Often in the background screening world, businesses are hyper-focused on pre-hire. The word “background” itself evokes the historical nature of assessing a candidate’s history prior to onboarding. With risk being top of mind for most customers, clients are realizing that a comprehensive screening program does not end at the candidate stage. Just because an individual’s foot is in the door, it does not mean materially significant events will not occur – crimes, driving violations, sanctions, etc. after they have been onboarded.

Through thousands of client engagements and recent client case studies, let us share what we found to be the best path to developing a rescreening program that fits the needs of your company.

What Is Rescreening?

Rescreening is the process of conducting a background check on current employees at some point post-onboarding at regular periodic intervals. From point of hire to the present, changes may have occurred in your employees’ lives that could affect their suitability for their current role. The potential risks of not knowing these changes could jeopardize your organization’s safety, security, and/or brand reputation.

Why Should I Rescreen?

Motivations differ from business to business, but here is what we’re hearing from our clients. What resonates with your business?

• Safety for customers and employees.
• Protecting brand reputation from negative or adverse headlines.
• Maintaining customer loyalty and trust
• Mitigation of risk against financial loss.

Rescreening Client Case Studies

As published in the First Advantage Annual Global Trends Report, different industries had varying pre-employment reportable record rates from criminal records background screens. This ranged from 14% of backgrounds with a criminal record (Staffing industry) to a low of 4% (Healthcare industry). We looked at clients in different industries to see how this rate changed with their post-employment rescreening programs. Even in industries with a considerably lower pre-employment criminal record rate (healthcare and financial services), we still saw significant reportable criminal records post-hire or onboarding with rescreening. The question is-do you want to know about it first or hear about it in the news? While we can’t predict future outcomes, we can see from large client studies that there are records that businesses want to know on their employees.

Structuring Your Rescreening Program

Who Should I Rescreen?

According to our research, about half of our rescreening clients are rescreening all their employees. The others base it on employee access and responsibility. Those employees, often called keyholders, are responsible for having access to company funds, lines of code, system access, intellectual property, physical properties, and/or vulnerable populations.

What Services Should I Include in the Rescreening?

What services you’re including in your rescreening package will be dependent on your business requirements and/or regulations. The primary focus is to review areas that are non-static or subject to change from the original screening. Secondary are any additional screenings that may not have been applicable or considered initially – e.g., if the employee has since taken on a new type of role. Rescreening programs commonly include one or more of the following checks:

• Criminal and Sex Offender Registry
• Motor Vehicle Records (MVR)
• Drug Screening
• FMCSA as required by Department of Transportation (DOT)
• Licensing
• Sanctions and Media
• Credit
• Abuse Registry

When Should I Rescreen?

Clients will typically use a combination of the approaches below:

• Time-based such as annually rescreening based on an employee’s start date anniversary and/or a specific companywide date.
• Event-based such as promotions, transfers, acquisitions, security access changes, and/or conversion from temporary to permanent.
• Contractual such as when a company starts working on a new contract and/or an employee is placed on a third-party assignment.

Implementing a periodic rescreening program is a practical and effective way to identify and address potential issues.

Summary

A rescreening program is not just a good practice, it’s essential to an employer’s overall risk management program. Rescreening empowers organizations with information to help protect their most important assets-their employees and customers. First Advantage can help you develop a rescreening program that meets your risk mitigation goals.

First Advantage has been named the “Best Overall Tenant Screening Service” by the U.S. News & World Report.

The U.S. News 360 Reviews team collaborated with several experts, and conducted extensive research, evaluating factors such as pricing options, available screening services, types of background checks provided, integration capabilities, timeline for the screening process, payment options, customer support availability, and the reputation of each company.

First Advantage was recognized for its updated proprietary databases, ability to select credit reports from major bureaus, and access to utility debt histories. 

Landlords and property managers rely on tenant screening services to assess potential tenants before renting out property. These services provide insights into applicants’ rental history, credit report, income, and criminal background, aiding in informed decision-making. Adhering to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is crucial due to the sensitive nature of the data involved. Investing in reputable screening services is important to navigate the complexities of compliance effectively.  

