracing, fraud investigations, WSIB support, legal team assistance, evidence gathering, employee background checks, and more. We also work with individuals who need help with personal matters. Call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 or visit our website for information.

How to Protect Your Organization from Social Engineering in 6 Important Steps

What is social engineering and how can it be a threat to your organization? 

Social engineering or “social hacking” as it is sometimes referred to, is a way in which people manipulate someone into revealing their confidential information such as passwords, account numbers, network access, or ID’s. As computer networks and programs improve their security, social engineering becomes more prevalent as a way to gain access to this restricted information, often shockingly easily. Rather than breaking into a computer system, they play psychological tricks 
to gain this information.

Some common ways people use social engineering might be posing as a repairman or company representative such as a financial advisor. Recently a teen in the US gained access to the CIA Director’s email by posing as a Verizon worker.

Social hackers may use phone, the web, or even face-to-face tactics to gain information. They might call you posing as a representative from your bank claiming that your account has been flagged for suspicious activity, and demand personal information to “verify” your identity. A hacker may even pose as a collections agency demanding payments and threatening to arrest you if you don’t pay. You may receive an email claiming to be from the IT dept of your own company requiring restricted information to perform audits or system tests. Some hackers are dedicated enough to gain employment at their target in order to gather privileged information.

So how do you protect yourself from these types of psychological attacks? By following some simple guidelines you can make sure your organization does not fall victim to social hackers.

1. Implement a policy at your organization and train all employees on proper security procedures. Empower them to take responsibility for your company's security by using critical thinking and creating a security aware culture. Require them to verify visitor IDs, and report suspicious activity.
2. Implement proper storage and disposal of sensitive documents. Locked filing cabinets, paper shredders, and high-end network security are your best practices.
3. Remember that it is not enough to have a strong password. Have different logins and passwords for different programs, change passwords often, and never reveal your password to anyone.
4. Stand your ground. If you suspect someone is attempting to use these tactics on you, do not give in to intimidation.
5. Damage control. If you suspect you may have fallen victim to a social engineering attack report the incident immediately to authorities, change all passwords, update your network software, and call your financial institutions or monitor your accounts.
6. Hire a private investigator to complete background checks on employees as well as to help you further protect your organization from hacking and fraud.

Social engineering is a common way to gain confidential information, however you can protect yourself and your organization by staying vigilant and following the steps outlined above.

The Renwick Group has experience working with many different types of businesses and organizations providing skip-tracing, fraud investigations, WSIB support, legal team assistance, evidence gathering, employee background checks, and more. We also work with individuals who need help with personal matters. Call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 or visit our website for information.

Why Should You Conduct Tenant Screening Background Checks?

Wouldn’t it be nice is every tenant paid on time and worked hard to make sure they didn’t disturb their neighbours? Tenant screening can help you find the ideal occupant for your property by helping your learn everything you need to know about your potential tenants. There are plenty of great tenants out there, and tenant screening will help you make sure you choose the right one.

The screening process will help you determine if you’re choosing the right tenant. Most screening processes include a criminal background check, credit report, employment references, and rental history. But what if the screening process all checks out fine … but there is still something “off” about the potential new tenant?

Here are some red flags to watch out for:

• Negative opiniona about current or previous landlord
• Bad references (especially a poor reference from a landlord)
• Unexplained “rush” to move in (could indicate a previous eviction) 
• Aggressive pets
• Late arrival to rental showing
• Different people show up for the viewing than previously discussed
• Excessive criticism of property before they move in
• Frequent relocation
• History living with relatives or at motels
• Frequent job changes
• Inability to pay deposit prior to move-in date
• Unprofessional phone or email correspondence
• Promises to “update” your property … at no cost
• Income that is less than 2.5 – 3 times the monthly rent
• Prior eviction(s)
• Unexplained nervousness regarding the screening process 

And of course, a criminal record and poor credit history are the biggest red flags to consider.

