or many employers, the tragic events of September 11 offered a chilling reminder about workplace security and the importance of knowing someones identity.

    Yet long before any airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, recruiters and hiring managers had to deal with individuals who inflated their qualifications or lied on applications and résumés. According to Kessler International, a New York-based security and investigations firm, more than 25 percent of 1,000 résumés it examined for technology companies in 1999 contained phony information or false credentials.

    Today, numerous companies conduct background checks, including several firms that offer their services over the Web. And while its important to find a company thats competent at verifying credentials, its also crucial to check for the right things. "The level of deception that exists is frightening. A lot of people think nothing of misrepresenting their qualifications and lying about past events," says Lou Adler, president of Power Hiring. In the past, courts have consistently ruled that employers are liable for the actions of their workers while on the job -- a fact that makes screening even more imperative.

    Depending on the particular position, it might be necessary to check applicants driving records, criminal history, educational achievements, and references, and to verify whether they actually worked where they say they did. Foreign workers must have an H-1B visa, and obtaining information from foreign institutions can prove difficult. Further complicating things is the easy availability of false documents over the Internet and, increasingly, outright identity theft. "An employment offer should be conditional on passing a background check," observes Jane Paradiso, recruiting solutions practice leader at Watson Wyatt Worldwide. "These days, the stakes are too great to ignore."

Workforce, June 2002, p. 58 -- Subscribe Now!