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Employment Application and Background Check Critique
Employment Application and Background Check Critique
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Abstract
In the current dynamic corporate world, understanding the nature of employees is requisite for enhancing organizational as well as public safety and security. Legal trends indicate that negligent hiring has cost the organizations a significant percentage of resources that would have otherwise been employed for other purposes. Employment screening is advocated for by various organizations as well as state agencies. In order to yield beneficial results, these need to be comprehensive enough. A critique of the Hillsborough County’s employment application and background check underscore certain inconsistencies in the process. The main strengths of the process pertain to its simplicity and definiteness.
Keywords: background check, employment application, critique
Employment Application and Background Check Critique
Employee information that is provided during the application and background investigation plays an important role in determining whether the respective applicant would be employed or not. The information contained therein is for screening purposes and provides as much details as possible about the applicant. In most cases, the employees undertake the screening to safeguard organizational security and safety. In other words, the cautionary measures are instrumental in underscoring the behavioral history of the applicant. This ensures that the organization knows the entire history of the applicant and understands his or her way of life before employment. In order to ensure optimal results, it is imperatively important for the respective employment application as well as the background check to be comprehensive enough. This enables the organization to have a clear and accurate history of the patient. It is against this background that this paper provides a critique of the employment application and background check of Hillsborough County.
This employment application requires the employee to provide vital information pertaining to whether she or he has committed or been convicted at any time for felony, whether the applicant has worked for the county before, whether the applicant has a legal permission to engage in active employment in the United state, the applicant’s employment history, education, professional license, certification or registration, military experience and relevant referees. Notably, this information is vitally important in understanding the general employment history of the applicant. To a great extent, this acquaints the employer with knowledge about the personality and professional background of the applicant. According to Rosen (2008), this is of paramount importance in determining the competence of the applicant. However, the information is not comprehensive or exhaustive enough and can not therefore be effectively employed in undertaking a background investigation.
In his review, Rosen (2004) indicates that an exhaustive background investigation needs to comprise of information pertaining to credit records, driving records, court records, medical records, drug test records, medical records, bankruptcy information, vehicle registration, social security number, worker’s compensation, property ownership information in addition to the preceding information. The abovementioned information might be provided by the applicant or collected from databases. Considering that the position that is being advertised is public, it is important for the applicant to provide as much information about him or her self as possible. This is because the responsibilities and roles that the applicant might engage in have diverse implications on the holistic wellbeing of the public. The relative information would therefore directly affect the general safety and security of the public. Notably, this goal is in line with the goals and objectives of the public service of America.
The application form provides certain conditions that the applicant needs to put in consideration before making the application. With respect to waivers, the application cites that the applicant risks being disqualified or even dismissed in cases where they have been already employed if the information provided herein is found to be false. This provision requires the employee to provide factual or truthful information. Notably, failure to provide this can have detrimental implications on the employment status of the applicant. In this regard, the applicant does not have any choice but to ensure that all information is factual and can be confirmed by third parties accordingly.
The applicant also authorizes the former employers; persons that they got involved with in various ways and other organizations to provide important information to the county. Seemingly, the above mentioned groups of individuals would not be held responsible in any way for releasing the respective personal information. In this respect, the applicant foregoes his or her privacy. Usually, different employers demand certain personal information that the respective organizations promise to keep confidential. Providing such information to the public usually had diverse impacts on the wellbeing of the individuals and can even undermine their security. Providing permission to release such information to other parties implies that the applicant is ready to forego this benefit. At this point, it can not be disputed that this impacts negatively on the privacy of the applicants. This is further compounded by the fact that such information might accidentally leak to other unauthorized parties.
Also, the applicant would be required to act according to the provided regulations, rules, and policies of their employer. This implies that s/he would be bound by the preceding provisions and would need to align his or her activities and behaviors to those that are provided by their employer. In this regard, the applicant would be required to relinquish his or her freedom for the sake of employment. Their behaviors would be required to be aligned to distinct rules and regulations that are formulated by the organizational management. Certainly, the respective individuals would not be allowed to engage in certain activities or assume certain behaviors whenever they wish to. The inherent restrictions affect their freedom in different ways.
