Screen right

Background check tip: Categories can create consistency.

Commissioning a pre-employment criminal background search can feel like a dizzying experience to many hiring organizations. In fact, almost 40 percent of those who order criminal background checks are uncertain about the process, a 2014 survey by First Advantage found.

Organizations should consider creating job-specific screening packages that can help promote hiring consistency by applying the same requirements to all applicants. These packages should include tiers of what risk level the company is willing to absorb; for example, low risk, moderate risk and high risk if not still more gradation.

Source: “Criminal Background Screening: Have a Plan,” The Staffing Stream, by Theresa Preg, senior director of product management, First Advantage.

Who’s the boss?

Self-employment in the U.K. is at its highest recorded level.

Self-employment in the U.K. is at its highest level since records began almost 40 years ago, according to a report by the Office for National Statistics. There are 4.6 million people working for themselves, representing 15 percent of the total workforce. That compares with 13 percent in 2008 and 8.7 percent in 1975. Taxi driving, construction and carpentry are among the most common self-employed jobs.

Check the reviews

Don’t forget customer feedback when choosing staffing software.

In staffing and recruiting, the feedback and opinions of recruiting professionals about a specific applicant tracking system or any other staffing software can influence the types of tools and software their peers and colleagues invest in. The staffing companies should be more alert and attentive in looking at reviews of these software solutions that are creating troubles for recruiters and staffing agency professionals, as this is the only way the staffing company can collaborate with their customers in a more interactive and better way

—Source: “Customer Feedback Is Crucial to Selecting the Right Staffing and Recruiting System,” The Staffing Stream, by Reena Gupta, CEO, TargetRecruit.

You’re the finest

Twitter tops list of best companies for culture and values.

Twitter employees are the most satisfied with the culture and values of their company, according to Glassdoor, a company that allows you to rate your employer. Based on a five-star rating system created by Glassdoor, the top five companies are: Twitter (4.5), Edelman (4.4), Google (4.4), Riverbed Technology (4.3) and Facebook (4.3).