A thorough tenant screening process will ensure will cover your bases and protect you from losses related to late/no payments and property damage. Everything that is on your screening application should be verified – don’t take your tenant’s word for it! Protect yourself and your property with a background check.

Property managers and landlords use The Renwick Group background checks to screen their potential tenants. We offer many instant background checks for tenant screening, including credit reports and criminal records.

Contact us today for more information about our tenant screening services.


The Renwick Group has experience working with many different types of businesses and organizations providing skip-tracing, fraud investigations, WSIB support, legal team assistance, evidence gathering, employee background checks, and more. We also work with individuals who need help with personal matters. Call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 or visit our website for information.

5 Simple Tips to Protect Yourself From Intellectual Property Theft and Fraud

Many businesses are at risk of property theft and fraud, causing huge losses in revenue.  Implementing some simple preventative measures can decrease your risk and protect your intellectual property and goods.

1.  The first step in protecting your business is installing a verified alarm system.  Verified alarm systems are different from traditional alarms because they verify the alarm for you.  You will not be dealing with false alarms in the middle of the night that require you to reset your alarm.  Verified alarm companies monitor audio or video security when the sound-based or motion-based alarms are tripped.  If a criminal is attempting to break-in to your business, they dispatch the police immediately.  Verified alarms receive prompt police response and result in criminal apprehensions.  If it is a false alarm, the monitoring station simply resets the alarm.

2.  The second step in protecting your business is a managed access control system.  This will help you monitor which employees access certain areas in your business and allows you to restrict access to certain hours of the day.  Additionally, a managed access control system restricts unauthorized persons from accessing your facility – without the proper key card access, they will be unable to enter.  Electronic key cards and fobs used with managed access control are also easy to disable – in the event that an employee no longer works at your business, it’s simple to remove their access.  This is a simple step you can take if you have a disgruntled employee who still has a key to your building.

3.  Criminal record checks are an important part of employee screening.  Your intellectual property is vulnerable to theft from outside criminals and also internal employees.  Reduce your risk by thoroughly screening employees prior to employment to identify any potential risk factors.

4.  If you’ve implemented a managed access system, you can take an extra step to protect intellectual property, client information or high-end products by limiting access to a specific office or server room.  Restrict access to managers or authorized persons to limit the amount of people who are able to access the room.

5.  Unsecured workstations increase your vulnerability to theft.  Secure your workstations, disable drives and protect your printers.  This will limit easy access to important internal information.  Securing your workstations will ensure the smash-and-grab criminal cannot remove a computer drive easily.  Disabling drives such as USB ports or other means of connecting external drives prevent employees from copying confidential data.  Protecting your printers reduces the chances of printer theft – printers often hold data in their on-board memory.

Implementing these five preventative security measures can considerably reduce your risk of theft.  Theft of intellectual property and confidential information can lead to many negative consequences for your business.  Make sure to take the steps to protect yourself from loss.

The Renwick Group has the knowledge and experience to help you or your business solve problems such as fraud, skip tracing, locating people, litigation support, labour dispute management, and more.. Please call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 to discuss your situation.

Background Checks – Employee Screening or Online Dating?

Background Checks are no longer limited to employment screening. In fact, there is a growing trend of background checks conducted for online daters. With one-in-five adults ages 25-34 years using online dating to find that special someone (Pew Research), it’s becoming more and more common for online daters to conduct a background search on their potential new partner.

While online dating sites have implemented rules to help prevent emotional, physical or financial hardships, conducting your own background check can add an extra measure of protection against any scammers and ensure your personal safety.

The Better Business Bureau received more than 4,000 complaints regarding dating sites in 2014, some of which were related to scams. And with the growing trend in online dating, the potential for scammers and dishonestly online will continue to grow.

Background checks can identify dishonest online daters by revealing:

• True identity 
• Marital status 
• Criminal records and convictions
• Financial history
• Undisclosed debt
• Hidden addictions
• False profile information 

You can expect a certain level of dishonestly in most online dating profiles – after all, the dating profile is more like a personal advertisement than a true reflection of personality. That being said, hiding criminal convictions and marital status are key pieces of information that could influence your dating decisions.