The application form is designed in such a way that it is used when applying for all positions. This implies that individuals at different levels in the organization would be required to fill the form and provide the particular information to the management. This enhances efficiency during recruitment as the use of the relative information would be eased. The process of coding and storing the relative information would also be eased especially considering that the organization is likely to receive innumerable applications. Nonetheless, this would be short-lived because the management seeks to use the application form for a specified period of six months.
At this point, it can not be disputed that there are certain revisions that need to be done to the application and background investigation form in order to enhance its credibility. To begin with, there would be need to elicit more criminal information from the applicant. Working for the public service is very sensitive and requires a clear understanding and appreciation of the needs of various facets of the society. This includes the special needs of women, the disabled fraternity, children, the elderly and so forth. Appreciation of the respective needs is vitally important in enhancing effective performance. As aforementioned, public safety and security is at the center stage of the goals and objectives of the public service. For this reason, it would be important to understand the criminal record of the employees in order to ensure attainment of the highest degree of safety as well as security.
Then, it would be important to exclude the information pertaining to worker compensation. In their consultative review, Nixon and Kerr (2008) indicate that worker compensation constitutes private information that needs to be safeguarded by both the public and private organizations. Such information is also sensitive in the sense that it can influence the decisions of the current employees with respect to developing compensation packages for their employees. From a psychological point of view, it is widely agreed that most employees tend to be greatly influenced by the previous compensation packages of their new employees during the design of their salaries. This culminates in prejudice and previous compensations rather that experience and skills are employed in determining the packages of the new employees. Eliminating this information from the application and background application form would go a long way in addressing any incidences of bias or prejudice.
Hillsborough County has certain policies and regulations that guide the process of background checks. There are various checks that the organization undertakes in order to determine the history of the applicants. To begin with, the company undertakes literacy takes in which it seeks to determine the number of languages that the applicant can speak as well as read and write. In his review, Nadell (2004) indicates that relative competencies are essential in enhancing the performance of the applicants. Further, the organization undertakes a check of the employment history of the applicant. Besides providing insights in to the competencies and experience of the applicant, this also underscores the reasons as to why the applicants quit their previous employments. It can not be disputed that relative information is critical in defining the behavior, traits and general personality of the applicants in relation to their work environments.
Another check that is undertaken included the military experience of the applicant. The applicants in this regard are requested to detail their previous ranks as well as relative duties and responsibilities. Further, the organization checks the professional license, certification or registration of the applicant. This is important because it underscores the eligibility of the applicant as well as the legality of the same with respect to working in the county. The drug policy of the organization is very comprehensive. Testing for drugs is done during the medical check up and the applicants or employees are informed before hand. Medical as well as psychological tests are undertaken to determine the status of the applicants in this regard. Distinct standards and regulations that underscore company policies regarding drug use have been formulated, implemented and enforced accordingly. Successful applicants need to pledge that they would abide by the relative policies before their process of employment is finalized.
With regard to Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance policy, the organization requires the applicants to exhibit a history of highway safety and security. Applicants that have handled commercial vehicles previously are required to provide certification of competence. A credit check is included in the background report of the applicants. This sees to provide a history of credit payment as well as various other credit habits that current, former or potential employers might be aware of. In addition, relative personalities can draw conclusions about the applicant with regard to credit behavior. The references that are provided by the applicants are usually contacted and interviewed accordingly. The sole aim for this is to elicit as much information as possible bout the applicants from the respective persons.
At this point, it can be argued that the background check procedure that is currently in place is not adequate. This is because it does not provide sufficient information about the history of the applicant. The relative forms need to be reviewed and revised in order to capture the respective information accordingly. The strengths of this application form and background check are wide and varied. As aforementioned, the information provided is simple and can be stored easily. This also implies that retrieval and use of the information is equally easy. Another strength of this background check involves the fact that it covers a wide range of concerns. This is regardless of the recognition that the information that it elicits in the respective areas is not comprehensive enough to determine the actual history of the applicants.
