Background Checks
 July 7, 2005

In the past two months we have heard of five firms who suffered embarrassment by hiring employees in responsible positions who were convicted felons, porn stars, pedophiles or did not have the degrees or work experience claimed on their resumes. The following are five things your firm should be doing as a minimum due diligence with every new hire.

1. Google Search. In three out of the five situations mentioned above, a simple Google search of the person’s name in quotation marks would have clearly alerted the firm about the embarrassing information. Google searching requires no permission from candidates and should be an automatic first step even before an interview.

2. Attest Accuracy. Create a brief form advising candidates that all facts appearing on a resume will be verified by the firm and asking to attest the accuracy of their resume by signing the form. When inaccuracies are found on resumes it is very common for employees to say that they though exaggerations on resumes was a normal and accepted part of the recruiting process. Make it clear that inaccuracies are not acceptable.

3. Check Personal References. Request and contact at least three personal references for each candidate. Ask probing questions such as “are you aware of this person ever doing anything dishonest” or “why did they leave their last job.” Most people want to help their friends but not to the point of lying. Ask softball questions and you get fluff answers.

4. Check Work Experience With People Not Departments. If you call the HR Department of another law firm for a reference all you will receive a confirmation of employment. Contact the candidate’s supervisor and be relentless in getting through. Ask hardball questions about the key concerns you have about the candidate. Don’t have a recruiter check references for you. The cost of a bad hire can be staggering.

5. Fact Check. A study of applicants to the Federal government found that 74 percent of candidates had at least one significant distortion or unreasonable exaggeration on their resume. Almost 90 percent of candidates with one distortion had multiple distortions. At a minimum, seek exact dates of employment, verify college attendance and degrees conferred and carefully verify all professional licenses.