| Every business wants to be secure. No business | | | | man claimed he ran the applicant through a free |
| wants to lose money. To offset the current and future | | | | pre-employment background check. The others |
| threats to security or capital loss, modern businesses | | | | commenced to shucking and jiving, issuing an |
| large and small spend tens of thousands, even millions, | | | | assortment of lame excuses.Considering that drug and |
| installing video cameras and metal detectors. They hire | | | | alcohol abusers cost businesses and estimated $100 |
| security guards and order employees to carry identity | | | | Billion annually, you would think every business would |
| cards. They monitor activities and wrap barbed wire | | | | take the precaution of mandating pre-employment |
| around the parking lot.From a technological standpoint | | | | background checks. Add to this sad statistic that |
| there is no end to efforts to secure data files and | | | | employee theft costs American businesses between |
| proprietary content. No industry lives without fear of | | | | $60 and $120 Billion, annually and is the cause of thirty |
| crackers and hackers, vying to steal vital computer | | | | percent of the business failures. It has been estimated |
| codes, bank accounts, and credit card information. In | | | | that replacing the wrong hire can cost the employer up |
| response, myriad companies are producing their | | | | to 24 times his or her annual salary. I'm sure you can |
| versions of data security applications. They develop | | | | guess if it's the drug and alcohol abusers or the sober |
| firewalls, passwords, encryption codes and spyware | | | | and diligent employees who are the cause of most |
| protection applications. | | | | accidents and the most violence in the workplace. The |
| Meanwhile, far too many companies have failed to | | | | statistics go on, the costs mount up, the risks are |
| take the first and most obvious step in protecting their | | | | heightened.Yet there are still some decision makers |
| business from theft and abuse. They have failed to | | | | who don't see the importance of conducting |
| order even basic pre-employment background checks | | | | pre-employment background checks. And if they do |
| on their job candidates. Despite all precautions, they | | | | conduct pre-employment background screenings, they |
| have created a situation where the menace lurks | | | | try to cut corners and cheap it up, rather than obtain a |
| within. And that menace may be (greater than all other | | | | really comprehensive background report. Not only are |
| threats combined.I recall my conversation many moons | | | | they doing themselves a disservice they are doing the |
| ago with the notorious international jewel thief, Albie | | | | same to their own employees.The early loss of the |
| Baker. At the time I was doing the book tour for | | | | French to the Germans in the Second World War has |
| "Stolen Sweets," Albie's autobiography. While driving | | | | been attributed to the French misconceptions of its |
| around from one media interview to another he | | | | "Maginot Line." The Maginot Line was a formidable |
| pointed out the fancy mansions in Beverly Hills he had | | | | series of fortifications, bunkers, artillery, considered |
| burglarized some twenty years before."It was so | | | | impregnable to assault. Perhaps it would have been |
| easy," he said. "Back then, they would spend all their | | | | the case has the Maginot Line been pointed in the right |
| bucks on securing their front doors. But the back doors | | | | direction. But as with Albie Baker's quarry in Beverly |
| and maid's entrances were secured only with a simple | | | | Hills, the Maginot Line was constructed to protect the |
| lock. I used to open them with a screwdriver."Too | | | | front door. However, the Germans came through the |
| many companies are following the same senseless | | | | back door and defeated the French military in short |
| pattern as Albie's victims. They are spending all that | | | | order. It could be said, "They opened it with a |
| money on physical and technical security, and yet they | | | | screwdriver."The simple lesson to all of this, is let |
| are trying to save a couple of bucks by failing to | | | | history and Albie Baker dictate that you should never |
| conduct pre-employment background checks. They | | | | overlook the most obvious place that your are |
| are leaving not just the back door open but the front | | | | vulnerable to theft and disaster. Sure data security, |
| door as well, for workplace violence, embezzlement, | | | | video cameras and security guards may all be |
| data theft, sexual harassment, and drug and alcohol | | | | necessary, but don't allow your business to be another |
| abuse. Some companies are so careless they have | | | | Maginot Line. Common sense dictates, if you want |
| hired candidates without knowing if they were felons, | | | | security then address the area where you are the |
| perverts or diligent workers.To make this point, CBS | | | | most vulnerable. Considering shrinkage, the risk of |
| News recently ran a special feature where it had one | | | | lawsuits and countless liability issues, pre-employment |
| of its people apply for the Santa Clause gig at five | | | | background checks are extremely cost |
| different malls in Los Angeles. The catch was that | | | | effective.Remember--Check Them Out Before You |
| instead of using his real name the CBS employee | | | | Hire.Gordon Basichis is the author of the best selling |
| assumed the identity of an actual convicted felon and | | | | Beautiful Bad Girl, the Vicki Morgan Story, a non-fiction |
| sex offender. The man he was impersonating was a | | | | novel that helped define exotic sexuality in the late |
| convicted pedophile and was registered along with the | | | | twentieth century. He is also the author of The |
| 63,000 others in California on what is commonly | | | | Constant Travellers, a sci-fi fantasy Western. The first |
| known as "Meagan's List." His nefarious past and | | | | chapter of Basichis' new book Spook, a Roman A'Clef |
| questionable present were not what you call a deep | | | | detailing Chinese Espionage in the United States, is |
| secret.Nevertheless, all five companies hired this man | | | | featured in a forthcoming anthology, Sleeping with |
| to be Santa Claus. As caretakers and de facto | | | | Snakes, Notes from the Los Angeles Underbelly.A |
| protectors of the thousands of kids who come to the | | | | professional marketing executive, Basichis is also |
| malls every Christmas season they provided the lap of | | | | co-founder of Corra, which as the Corra Group |
| a pedophile as the place for your children to sit. Can | | | | specializes in pre-employment and online dating |
| you think of a better way to ruin the holidays? For | | | | background checks, as well as corporate research |
| your kid? Forever? In defense of their actions, one | | | | and investigation. |