SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES

Curious if that person you are about to hire really attended Harvard before moving up to the vice president level before the age of 25? Hire a firm to perform a quick pre-employment background check. Not only will you find out if the person's resume is embellished, you'll also find out whether he or she is a criminal.

"It's shocking who gets through the hiring process," said Les Rosen, president of San Rafael's Employment Screening Resources.

Besides eliminating uncertainty, a pre-employment background check also satisfies an employer's duty of due diligence and prevents a lawsuit if a screened employee would hurt another employee or the public.

Firm's like Rosen's check the following:

Public records in courthouses nationwide
Driving records
Credit reports if the person will have access to cash at your office
Past employment and formal education
References

Said Rosen, "A background check costs less than you'd pay a person before 2:00 p.m. on their first day on the job."

                                  -Susan Smith Hendrickson

Taken from an article in the San Francisco Business Times/October 23-29, 1998