Social Media Background Checks Explained in Accu-Screen Webinar

Tampa, FL / October 7, 2009 -— Accu-Screen Inc. (http://www.accuscreen.com), an employment background screening firm, will host a free Webinar presentation at 3PM Eastern, Thursday, October 8, 2009 titled “Social Media Background Checks: Facebook and Beyond” featuring ceo and founder Kevin Connell.

Social and professional networking sites have become enormously popular ways to connect with friends and colleagues. MySpace™ has 125 million American users, Facebook™ has 300 million U.S. members and LinkedIn™ has 47 million members.

Recently, the Florida Bar Associate Board of Examiners updated its policy to include a review of social networking sites for certain categories of its state bar applicants.

Social networking sites also present a tempting source of information for employers. Surveys by the National Association of Employees and Colleges cited in July 2006 that 26.9 percent of hiring managers are currently doing online checks of prospective candidates’ social networking profiles, often before they contact them for an initial interview. Other surveys by CareerBuilder and the National Association of Law Placement support these findings.

According to experts at Accu-Screen, screening candidates by reading their online profiles presents numerous legal and ethical challenges for businesses, recruiters and hiring managers.

Employers who choose to use these and other social networking sites, such as Twitter™, must use care to avoid attaining and using information in a discriminatory way. They need to ensure that they are in compliance and do not break privacy laws, as well as be sure that the information obtained is accurate.

Thursday’s Webinar is part of the ‘Paying It Forward’ series. In celebration of their 15th anniversary Accu-Screen created this free-to-attend series to provide objective, actionable, and important information about the proper role and practice of background screening in the hiring and employment process.

This one-hour event qualifies for HRCI Continuing Education credits.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at: http://www.accuscreen.com/webinars.html. Or call 800-689-2228 to register by phone.

About Accu-Screen Inc.
Since 1994, Accu-Screen, Inc. has been an industry pioneer, leader and expert in employment background screening, tenant screening, nanny screening and date screening, specializing in criminal background checks. Its reports are delivered to companies across the world with turnaround times from Instant to no more than 72 hours. CEO Kevin G. Connell founded the company with a burning desire that companies hire the right people from the start, resulting in greater cost control and better safety in the workplace. Mr. Connell served as a Founding Director of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), and he is a frequent Radio and Television Guest, appearing on ABC and Fox. Kevin also serves as a national speaker and expert in negligent hiring, resume fraud, employee theft, and embezzlement. Accu-Screen, Inc. is a C.A.U.S.E. Certified Background Screening Company.

About Kevin Connell
Kevin Connell has over 15 years experience as CEO & Founder of AccuScreen.com, a Global Background Screening Company, specializing in Criminal Background Checks. Mr. Connell was one of the founding Directors of the National Association of Background Screeners (www.napbs.com); he is an internationally-known expert on Background Checks, Occupational Fraud and Embezzlement, as well as a speaker, published author who has appeared on over 73 Television and Radio shows including Fox News and ABC’s Money Matters.

###

Media Contact:
Kevin Connell
Accu-Screen, Inc.
800/689-2228
Kevinconnell(at)accuscreen.com

This press release was distributed through PR Web by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.