Tips and tricks by a leading private investigator in singapore on employee background checks

COVER PAGEhttp://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading Private Investigator Singapore &

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http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading Private Investigator Singapore &

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Background checks is a process of digging and finding out information on someone’s past and usually involves compiling and looking up of commercial records, criminal records as well as financial records of a company or an organization or an individual. Employers can request for employment screening on job candidates who have made an application on high security jobs in places like airports, hospitals, government institutions, financial institutions and schools. Employers check for the candidate’s fitness, qualifications, character and any security and safety risks of employing the candidates.


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Depending on the requested information (can be credit scores, verification of criminal history, and verification of past employments); these checks can be very expensive. Unfortunately, background checks are also used unlawfully for illegal purposes such as identity theft, employment discriminations and violation of people’s privacy.Due to the security reasons, background checks have become very important in the modern day to day activities. This makes it important for employers and other people who seek these services to know the dos and don’ts when it comes to background checkshttp://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading

Private Investigator Singapore & Worldwide

The tips and tricks by a leading Private Investigator in Singapore on employee background investigations or checks is therefore, a must-have and must-know for all prospective clients to these investigators or detectives.


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A hard background check is a hard inquiry that details information to a creditor but only with your permission because it involves sensitive information such as your social security number. Signing a loan application form is giving permission to the financial institution to carry out a credit background check on you (hard inquiry). A hard inquiry is when a creditor gets a full copy of a lender’s credit score and credit report. A hard inquiry also shows the name of the creditor that pulled the credit report. The creditor usually has access to all the details of a credit report. Hard inquiries (that forms part of a background check) have very negative impacts on credit scores. The more hard inquiries performed on your credit report, the more credit scores that you lose.


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You can also get denied a loan due to a high number or frequency of hard enquiries on your credit. Though the inquiry has some negative effects, it is not as bad as the impact of late payments of loans. To avoid the bad marks (negative image) that come with hard inquiries, ensure that you give consent for such to take place only if necessary.


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A soft background check is a soft inquiry that normally takes place when potential employers carrying out credit background checks on prospective employees. It also occurs when candidates who apply for loans are pre-screened by creditors. The process does not require one’s consent for it to take place. A soft inquiry can also be when you personally pull your credit report. In a soft inquiry, not all details of a credit report are pulled out and it usually shows as an inquiry and not a credit report pull. Soft inquiries neither affects credit scores nor have negative effects on credit reports hence are harmless. It is therefore much better and easier to allow for a soft inquiry than a hard inquiry.


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A day does not go by without any news of an employee being so unscrupulous and committing crimes like selling the company’s secrets, fraud, stealing merchandise or fraud for their own benefit. If you are hiring employees and have had to deal with such crimes, you can follow the tips and tricks below from a top investigator to assist you in the screening process of prospective employees yet to be hired.http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


There are various types of private investigators to choose from. They include insurance investigators, surveillance investigator, corporate investigators, domestic and civil investigators, criminal defense investigators, skip tracing investigators and background check investigators. Since you will be conducting background checks, the right investigator in this case is the background check investigator.


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There are two main reasons why employers and firms carry out background checks; for financial security and personal safety.


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Cover pageCopyright/DisclaimerBackground InformationIntroduction

Types of InvestigatorsReasons for Background Checks

Chapter1Tips and Tricks for Clients/Potential Customers

Chapter2Tips and Tricks for Private Investigatorshttp://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


Chapter3Tips and Tricks for Personal Background Checks

Chapter4 Background Checks/Screening Tips and Tricks of Tenants

Chapter5Effects of Background Checks

Conclusion and RecommendationAbout the Author


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Tips and Tricks for Clients/Potential Customers


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Consider pre-screening your prospects through a head hunter. Despite the fact that pre-screening can be very costly, it is worth the price especially when seeking due diligence for sensitive and confidential matters. Head hunters are professionals who can verify all details in a resume of an employee yet to be hired such as education and employment details. They are in a position to perform or conduct criminal background checks and contact all employment references listed in the resume for verification purposes. http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


They can also interview the prospective employees to determine whether their candidacies are viable and up to the required standards before letting you have an in house interview between the company HR manager and the candidate. They will give you professional advice concerning the person’s candidacy.


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Use the search engines to find information about these persons before adding them on to your payroll. Search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo among others have made internet searches much easier. Searches of the names of the candidates via web searches could never be easier than it is already. By pasting their email addresses on Google’s search bar and social networking search bars, you will be able to find so much information about the person than you could have ever wanted. With the information you get, if you research well, you can easily know the kind of person you are dealing with.


