Social Media Background Checks Examined as Safe Hiring Webinar Series Continues March 1

With interest in social media background checks skyrocketing lately, including a new study claiming that a quick review of Facebook profiles of job applicants can predict future job success, Attorney and safe hiring expert Lester Rosen, CEO of nationwide background check firm Employment Screening Resources (ESR), will present the webinar “Using the Internet and Social Networking Sites for Employment Screening: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” on Thursday, March 1, 2012 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM PST to examine the pros and cons of employers using information found online. To register for the webinar, the second of four in ‘A Guide to the Essentials of Safe Hiring eProgram Series’ with the Northern California Human Resources Association (NCHRA), visit: http://m360.nchra.org/event.aspx?eventID=38879&instance=0. “Social networking sites and search engines contain a treasure trove of information on job applicants,” says Rosen, author of ‘The Safe Hiring Manual,’ the first comprehensive guide to employment screening. “However, the unrestricted use of Web 2.0 for hiring by employers, human resources professionals, or recruiters carries substantial risks.” The 90 minute webinar will examine issues with discrimination privacy, accuracy, and authenticity when using social media background checks. Through case studies, review of legal decisions, and viewing websites, participants will learn how social networking sites work, what information is available, the potential legal landmines and practical risks involved, and how to get the information they need while minimizing discrimination or invasion of privacy complaints. The two remaining sessions for ‘A Guide to the Essentials of Safe Hiring eProgram Series’ – which offers participants cost-effective and legally compliant techniques to avoid hiring job applicants who are potentially dangerous, unfit, unqualified, or dishonest – include:

• Thursday, March 15, 2012 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM PST: ‘Effective Employment and Education Verification: How to Tell What Is Real and What Is Not’ – Successful hiring decisions are critical in challenging economic times, and verifying past employment and education and obtaining references are essential to this process. Unfortunately, candidates falsifying or inflating employment and educational accomplishments has become a significant problem for employers. This webinar shows how legal limitations create barriers for HR professionals when obtaining and giving past employment information.
• Wednesday, April 4, 2012 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM PST: ‘Caution Advised: Complying with Federal and California Law for Pre-employment Screening and How to Avoid Pitfalls and Traps’ – To avoid bad hiring decisions, employers have increasingly turned to pre-employment background screening as a risk management tool. No screening program can be conducted without a full understanding of a number of laws, including the FCRA, discrimination and privacy law, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and a host of state-specific rules. This webinar reviews the application of federal and state laws to both pre-employment screening and the investigation of current employees.

The presenter of the webinars, Lester Rosen, is the founder of Employment Screening Resources (ESR) – https://www.esrcheck.com/ – a nationwide background screening company located in the San Francisco, California area and accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). He is a frequent presenter nationally on pre-employment screening and safe hiring issues as part of the “ESR Speaks” training program at: https://www.esrcheck.com/Newsletter/ESR-Speaks/.  For more information about background checks, visit Employment Screening Resources (ESR) – ‘The Background Check Authority^SM’ and nationwide background screening company accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) – at https://www.esrcheck.com or call ESR at 415.898.0044. Source: http://m360.nchra.org/event.aspx?eventID=38879&instance=0. About Employment Screening Resources (ESR): Employment Screening Resources (ESR) – ‘The Background Check Authority^SM’ – provides accurate and actionable information, empowering employers to make informed safe hiring decisions for the benefit for our clients, their employees, and the public. ESR literally wrote the book on background screening with “The Safe Hiring Manual” by Founder and CEO Lester Rosen. ESR is accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), a distinction held by less than two percent of all screening firms. By choosing an accredited screening firm like ESR, employers know they have selected an agency that meets the highest industry standards. For more information about Employment Screening Resources (ESR), visit https://www.esrcheck.com/ or call 415.898.0044. About ESR News: The Employment Screening Resources (ESR) News blog – ESR News – provides employment screening information for employers, recruiters, and jobseekers on a variety of topics including credit reports, criminal records, data privacy, discrimination, E-Verify, jobs reports, legal updates, negligent hiring, workplace violence, and use of search engines and social network sites for background checks. For more information about ESR News or to send comments or questions, please email ESR News Editor Thomas Ahearn at [email protected].]]>