Memorandum To: From: Date: Subject: Action Required: Cindy Raisor, Director of HR Richard Rodriguez, Recruiter February 21,

2014 Instructions on how to conduct an online background search See attached instructions

At Petrochem we place a great deal of importance on our core values. A great way to see if a potential candidate possesses these values is to conduct an online background search. A few weeks ago you asked me to conduct such a search and found the results to be very helpful in selecting the best candidate. You then asked me to prepare a set of instructions on how to best complete this process. Attached to this memo is the full set of instructions on how to conduct an online background search. These instructions are intended to be used by other Petrochem recruiters. They contain a step by step breakdown of how to best complete the search and how to interpret and present the findings. The user should be aware that theses instructions dont contain any basic instructions on how to use the social media tools. This guide should help the recruiters at Petrochem make the best decision on the fate of a potential candidate. Ultimately the goal of this guide is to facilitate the addition of the best talent to Petrochem. Feel free to contact me at 979-555-1234 or rickrod713@tamu.edu if you have any further questions regarding the attached instructions or anything else in this memo.

How to Conduct and Report an Online Background Check

Overview These instructions will help you, a Petrochem recruiter, complete an online background search on a potential candidate and report the results in the form of a memo to the head of HR. In the memo you will recommend whether or not the candidate you are investigating continues along in the interview process. The report you write will be a very significant tool in helping Petrochem add the best talent to our organization. These instructions will take you step by step in how to complete the research and how to organize and report your findings. I have not included a step by step breakdown of using the online media you will conduct the research on. If you need help with the basics of social media I suggest researching each tool individually online.

Preparation

Examining your Evidence

Reporting your Findings

A. Preparation: The steps you must take to make sure your background search goes smoothly B. Examining your Evidence: The steps to gathering the evidence and interpreting and organizing your findings C. Reporting your Findings: The steps to reporting your findings and conclusion Materials required: Applicants Resume Applicants Application Applicants list of references A copy of our company values Social media accounts(e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn) A phone, computer, and something to record you findings with

Time Required: 3-6 Hours Cautions: Dont report anything that would cause excessive harm to harm to the candidate Make sure the profiles you investigate belong to the candidate to avoid hindering your investigation

Instructions

A. Preparation 1. Gather materials supplied by candidate Collect and organize all the application materials supplied by the candidate such as: his resume, list of references, and a copy of his application. You will need to verify the information contained in the materials later, so organizing them now will be beneficial. 2. Reacquaint yourself with our company values Refer to a copy of our company values to reacquaint yourself with their complete details. You should already be familiar with our values, but you need to know them inside and out for this report. You will organize your findings using our values which would be difficult to do without extensive knowledge of them. 3. Decide which online sources you will use Determine three or four online sources to conduct your research on. Trust your instincts by choosing sites you expect to find the most data on, basically the ones that you feel are most popular. Examples of types of websites to do your research on include: Personal social networks (e.g. Facebook, Instagram) Professional networks (e.g. LinkedIn) Online portfolios Personal and professional blogs TIP: Do not deviate from your specified list of websites while on your search because doing so can overwhelm you. 4. Search for the candidate and make all required requests Search your preferred online sources for the candidates online profiles. Be wary of mistaking other profiles of a similar name for your candidates profiles. Facebooks Advanced Search Features

TIP: Be sure to take advantage of the robust search features on social media that allow for targeted searches.

Once you have found the candidates profiles you should make any requests necessary to allow you more access to information about the candidate. The requests also serve to inform the candidate of your search. B. Examining your Evidence 1. Verify the information on the candidates application Compare the information you find on the candidates application to what you find online. You can use your findings to verify facts such as the candidates: Employment history Service history Educational background Personal Hobbies You should use photos, posts, group affiliations, and any other information you find online to perform this verification. Your ability to verity the provided information can tell you a lot about the candidates integrity. 2. Look for examples of the candidate displaying our values Observe the candidates online interactions while keeping an eye out for displays of our values. Specifically look for things not found on the candidates application. Try to use the online media to get a good feel for the candidates communication skills and his character. 3. Look for examples of the candidate contradicting our values Look out for obvious examples of the candidates behavior conflicting with our values. You should look for red flags that display a clear lack of our values. Obvious red flags can be found in photos of irresponsible behavior and posts containing vulgar and inappropriate language. 4. Determine your most important findings Take note of your findings from the steps above and narrow them down to the five to ten most important findings. This can be a difficult step. The best thing you can do is relate each finding to our core values. Select the findings that you feel best exemplify the degree to which the candidate exudes our values. 5. Verify your findings by contacting references Contact the candidates references to answer any questions brought up by your research. Not all candidates will have a wealth of information available so you must use other sources

to fill in the blanks. The references also allow you to find more information about any questionable findings. 6. Draw your conclusions Draw you final conclusions concerning how well the candidate displays our company values. Take all the data you have collected into consideration and determine which values the candidate best displays and the ones he lacks. Be careful to consider the evidence in its entirety and to not let one amazing post or one bad photo determine you conclusions. C. Reporting your Findings 1. Organize your findings using our company values Chose the values that you find the most evidence for or which have the biggest lack of evidence, and organize you findings around them. Include the values that you feel are most important to Petrochem to round out the findings you report. 2. Decide on your final recommendation Decide whether or not you suggest that the candidate be moved further along in the interview process. You should spend as long as you need on this step, because this decision is the goal of your research. Consider all your evidence and make a final decision. 3. Suggest interview questions for continuing candidates If you decide the candidate should move on in the interview process come up with some suggested interview questions for him. Determine the values that lacked sufficient data, and come up with related interview questions. These questions will allow the company to know how to best proceed with the candidate. 4. Report your findings and final recommendation in a memo Combine your conclusions about how the candidate exhibits our values and you final recommendation about his candidacy in a memo report to the head of HR. Use our standard memo format, and dont forget to include your evidence or your final recommendation.

Conclusion You have now finished writing your memo and are ready to submit it to the head of HR. Here a few tips to consider before submitting the final report: Make sure each conclusion has evidence from your research supporting it. Organize your report based on our values not on where you found you information. Dont try to include every detail you find online in the report. Clearly state your final recommendation.

Once youve completed the proceeding steps and considered the final tips you can submit you report. Your report will be very useful to Petrochem in making hiring decisions. The report you submit will ultimately make the team at Petrochem better overall.