PeopleJam - Social Networking Site

PeopleJam is launching a new social network with the goal of helping people get more out of their lives. The idea is to combine issues like career, personal finance, and relationships with social networking features. The site features a variety of experts on various topics, and lets users create profiles, blogs, and videos to share their own experiences and receive advice on different life issues. To try and focus content on life issues, PeopleJam uses structure blogging, meaning that users are prompted to make posts about their goals, to share advice, or to make entries specific types of life experiences. Professional life coaches help moderate the community and also provide feedback to members of the site. PeopleJam also pulls in professional content such as inspirational audio and video.

Employee Background Checks and Security Checks On The Increase

Are you in the process of hiring employees? Have you carried out employee background checks yet? This article gives you some helpful hints on how to carry out these checks...

Employee Background Checks and Security Checks On The Increase

In the aftermath of 9-11, and the growing problem of workplace violence, the demand and need for employee background checks and security checks are now greater than ever.

Employers are turning to investigative companies in greater numbers to run employee background checks on new job applicants and existing employees, including positions where security may not have previously been given much consideration in the "pre 9-11" era.

Many employers are now requiring security clearances for many non-defense related "high-tech" positions including computer programming.

Employee background checks are required by Federal or State law for certain occupations such as jobs working with children, law enforcement, defense contractors, and any Federal employment.


Security clearances

Often, in employee background checks, especially where a security clearance is required, employers may run criminal records checks on the spouse of a job applicant as well and decide not to hire somebody based on their spouse's criminal record, even if the applicant has a squeaky clean record.

In a traditional employee background check, only the applicant or employee is investigated while for a security clearance, the spouse and other family members are investigated as well.

This holds true not just for top secret job positions within the US Military, or defense contractors, but now many "high-tech" civilian jobs such as programming as well.

Unfortunately in some situations, whom one is married to can determine their employability. A dishonorable discharge from the US Military will automatically eliminate any chances of getting a security clearance.

In an employee background check, some things cannot be reported:

• Civil lawsuits
• judgments older than 7 years
• paid tax liens and collections paid after 7 years
• bankruptcies older than 10 years
• All other information except for criminal convictions older than 7 years.

While employers are prohibited from requiring applicants to provide copies of their criminal records, they can obtain this information from other sources such as private agencies or public records.

Criminal histories or "rap sheets" are not public record in every state.

In some states such as California, these are only available to certain employers where employee background checks are required by State and/or Federal law such as public utilities, child care services, law enforcement, security companies, defense contractors.


Credit checks

A credit background check is very often part of an employee background check, however employers are required to obtain the employee's or applicant's written consent under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, FCRA (15 U.S.C. §1681).

Many employers consider a person's credit habits a good judge of character.

Following any decisions not to hire somebody based on their credit report, a copy of the report must be provided to the employee, or applicant, so they may have to option to challenge it.

Employers cannot fire a current employee for filing bankruptcy, but potential employers can legally reject a job applicant.

There are two different kinds of credit checks.

A standard credit bureau report is obtained from any one of the 3 credit bureaus, Equifax, Experion, or Transunion. This reveals a person's credit worthiness, credit habits, credit capacity.

An investigative consumer report is much more extensive and delves into a person's character, mode of living, reputation, etc. This is usually acquired by contacting associates, even neighbors or friends of the applicant to inquire as to their character.

In today's increasingly security-conscious world, employers feel they have a responsibility for the welfare and safety of their employees, company reputation, and liability.

Job seekers and employees can expect more employee background checks, and be placed under the microscope more than ever before.

5 Interviewing Mistakes That Can Lead To Hiring The Wrong Person

Are you in the process of hiring employees? The following article gives you an overview of 5 of the most common interviewing mistakes that you need to avoid, so that you don't hire the wrong person...

5 Interviewing Mistakes That Can Lead To Hiring The Wrong Person

Mistake #1: Going with the flow

Inexperienced interviewers sometimes fall into the trap of letting the interview become "free form", spending different amounts of time on different questions, basing follow-up questions on on how the candidates answer.

This can result in a candidate taking control of the interview and leading you where he or she wants to go, rather than where you can get the information you need.

Solution: Ask everyone the same questions.

Prepare a list in advance, based on the information you need, and use it as a guide throughout the interview. Put each question on a separate sheet of paper and prepare one set for each candidate.

As you move through the questions, use the appropriate sheets to make notes of the answers and your own observations and impressions. You can vary the follow up questions as necessary, but keep your notes on the main question page.

When you have followed this structure with all the candidates, you'll be able to compare them on an "apples to apples" basis.

Mistake #2: Asking predictable questions

Job applicants have many sources of help for interviewing, and it's easy to learn acceptable answers to the standard questions.

That means even the wrong candidate for your position could answer the questions in a way that fools you into thinking he or she is a fit.

Solution: Ask candidates questions that force them to expand on their answers, illustrating their thinking skills as well as their attitudes and job competencies.

Such questions might include:

• If you could design your own job, what would it look like?
• What's your favourite part of the work you do now? Why do you like that?

Ask questions like these and, instead of practised responses that tell you virtually nothing, you'll get insights into who these people really are.

Mistake #3: Whitewashing the job

If you have a candidate in front of you who seems like a great choice, you obviously want that person to accept your job offer.

Sometimes, though, you know the job has inherent challenges or downsides, and you may be afraid if you talk about these thing you will lose a good employee.

The trouble is, if you hire them and they discover the negatives themselves, you may well lose them in the first week!

Solution: Be candid about challenges in the job or within the company.

Watch for candidates who embrace and relish the challenges, and who can see beyond the negatives. These can become your most valued employees.

Mistake #4: Ignoring the question of "fit"

Every organization has a culture.

It comes from a blend of the industry you are in, the ages of those who work there, the size of the company, the number of people, the geographic location and many other factors.

But that culture creates its own work environment, and if employees are not comfortable with that environment or do not work well within it, they don't "fit". This person will never be an asset to your company, and may in fact leave very quickly.

Solution: Ask questions whose answers will demonstrate the candidate's personality and character, their attitudes towards the workplace.

An example of that type of question might be: Do you prefer a structured environment or a more loose, easy-going one? Why?

Mistake #5: Letting a candidate's one major positive blind you to the negatives

Sometimes a person might have one outstanding positive: worked for your major competitor, attended a university with a track record of successful graduates, or even just comes from your home town.

If you also instinctively like the individual, it is tempting to be overly influenced by this fact, and not pay enough attention to others that are not so attractive.

Solution: When recording your notes on each candidate (see solution to Mistake #1), be sure to record negatives as well as positives on the appropriate pages.

When you review your notes after the interview is over, you will be better able to balance the pros and cons impartially.

Candidates are often sophisticated job seekers, who are well prepared for the interview. To avoid costly hiring mistakes, hiring interviewers must be equally prepared for the process.