New University of Michigan policy requires pre-employment background checks and education verification
The University of Michigan now requires all job candidates to undergo a pre-employment background check and has expanded such checks to include education verification.
University of Michigan's campus.
AnnArbor.com photo | Joseph Tobianski
Those decisions used to be made at the discretion of the hirer. Now, they're mandatory.
Rick Fitzgerald, university spokesperson, said these particular changes were discussed in "late 2012," sometime in November or December; although university officials first began reviewing the school's background policy about a year ago, he said. Fitzgerald did not know exact dates.
According to minutes from a December 13, 2012, regents' meeting, the Board of Regents Personnel, Compensation and Governance Committee began discussing the school's background policy that month. Minutes from a February 21 meeting indicate that the committee was "provided an updated policy on background checks" that month.
"We already were doing background checks in most areas and it just made sense to make it a more comprehensive policy," Fitzgerald said.
U-M's former social media director Jordan Miller was forced to resign Dec. 11 after it became public she hadn't received her bachelor's degree, contrary to claims on her resume and employment application. Miller was hired in February 2012.
At the time, Fitzgerald said it was rare for an inaccurate employment application to come to light after someone had worked in their position for a while. In a recent interview, Fitzgerald said the change in policy was unrelated to Miller's resignation.
"One employee doesn't drive a policy at the University of Michigan," he said.
In addition to verification of the highest academic degree disclosed by a candidate, employee background checks will include a criminal conviction check.
A full-time, part-time and temporary job candidate must now receive a background check before receiving a non-contigent job offer. Newly appointed staffers also may receive background checks.
Last year the university conducted 6,000 background checks. This year, due to the policy change, the school expects to increase that number.
"It is important that the university's academic, research, patient care and service missions are supported by qualified employees with a safe and secure environment for all," U-M Provost Martha Pollack and Head of Human Resources Laurita Thomas said in an email message to university deans, directors and department heads. "One way to accomplish this is through the use of background checks for new members of our work force."
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
alcarn
Mon, Jun 17, 2013 : 8:32 a.m.
While it is unwise to have background checks in higher education, federal regulators and lawmakers should not throw the baby out with bath water and prevent companies running background checks using in-house resources or third party providers like www.backgroundchecks.com. The failure to do so can be costly as companies can become subject to legal challenges and embarrassment which can harm their hard earned reputation. In sum, federal regulators should not act against background checks just because they have been misused.
Judy
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 4:11 p.m.
That is great but how many current U of M employees would have a job if background checks were done on them?
seldon
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 11:31 p.m.
Many, because many of them have already had background checks done.
A2JetSet
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 2:23 p.m.
It's widespread at UM's ITS division to hire without verification. Old-timers get their kid in, many times saying the kid has a degree they in fact do not. The problem is with the hiring managers who accept/support this practice.
sttc
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 2:31 a.m.
i have to call bunk on this. i work in IT at U-M (for a research group, not ITS) and know most of the folks over there and i can say with complete confidence that there is no nepotism at ITS. it is true that you can be hired in to do IT work sometimes without a degree, or with "some college" but that is simply the nature of the field - it's very experience-driven - given a strong work history, private sector companies sometimes overlook formal education as well.
Ignatz
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 1:47 p.m.
In some areas of the University, you can't even do phone interviews until the prospective employee has been checked.
dexterreader
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 11:50 a.m.
"One employee doesn't drive a policy at the University of Michigan," ..... Maybe not. But when there is embarrassing publicity associated with it, it certainly can act as a catalyst for change.
Milton Shift
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 4:57 a.m.
And we wonder why the recidivism rate is so high. Is there any work left for those with convictions aside from selling crack and pulling bank jobs? Sure doesn't seem it.
UloveM
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 2:32 a.m.
How about these fake MDs? Will UM fire these employees who claimed themselves graduated from medical school, but actually only attended 2 years college in China or somewhere else?
seldon
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 11:30 p.m.
If UM knew about fake MDs or nurses, I'm sure they'd fire them immediately.
