Who’s That In Your House?
By Phil Philcox 

It's 10 a.m. Do you know who's taking care of your children and who they really are? Fact: Five million Americans are on parole. Twenty-five million Americans have some kind of criminal record. They're walking the streets of America and some are looking for work. Would you consider hiring one? 

Last January, Sue Pooler of New York hired Gennie to take care of her children, Bruce, 19 months, and Pam, three. An attorney, Sue had been promoted to full partner in her law firm and her new work schedule was hectic—late weekday hours, few free weekends—leaving her little time to take care of children. Gennie was hired through a domestic employment agency that represented maids, tutors, nannies, babysitters, and general child care help. "I was in a hurry and the process was relatively simple," Sue said. "You called, explained your needs and what you were willing to pay and they sent someone over." 

On the surface, Gennie seemed like the right choice. She was up every morning with the kids and they both took an instant liking to her. She was a local resident, a community college graduate, had six years of experience and, best of all, she was available on a live-in basis, full-time for $250 a week. "A real bargain!" Sue said. 

"Everything went well for the first two weeks, then she started changing his habits," Sue said. "Her room was a mess, the children weren't getting clean clothes every day as I instructed and the dirty clothes were piling up. When I called home during the day, most of the time the line was busy. When I confronted her, she became hostile. Two weeks after Gennie moved in, Sue called the agency and complained. They apologized, offered to send a replacement but asked that Sue give Gennie another week or two to see if she could adjust to the job. Sue agreed—hesitantly. On a Wednesday afternoon in mid-April, Sue discovered her locked jewelry box was missing. "I was going through my dresser and it was gone, along with $160 in cash," Sue said. She suspected Gennie (obviously) and confronted her. The confrontation wasn't pretty and Gennie stormed out of the house, "....just a few second before she was ready to hit me," Sue said. The following day Gennie returned, picked up her belongings and disappeared. The jewelry, the cash—and Gennie—haven't been seen since. 

A police check showed no record of any Gennie Steinver on file anywhere. There was no Social Security record, no driving record, no criminal record, no residency records anywhere in the country—including Florida and Alabama where Gennie said she was born and worked as a nanny. Needless to say, Sue agreed she'd made a mistake. 

Could this happen to you? It certainly could. If you're hiring someone through an agency, through a classified ad or through someone else's recommendation, you could become a victim of deception and the person you see on the surface might not be the person you're actually hiring. If you’re planning on doing business with anyone, do you really know who they really are? Regardless of the information they put on a job application or resume or business contract, it's a good idea to check out anyone before you welcome them into your world. 

Unfortunately, people like us have a hard time playing detective. Most of the information we'd like to have about someone is difficult if not impossible to find on our own. We can check references but other than that, we have to take the person's word that they are who they say they are. There are state records that are open to the public, including land records; court records of judgements, liens, bankruptcies and lawsuits; licensing records; driver's license information (information available under certain circumstances) and others. If you wanted to check someone out using this information, it would take some times. Call your local courthouse and find out what records are open to the public. If a potential employee lives in the area and has a criminal record, you might be able to find out. 

This all sounds like a lot of work to me. Perhaps it's time to bring in the experts. Joe Hoover, a public records search expert in Oregon, who, along with his partner Anni Adkins, specializes in background checks says, "Before someone gets involved with someone else—involved in hiring or a personal relationship—they should know something about that person, something other than what that person told them about themselves." 

Suspicion (within normal ranges) is Mother Nature’s most overlooked and underrated defense mechanism that manifests itself strongest when one perceives they are being lied to. If you suspect something is wrong, something might be wrong, so investigate or have them investigated." Most investigators will tell you when you're considering hiring someone who is going to have access to your home or your business you should prepare some type of employment form that requires them to fill in some information. The information should include their full name (maiden name if applicable); date of birth; current and past addresses; Social Security number; former employers (at least 2-3 previous jobs); driver's license number and references. Include a paragraph that authorizes you or your agent to conduct a credit search. Once they sign it, it opens the door to any type of investigation you want conducted. A investigator or background checking organization can provide you with everything you want to know about your potential employee...including any criminal background, law suites against former employees, etc. One look at application like this might just convince someone applying for a job to go elsewhere for employment. 

Would-be employees with a checkered past often mix truth with lies. Although it's not fool-proof, a verification of recent prior employment is one means of finding out whether or not the applicant has been incarcerated and taken out of society for a period of time. The fact they were unemployed for four years may or may not indicate something is amiss. Where were they during that time? Where they overseas, studying painting in Paris and surviving on their lottery winnings or serving time in the state prison? When you see a time gap, ask yourself or have your personnel people ask: Why? Even a steady work record is not a sign that there hasn't been problems. Was there a judgment against the subject for failure to pay debts or worse, assault and battery? Did they sue their former employer for some bizarre, unjustified act? Did they get fired from their last job for stealing? Have they ever been arrested for driving under the influence or drug possession? 

If you're hiring an employee through an agency, ask how they select the people they represent and what kind of background checks are used. Will the agency assist you if there's a problem? Is the agency associated with a national group? While many groups do not have authority over the people they represent, they often agree to abide by whatever guidelines are set forth to insure employers get reliable help. Responses to classified ads is one of the major who-should-I-hire? problem areas. Resumes can be doctored and what you see isn't always what you always get. The bottom line is you should feel comfortable with a potential employee and confident that you've done everything possible to insure they're qualified for the job. Some of that confidence comes with background checks. There are a handful of agencies around the country that can provide basic and in-depth background checks for as little as $25 to thousands of dollars, depending on the depth of the check. To feel safe, you should at least verify their name, date of birth, Social Security number, current and previous address, driver's license information and criminal record, if any. 

There are an assortment of web sites for companies that will do investigations on everything from simple name/Social Security number to full checks including criminal backgrounds, bankruptcies, etc. 

This is almost the 21st century and times have changed. Society in this writer's view has taken a turn for the worse. There are problems out there that weren't around forty or fifty years ago and one of those problems is the hiring of unreliable help. Protecting yourself and your business today is not only good sense but a necessity. 

Author’s Note: When you’re ready to call in the experts, you can contact any of the private investigators in your area or on the Internet. In my office, I’ve found investigators that can do nationwide checks are the best. On several occasions I’ve used How To Investigate Agency to check out people applying for a position with The Press Association. They have connections to one of the largest databases in the country and can do everything from basic background checks to full checks including criminal histories. Rates? Reasonable enough considering what might happen if you don’t check first. 

How To Investigate (Box 588, Murphy OR 97533; 541-862-8022 (http://howtoinvestigate.com) Email: ahha@howtoinvestigate.com 

Phil Philcox is the editor/director of The Press Association and author of 45 non-fiction books on various subjects. He lives in Panama City Beach, Florida with his wife, Beverly 

copyright2000 Phil Philcox