While the most common motivation for a background check is fear of getting hurt in a new relationship, it can also help weed out any potential partners that don’t fit in with your long-term plans. Once you make a connection, take the time to get to know each other before meeting. And when you do meet, protect yourself by meeting in a public place rather than somewhere secluded. Following a few dates, you can make the decision on whether or not to conduct a background check.


The Renwick Group offers flexible, comprehensive background check services to our clients.

Click here to learn more or contact us for more information.


The Renwick Group is Canada’s leading Private Investigation Company specializing in Skip Tracing – we locate hidden assets, people, missing autos & boats, witnesses, beneficiaries, property and missing persons.

Identify Falsified Resumés Before a Background Check

Background checks are the most effective way to identify potential problems prior to hiring a new employee.

More than 40% of resumés contain false or tweaked information!

While a background check will identify issues such as addictions, poor credit and criminal activity, they are typically conducted near the end of the hiring process. You can screen your stack of resumés to identify false information and inconsistencies, allowing you to minimize the amount of interviews and subsequent background checks.


The most commonly falsified areas on a resumé include:

1. Employment History

2. Job Skills

3. Education Credentials

4. Salary and Job Title

Now that we have identified the main areas of embellishment, here are some things to look for to help you recognize false information:

1. Unexplained Gaps in Employment. This is the most obvious red flag. An unexplained gap could mean the job applicant has a history of being fired or leaving jobs often. You should also check to make sure dates of employment line-up during your reference checks.

2. Unusual Periods of Self-Employment. This is a tactic that can be used to fill gaps in employment. Candidates may have asked friends or family to act as clients and provide reference checks.

3. Reluctance to Explain a Reason for Leaving a Job. A job applicant who isn’t forthcoming with the reason for leaving a job most likely left on bad terms. Give them the opportunity to explain their reluctance – there may be a confidentiality or privacy issue that cannot be disclosed.

4. Minimal Details. Most resumés will include a job title, organization name and location, alongside a job description. A resumé lacking any of those details may indicate job history discrepancies.

5. Careful Wording or Self-Acclamation. Watch for misleading wording or omitted information. A bachelor’s degree that has no listed graduation date or an unfamiliar educational institution may indicate false information. In addition, self-acclamation's such as “award-winning” should be collaborated with credentials.

6. Unverifiable Information. Gaps on a resumé, job positions, self-employment. Most social media sites provide an opportunity to cross-check information for inconsistencies.

Following these tips should help you sift through job applications and create a short-list. From here, you can conduct interviews and background checks to ensure you’re making the correct hiring decision. Most importantly, remember to trust your instincts and if you think you’ve found the right candidate, give them the opportunity to discuss any issues you have found on their resumé.

The Renwick Group has experience working with many different types of businesses and organizations providing skip-tracing, fraud investigations, WSIB support, legal team assistance, evidence gathering, employee background checks, and more. We also work with individuals who need help with personal matters. Call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 or visit our website for more contact information.

Making a Hiring Decision? Get a Background Check!

One of the services we conduct for businesses of all sizes, is employment background checks or pre-employment checks.

If you're making a hiring decision soon, this is something you should think about.

The cost of hiring the wrong employee can be huge. If the employee has problems that don't show up on the resume, like addictions, credit issues, criminal activity, these may come back to haunt you and create all kinds of HR problems in the future.

A background check can identify potential problems and may help in the decision making process. It is estimated that over 40% of resumes contain false or tweaked information.  Did the potential hire really graduate from the college indicated or worked at the previous employer as stated?

Some types of data may require the new hire to approve the release of information. Depending on the position a police records check may be necessary.