One weakness of this background check is that it is not exhaustive. This implies that the information that it elicits can not effectively be employed in determining the history of the applicants. Its elimination of a comprehensive criminal record of the applicants indicates that it has not put in place practical measures to safeguard the safety as well as security of the public. As it currently is, the process can be considered to be sub standard. Relevant stakeholders need to undertake practical measures in enhancing the complexity of the process. Vital factors pertaining to criminal records, bankruptcy and sex offenses reports need to be included in the final report. This is because relative information is critical in enhancing public safety and security.
References
Nadell, B. (2004). Sleuthing 101: Background checks and the law. USA: Barry J Nadell Publishers.
Nixon, B. & Kerr, K. (2008). Background screening and investigations: managing hiring risk from the HR and security perspectives. USA: Butterworth-Heinemann
Rosen, L. (2008). The safe hiring audit: The employer’s guide to implementing a safe hiring program. USA: Facts on Demand Press.
Rosen, L. (2004). The safe hiring manual: The complete guide to keeping criminals, imposters and terrorists out of the work place. USA: Facts on Demand Press.
Employment and Job Creation as an Economic Measure
Employment and Job Creation as an Economic Measure
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The world today faces uncertain economic future due to the unpredictability of key factors that control, money and trade. One of the most urgent issue surrounding the financial health of many countries is the spending and employment. Today, economists understand that the future of the economy lies in the policy making and the utilization of the key assets that build an economy. For this reason, the diversity and growth of theonomy has always been hinged on how the policies and made and implemented. One of the key aspects of a healthy economy is high employment rates and wages. Since the great depression of 2008, the U.S. has been able to bounce back crating millions of jobs and increasing the wages of the employees. However, there are still areas that need to be a dressed if the country is to secure its economic future. Global economist state that countries need to build a strong economic policy that will shield them from a scenario like the 2008 recession. The U.S. has been leading as the economic super power in shaping ideas, policies, and strategies that are aimed at revolutionizing trade and financial spending to build a strong economy.
The articles address a key aspect of the economy that deals with employment. One of the most striking ideas raised in the articles is that employment among the young people is the most practical aspect of defining a strong or weak economy. For this reason, the author finds that the U.S. has managed to create millions of jobs that has enabled it rank the top in terms of global economic revolution and growth. The IMF projects that in the coming ten years, countries that will be able to develop a strong job creating policies will stand a better chance of growing past their rivals. These projections are well defined in the article where the author identifies that over the past five years, the U.S. has been able to regain its growth pattern due to the creation of jobs ad increase in wages. These projections have not only added to the value and demand of the dollar at the global market but also made the U.S. attain a stronger negotiating force at the global forums. More importantly, the article underlines that employment and job creation defines the effectiveness of the financial policies applied in the country.
The U.S. as a global power has been able to lay strong policies that have enabled it create millions of jobs and increase the wages of its workers. These positive elements have not only increased the capacity of the country to grow but also helped derive the right avenues to future expansions. Since the 2008 recession, the article underlining that more than 50 million jobs have bee crated in the public sector. The private sector has also seen an expansion rate of 12% annually that is mainly associated with the innovation and automobile industry. The rate of increase in these sectors have been the pillar in jib creation thus helping many Americans find a source of formal income. Still, the country has undergone tremendous changes in reference to the inclusive growth that has accommodated many young people in the job sector. In terms of addressing racial inequality in the job sector, the U.S. has made tremendous steps that are changing its image globally. The past ten years has seen more Black people get jobs than before. In fact, the article reports that over the past five years, the number of Black people working in formal jobs has grown by 26%. This rate depicts a positive trajectory to creating an all balanced and fair economy that is fit for all people. The inclusivity has also seen the rate of production in Black dominated regions mainly in the South rise by 20% over the past ten years. These figures may seem small but nationally they amount to billions of dollars added to the country’s national basket. The Federal Reserve of the U.S. has also grown tremendously that has helped cushion the country from a possible future recession.