Learn more about First Advantage tenant background check services.  

First Advantage is proud to announce the Company was named the winner of a Silver Stevie® Award in the Achievement in Diversity & Inclusion category in the 22nd Annual American Business Awards®. 

The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning “crowned,” the awards will be presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Tuesday, June 11.  

More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, First Advantage was nominated in the Achievement in Diversity & Inclusion category.  

Fostering a Global Inclusive Workforce Devoted to Diverse Voices 

Operating with empathy and compassion, First Advantage fosters a global inclusive workforce devoted to the diverse voices that make up its talent and products. Through a shared commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I), First Advantage team members empower each other to be their authentic selves and treat all with respect, integrity, and fairness.  

Beginning in 2020, a dedicated group of team members from various locations worldwide united to establish the First Advantage DE&I Committee. The cross-functional, DE&I Committee leverages external expertise to identify and implement communication, education, recruitment, and retention to help make DE&I a central and lasting part of the First Advantage daily culture. 

“We are truly honored to receive the Silver Stevie® Award for Achievement in Diversity & Inclusion. This recognition underscores our unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive culture where diversity is not just celebrated but is integral to our success. We believe in the power of diverse voices and the profound impact they have on our innovation and growth” Debbie Masak, CRP, Vice President, Global Talent & Inclusion at First Advantage said.  

Since the creation of the DE&I Committee in 2020, First Advantage has created a culture with a strong sense of belonging and inclusivity. First Advantage leaders participate in DE&I training focusing on inclusion and overcoming unconscious bias and Employee Resource Group (ERG) events, and many executives sponsor the ERGs. Since 2021, First Advantage has invited employees from seven countries (U.S., Canada, UK, India, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines) to participate in a DE&I survey. In the 2023 DE&I Survey, team members in all regions reported a favorable sense of psychological safety, belonging and inclusion, and equity and fairness. 

More than 300 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners. Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2024 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.     

Do you own any credit facilities in Singapore? Have you experienced instances where your loan or credit card applications were declined? Are you aware that financial institutions occasionally review your past loan repayment history as well? In this contributed blog, Credit Bureau Singapore discusses the fundamentals of credit reports and why it is essential on employment background screening.

What is a credit report?

A credit report is a comprehensive record of your credit payment history compiled from different retail banks and major financial institutions (FIs). Credit Bureau Singapore (CBS) collects such credit data from the contributing members in this list. A credit report displays all credit-related data of the individual. It reveals vital information such as the total credit limit disbursed, the types of credit or loan facilities applied, the amount of overdue balances you may owe and even public information like litigation charges and bankruptcy proceedings.

You will be given a credit score based on these factors and past repayment behaviour. A credit score ranges from 1000 to 2000, with a score of 1000 having the highest likelihood of default and a score of 2000 having the lowest chance of delinquency. A risk grade ranging from AA to HH (lowest risk to highest risk) will be assigned to you when your credit report is retrieved.

How does your credit report affect you?

You may have experienced instances of unsuccessful loan or credit applications, as the lenders could have perceived you as a high-risk borrower. Credit providers review the CBS credit report to evaluate the likelihood of repayment before extending a loan. This helps them mitigate the risks of borrowers defaulting on future payments.

The consequences of having a poor credit report can be dire, especially if you are planning to make important life-changing decisions such as purchasing a new house, paying for your children’s education or even starting a new business. You will have to seek alternative sources of funds, which may mean having to re-plan your finances and possibly delaying your future goals.

As a new job seeker, a poor credit report may reduce your chances of being hired compared to applicants with better credit reputations. With the rise of workplace fraud in Singapore, pre-hire credit checks are essential, especially for jobs in the finance sector or those with access to client information. Employers or recruiters may request that you submit a copy of your latest credit report to ensure your creditworthiness before hiring. Some may even conduct annual reviews on existing hires to ensure that you are financially competent and not in financial distress. Such measures are implemented to prevent workplace fraud or potential conflicts of interest, which can damage the company’s reputation.