Here are some Do's and Don'ts For Employment Background Checks

1.) Do Be Broad - validate previous employment history, check references, check the internet, run a criminal record check

2.) Don't Break the Law - use a reputable firm to advise you on the type of information that can be checked without breaking privacy laws

3.) Do Be Consistent - apply the requirement for pre-employment screening to all short-listed candidates

4.) Don't Seek Only the Negative - background checks can be used to locate positives that can help you choose between well-qualified candidates

5.) Don't Try to do it all Online - Everything is not online! Much of the data that can be legally obtained is best accessed by a licensed firm.


The Renwick Group has experience working with many different types of businesses and organizations providing skip-tracing, fraud investigations, WSIB support, legal team assistance, evidence gathering, employee back-ground checks, and more. We also work with individuals who need help with personal matters. Call us at 1 (888) 722-9807   or visit our website for more contact information.

Protect Your Business With Background Checks

When The Renwick Group are conducting background checks for our clients we fit our services to the clients needs and budgets.  Each search and check we make is unique, therefore we always build a custom backgound check plan for you.  Investigations can be limited to certain aspects of a company's or individual's backgound history, or a complete background information check is required.

False Identities

Our cost-effective background investigations include comprehensive public records search, database research, deep Internet and Social Media coverage, as well as in-depth personal profiles based on interviews with associates (optional).

Our investigators have experience in conducting background investigations for a variety of purposes, including witness, plaintiff or defendant backgrounds in litigation - civil or criminal, background investigations for financial transactions and suspected fraud, and pre-employment background checks.



Here is an example of some of the Standard Background Checks that we may conduct on individuals.

• Bankruptcy records
• Liens and judgment histories
• Security filings
• Criminal records
• Civil litigation, national and provincial
• Revenue Canada Tax Issues
• Employment histories
• Canadian SIN and USA Social Security number verification
• Aliases, if any
• Address histories
• Property records
• Business associations
• Fictitious name filings
• Professional licenses and certifications
• Workers Compensation records
• Motor vehicles registered
• Media coverage
• Deep Internet and Social Media Activity

And here is an example of some of the background checks we do for Corporate and Company searches:

• Financial and operating history
• Management structure and issues
• Ownership interests, including hidden owners
• Litigation involving the company, directors and owners
• Environmental liabilities
• Assets and revenues, including overstatements
• Unrealistic projections
• Unrecorded or understated liabilities, liens, judgments or expenses
• Executive reputations
• General business reputation
• Misrepresentations and non-disclosure of material facts

At the end of a backgound check and search, we provide our clients with well-written reports that include both a summary of significant findings, an analysis of the information we have uncovered and recommendations for further investigation when warranted, as well as a compilation of the information we have found in an easy-to-read format.

Additionally we will let you know if there are any legal and juristrictional challenges in searching certain types of information and records.

The Renwick Group is a private investigation firm founded in 1997 and is based in Barrie, Ontario. We excel in delivering our core Private Investigation Services in the most efficient, secure, and professional manner.​

5 Tips for Job Searchers - Background Checks

The Renwick Group provides pre-employment screening, or background checks, to help organizations avoid costly hiring mistakes. It is important, especially for recruitment of senior positions, to confirm the details of identity, legal history, and even financial record.

From a potential employees point of view, understanding what is in a background check can enable you to pro-actively prepare as part of your strategy for employment search. When an employer requests a background check from a Private Investigator, you'll have a better idea of what will be discovered and more confident about how you will look to your potential employer.

1. Personal Identity: As part of the hiring process you should be able to confirm your identity without hunting around for the information you need. Keep at hand proof of identity such as your passport, drivers license and social insurance card.
2. Education: Employers may want to confirm your educational credentials, so be pro-active and order transcripts of your degrees, diplomas and important certificates. It's a good idea to keep a folder of documentation about courses you have attended or important conferences.
3. Credit History & Earnings: If you are going to be put in charge of or responsible for money or company finances, your prospective employer may investigate your credit history. In Canada contact Equifax or Trans Union Canada to request a copy of your credit report. Take care of any issues right away so you know things are clear beforehand. You may need to confirm previous earnings with a T4, so be prepared to produce a T4 or your Notice of Assessment.
4. Legal History: If you are applying for a position that requires a high security level or will be working directly with the public, you can obtain a Certified Criminal Record check from the RCMP and have this in your file.
5. Web Profile: While you're looking for employment, keep an eye on your online profile. What turns up in a search? Have you considered privacy settings on social media? If you use a website like LinkedIn make sure the information is up-to-date and is the same as the information you provided to the employer in print. Discrepancies raise questions - and having a clear, consistent, authenticated story is so much better than trying to explain why sources of information about you, are not aligned.