However, the key definers of economic growth still point to a very worrying trend that has been triggered by the Covi-19 pandemic that had wiped out some jobs for the economy. Today, the U.S. faces some its worse financial times that has been attributed to the issue of the pandemic, millions of Americans have already filed for unemployment benefits that has put the government and the Federal agencies at the edge. The lost jobs that are due to the pandemic mainly touches on the service sector. The U.S. economy is still down 10 million jobs from where it was in February, before the pandemic hit. Using average monthly job growth over the year ending February 2020 as the counterfactual, the jobs deficit is over 11.6 million.
In other words, that’s 10.0 million fewer jobs we have than in February, plus nearly 1.6 million jobs we would have added if the recession hadn’t occurred. These trends that began early in the year associated with Covid-19 have contributed to the strain on the economy with the government unable to regain its foot fully and grip on the financial flow. The cost of loans in the U.S. has never bee higher with some institutions holding back from lending in fear that some business may never recover from the pandemic. The result of this is some businesses closing down that has translated to millions of jobs getting wiped from the economy. Still, the articles on economic analysis point that the U.S. is projected to remain in the same situation of the first quarter of 2021 as the pandemic continues to deepen its claws in an already hurting economy. One of the issues that needs to be addressed is the control of the spread and impacts of the pandemic to allow the economy to recover. With the power transition still in disarray, the focus on service delivery and countering the pandemic still remains unclear and this is increasing the pressure on the economy.
The data from the U.S. federal reserve indicate that the country will need to restructure some of the sectors in the coming year to help save the most vital areas like the banking sector. These changes will not only affect the dollar circulation but also limit the capacity of the banks to lend money. Many businesses that have already closed may never re-open and those that find some room in the future will have to limit their operations. This means that the full economic recovery will remain slow and therefore many unemployed young people who have good skills may end up straining to find jobs in the future. The key to maintaining the right economic growth as identified in many articles is to lay strong policies ad plan ahead by looking at possible risks and loopholes in the economy.
Bibliography
Ben Casselman & Gillian Friedman. (2020). Job Gains Are Waning, a Blow to Economic Recovery. Updated Nov. 6, 2020 HYPERLINK “https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/business/economy/september-jobs-report.html?name=styln-jobs-crisis®iontorhow” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/business/economy/september-jobs-report.html?name=styln-jobs-crisis®iontorhow
Ben Casselman. (2020). Job Growth Gives the Economy an Upbeat Start to the Year. Updated May 6, 2020. HYPERLINK “https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/business/january-jobs-report.html” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/business/january-jobs-report.html
Employing Strategy in a Competitive Environment
Employing Strategy in a Competitive Environment
Environmental Scan
The threats of the private transport industry in which York Trans Rove specializes comprise regulatory measures amid several transport industry needs amongst a host of other factors. Currently, global technology and transport solutions increasingly target reduction of cost and emission. Environmental regulation as part of enforceable corporate social responsibility poses questions on the sustainability of ordinary fossil fuel models into the future, with greener innovations appearing in the market. The requirement of greener models and the cost of acquisition of the emergent technology act as a hindrance to the long term strategy laid down using the current fleet. Campaigns of efficiency national transport systems advocate for mass public means of transport as a preferred way of reducing losses and costs, posing a major threat to private transport services (Cooper, Mundy and Nelson 2010).
Unforeseen eventualities in the infrastructure and national as well as global economy continue to pose a threat to the transport since antiquity. Complex innovations across the infrastructure needs imply that a compromise calls for a great deal of investment to rectify the challenge. The level of damage that the multi-billion dollar industry suffers during eventualities is irreparable in the modern day exposing the customers and the company to serious losses. As an illustration, the recent trends of extreme weather pose serious challenges of maintenance of the integrity of transport infrastructure such as roads, making reliance on such transport services risky in this era of efficient business practices (McSherry, 2002). In addition, the volatility of the global economy and the uncertainties it brings to corporate strategy options exposes the York Trans Rove to unpredictable market threats.