GoNavy
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 11:14 a.m.
Is this even a problem?
UloveM
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 2:38 a.m.
And those who claimed themselves graduated from Nursing schools, actually never ever enrolled in any colleges .
metrichead
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 1:20 a.m.
Do you have to know people there to at least get an interview? I swear, I've applied for so many jobs there that I'm a perfect fit for, but I never hear back from them.
seldon
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 11:29 p.m.
I think the main issue is that UM gets so many applicants for every position that, statistically, it can take a long time to be the winning one.
metrichead
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 5:34 a.m.
Thanks, all your comments are quite helpful. Especially, sttc. I've noticed the same thing with the City and the County. I am going to contact a friend who works for the school, get some extra advice, and see if I can land a temp job.
sttc
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 2:56 a.m.
i currently work at U-M and have sat on both sides of the interview table. from my experience, if a colleague refers someone, we will be sure to look out for their resume and the applicant's chances of actually getting an interview are maybe slightly improved, but only slightly... i have seen a referred applicant not get the job... it was ultimately given to someone who applied using the standard process who had standout experience for the position we were looking to fill. in general, a passion for your work, (perhaps most importantly) notable work experience pertinent to the position on offer, and reasonably par credentials will take your application to the top of the pile. as well, it also helps to have a nicely prepared resume, and a cover letter specific to the position on offer. you'd be surprised how little effort many applicants put into their resumes. for some positions, particularly admin and secretarial, working as a temp can definitely help you get your foot in the door. anyone can sign up for the U-M temp pool; this may be worth investigating for some who haven't had any luck applying completely from the outside.
dexterreader
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 11:58 a.m.
And the long answer is ...... you are not alone. It took me two years of applying and probably 30-40 applications for both temp and permanent positions before I was offered a 6-8 month temporary position last winter. I experienced the same thing as you .... push the "submit" button for the application and then never hear anything else until a rejection e-mail months later. It is very difficult to even "get your foot in the door" for an interview. When I got the call offering me the temp job I was very surprised and excited. And yes, people have told me that you almost have to work there as a temp before they will hire you on a permanent basis. And yes, knowing someone is a HUGE plus.
GoNavy
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 11:13 a.m.
The short answer is "probably."
GoNavy
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 11:41 p.m.
I'm curious as to what the results would be if the entire staff was checked.
Judy
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 4:23 p.m.
Me too!
JRW
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 11:20 p.m.
Do "background" checks include credit checks, or just criminal background checks? How do credit checks figure into hiring decisions, if they are collecting that data on individuals? Just curious. For example, if someone goes through a personal bankruptcy due to a divorce, etc., how would that be any business of a potential employer? Personal bankruptcy info would be part of a credit check.
Milton Shift
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 4:55 a.m.
"Credit worthiness" more typically relates to health, and whether the individual had health coverage when illness struck. That, and whether they entered their 20s with a trust fund, or alone financially and emotionally.
Kafkaland
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 3:31 a.m.
The new policy does not mandate credit checks for everyone. But I would assume that positions that are sensitive in that regard will perform them anyway.
Usual Suspect
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 11:29 p.m.
They almost always do. Credit worthiness typically relates to decision-making ability.
JRW
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 11:12 p.m.
This should have been mandatory for the entire university for last decade, not left up to some hiring units to decide whether to do it or not. It shouldn't be a roll of the dice. Same treatment for every employee hired in every unit.
Nicholas Urfe
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 10:43 p.m.
A friend was a Zamboni driver at Yost Ice Arena. There was no background check. None. Can you imagine? Zamboni drivers with no background check? He was a terrible driver, and I didn't even like to ride in his car! It' a wonder he didn't drive the thing out onto the streets of Ann Arbor.
Linda Peck
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 10:02 p.m.
This is a good idea. I was surprised they were not already doing this.
dagoose
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 9:58 p.m.