Mark Swartz, Monster Senior Contributing Writer, writes - What you need to know before Potential Employers Investigate you, on this subject.

"Have you made an employer’s short-list in a job hunt lately? If you’re one of the finalist candidates – or the chosen applicant – the employer may want to conduct a background check on you before bringing you on board. Your work history, identity, financial, and criminal status may be scrutinized as part of the process.

Employers who conduct background checks want to confirm details about you and see if you present a risk to them. Being prepared will help you avoid any nasty surprises. After all the work you’ve done to get this far, you don’t want to let incorrect or missing information prevent you from getting that great new job."

read full article..
source: Career-Advice.Monster.ca

Renwick customizes Background Checks to fit Client needs

When The Renwick Group conducting background checks for our clients we fit our services to the clients needs and budgets.  Each search and check we make is unique, therefore we always build a custom backgound check plan for you.  Investigations can be limited to certain aspects of a company's or individual's backgound history, or a complete background information check is required. 

False Identities

 

Our cost-effective background investigations include comprehensive public records search, database research, deep Internet and Social Media coverage, as well as in-depth personal profiles based on interviews with associates (optional). 

 

Our investigators have experience in conducting background investigations for a variety of purposes, including witness, plaintiff or defendant backgrounds in litigation - civil or criminal, background investigations for financial transactions and suspected fraud, and pre-employment background checks.
Here is an example of some of the Standard Background Checks that we may conduct on individuals.

• Bankruptcy records
• Liens and judgment histories
• Security filings
• Criminal records
• Civil litigation, national and provincial
• Revenue Canada Tax Issues
• Employment histories
• Canadian SIN and USA Social Security number verification
• Aliases, if any
• Address histories
• Property records
• Business associations
• Fictitious name filings
• Professional licenses and certifications
• Workers Compensation records
• Motor vehicles registered
• Media coverage
• Deep Internet and Social Media Activity

And here is an example of some of the background checks we do for Corporate and Company searches:

• Financial and operating history
• Management structure and issues
• Ownership interests, including hidden owners
• Litigation involving the company, directors and owners
• Environmental liabilities
• Assets and revenues, including overstatements
• Unrealistic projections
• Unrecorded or understated liabilities, liens, judgments or expenses
• Executive reputations
• General business reputation
• Misrepresentations and non-disclosure of material facts

At the end of a backgound check and search, we provide our clients with well-written reports that include both a summary of significant findings, an analysis of the information we have uncovered and recommendations for further investigation when warranted, as well as a compilation of the information we have found in an easy-to-read format.

Additionally we will let you know if there are any legal and juristrictional challenges in searching certain types of information and records.

The Renwick Group is a private investigation firm founded in 1997 and is based in Barrie, Ontario. We excel in delivering our core Private Investigation Services in the most efficient, secure, and professional manner.​

Shocking Truth - 1 in 7 Resumes have 'Errors' - That's Why Pre-Employment Screening is So Important!

We came across a shocking figure the other day ... It is estimated that almost one in seven resumes contain some form of discrepancy – most commonly dates of employment, academic and professional qualifications and undisclosed directorships.

Therefore, Pre-employment screening services are gaining in popularity to help your organisation to identify undesirable individuals, who may be dishonest or susceptible to committing fraud, before they join you.

These are the minimum verification requirements:

Employment application forms vary from one organisation to another, but often you can request additional information relating to an applicant’s:

• Identity (full name and date of birth)
• Residential address
• Educational and/or professional qualifications
• Employment history (including any gaps) and references
• Right to work in the Canada
• Criminal history
• Financial background.