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For computer geeks who are geniuses in web research, it is possible to find information that is pertinent enough to aid you in decision making. Professional background checks are much better for information that is accurate to verify your findings as well as a thorough and proper investigation.


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Ensure that you perform credit checks on your prospects so as to get background checks that are thoroughly done. If the job to be filled is a, banking job, find out how responsible the employee is with his/her money. An employee who is found with any previous record of bankruptcy, various delinquencies or charge-offs must be seen as a dishonest. With the poor world economy, you might also want to check on the person’s credit score and do not hesitate to ask them for this. They would have no reason refusing if they are really honest.


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You also have to hire a detective who is a professional and experienced to do the background checks thoroughly. These background checks will save you a lot of agony in the future for having employed a wrong person like criminal or potential lawsuits from customers. The checks will not only save you from costly litigation but also from situations that are very disastrous. Though investigations can be customized to suit individual customer needs, the screening process usually comprise of the following checks: motor vehicle records, criminal records, verification of education, http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


civil records, comprehensive media and internet research, verification of the accuracy of resume provided and previous employment places as well as identification and confirmation of important details given such as date of birth, name, addresses, social security number and residency or citizenship. An investigator will play a great role in the screening process, so you just want to hire the best and right investigator for the job


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Ensure that you search for a good investigator as if he was going to handle your most valuable and secretive (confidential) information. To protect any information that you will disclose, get the investigator to sign an agreement of confidentiality.


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It is important to verify references from your potential investigator. Request only references that are reputable and be sure to contact them. This will let you get critical information about the investigator that will help in deciding whether he/she is appropriate for the job.


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Apart from checking and contacting reputable references, you must verify your potential investigator’s credentials. You can do this by requesting to see their license which you must verify to be genuine. People are not always what they seem or say to be. You can also check and verify with your country’s registrar to confirm whether the company is registered or not.


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An investigator who is an ex-law enforcement officer is extensively trained in legal and investigative matters hence most suitable for an investigative job. This gives him an advantage over investigators with no similar backgrounds thus has invaluable experience and has definitely networked over the years to make significant contacts. The investigator having had a position in government that involves initial background checks that are normally very vigorous makes him have a good background since he/she already passed the one conducted by the government.


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The private investigative industry is not like a computer’s GIGO or the retail industry where you get what you pay for. Skills, patience and time are what it takes an investigator to get a job done and there are no promising or definitive results in this industry. Therefore, be wary of any investigator who is promising guaranteed results for their services.


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Good investigators and firms have so much information available about them for their potential customers. After successfully doing what should be done such as searches and background checks, you will be either confident or have doubts about the investigator in question. In this case, you just have to trust and follow your instincts. If you have so much confidence in the investigator then go ahead and hire him/her otherwise, do not. Your instincts can never let you down or fail you, trust them. http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


You must ensure that your investigator is insured so that you can be covered in case you hire him. Request for a copy of the investigator’s insurance policy, check for any limits and whether the policy covers the duration of investigation of your case. You must confirm and ensure that you are covered.


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You must know the investigator’s capabilities and limits. Is he flexible and open to take up any additional tasks that might come up and lengthen the initial duration? It is good to hire a flexible investigator because you do not what might come up in the future


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Before you do a background check on anyone, you have their permission to do so otherwise you will be breaking the law. As an employer, you can include a part in the job application for applicant to sign. This will be an automatic consent from the candidate. By signing the application form, it means the candidate agrees and hence gives you the consent to carry out the background check.


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You must carry out a background check that is relevant to the vacant position. Checking records that are not relevant to the job is considered invasions of the person’s privacy. You need to determine what relevant aspects need to be checked on the candidate’s background.


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It is not always necessary to check on a candidate’s credit reports for hiring processes. Do it only if necessary because if you do not employ them, they could take you to court and obviously would win. Some countries also do not allow potential employers to have access to their candidate’s credit reports. It just depends on where you are.


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To know whether the candidate has a police record, you can visit your local police department where you will be required to fill a form for information request. You will also be expected to pay a nominal fee.


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If you want to know whether the person has prison records, you can browse through your country’s prison website. These websites have databases online with records of all the people who have ever been imprisoned. You can also visit the specific prison in person and request for the information or use penitentiary websites.


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Find a background investigator or firm that offers services to a very large area. The right investigator should have access to consumer record and national court as well as those found in your country or area. The investigator or firm you choose must be familiar with the employment field and must have experience in the same field to prove that they can do it. Firms that offer a comprehensive cover usually offer a range of services that includes professional verifications, criminal and personal background checks, check references as well as educational certifications. Even if you are looking for one of the services offered by the firm, they will be able to do it very well.


