Today, numerous companies conduct background checks, including several firms that offer their services over the Web. And while its important to find a company thats competent at verifying credentials, its also crucial to check for the right things. “The level of deception that exists is frightening. A lot of people think nothing of misrepresenting their qualifications and lying about past events,” says Lou Adler, president of Power Hiring. In the past, courts have consistently ruled that employers are liable for the actions of their workers while on the job — a fact that makes screening even more imperative.
Depending on the particular position, it might be necessary to check applicants driving records, criminal history, educational achievements, and references, and to verify whether they actually worked where they say they did. Foreign workers must have an H-1B visa, and obtaining information from foreign institutions can prove difficult. Further complicating things is the easy availability of false documents over the Internet and, increasingly, outright identity theft. “An employment offer should be conditional on passing a background...