Marketing & Communications
Heather Blackford
From the blog
Articles by Heather Blackford
What Happens If a Background Check Can’t Verify Employment (and Why Verifications Fail)
Your background check provider just called a previous employer to verify a candidate. An automated voice asked for employment dates and job titles, and the employer hung up.
Pre-Employment Background Checks in 2026: What Employers Need to Know
You are not only checking a resume when you order a background check.
Failed Background Check After a Job Offer: An Employer's Guide for 2026
A candidate has accepted your conditional offer, the background check has come back with something on it…
Continuous Monitoring vs One-Time Background Checks
You screened everyone on your payroll the day they started, and on that day the report was accurate.
Virginia Clean Slate Law 2026
If you hire in Virginia, your background checks have changed. As of July 1, 2026, the Commonwealth seals a wide range of criminal records.
A Background Check Is Rarely Neutral
Screening can quietly widen the gaps in your workforce or help close them.
Why Instant Background Checks Are a Risk
You’re juggling interviews, onboarding calls, and compliance tasks. The clock is always against you. So when a vendor promises instant background checks, it sounds like a gift.
Construction Background Checks: A Guide for Employers
If you hire crews on tight timelines, one bad hire can cost you a project, an insurance claim, or a safety record you can't rebuild.
12-Panel Drug Screen for Employment
You just got off the phone with a candidate who asked, "So what exactly does this drug test cover?" Maybe a site manager needs workers cleared by Monday, and you need answers fast.
Colorado SB 26-189 and AI in Hiring
Colorado did not drop AI regulation; it rewrote it. SB 24-205, the original Colorado AI Act, never took effect.
Background Checks and Mental Health
If your hiring policy auto-disqualifies on any record, you are probably screening out people whose record reflects an untreated illness rather than ongoing risk…
Fair Chance Hiring: How to Stay Compliant Beyond Ban the Box
Fair chance hiring tightened in three places this year, and the deadlines are arriving now.