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A good firm has a high level of expertise with knowledge of laws that govern the use of private information. The firm’s compliance should be along these lines as well. They should also be in a position to advise you on the best way to handle candidates’ personal and private information that is collected and handed to you.


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You must only go for firms and investigators who are accredited to offer the services. Prior to accreditation, firms are usually verified for compliance in areas such as client education, services standards, consumer protection, product standards, legal compliance and general business practices. An accredited firm has passed all these verifications and can offer high standard services.


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The only way to get answers is by asking suitable questions to a potential investigator. Some of the questions that you can ask are as follows:

Can you guarantee confidentiality and if yes, how do it?

How will you give me a report that is full? What kind of reports should I expect given this

kind of job? Why should I hire you when I can use a free

database search website that can provide the records or information that I need?

What does the screening laws of my country say/

What does a background check entail according to you?


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Do you provide accurate data and information? If yes, how do you ensure that what you provide is accurate?

Do you provide personalized customer service to each client?

How do I inform a candidate of some information I have found out that is not good?

How long does it take you to do a background check?

Answers to these questions will clear your doubts and give you the information you seek in hiring the best investigator.


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Tips and Tricks for Private Investigators


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Before you start investigations, ensure that you have all the information that you need for the job. The basic information that you will definitely need is date of birth, full name and a country or state where the person lived in before. Knowing the person’s full name is very critical especially if they have a common name that is shared by many people. A lot of elimination is involved in this process while trying to identify the right person among a list of people with similar or almost similar names. The date of birth will help rule out the wrong names.http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


It is best to start searches in places that are well known such as looking through documents in the judicial websites. You can come across some civil proceedings and court cases that will assist you to focus only on one area. You could discover more information from these documents such as names of relatives or even a possible address.


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The National Sex Offender Registry is another important place to check out. It has an updated database of sexual offenders' records and they are required to update where they reside every year. You can also get to know whether the person has updated his residence or not.


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After you have got information that you think is enough, find a background check database and subscribe to it. This is a good place because it has compiled data hence a central place to conduct research.


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It is important that you talk to some of your clients who were happy with the service you offered them to act as your references. Keep a list of at least three references that you can use in case a potential client requests for references. These should be clients who are willing to talk about the good experience they had and positive results that they got by hiring you.


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If the law of your country allows for recording of calls, then you can do so. Most countries require that if the conversation involves two people, you must have the consent of either of the two whereas others require consent from the two. In case of three or more people involved in a conversation, you might have to get consent from all of them. The recordings can be used later for reference to information talked about. You can record your calls to references because as one of the two parties involved, you have the consent to go ahead and record the conversation.


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Whatever the method or technique you use to carry out background checks, ensure that you adhere to the country’s law and legal guidelines that govern them so as to be on the right side of the government. Doing otherwise is risking being charged for breaking the law.


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It is wise to take note of details of any information uncovered on a person’s background. This will ensure that you do not forget or leave out any details when writing a report for your clients. You can either use a notebook and pen or your PC to record the findings.


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Ensure that you do not trespass onto property that is private as this might get you into trouble. Your safety is paramount so avoid any activity or behavior that may cause physical injuries to your body. Do not be too aggressive in whatever technique that you use because you may not like retaliations that could result from it as a countermeasure for self defense. Be sure to reason well and use ethics for you to realize a profitable adventure that is fulfilling.http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


Prepare well for any interview that is planned by going through the references and resume as a whole and open it with a general conversation to make the interviewee feel at ease hence will be able to give you any relevant information you are looking for. They will also be more comfortable to answer hard questions. Ensure that you only ask relevant questions that will help you get the right information. You should also direct the interview to the right course of conversation.


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For you to pass the investigator test, ensure that you prepare well and schedule a time to study. Use the best study techniques available and get support from your family by telling ahead that you will be preparing for the exam. The last minute before you leave for the test, ensure to carry along your ID card, driving license as well as the examination fee you are required to pay. Also ensure that you get enough rest prior to the test.http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


Tips and Tricks for Personal Background Checks


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I recommend that you do a basic search of yourself using search engines like Google and Yahoo. Google your name by typing it in the search bar and see what comes up. If your name is shared by many people expect to find a long list of search results. Go through them and if there is any result from a court website, you better have a look at it especially if you have never dealt with a court.


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Search and browse through a judicial website that is local to your country or state using the option for an online case search that is usually found on most of these websites. This is a good place to find all if any, law suits where you were involved or your name was mentioned.


