Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/330423
[ 22 ] HRO TODAY MAGAZINE | JUNE 2014 Background Screening Screening for Quality A robust approach to verifications can help land top talent—and keep them happy, too. By Debbie Bolla Background screening plays a critical role in vetting top talent. With 78 percent of resumes containing false information, it's pivotal that organizations enlist a robust approach in ensuring that candidate experience is valid. As the talent market continues to remain competitive and employee retention plays a greater role in impacting the bottom line, organizations can leverage background screening for improved hiring processes. In fact, HireRight's 2014 Employee Screening Benchmark Report finds 93 percent of respondents report they receive benefits from conducting employment screening, and 56 percent say the top benefit is improved quality of hires. "The days of HR performance based on time-to-hire metrics are gone," says Ben Goldberg, president of background screening provider Aurico. "Success is now a function of quality of hire and employee retention." Paul Kulp, director of human resources for AdCare Administrative Services, can attest to that. He leverages background screening to find and verify high-quality candidates for patient-facing roles. AdCare manages nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and independent living facilities, and conducts approximately 2,000 screens per year through provider HireRight. "Screening enables us to find the best employees, who in turn help us to ensure better care for our residents and patients," says Kulp. "It also helps us to provide safety and security for our employees. Since day one, screening has played a significant role in our focus on outstanding patient care." But it's not just about the employer—the candidate's experience during the hiring process also plays a role. Goldberg reports that talent acquisition's new catchphrase is candidate relationship management. First impressions still matter, and a high-touch Metrics Ken Monroe, director of operations for Background Investigation Bureau, reports that background screening can reduce several line items on the HR budget. One of the largest employers in the Southeast outsourced their verifications and reference checks. They had a time-to-hire rate around 30 days and it was reduced by 75 percent, which also drove down overall HR costs.