Article form HR Wire (4/08/02)

Recruiting & Hiring 04/08/2002 A Lasting Online Archive for Verified Past Employment By Paula Santonocito A new company called MyJobHistory.com may very well define the future of recruiting. The firm is the first to offer a job applicant the ability to create and maintain a lifetime job history online so that it's available to employers, third-party recruiters, and staffing firms alike. Although this in and of itself is a valuable feature for job seeker and employer alike, there's more. MJH (http://www.myjobhistory.com) doesn't simply store resumes; it verifies employment history and education credentials. A candidate's resume that has undergone this preliminary checking includes the MJH Certificate of Verification as part of the document. The benefit to recruiters and hiring managers is obvious, especially in this era of intensified screening. The advantage for candidates, at whom the service is aimed, is that the verification process gives them added credibility. The History MyJobHistory.com was founded by Les Rosen, a retired California criminal attorney. Rosen, who serves as CEO of the new company, is also president of Employment Screening Resources (ESR), http://www.esrcheck.com, a background checking firm. He tells HRWire about the impetus behind MJH, and the shortcomings of current employment screening processes as they relate to resumes and job boards. "There are a number of firms that do pre-employment screening for employers, but the problem is that not one of the resumes (obtained from job boards) is verified. There are millions of pieces of paper, and you're buying blind," says Rosen. Employers are drowning in a sea of resumes, he explains, and, as such, it becomes difficult for qualified candidates and employers to find each other. "There needs to be more information," Rosen says. Because information is lacking and matching qualifications against requirements is difficult, information on job boards becomes stale. In addition, Rosen points to another problem with the current method of resume posting. "Resumes are just marketing tools. Nothing is verified," he says. From an employer's standpoint, the traditional system presents difficulties. However, it also hinders the job seeker. From an applicant's point of view, the challenge becomes how to get noticed, explains Rosen. A Different Approach Yet, it's not just verification that makes MJH unique. Where job boards offer free resume posting for candidates and charge employers for access, the reverse is true of MyJobHistory.com. Because the service is designed with the candidate's success in mind, there is no charge to employers. For a small fee, which is based on number of verifications and whether the candidate or MyJobHistory.com inputs the data, a job seeker is able to create what Rosen calls a bona fide, verified resume. The document can be used for a person's entire working life. In addition, up to six different versions of the document can be created. Designed to further facilitate the job search, these can be aimed at different industries. A candidate is notified each time his or her resume is accessed. There is an additional option, which allows the applicant to know who is looking at the document. Likewise, the job seeker can de-activate the resume, or resumes, at any time. The company has a very strict privacy policy, which also focuses on individual control. No information is released without the candidate's permission. "The applicant controls the flow of data," says Rosen. The Verification Process With regard to the verification process itself, MyJobHistory.com typically verifies education and credentials, and confirms job titles and dates of employment. For the employer, the process is intended as an initial screening tool. "We don't do qualitative references," Rosen says, explaining that they're too subjective. "We stick just to the facts." Even though third-party verification, which is performed by ESR, involves confirmation of select data, Rosen emphasizes that such checking isn't meant to substitute for due diligence on the part of an employer. However, he indicates that the process can provide assistance with regard to criminal background checks. Pointing out there is no real way to do a national crime search, Rosen says verification will identify unexplained gaps in employment, as well as where a candidate has resided. This information, in turn, can be used to facilitate further checking. Advantage for Candidates and Employers Still, while verification is a key component of the MJH offering, Rosen indicates that its purpose is not investigative. "It allows employers and job seekers to make decisions," he says. "The problem we solved is the first match." For the applicant and the employer, the process allows for pre-sorting. "If you see a resume where something is verified, it goes to the top of the pile," Rosen explains. The Strategy ESR has been in the employment screening business since 1986, with a focus on serving employers. Now, MJH is bringing that same service to the job seeker, says Rosen. Technology, he says, has enabled the firm to offer the service, and that patents are pending on both the technology and the company's business model. To get the word out, the company is partnering with resume writing firms, such as The Resume Alliance, http://www.resumealliance.com/, as well as career assessment firms. It's also offering its service, which is for all job seekers, including freelancers, to job boards. The firm currently has arrangements with a variety of career sites. Among them are GraduateNurse.com, http://www.graduatenurse.com/scripts/index.php3, The Jobs Book, http://www.jobsbook.com/, Jobnetwork.net, http://www.jobnetwork.net/,and ConstructionJobs.com, http://www.constructionjobs.com. According to Rosen, within a year the company plans to be at hundreds of sites. Ultimately, he says, MyJobHistory.com will create a national database of workers with verified job histories and credentials. Since the business utilizes a reverse model (where applicants pay and employers get to use the information for free), Rosen acknowledges that it will take a little time for people to get used to the concept. Yet, he says a job seeker will be attracted to the process because of the message that verification sends to potential employers: "Look at me, I'm for real, I'm bona fide. My resume is not just a marketing piece. These are the facts." For employers, Rosen cites a new way to identify qualified candidates quickly, noting that the time savings alone will prove advantageous. "As we begin to get greater recognition, we think employers will be hooked," he says. Contact: Les Rosen, CEO, MyJobHistory.com, 866/773-5954, custserv@myjobhistory.com. Online:  MyJobHistory.com, http://www.myjobhistory.com/; Employment Screening Resources (ESR), http://www.esrcheck.com/; The Resume Alliance, http://www.resumealliance.com/; GraduateNurse.com, http://www.graduatenurse.com/scripts/index.php3;The Jobs Book, http://www.jobsbook.com/; Jobnetwork.net, http://www.jobnetwork.net/; ConstructionJobs.com, http://www.constructionjobs.com. Related Articles:  HRW March 11/02, "Checking References to Uncover Doctored Resumes," http://www.hrwire.com/story.asp?02031102.htm; HRW March 04/02, "Don't Get Outsmarted: Check Education Credentials," http://www.hrwire.com/story.asp?02030404.htm; HRW Oct. 08/01, "How Well Do You Know Your Workforce?" http://www.hrwire.com/story.asp?01100808.htm; HRW May 08/00, "Set Policies To Stop Problems Before They Start," http://www.hrwire.com/story.asp?00050801.htm. 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