Strengths
Service and fleet portfolio at York Trans Rove elevates the company as a daring participant in the New York market, where many players would not easily find it easy to penetrate. Having entered the market as a small scale player and navigating through the competitive space at its current portfolio presents resilience and conviction to market participation (Loh, 1997). In terms of this internal belief for undisputed possibilities, the company has established a strong foundation to dare pose competitive challenge against giant players such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car Corporation. The concept of operating as a small company focused only of growth prospects as opposed to a huge company considering downgrading operations under a particular pressure presents York Trans Rove with a unique set of strengths.
The motivation to grow and expand business across the country is an opportunity and a unique strength for the company. A strong brand name works in favor of market exploits attempted by York Trans Rove, through an efficient social media campaign and attractive pricing as well as service delivery when compared to the competing companies (McSherry, 2002). Among staff strengths enjoyed by York Trans Rove, competent and courteous service has always formed part of the corporate culture as opposed to infamous taxi drivers. York Trans Rove holds a zero tolerance policy to adverse customer complaints, especially for drivers who refuse to ferry clients for certain fares, a practice equally prohibited by the national laws.
Optimizing the Strengths
A fleet portfolio covering the middle and higher market ends with customized transport packages appealing to the customers is a strategy that can be enhanced for better market exploitation. In terms of the current level of operations, York Trans Rove will stick to its traditional clientele base as they target expanded market. Customer loyalty translates to a better brand that must always remain ahead of company growth projections in order for success to be assured. Posing as a daring small entrant into a ‘big-boys’ arena will facilitate the development of the appropriate environment for growth outcomes. Holding true and closely onto the ambitious growth beliefs and values will facilitate building of goodwill and appealing brand across the market. A highly disciplined will also attract a competitive advantage since drivers and other service staff will positively act as agents of positive transformation and service delivery.
Major Competition
One of the main competitive rivals in the taxi business in New York City is perhaps Andrea Car Service, due to similarities in terms of market coverage and market segmentation specifics. As detailed in the business profile, the York Trans Rove targets the middle and higher end private markets by offering taxi and luxury car rental services (Copping, 2009). In comparison with the services provided by Andrea Car Service, it is nearly a transposition of market coverage and service portfolio. However the momentous nature of the opportunity availed by the market in New York is the ever growing demand for private travel, perhaps due to the strategic position that the city occupies in tourism. The other major competitor in terms of car rental service portfolio emanates from Enterprise Rent-A-Car Corporation, which is not only the biggest in the entire North America but also has significance coverage across the major market targets for York Trans Rove.
Strategy Modification
Within the circumstances of a sluggish US economy, the company will be compelled to alter its strategy to accommodate the shrink impact. Among the alterations to be considered, projected fleet expansion will be scaled down to reflect the capital spending trends in the market. Alternatively, York Trans Rove will incorporate car rental services without designated chauffeurs for the luxury service in order to reduce prices and create a competitive edge against the competitors offering such services for instance the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Corporation. The company will also enter into an agreement with the staff members in order to discern if the current staff base will absorb wage cuts and cover extra tasks to avoid idle time and wastage (McSherry, 2002). In addition, the management at York Trans Rove will consider postponement of expansion of coverage outside the New York City until the financial constraints are over.
Global Competition
In terms of pressure exerted by global competition in the taxi and car rental industries, York Trans Rove may be forced to adopt certain practices in order to remain on top of the business rivals. The private travel experience in the other parts of the world may compel York Trans Rove operating at one of the main global centers of attraction to raise its standards to a level above ordinary cities. As an illustration, the taxi operators in the entire New York have a specific standard that stipulates the car models to apply as taxis. It implies that the regulations at the city are geared towards a uniform service that brings out the expected experience.
References
Cooper, J., Mundy, R., & Nelson, J. (2010). Taxi! Urban Economies and the Social and Transport Impacts of the Taxicab, Surrey, England: Ashgate Publishing Company
Copping, R. (2009). The Heart of Business Success- How to Overcome the Catch-22s of Growing Your Business, Cornwall, UK: Ecademy Press
Loh, M. (1997). Re-engineering at Work, Brookfied, US-VT: Gower Publishing Limited
McSherry, P. (2002). Mean Streets: Confessions of a Nighttime Taxi Driver, Dundum Press, Ontario, Canada: Anthony Hawke