How thorough are your background checks?

Posted by Jim Stroud

March 7, 2006

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This may be a bit off topic, but I thought it would prove interesting to whomever has children or is considering a blind date. Actually, to keep this post on-topic, let me pose a question. How thorough are your background/ reference checks? I recently discovered a site called “Family Watchdog” which is a National Sex Offender Registry. Here is how it works step-by-step.

Simply add in criteria like: an address and/or zip code, then click the “Show Map” button.

The “Family Watchdog” then searches a very large database, like so…

After the search is completed, a map is generated showing where sex offenders live in proximity to the address you searched against, where they are currenty working and schools closest to their residence. I think that wherever you search, the findings would be unsettling.

As I write this, I wonder how many recruiters check such databases when making reference checks? Hmmm… I wonder how many lawsuits could be avoided by doing a quick search on this database before submitting an offer? (Or, even before initial contact?) Just a thought…

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