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These companies gather and compile various records in millions from different sources into one large database for search purposes. The companies charge a small fee for the services that they offer and subscription normally last for up to one year. http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


It has been noted that employers use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to conduct background checks. The photos and information that you post on these social media will tell a lot about you to your prospective employer. So be very careful when using these websites. One you post something, you cannot get rid of it. Even if you delete it, it is not totally gone as it leaves footprints through which it can be traced. So, before you click on the post or upload button, think twice. Ensure that you also use the privacy settings on your profile to safeguard your account hence yourself. Social Intelligence Corporation, a new company, runs through websites on behalf of employers. They search for negative things that directly points to you which if they get to find, remains in their database for up to seven years.


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You can also use these websites to create great professional profiles so that when an employer checks it out during a background check, they would definitely give you the job. If you manage your profiles well and use the security and privacy settings to the maximum, you can be sure that things can work out to your advantage and land yourself the job. Doing so also ensures that you do not lose your job as so many people have lost their jobs due to pictures and message postings on their social media accounts or profiles.


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Background Checks/Screening Tips and Tricks of Tenants


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You have to ask the potential tenant to tell you why they are interested in your facility and not any other. They should also explain why they are moving out of their current rental. The reasons should be positive and reasonable, otherwise do not consider renting your house or apartment to this prospective tenant as you risk going through the same thing that her current landlord or landlady is subjected to.


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The potential tenant must tell you the number of people who will be living with him/her and the duration of their stay. The longer the duration the tenant will be staying the better unless your rentals target tourist who usually stay for a short duration of time. This will also help to know when there are strangers around your rentals.


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You should also ask the prospective tenant of their workplace. Find out whether it is close or far from the rentals and the duration of time they have worked for their employer. This is just a way of getting to know the tenant and their source of income. Note the way the questions you ask are answered. You will be able to tell what kind of a person will be renting your house as well as whether the person is being honest or not. You can also collect these kinds of information using your real estate application form. The tenants will fill in their details and you will have the chance to go through them one by one, in case you receive several applications.


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Ensure that when you are show casing your property or house to the tenant, you are keen to note things about this person. Their walking style, how they dress and even the type of car they come in. for you to save time and energy; you can have all the prospective tenants together when showing your house or property. This will ensure that you do not repeat the same things to different clients as you will have them under one group to do one presentation. Give application forms only to your desired potential tenants and let them know about your screening process, what you expect of them and what you do not.


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Your application form should have text boxes for rental history( both previous and current one), full identification details( such as ID, driving license or social security), employment details (both current and previous positions and employer), full identification details of other occupants who will be staying with you, details of family members and friends, credit information( should include details of financing vehicles, credit references and bank details) as well as permission to allow you do a background check on the tenant to confirm that all the details given are genuine.


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Verify all details provided in the application form and use phone directories to verify phone numbers. When done, rate every application and choose the best application of the tenant to occupy your house or apartment. Record all the conversations between you and your potential tenants, which you can attach to their application forms. It should include the theme, date and time of conversation for future reference. Some tenants might think that they were not selected due to discrimination; hence it is important to explain to all tenants whose applications did not go through why they did not make it. This can possibly clear the air.


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During the tenant’s background check, ensure that you hire a qualified and experienced background investigator to do the credit checks. A potential tenant with a good credit background will not give you problems with payment of rent.


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To ensure that your tenants pay rent on time, encourage them to use only direct debit order. You can say that you only accept payments through debit orders. This will ensure that the tenant does not attempt to use any other method to pay the rent.


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Regularly visit the property to check on any damages, violation of rental rights and rules as well as the occupants or tenants themselves. This will also help to build a good relationship between you and your tenants that is based on trust. Your tenants will get the chance to tell you what problems they have and what needs maintenance. Furthermore, when they know that you always visit, they will always try to follow the set rules and avoid damaging property. You can also be able to tell which tenants are giving you a headache hence you can evacuate them. A good tenant pays his/her rent on time and does not break the rental rules that are set to govern the use and behavior around your property.


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Doing a tenant reference check will enable you get vital information on the prospective tenant and ensure that you end up with a good and trustworthy tenant who is very secure. If you have had bad experiences with previous tenants, you might think that good ones do not exist but they do.These background checks will definitely ensure that a landlord gets a good tenant who can rent his/her property for a very long time. Tenants should also ensure that they sign a lease agreement before moving in. This agreement will protect both the tenant and the landlord from each other because both have to do what is agreed on.http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


Effects of Background Checks


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Usually, the person who benefits from these checks is the one who carries out the background check such as an employer, creditor or even landlord.


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A background check can include information on a person’s financial history such as bankruptcy. The employer can then make appropriate decisions whether to consider the person for employment or not. Some laws do not allow discrimination of those ( prospective candidates) with filed bankruptcies.


