Continuous Screening of Employees Could Be More Common in Near Future

Written By ESR News Blog Editor Thomas Ahearn

While most companies currently perform background screening on employees once at the pre-hire stage, “the new normal may call for continuous, post-hire monitoring” in the near future to avoid insider threats, according to a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) article.

In his story entitled “Is Continuous Screening the Future Normal?,” SHRM editor/manager Roy Maurer interviewed several background screening experts including Attorney Lester Rosen, CEO of the global background screening firm Employment Screening Resources® (ESR).

Rosen – author of ‘The Safe Hiring Manual’ – told Maurer “an employer may discover post-employment that critical information was missed during the hiring process” that may lead to post-hire insider threats that can include embezzlement, fraud, theft, and even violent behavior.

“For example, an employer may discover post-hire that a person is a registered sex offender or that a credential is faked. Employers shouldn’t assume that passing a background check means there will never be issues with insider threats down the line,” Rosen told Maurer in the article.

“The key is initial screening, ongoing screening, and an environment of control and physical safety. To prevent surprises caused by missed information during pre-employment screening, employers should have policies, practices and procedures to carefully select employees in the first place.”

Rosen said “job application forms should make it clear that any material falsehood or omission from the applicant can result in termination no matter when it is discovered. Employee handbooks should include language on what will happen if the employer discovers falsehoods or omissions post-hire.”

Rosen also told Maurer that employers “should ensure background check releases have an evergreen clause to allow future screening if needed. Some firms include a policy that employees must self-report any arrest that can impact their ability to perform their jobs.”

“Continuous screening provides employers with a valuable tool to best evaluate their risks and ensure they place their employees in the most appropriate positions,” said Lucia Bone, founder of Sue Weaver CAUSE, an organization promoting awareness of continuous screening of service workers.

In addition, Rosen indicated the inherent challenge in background screening is in predicting future behavior. The article from SHRM is available online at www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/continuous-screening-posthire-future.aspx.

As reported by ESR News in August 2016, more than two out of three companies surveyed – 69 percent – experienced an attempted or successful insider theft or corruption of data during the prior 12 months, according to a report entitled “The State of Cybersecurity and Digital Trust 2016.”

ESR News also reported in May 2016 that the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) study – 2016 ACFE Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse – found the total losses from occupational fraud cases throughout the world exceeded $6.3 billion.

ESR Article on How Continuous Screening Can Reduce Insider Threats

Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) offers employers an article written by ESR founder and CEO Attorney Lester Rosen on how background screening can reduce insider threats at www.esrcheck.com/Articles/Background-Check-Strategies-for-Reducing-Insider-Threats-After-Hiring/203/.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM ESR!

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