Tips for building your credit reputation

Do not feel disheartened if your credit report is not ideal currently. Instead, start now, be disciplined about repayment, and you will see a gradual improvement in your report. Remember, credit providers and employers consider other factors before they make a decision, and the credit report is just one of the few tools they use for their credit assessment.

About the contributor:

Credit Bureau (Singapore) Pte Ltd (CBS) is Singapore’s most comprehensive consumer credit bureau, with full-industry uploads from all retail banks and major financial institutions. It is a joint venture between The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) and Infocredit Holdings Pte Ltd. For more information about your credit score, visit www.creditbureau.com.sg. Lastly, follow Credit Bureau Singapore’s (CBS) Facebook for more updates and tips on how to stay credit active.

About First Advantage:

First Advantage provides easy-to-understand background reports so you can confidently make talent decisions. We offer employment screening including criminal history; education, employment, and professional license verifications; global sanctions; credit checks, and more.

Hire smarter and onboard faster with First Advantage! Send in your queries to info.asia@fadv.com and visit https://fadv.com/apac/industries/financial-background-checks/ to learn more.

First Advantage supports its employees and their passion for helping others, advocacy, and civic engagement through the FA Cares program. FA Cares is the company’s employee volunteerism initiative, created for staff so they can engage with the philanthropic causes of their choice. Mariah Mellor, Sr. Director of Corporate Communications, believes FA Cares empowers staff to take the initiative to find the organizations that excite them.

“If there’s a cause team members are passionate about and they want to get involved, having a Volunteer Time-Off (VTO) program [in the U.S.] empowers them to go out into their communities and start making a difference,” she said. 

 “Maybe they felt they didn’t have the time and now this is giving them that extra push. Not only are they going to be doing something good for their community, but they’re also going to be representing their company – and I think there’s some pride in that,” Mellor said. 

Matt McGregor, Director of Non-Profit & Education Solutions, is passionate about driving community engagement. He suggests that those lucky enough to have employee volunteer opportunities at their companies should make use of their programs, such as FA Cares, to find their niche and start connecting. “From an advice perspective, it’s get involved, connect – connect with your community, connect with your peers, connect with your clients,” McGregor said.  

McGregor did just that during Collaborate, First Advantage’s annual customer conference. Held in Las Vegas, the event welcomed current and potential customers, employees, sponsors, and partners from several different markets. One of the conference highlights was an FA Cares table, sponsored by Aliro and Military Connected, featuring program resources and an opportunity for attendees to write letters to soldiers. First Advantage employees who didn’t attend the in-person conference also participated in the service activity. 

In total, more than 100 letters were written – a tremendous success given this was the first time FA Cares had a presence at Collaborate. It speaks to the appetite for community impact and engagement found throughout First Advantage’s ecosystem.  

Amanda Meagher, Customer Success Director, also helped oversee the FA Cares booth at the conference alongside McGregor and Ashley Guistizia, Project Manager. Meagher said she wanted to get involved with FA Cares as soon as she heard about it. She has taken her personal passions of volunteering and giving back and turned them into a part of First Advantage’s culture. Last year, she planned her first volunteering event with the company, and she’ll do it again this upcoming May.  

 “Volunteering has always been close to my heart and an integral part of my life. Having the opportunity to incorporate First Advantage is a huge bonus and I’m so happy that it’s just as important to the company I work for,” Meagher said.  

FA Cares leaders agree that the program is still evolving and welcome the idea of having more staff and customers join in to help shape its future. While the program is still U.S. based, the hope is to grow and expand. In the interim, First Advantage has joined the Global Mentorship Initiative, which is open to all employees. The program allows First Advantage employees to mentor students from underserved communities around the world. There’s a plethora of ways to get involved, so any time is a wonderful time to start!  

“We’re people – everybody needs a community,” said Elizabeth (Liz) Ryther, Talent Acquisition Manager. “This is just another way to be a part of a community and to network and to make a difference. Some days you’re going to be the one volunteering, and other days you’re going to be the one asking for help.”  

