Employment Screening Firm Lists E-Verify as a Top Ten Trend

The use of E-Verify as an employment screening tool topped the list of the Employment Screening Resources second annual top ten trends list. ESR is a human resources consulting firm providing pre-employment screening reports to Employers, Human Resources and Security departments. E-Verify didn’t make the first list of top ten trends last year, but increased government regulation was cited as a cause for the workplace verification tool making the list in 2009.

The firm’s January newsletter said a shifting world has caused companies to shuffle the way they screen potential employees.

Likely to increase in 2009 are the requirements by federal and state governments for more background checks in sensitive industries – such as child care workers and certain health workers. Another area where the government requires checks is verification of the eligibility of a new hire to work by using the E-Verify program. Although litigation has been filed, the announced rules require employers with certain federal government contracts to utilize the E-Verify program starting in 2009. Along with the federal government, the states are becoming increasingly involved in regulating screening.

E-Verify has been a hot topic in recent weeks as several states, including South Carolina and Missouri, have enacted laws requiring the mandatory use of E-Verify. Two amendments have also been added to the House of Representatives economic stimulus plan that would extend E-Verify for five more years and make it mandatory for any businesses utilizing stimulus money.

E-Verify is an online workplace verification tool administered by the Department of Homeland Security that checks an applicants employment eligibility.

More on the top ten trends in employer screening can be found on the Employment Screening Resources website.