I was just hired by Uof M last week (temp job- not full time), and the new background check form wouldn't accept my post secondary school info. I tried Univresity of Michigan- no go. I tried Univ. of Mich. - nope. There was a drop down list that included M.S.U., Notre Dame and oodles of foreign schools i've never heard of but no Michigan. I left it blank and emailed my contact and they said don't worry about it. Hopefully just a glitch, but 5 yrs. of Engin./ Educ. courses that I wanted to include.
Silly Sally
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 8:46 p.m.
Perhaps if you spell it correctly...
liekkio
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 12:43 p.m.
The system functions exactly as dagoose described (except for the times when it decides to stop working at all).
Jay Thomas
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 9:57 p.m.
Checking the legal status of both faculty and students to be in the United States should be the next step.
Jay Thomas
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 9:41 a.m.
But it's okay for a student? They can be enrolled ahead of someone legal?
Kafkaland
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 : 3:27 a.m.
UM has been meticulous about checking the vas status of every foreigner paid by the university for more than a decade. The penalties for screwing this up are very high, and so UM has been very diligent about this, even though it involves an nervous amount of paperwork.
dancinginmysoul
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 9:48 p.m.
These shouldn't be new. These should have been in place years ago.
a2citizen
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 9:47 p.m.
Will they be checking immigration status?
JRW
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 11:13 p.m.
Exactly.
Trouble
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 8:36 p.m.
Complete and thorough background checks are time intensive and expensive. There is no one computer search which would provide all necessary background information on an individual. Especially if that individual is from out of state or lived in several different states. An interesting article would be for Ms. Woodhouse to investigate and report on " whom " is conducting the backgrounds, and to what degree and depth.
Steven Taylor
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 10:36 p.m.
As a private investigator I can use one particular service at a very cost effective rate (less than 50 us dollars) and have a complete history on you.. Everything from your facebook account, to credit scores, address/employment history.
SEC Fan
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 10:36 p.m.
There are many many many companies that require these things...and have for quite some time.
Michigan Reader
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 8:56 p.m.
One of my former employers used a professional background search company.
Nerak
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 8:36 p.m.
They're just now getting to this? Boy, were they ever in the dark ages.
Laurie Barrett
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 8:26 p.m.
Odd; education matters for hiring at UofM, but not for calculating salaries.
A2K
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 8 p.m.
I worked in many UM depts over the last 18 years, ALL did background, criminal, and education checks, and they called all references to boot. Surprised that not doing these checks was more widespread (or, perhaps it was the one most-notable recently!)
A2K
Sun, Jun 23, 2013 : 2:32 p.m.
Sure, when you leave UM for private sector, return, leave, come back, etc.
SEC Fan
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 10:35 p.m.
So you had to undergo background checks, education checks, and reference checks every time you changed departments? Interesting...
David
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 8 p.m.
Using "information" not provided under the Bullard-Plawecki Employee Right to Know Act affecting job applicants has been of concern for many. See: http://www.ogc.umich.edu/faq_personal.html
Steven Taylor
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 7:57 p.m.
Shame it took them getting caught with their pants down for the fibbing from the 'social media manager' debacle from earlier this year... You'd think they'd be doing a better job of it.
trespass
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 7:42 p.m.
The Joint Commission requires verification of qualifications for all professional employees at the hospital. The hospital must be able to prove that they have a system in place to verify these qualifications. That has been true for decades. Why did it take so long for the rest of the University to decide it was important.
seldon
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 8:38 p.m.
Because the rest of the university isn't under the Joint Commission's scope?
A2comments
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 7:25 p.m.
Yeah, sure one VERY VISIBLE problem didn't create a policy... Sure
a2citizen
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 9:48 p.m.
I think djacks nailed it.
djacks24
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 9:24 p.m.
Maybe it's the many Non Publicized employees that drove the policy?
David
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 8:07 p.m.
Nor at Penn State.
trespass
Mon, Jun 10, 2013 : 7:44 p.m.
The University always puts its spin on these situations because they don't want to admit they made any mistakes. Look at the four lawyers who no longer work at the University or were demoted after the child porn scandal. Funny that none of their resignations were related to the scandal.