Volunteer background checks a must, says private investigator-turned entrepreneur...
Anderson, California (May 10, 2007)- Updated June 17, 2008 - With kids going off to summer camp soon, parents should insist that camp operators do background checks on counselors and other personnel who’ll take care of their little ones. That’s the advice of Robert Mather, a former private investigator and corporate loss expert-turned-Internet entrepreneur.
"Conscientious parents do a lot of due diligence when choosing a summer camp – weighing everything from cost and location to activities," noted Mather, founder and CEO of Northern California-based MyBackgroundcheck.com and Pre-employ.com, "but parents should also find out if camp operators have done at least as much homework on the employees who'll be minding their kids."
Just because camps may be run by churches or other well-known community groups, it doesn't mean parents can rest easy, Mather cautioned. “A good name is no guarantee that employees or volunteers have been adequately screened."
"The Internet has made it much easier for employers to check out prospective employees, to verify statements on resumes, and to review credit histories as well as possible criminal backgrounds," said Mather.
Pre-employ.com, founded in 1994, performed over 1,000,000 background checks last year for employers ranging from locally owned grocery stores to regional banks and Fortune 500 companies. It recently won a contract to do background checks on some 500,000 American Red Cross volunteers.
Mather said that, using his companies, it costs the average company $25 to do a typical background check on a prospective employee. However, their new Volunteer Tracking System provides a discounted price for nonprofit organizations. It's money well spent if the company can avoid problems, liability and potential litigation.
In 2000, Mather conducted background checks on men seeking jobs as Santa Clauses at shopping malls nationwide. He found that 7 percent had criminal backgrounds.
"Parents have every right to ask about the backgrounds of those entrusted with taking care of their kids," Mather said.
The National Council of Non-Profit Associations is now a partner with MyBackgroundCheck.com as preferred provider for background screening for all member associations.
Mather also offers a new service - MyBackgroundCheck.com - that allows prospective employees and volunteers certify their resumes and background information. This tamperproof information, verified and kept on servers at MyBackgroundCheck.com, can then be "unlocked" using a special code and viewed by prospective employers.