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The conventional wisdom in HR is that reference checking doesn’t work, that it’s next to impossible to get a call-back—much less get past a reference’s legal concerns.

But automated reference checking (ARC) works. It combines what we have learned from research in psychology with advances in online assessment technology.

It brings the reference check back to life in a form that provides much better candidate data—and provides it much more easily than the old phone-based model.

Let’s look at the three primary reasons ARC works better than antiquated reference checking practices.

Read the full article here ...

Saratoga Springs, NY – March 3, 2010 – Commercial Investigations, LLC (CI)—a leading provider of accurate, timely and cost effective background investigations — has realized a 70.2% reduction in candidate screening time after deploying Chequed.com’s Predictive Employee Performance™ tool. Chequed’s software as a service (SaaS) platform offers personality assessment and automated reference checking technology. Chequed.com delivers critical job-fit data to hiring managers early in the selection process, allowing them to focus time and attention on only the highest-potential candidates.

“Chequed saved me time by eliminating applicants who were not serious enough about the position to complete the assessment process and by quickly identifying the top candidates of those that did complete the assessments", said Michelle Pyan, President of Commercial Investigations, LLC. "The executive summary provided invaluable insight that interviews don’t.  I feel very confident in our new hires thanks to Chequed.” she continued.

“In a labor market such as today where companies are inundated with strong applicants, we are thrilled to see the measurable impact that Chequed’s personality assessment and automated reference checking technology had on a growing company like Commercial Investigations,” said Greg Moran, CEO of Chequed.com.

Business Challenge Before Chequed.com

Commercial Investigations had established themselves as a leader in the background investigations industry, and this growth required several additions to their customer service team. However, as the unemployment rate has increased, the number of candidates applying for open positions has grown exponentially. Commercial Investigations confronted this issue after running several ads on various employment sites. Within a week, they had received over 250 applicants and lacked the resources to handle the upfront screening required with this type of candidate volume.

Solution Using Chequed.com

Chequed.com’s Predictive Employee Performance™ SaaS screening platform was deployed to identify the personality attributes, competencies and cultural fit that make someone successful in the role of customer service for CI. After creating this job profile, 277 candidates were invited to complete the ChequedFit personality assessment upon application. If a fit to the job was identified, the hiring manager could move forward with the standard interview process, equipped with an interview guide indicating the areas in which a candidate may have a disconnect from the position.

After an initial review of the ChequedFit™ assessment, 45 candidates still in the running were asked to invite their references to complete the ChequedReference™ automated reference checking module. Reference providers received a system-generated email from candidates requesting completion of an anonymous online reference assessment. The completed reference check was then automatically compared against the job profile and candidates were ranked accordingly. Eleven candidates were selected as finalists for two immediate hires, of which 9 interviews were conducted and two hires were made, resulting in a time savings of approximately 70.2% without Chequed’s Predictive Employee Performance™ technology.

About Commercial Investigations, LLC

Commercial Investigations LLC (CI) offers thorough and affordable background investigations. CI provides accurate, timely, cost effective and fully compliant reports supported by exceptional customer service.  CI also offers consulting services to assist organizations with reviewing and auditing their background investigation processes for compliance, effectiveness and efficiency.  CI provides the Proactive Truth^TM  regarding applicants, thereby reducing turnover and limiting exposure to civil liability. CIWARE^TM, a user friendly, secure online application, allows clients to select the inquiries they need and view results in progress.

About Chequed.com

Founded in 2008 by some of the foremost experts in employee selection and development, Chequed is an emerging leader in the rapidly growing market for Predictive Employee Performance™ technology. Specifically, Chequed delivers a software as a service (SaaS) technology used for behavioral assessment and automated reference checking. Chequed’s revolutionary Performance Engine™ delivers rapid, accurate predictions of a new hire’s performance.

Chequed has commercialized innovative research developed in partnership with The Research Foundation of The State University of New York and The University at Albany’s world-class Department of Psychology. Complementing these research innovations is the software’s practical, real-world emphasis. Chequed’s experienced management team, board of directors and advisory committee have helped hundreds of startups and growing companies hire talent that made them industry leaders. Their extensive expertise has fortified the Chequed software to meet the day-to-day challenges of human resource managers facing competitive markets for human capital. Further information can be found at www.chequed.com.

To experience Chequed.com for yourself with a Free Trial, click here.

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As the economy is slowly getting up and dusting itself off, you’ve got jobs to fill. And with so many people out of work, you get your pick of a huge pool of candidates. What a great situation for a hiring manager, right?

I’m sure you’re already yelling at your computer, “Wrong!”

If your company is being overwhelmed by the number of responses to your job postings, there are ways to re-calibrate your process to effectively and efficiently find the gems in that huge mountain of resumes.

This week’s paper gives you an overview of five tips you can use to take best advantage of our current candidate-heavy market.

Over the coming weeks, keep checking the blog as we’ll dive down deeper with each tip, providing the nuts and bolts you need to implement it. These tips will help you improve your process so you can find the best qualified people who are also most likely to succeed in your open position and in your company’s culture.

Click here to view our new, complimentary article called Drowning in a Sea of Resumes: Five Steps to Leverage a Candidate Rich Market.

Reference checking has often been the weak link in the recruitment chain. Completion rates are usually only around 30%.  Add to that former employers who are uncomfortable with the legal ramifications of providing useful information and you get less than stellar results.

But new automated reference checking tools allow employers to get around these issues. They turn the reference check into an easy step in the recruitment process that can also be a powerful predictor of a new hire’s performance.

If you’re considering an automated reference checking tool for your company, look for one that’s used in conjunction with a Web-based behavioral assessment to get the most useful data.

Our new white paper details five questions to consider as you research your options. You can download by clicking the link below.

 Automated Reference Checking: Five Things to Consider Before Buying (117.11 kB).

Welcome to the Chequed.com blog. New white paper on Automated Reference Checking to be posted on Monday. Be sure to check back. In the meantime, enjoy the Super Bowl!