Diana Hornung, Executive Assistant to the COO, agrees. She helped procure the materials needed to ensure the FA Cares booth was successful at the conference. Though she didn’t attend in-person, her support was felt throughout the event, serving as a reminder that people can create impact in an array of capacities. “There’s just so many ways to give back to your community. My advice to others on how to start giving back – find what you like to do, and I bet there’s an organization out there that will fit your interests,” she said. 

Visit First Advantage’s YouTube channel to watch a Collaborate recap video, where many attendees engaged in First Advantage’s mission to make an impact through FA Cares.  

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world’s top honors for customer service, contact center, business development and sales professionals. The Stevie Awards organizes nine of the world’s leading business awards programs, also including the prestigious American Business Awards® and International Business Awards®. Winners were announced during a gala event attended by more than 400 professionals from around the world at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, April 12.

“Every customer is important and every interaction our Customer Care team has with our clients reflects that. Our purpose is to deliver amazing customer service and to grow and cultivate our community of raving fans. We accomplish this with an outside-in approach where customers are at the heart of everything we do.” Victor Sachs, SVP, Customer Service and Digital Transformation said. “I am proud of our remarkable global Customer Care team members who continue to make our customers their number one priority each day!”

Customer Experience as a Differentiator

For many customer-centric organizations, the customer experience drives retention and brand loyalty. In a recent PwC survey, one in three consumers (32%) say they will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience. The survey, consisting of 15,000 people from 12 countries, also highlighted pillars such as speed, convenience, helpful employees, and friendly service as factors that matter most, with each hitting over 70% in importance to consumers.

Recognizing these priorities early on, First Advantage’s Customer Care organization has been on a transformation journey over the past three years to better serve customers across the globe. From implementing a global state-of-the-art cloud-based telephony system enabling self-service and seamless routing for a better customer and agent experience to launching a new service model, ‘Click. Chat. Call’ to deliver easy and expert service — the award-winning team has focused on operational excellence and automation leveraging AI solutions for efficiency and increased customer satisfaction.

“To deliver the best customer experience for our clients, our Customer Care organization is prioritizing cutting edge technology and platforms to ensure speedy and friendly service in every interaction with our clients,” Sachs said. “And with our service model, Click, Chat, Call – our customers have even more avenues to connect with us and receive the quality and friendly support they deserve and have come to expect from us at First Advantage.”

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 44 nations and territories, were considered in this year’s Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 200 professionals worldwide on seven specialized judging committees.

“The high scores given the winning nominations in this year’s competition are evidence of the high levels of achievement portrayed in them,” said Stevie Awards president Maggie Miller. “We join with the judges and all members of the Stevie Awards community in congratulating and celebrating the winners for their accomplishments.”

This is the second year in a row First Advantage’s Customer Care organization has received this recognition. In 2023, the team received a Gold Stevie® Award for Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year – Technology Industries category and a Bronze Stevie® Award for Achievement in Customer Experience in the 17th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

]]> https://fadv.com/apac/ko/news/first-advantage-releases-2024-global-trends-report/ Tue, 23 Apr 2024 13:45:55 +0000 https://fadv.com/?p=5689 ATLANTA, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Advantage Corporation (NASDAQ:FA), a leading provider of employment background screening, identity and verification solutions, today shared findings from its 2024 Global Trends Report. The latest edition of the proprietary research is the Company’s most comprehensive yet, offering a worldwide perspective based on over 100 million anonymized screening data records and hundreds of survey responses from First Advantage customers.

The interactive report highlights background screening trends across the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, India, and Asia-Pacific. In the United States, for example, First Advantage found that employers have concentrated efforts on three key factors when designing background screening programs: compliance and risk, candidate experience and cost efficiency.

The research can also be viewed from a vertical perspective, including Healthcare, Financial Services & Technology, Aerospace & Defense, Trucking & Transportation, Restaurants & Hospitality, Retail, Business Services, Manufacturing, Staffing, Business Process Outsourcing & Call Centers. This portion of the report analyzes each industry at a glance, showcasing average case turnaround times, average criminal report record rates and HR’s focus for 2024. For example, while Restaurants & Hospitality is hard at work on recruitment and retention, Business Services is looking at benefits, compliance and reducing time to hire.

