HR.BLR.com (03/05/12) Lester Rosen

Background checking company Employment Screening Resources says the biggest trend in employment screening background checks for 2012 is that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is paying closer attention to the use of criminal background checks by employers for employment purposes. Also making ESR’s list of the Top 10 Trends in Background Checks for 2012 is that states increasingly are regulating the use of credit reports by employers, with California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington passing laws that limit the use of credit reports for employment purposes.

Additionally, the report indicates that social media background screening checks of job applicants are gaining popularity and generating some controversy, and employers are automating background screening to boost efficiency, though such a move also increases risks. Other trends listed in the report include an increase in diploma mills providing fake degrees and credentials, more lawsuits being filed against employers for alleged violations of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, and employers having to navigate more complex federal and state rules for the use of the E-Verify system.