Training Programs And Courses
Hiring the Best: Applicant Interviewing Techniques & Strategies
A one or two day in-house training program on pre-employment interviewing techniques, which can be customized to meet you needs.
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Services
The Integrity Interview - Pre-employment interview of your applicants, with a specific focus on their honesty and integrity; additional background checks available.
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The Behavior Analysis Interview - Investigative Interviews of individuals suspected of wrongdoing; conducted on your premises or in our office.
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Polygraph Examinations - Specific issue polygraph examinations administered to determine the subject's truthfulness regarding the issue under investigation .
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The Value of a Strong Pre-employment Screening Process
From HR Fact Finder March 2003
"The Perfect Candidate"
"What qualities do employers want most from the college students they consider candidates for employment? Communication skills, honesty and integrity, and teamwork skills are at the top of the list, according to respondents to a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Employers responding to NACE's Job Outlook 2003 survey were asked to rate the importance of candidate qualities and skills on a five-point scale, with five being "extremely important" and one being "not important." Communication skills (4.7 average), honesty/integrity (4.7), teamwork skills (4.5)....."
Seeing Eye to Eye on Ethics, EMA Reporter November/December 2002 Carolyn Hirschman
Do you tolerate job applicants' little white lies? Nationwide Insurance doesn't - and neither do most companies that take ethics seriously.
Inflating resumes is nothing new, and most employers do not hesitate to fire employees caught lying. But Nationwide, a Columbus, Ohio-based insurance company of 29,000 employees, tries to prevent people who don't meet its strong ethical standards from being hired to begin with.
Ethical hiring isn't just a feel-good thing; it's a practice that contributes to an employer's long term success, - it does help retention and productivity, experts say.
Traditional practices - behavioral interviews, reference checks, resume verification and psychological tests "are being used with greater care."
Behavioral Interviewing: Hiring Right the First Time New York State HR Review Fall/Winter 2002 Vicky McGrath and Elizabeth Kennally
"In a behavior based interview, you begin with a description of a typical work situation and then ask applicants how they have responded to similar situations in their past work experience. This allows applicants to relate their competencies and how they have applied them in previous jobs, while allowing you to better assess how they might act when faced with similar situations in your company.
Here are some sample behavioral interview questions to get you started:
 Problem Solving: "Describe how you went about solving a difficult problem."
Customer Service: "Tell me about a particularly difficult customer situation and how you handled it."
Time Management: "Occasionally we all feel swamped. Tell me about a time you felt snowed under and how you got through it."
Change Management: "Tell me about a situation in which you had to adjust quickly to changes and organizational priorities."
Key Successes:"What do you consider your greatest achievement? How were you able to succeed?"
Coaching: "Think of the last time you worked with an employee to improve his or her performance. How did you go about it? Were you successful?
(The following are excerpts from HR and Security Publications)
Detecting "Doctored Resumes" Reference Point Spring/Summer 2002 Peter LeVine
"The most common falsifications Levine sees are:
Education - claiming to have attended universities or earned degrees that they did not;
Dates of Employment - turning brief job stints into long ones or covering gaps in employment;
Job titles that may be more impressive than the actual positions;
Specific Accomplishments or job impact that can't be verified; and
Credentials - licenses, certifications, or memberships that are no longer valid or don't allow the person to practice in another state.
If you are gong to invest money in something, do it right, Levine says. Spending a little time thinking about what you want to find out about an applicant can go a long way towards gathering the information that will help you make an informed decision."
Loss Prevention & Security Journal
September 2002
"Sharing Responsibility for Workplace Violence: Prescreening Applicants Can Limit Negligent Hiring Claims"
The article relates a number of claims based on negligent hiring issues: a Massachusetts healthcare agency was ordered to pay $26.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages for the actions of one of their employees who had a history of convictions; a California school district had to pay $10.8 million for hiring an alleged pedophile who, while employed, molested a 13 year old boy; a Florida furniture store had to pay $2.5 million for an employee who assaulted a customer - the employee had a prior criminal record.
"Negligent Hiring is the fastest growing branch of litigation aimed at business owners. In addition to the financial loss from verdicts and settlements, employers are also faced with the costs of high employee turnover, low employee morale, reduced productivity, stress-related work illnesses, and an increase in absenteeism.
Employers who prescreen their applicants are not only limiting their own liability but doing the right thing in striving to furnish their workers, clients and the public with a healthy, safe and secure environment."
HR-News June 2002
Use thorough background checks to identify 'crime' candidates
"Increasing reports of workplace violence and security lapses have made it clear that conducting thorough background checks of prospective employees is a vital step in the hiring process. And that can include checking criminal records."
"Conducting pre-employment screening demonstrates due diligence and discourages applicants with something to hide, said Attorney Lester Rosen. It encourages applicants to be truthful and helps the employer make hiring decisions based on solid information rather than just a "gut instinct."
Security Management Magazine April 2002
What You Don't Know
This article points out that poor hiring practices can cost a company in lost productivity, theft, and at the extreme end, workplace violence incidents that can cost lives, damage the company's reputation, and depress future earnings. The article also reports that legal expenses for negligence lawsuits (for issues including negligent hiring, supervision, security, training and retention) average $2.2 million.
"A complete hiring process to screen for violence-prone behaviors should include most, if not all, of the following items: self-opt-out selection techniques, strategic questions on the employment application, psychological assessments, background and reference checks, and behavioral interview questions."
Security Management Magazine March 2002
Past as Prologue - Assessing Job Candidates
"Courts in 30 states recognize the theory of negligent hiring, under which companies can be held liable for the actions of their employees. The negligent hiring theory holds that employers who knew or have reason to believe that an employee pose a threat to the public may be liable for damages caused by that employee."
"The key issue for any company is the extent to which an employer is required to research a prospective employee's background to demonstrate reasonable care in the hiring process."
HR Fact Finder April 2002
Resume Exaggerations
"A survey of 7,000 executive resumes revealed 23 percent of executives misrepresent accomplishments. The misrepresentations included exaggerations about: size of organization managed; number of years on the job; academic degree; former firm size; compensation; and, jobs held."
The EMA Reporter March/April 2001
Truth-or Consequences- in Reference Checking
"Numerous studies report that 25 percent to 40 percent of applicants provide false, exaggerated or misleading information about their qualifications or backgrounds."
"While employers should take a variety of steps to reduce the threat of workplace violence and losses due to theft, one of the most critical steps is to use pre-employment screening techniques that enable companies to reject individuals who are prone to violence or dishonesty. Moreover, by obtaining in-depth information about applicant's past job performance and work habits, employers are able to identify and reject individuals who are incompetent or have a history of discipline problems or chronic absenteeism. By ferreting out individuals who would be a poor fit for the job or the organization, employers can reap rewards of increased productivity and reduced turnover."
Legal Defense Manual Winter 2001
Selection and Hiring: Avoiding Headaches Donald J Walter, JD.
There are at least two compelling reasons for careful diligence in the selection and hiring process in a law enforcement agency. The first is that it is the best and earliest opportunity to assure the most effective and efficient operation with the least amount of ongoing problems. The second is that in the event of a lawsuit, hiring and selection criteria are discoverable and open to attack by plaintiffs' attorneys.
Many administrators find truth in the 80/20 rule - that 80% of their problems come from 20% of their staff. This is the time to eliminate, for cause, that 20% and save you and your successors 80% of your headaches.
Background checks must include some assessment of character and integrity. Any criminal, dishonest, or anti-social behavior must be carefully examined. The falsification of any information on the application should be grounds for rejection.
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