“Since First Advantage launched this research six years ago, we have seen trends change and evolve alongside the global labor market,” said CEO Scott Staples. “Notably, in 2024, for the second year in a row, managing risk ranked as the most important factor in background screening programs – over cost and speed. This indicates an increased interest in background screening results that support informed decision-making as part of the overall hiring process.”

For a copy of the First Advantage 2024 Global Trends Report, visit https://fadv.com/2024trends/.

First Advantage will also spotlight the research in an upcoming webinar, “2024 Global Screening Trends Unveiled,” on June 6, 2024, at 11:00 AM ET. Registration for this event is available here.

About First Advantage
First Advantage (NASDAQ:FA) is a leading provider of employment background screening, identity and verification solutions. First Advantage delivers innovative services and insights that help customers manage risk and hire the best talent. Enabled by its proprietary technology, First Advantage helps companies protect their brands and provide safer environments for their customers and their most important resources: employees, contractors, contingent workers, tenants and drivers. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, First Advantage performs screens in over 200 countries and territories on behalf of more than 30,000 customers. For more information about First Advantage, visit its website at

Deborah (Debbie) Masak, CRP, Vice President, Global Talent & Inclusion, will moderate a panel during the upcoming

In fact, the session will center around the book that features the SOAR Program. In 2021, SOAR was selected as a Best Impact/ROI Study Award Business recipient. A few years later, Patti Phillips, President and CEO, and Jack Phillips, Chairman of the ROI Institute reached out to Masak and asked if she would participate in this panel at what is described as the largest conference in the world for the Learning & Development profession.  

“I’m most excited about sharing the phenomenal impact our SOAR program has had on our company and our people. The fact our capstone project places the spotlight on the employees’ work and its financial impact is something we are all particularly proud of,” Masak said. “But beyond the business benefits, I’m thrilled to showcase how the program has shaped participants into more impactful leaders. It’s not just about the numbers; it’s about the personal growth and development that we’ve nurtured.” 

According to Masak, SOAR was created to address a critical business need and increase employee engagement at the company. The result was the development of a pilot program that launched in 2019 to empower managers and build leaders. When the pandemic started the following year, the company pivoted to a virtual environment which allowed for a more inclusive and collaborative employee experience for participants around the world. The program was also enhanced to include diversity, equity and inclusion components and a capstone project.  

SOAR 2.0 launched in 2021, the same year it was recognized by the ROI Institute, as a fully virtual program. Masak says the program is complete with a detailed data collection plan, otherwise known as “design thinking,” spanning five comprehensive phases and includes instruction from more than 27 certified facilitators globally. Equally impressive is the level of impact generated from the program – to date, 400+ people managers have taken part in SOAR and employee engagement scores are skewing higher. Masak attributes this to SOAR and how it is becoming more than a program at First Advantage. She considers it a core part of the company culture that is continually shaping resilient, adaptable and effective leaders.  

“Adding to the success of SOAR is the fact that our global employee engagement favorability scores have seen year-over-year improvement for the last seven years,” Masak said. “This is a direct reflection of our commitment to making our company not just a workplace, but a ‘best place to work.’ SOAR has played a significant role in this achievement, resonating with our employees and manifesting in our sustained engagement scores.” 

Masak joined First Advantage in November 2015 and has held several roles within the organization, spanning from Sales to the Human Resources (HR) department. Since joining the Talent industry, she has developed a profound appreciation for the tangible impact she can make on people’s lives. Knowing that the programs she crafts and builds help others excel in their jobs so they can grow in their careers and, in turn, support their families, means the world to her.  

“Crafting these initiatives with careful attention to the unique qualities of each individual, while ensuring inclusivity for all learning types, gives the work a philanthropic feel,” Masak said. “Moreover, collaborating with a team that shares my passion and values adds a profound sense of fulfillment to my professional life.”  

To learn more about Debbie’s upcoming session and her fellow panelists, visit the conference website.