Depending upon the type of vacancy and sector in which your organisation operates, it may be necessary to verify some or all of this information.

As a minimum, you should aim to verify the applicant’s identity, residential address, eligibility to work in the position applied for and previous employment history.

Here is an important piece of information - the background checks your organisation conducts should be proportionate to the risks associated with the advertised role. For example, managerial or financial positions may require more extensive screening. Particular care should be taken in screening applicants for positions with access to customer records and/or other confidential information, such as call centre staff.

What is pre-employment screening?

Pre-employment screening is the process of checking that information provided by a prospective employee – usually in a job application form, resume or CV – is accurate and complete. The results are used to make an informed decision about the suitability of an applicant for a particular vacancy.

To be effective, pre-employment screening should be completed before a prospective employee starts work; otherwise it may be too late.

Why is pre-employment screening important?

Pre-employment screening can provide some assurance that a prospective employee is trustworthy and has the necessary skills and/or experience required to perform the role they have applied for.

It can also deter dishonest individuals from applying in the first place.
Pre-employment screening will not completely protect your business against an employee committing fraud once they have started working for you – an individual’s personal and/or financial circumstances can change over time – but it can help to reduce the risk of this occurring.

The risks of not screening

Failure to undertake pre-employment screening may expose your organisation to the risks of:

• Abuse of procurement and/or staff expense reimbursement processes.
• Theft of business assets, customer information and/or intellectual property rights.
• Use of your business premises and/or equipment to conduct unauthorised or illegal activities.
• Appointment of individuals not suitably qualified or experienced for the role and/or who are dishonest.

Common types of pre-employment fraud include:

• Uses a false identity
• Impersonates an innocent party
• Use of a false immigration document
• Provides false education and/or professional qualifications
• Provides false references
• Conceals his or her employment history
• Conceals his or her employment record
• Conceals unspent criminal conviction(s)
• Conceals adverse financial and/or credit history.

Taking action

If you discover that a prospective employee has provided a serious material falsehood on his or her application form for employment with your organisation, you should:

1. Withdraw any offer of employment that has been made.
2. Report the matter to the appropriate authorities (such as the Police, Canada Border Agency, etc).
3. Notify any recruitment agency involved that a fraudulent employment application form has been submitted.

Finally, your organisation may wish to consider conducting periodic checks on employees being promoted, as well as in high risk positions, to ensure they remain.

The Renwick Group - www.therenwickgroup.ca - 1 (888) 722-9807 - is a private investigation firm founded in 1997 and is based in Barrie, Ontario, covering Toronto, GTA and South Central Ontario. We excel in delivering our core Private Investigation Services in the most efficient, secure, and professional manner.​ - Our services include: Surveillance, Skip Tracing, Pre-Employment Screening, Litigation Support and Labour Dispute Management

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What is Pre-Employment Screening and Why Is It Important?

At The Renwick Group we are noticing a trend in the number of organizations, particular small companies without HR resources, take on our pre-employment screening services.

Basically, the employer wants to make sure that the applicant who is in the final stages of getting the job, is properly vetted, screened and all the final resume checks are made to determine that everything presented is true and honest.

In the course of pre-employment checks a number of factors may, individually or in combination, raise concerns about the integrity or reliability of the applicant. Credit report checks for example, can provide assurance that there are no significant credit or debt problems that could place the individual in a vulnerable position.





Other factors to look out for include:

• involvement in illegal activities
• criminal convictions relevant to the role, particularly if not volunteered by the applicant
• false or unsubstantiated claims on the CV or application form
• unsubstantiated qualifications
• unexplained gaps in employment history
• adverse references
• questionable documentation e.g. lack of supporting paperwork or concern that documents are not genuine
• evasiveness or unwillingness to provide information on the part of the candidate.

Pre-employment Screening

  

Pre-employment screening can be also be used to confirm an applicant's identity, nationality and immigration status, and to verify their declared skills and employment history.

