HR manager Paul Falcone felt he wasn’t getting meaningful info when he did reference checks on job candidates. To improve what he was getting — and to make better decisions about hiring — he devised a better system. Here, he tells his story: More…

When the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission started noticing an increase in discrimination suits based on background checks, the agency decided to warn employers about practices that could get them in trouble. More…

This recent case highlights the problems caused by untruthful references. More…

Heard of Workscore.com yet? You probably will soon, when applicants send you their “social resumes.” More…

It’s a constant challenge for employers: Offering the benefits and incentives that employees desire without running into compliance problems with the feds. More…

The site is called alibihq.com. And, for a price, it can turn a stinker into a star. More…

In this real-life legal case, an employee gets injured as the result of an attack by a co-worker with a history of violence. The injured employee sues the company and HR for failing to uncover the violent past. Who wins? More…

With all the difficulty in getting truthful references, more and more HR managers are turning to Web research and social-networking sites to get inside info on applicants.  And some of the info they uncover isn’t available anywhere else — and isn’t pretty. More…

A new Web site bills itself as your own personal criminal-records database that, among other things, can be used to run checks on applicants as part of checking references and other info. But does it work? More…

Joe was a real pain, and you practically danced when he left your company. Now, another employer wants to know what you think of Joe. More…