For 50 years employers and potential employers have been required – under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) – to give you a separate notice, for you to read and sign, when it plans to obtain a consumer report… Read More ›
Background Checks
“The Voice” Concept Comes to the Hiring Process
Hey, job seekers! Got a great voice? I hope so. A new software program now in use by many large employers – Marriott, Hyatt, Panera Bread, Jimmy John’s, and Labor Ready, to name a few – records your phoned answers… Read More ›
8 Ways to Protect Your Job Search and Career from Big Data “Reputation Scores”
The Rise and Dangers of Big Data & “Reputation Scoring” “Big Data ” – the term referring to the unprecedented volume of personal information being created online every minute – is being vacuumed up at blinding speed by companies… Read More ›
Fair Credit Reporting Act Protects Employees from Bogus Background Checks
Background Reports are Commonly Used, and Commonly Wrong Half of all employers now use background reports to help make hiring decisions. These computer-generated reports are cheap and instantly available. But they’re often riddled with errors, and cost many applicants a… Read More ›
Line Up Your References Before Starting Your Job Search
It’s the time of year again when many employees consider changing jobs. Many hiring officials say your job references – and what they say – are as important as what you say about yourself. Choose references carefully. Once you identify them,… Read More ›
Are You Getting Bad Job References From Your Former Employer?
I get LOTS of questions about bad job references. Commonly I’m asked things like, “Can my former employer badmouth me?”, or “Aren’t employers limited to disclosing my dates of employment, salary and job title?” Employees want to stop former employers… Read More ›
The Permanent Job Search
There was a time when looking for work meant crafting a sharp resume package, identifying target employers, and deciding what you would send (and say) to each. You were the master of what prospective employers knew, and when they knew… Read More ›
Do Your Own Background Check – Before Prospective Employers Do
If you’re in the hunt for new employment, I strongly recommend that you do your own “background check” before you start that search. In other words, act like a potential employer and put together a profile of yourself. Or, for… Read More ›