  

Additional Security Screening

 

With some employmnet situations, addtional security is required for the position and we can add a security screening process, including:

• more robust procedures on confirming the individual's identity
• a five year employment confirmation
• robust financial checks for Court Judgements and bankruptcies
• more robust procedures where career and history records are incomplete
• Deep criminal records checks
• Detailed migrant worker checks with visa and paperwork validation

Hiring qualified, honest employees is critical to the success of your organization being diligent with your hiring process can be important.

We understand that hiring the right candidate can involve more than just pre-employment screening and a criminal background check.  Using the most reliable technology to search nationwide and beyond - instantly in many cases - The Renwick Group delivers the decision-making information you need. Criminal background checks, verifications, license checks and many more employee background check services are moved at speed so you, and your business, can move forward.

The Renwick Group - www.therenwickgroup.ca - 1 (888) 722-9807 - is a private investigation firm founded in 1997 and is based in Barrie, Ontario, covering Toronto and South Central Ontario. We excel in delivering our core Private Investigation Services in the most efficient, secure, and professional manner.​

Trends in Pre-Employment Screening Services

The Renwick Group provides full pre-employment screening services to our clients.  We've noticed that this arera of business is changing rapidly, both from the applicant and employer sides, primarily due to new technologies being introduced. 

 

Here is the Wikipedia entry that helps to update us on new trends in Pre Employment Screening.

 

The Market

 

Larger companies are more likely to outsource than their smaller counterparts – the average staff size of the companies who outsource is 3,313 compared to 2,162 for those who carry out in-house checks.

Primary step will be to screen the resume from a list of prospective applicants. A preliminary telephonic or web based interview is held to identify the range of discrepancy within the resume and the interviewee. Such a move also helps to identify whether the resume is professionally written, elaborated or involve resume fraud. Further a series of resumes are shortlisted.

 

Financial services firms outsource the service the most, with over a quarter (26%) doing so, compared to an overall average of 16% who outsource vetting to a third party provider.

 

However, recent research by Powerchex shows a reverse in the trend. They found that in the 2006/7 period CV discrepancies had fallen by 31% to 13%.

Background Verification

Pre-screening background verification and post-interview background checks are two strategies that are involved in pre-employment screening. Pre-screening background verification is deployed when the even the interview will contain data or information which are vital for the organization to disclose. Such a strategy is used mostly in the Military, strategic industries and higher levels of employees. While post-hiring background verification occurs once the resumes are shortlisted for pre-employment screening.

Third party background verification firms allow candidates to screen their own backgrounds on basis of identity, address, references, criminal background checks, drug test, financial records, court record checks and driving license verification and to verify the authenticity of their resume. Such a strategy allows candidates to gain a preferential advantage as it reduces background check expenses from the point of view of the recruiter.

Male/female

It is alleged that men stand a higher chance of clearing the pre-employment screening than women. However equality of opportunity gives women an equal platform for employment as some firms like Facebook, Google insist the candidates not to disclose about their gender during pre-employment screening. This reduces gender bias during stages of pre-employment screening. Women are marginally more likely to have a discrepancy on their CV: 13% of applicants submitted by women have a discrepancy compared to only 10% of those for men.

Impact of qualifications

Graduates have marginally less discrepancies: 13% of their CVs contain a discrepancy compared to 17% of non-graduates.

Impact of seniority and age

Since Equal Opportunity or Equality of Opportunity is considered important and ethical in the job market, seniority of age is left to question in the preliminary stages of pre-employment screening.

 

However the age of the candidate can be verified from various documents that are mandatory to be submitted. However the recent trend is to follow the equality of opportunity to all the candidates at the preliminary stages of screening. Someone in a junior administrative position is 23% more likely to have a discrepancy on their CV than in a managerial role. An applicant aged under 20 is 26% more likely to have a discrepancy than a 51-60 year old.

 

The Renwick Group Provides Full Pre Employment Screening Services - www.therenwickgroup.ca

 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trends_in_pre-employment_screening