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A background check verifies all the information presented in a candidate’s resume such as the schools that the candidate attended, certifications obtained as well as licenses and degrees that are shown in the resume. Previous work experience is also verified such as the previous employer, duration of employment, whether the employer was satisfied with work done, position held, advancement in career, salary earned and whether the person really work for the stated employers.


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There are laws that govern criminal background checks but this varies from place to place and from country to country or state to state. It is possible to know if the candidate was arrested for driving under influence. This information is very important if you looking for a drivers for your fleet of vehicles. You can also find information on civil lawsuits, data on sexual offenses, convictions at county or state levels as well as alcohol and drug abuse. It is not possible to gain access to information that is more than seven years old.


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A background check reveals information about a candidate that is enough to tell whether they are genuine or not. It verifies the person’s social security number and it is also possible for the employer to know the candidate’s citizenship. With this information, the employer can also know if the person is allowed to work in the country in case they are immigrants.


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Despite the financial security and personal safety benefits of background checks, there are also problems that might occur as a result. Hence it is important to consider them when looking into conducting a background check.


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It is very possible for prospective employers to judge a prospective candidate from a piece of information that is provided on the background check report. Due to the piece of questionable information presented, it is possible for an employer to let go of a prospect with great potential; may be even the best candidate among the applicants. It could also be a case that was dismissed after investigations when the candidate was found to be innocent but since it still appears on the report, it is used to judge the candidate.


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It is therefore important for prospective employers and landlords to scrutinize background reports well before making a final decision. They should be wise enough when doing this because it is the only way they can get the best candidate among all the applicants.


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These are checks that are carried out only within a certain country or State thus can be problematic if the candidate has lived in other states or countries. This kind of check only lets you get partial information about the prospective candidate hence conclusions made from the background report might not necessarily reflect the person’s past.


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It is also possible that the information on a report provided by a background check investigator is not as complete as it should be. There is no guarantee that the information available about a person’s past is up-to-date. It is possible that certain information from companies and government agencies have not been provided in order to update information on the person’s history. So many reports of up to 30% do not provide information that is complete hence decisions made on such information does not let an employer choose the best candidate.http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


Another con of background checks is the possibility of information on a submitted report having with errors. It is possible to post information on the wrong profile of a person due to mistaken identity such as similar names or just pure confusion. The candidate is judged on information that was posted on his profile by mistake. This will not only lead to the candidate missing out on a job they qualify for but also the employer will let go of a suitable candidate. It is wise for employers to notify the candidate on a questionable information on the report of their background check, though this is not always the case. It can be so bad if a candidate’s application is denied on the basis of some inaccurate information about them.


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Background checks can go for up to two weeks or more thus it delays the process of hiring because everything remains standstill until the check is over.


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Background checks are very expensive and the more details and verifications needed the more money is spent.


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Some people consider background checks to be very offensive and thus can lead to charges on discrimination basis as well as lawsuits.


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A background checks is not an easy process and therefore it is important to invest in a reputable professional who can guarantee you some sort of preliminary results as well as a good customer service. As a leading private investigator in Singapore with more than forty years of experience, I have tested many different tips and tricks and these are proven to work. If you follow them well, you will succeed with your background checks be it that you are an investigator or a potential client to a private investigator. http://www.sk.com.sg/ A leading


Investigators should also ensure that before they sign up for any subscriptions, they have chosen the best background check service to use. Employers should not let a prospective employee rob them when they can prevent that from happening. You will save a lot of time and money with these tips and tricks when used correctly.


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Database searches that charge fees are usually more effective than the free one. This is because you can find so much information such as status of sex offenders, the person’s income and value of his/her home, marriages, bankruptcies, felonies, divorces, ownership of real estate, immigration status, information on property, age, address history, phone numbers relatives as well as all the information that one can find in the free databases. If you just want basic information about a person like maybe who they are generally, it is best to use the free databases


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The best and proven ways to carry out a background check are outsourcing where you hire a private investigator in Singapore or use websites for background checks, references and personal history(employment, academic and references), public records(state correctional and police records), search engines like Bing as well as social networking sites.


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The Author of this eBook is a prominent and leading private Investigator in Singapore. He has worked in this industry for so many years and earned himself a lot of respect, experience and a good reputation. Though he has retired, he still does background checks on special requests because he has resorted to offering consultation services on background checks to both investigators and their potential clients. He took his time to write this eBook because he noted that so many people are interested in finding information about the tips and tricks of doing background checks. These people are looking for information from someone with hands on experience in background checks.


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Tips and tricks by a leading private investigator in singapore on employee background checks

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Transcript of Tips and tricks by a leading private investigator in singapore on employee background checks