Peeling the mask off the perfect stranger

There are numerous challenges in running a business, and one of the most difficult and costly tasks is hiring the right people.

Employee searches can be exhaustive in terms of time and money. Unfortunately there is always the underlying risk that you could hire someone who isnít who they say they are. That in itself is damaging in terms of your organizationís credibility. It also can be costly in terms of lost data and finances should that person be an identity thief or some other criminal.

A recent survey by CareerBuilder.com found that one out of 10 job applicants embellish their resumes. If that many people, presumably professionals, are lying about their qualifications, how truthful are the thousands of people applying for a job online?

According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, as much as 40 percent of the information given employers by applicants is false. Nearly 2 million identity thieves are hired each year with stolen credentials. Business owners and hiring managers cannot count on the standard background check. Granted, itís better than not checking at all, but not everything put on an employment application is on the up and up.

Businesses rely on applicants to provide accurate information because that information is the foundation for a background search. But those with something to hide will often use aliases, false birthdates, false addresses and incomplete job and residence histories to cover any past misdeeds. Con artists, criminals and identity thieves know this and use it to their advantage. But if you know what to look for and know some extra steps to take, you will be able to weed some of these people out during the hiring process, thereby providing more protection for you and your company.

Watch the dates. Criminal background checks are based on names and dates of birth, but changing one number in a birth date is just enough to throw off a criminal background check. Multiple forms of identification that show a date of birth can help you make sure that you are looking at the right person. Also, checks can be performed that connect a personís name to his / her date of birth and Social Security number. If all three match up, youíre increasing the probability that the applicant is who they say they are.

Remember the variations. Nicknames and aliases are hardly ever checked. Bob Johnson could have a felony record, while Robert, Rob, Bobby and Robbie may not have any record of criminal activity. Most screeners seem to stop after checking that first name. A comprehensive background search will check the name given and relevant nicknames and aliases to help ensure nobody slips through on a technicality.

Not just here. A lot of criminal checks stop with the state where the business is located. On occasion, a check may be made of all the states where the applicant supposedly lived. But what if the applicant committed a crime in another state? You donít have to live somewhere to break the law, and some applicants with criminal records are slipping through the cracks that way.

Social Security is not secure. So much of our lives are tracked through our Social Security numbers. Unfortunately, criminal activity is not. Social Security numbers are valuable for verifying the identity of a person and can help ensure the name on the application matches the name tied to that number.

Donít stop with hiring. You should continue to monitor employees after youíve hired them. If a criminal has sneaked through your screening system, chances are they arenít going straight just because you gave them a job. Continuous monitoring will alert you if an employee breaks the law.

Healthy skepticism is never a bad thing. Remember, itís your business and you can be as picky as you want in hiring. If something doesnít feel right, follow that instinct. Invest is a thorough search and monitoring system to keep out those who would destroy your business from within.

Bill Morrow is CEO and chairman of CSIdentity, a provider of comprehensive, accurate and real-time background screening checks for small to Fortune 500 businesses. More information about CSIdentity can be found at www.CSIdentity.com. You can reach Bill at bmorrow@csidentity.com or attend his session at the 2009 Online Recruitment Conference and Expo in Chicago.