A majority of larger companies are relying more on technology tools such as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to search for the right skills and experience in job seekers as recruiters and hiring managers are being overwhelmed by the volume of résumés in the current job market, according to an article from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). An expert on Applicant Tracking Systems from International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) quoted in the story said the proportion of large companies using ATS is in the “high 90 percent” range and it is “very rare to find a Fortune 500 company without one.” (more…)

The question of whether criminal background checks for job applicants are a smart move or a discriminatory practice is answered by Attorney and safe hiring expert Lester Rosen, founder and CEO of background check firm Employment Screening Resources (ESR), in an exclusive interview with Tom Field, Editorial Director of Information Security Media Group. The interview ‘Top 10 Screening Trends – What You Need to Know Before Conducting Background Checks’ detailing ESR’s Top 10 trends in background checks for 2012 is at: http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/interviews.php?interviewID=1347. (more…)

An Elementary School janitor who was arrested after a drug round up by police agencies had avoided undergoing any background checks by the Beaumont Independent School District (BISD) that may have uncovered past drug charges because he was hired prior to 2008, according to a report from KMBT 12 News in Beaumont, Texas. (more…)

Unaccredited schools are thriving in California with approximately 147 known “diploma mills,” more than any other U.S. state and a 10 percent increase from the past year, according to the Accredibase™ Report for 2011 from Verifile Limited. The report found the United States to be the most popular location for known diploma mills in the world with roughly 1,008 operating in the country, an increase of 20 percent over the past year. (more…)

Attorney Lester Rosen, founder and CEO of nationwide background check company Employment Screening Resources (ESR), will present the webcast ‘Top Ten Trends in Background Checks for 2012’ at the Institute for Human Resources (IHR) Quality of Hire Virtual Event on January 26, 2012 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET.  To register for the event from IHR, HR.com’s certification and accreditation arm, visit http://www.hr.com/en/webcasts_events/virtual_events/upcoming_virtual_events/quality-of-hire_gog5ufud.html. (more…)