These days most employers conduct reference checks for a very good reason. Studies have shown that over one-fifth of job applicants falsify their resumes in one way or another. One of the simplest and cheapest is to enlist the help of friends to stand in as references for prior employment opportunities that never existed.

Putting your HR staff on the job for checking each of these phone numbers against listed business data and rosters is an unpopular move to say the least. No matter how talented that department, chances are they dont have the time or wherewithal to devote days at a stretch to checking references for people who may not ever get hired. Most employers now outsource this important work to a company that does nothing but.

Following Up
Why does it matter if the references check out? Besides the fact that former coworkers are the most effective rubric for evaluating someones performance, the very fact of those numbers being inaccurate can speak volumes about that applicants integrity. If you are going to demand accountability from your employees, you had better start in the hiring process.

Some of the best screening tools devised are now available through online portals for fairly low prices. If you want to protect your company from the ravages of disingenuous applicants, you may want to work with a professional firm that can alert you to red flags as they arise. Knowing before you hire is generally considered far safer than discovering in discrepancies after the fact.

Social security traces have become one of the most important parts of the hiring process because they can speak volumes in just a few hours. The sad fact is that false identities have become a growing habit among applicants with something to hide, and sometimes the quickest way to know whether youre dealing with an honest individual is to trace the number itself. Needless to say, when those nine digits dont match the individual sitting in front of you, you know you are about to dodge a bullet.

How can you be sure? Most screening companies now offer this feature for a nominal fee, and the methods they use are generally considered airtight. Speaking with county officials where the applicant was born and checking government records are two quick ways to match that number with victims of identity theft or the deceased. Such answers tend to come pretty quickly, giving you a clear view of what to expect.

Safer Hiring
Believe it or not, you are liable for the actions of an employee who has only worked for the company for one day. Negligent hiring suits come about when someone in your employ commits a crime or otherwise abuses his position as an employee, and if you could have known he had a history of such activity before hiring, this becomes your problem. Most experts advise knowing for sure long before any contracts are drawn up.

Good solutions in screening include more than simple social security traces. Criminal background checks, employment verification and more are usually available at the best screening firms. If you want accurate answers quickly, you may want to outsource this essential task to the people who conduct such research exclusively.

Dealing with payroll can really eat up your companys time. Even if you have a network in place to handle human resources questions, inevitably youll have to deal with the logistics of employee complaints and kinks in the accounting. Fortunately, they are now programs available where you can outsource your payroll duties to foreign companies.

What are the benefits to outsourcing your payroll services? For one, since foreign workers require less money, you save on overhead. Additionally, since you dont need much of an infrastructure in place to outsource, you can get the job done without running up huge phone bills and networking costs. When you extrapolate those savings over time, the numbers look impressive.

Should You Outsource Your Payroll?
What kinds of payroll issues crop up? Lets say you have an employee who continually turns in time sheets late. While you might like to dock payment on some of his paychecks, you want to be an equitable employer. Indeed, docking pay could set a negative precedent for your employees. At the same time, its critical to encourage strict adherence to payroll policy.

One solution might be to automate the payroll services, so that you wont run into trouble with delinquent time sheets. New time sheet software allows you to round off to increments, so dont worry about changing your entire accounting procedure. In other words, if you currently pay out at a five minute interval, you can continue to do so using the automated software.

Faster Results Through Collaboration
That said, you can also achieve fast results by integrating your human resources group with your accounting department. This usually works best in small companies, where your executives can intermingle and discuss logistics in person. Even well-equipped multinational corporations prefer to keep these departments separate for the simple reason that they cant coordinate the communication.

Although it may behoove you to bring payroll modification plans to your employees for their perspectives, sometimes its best to make these command decisions in isolation. You can observe the protocols adopted by your competitors and figure out which systems work best for your industry. In fact, reviewing whats worked in the past is a great way to set a benchmark for payroll success.

Small Business Payroll Solutions
For small businesses, working with an outside team to integrate payroll options is a smart plan. That way, you can commit the bulk of your resources to attracting customer interest and dealing with the nitty-gritty of the day to day operation. In addition, by handing payroll over to a third party, you save your company accountant a lot of work.

Finally, regardless of your management style, an improved payroll initiative will likely empower you to make fast decisions for the rest of the firm. Given that youre already working on the razors edge, you want to take advantage of any shortcut you can to save yourself and your workers time. Demonstrate effectiveness in leadership by delegating the responsibility for your accounting tasks, and youll likely see results.

When you perform payroll logistics in house, you inevitably run into snafus with accounting as a result of mixed up phone numbers and ever changing e-mail addresses. You dont want your HR staff to play clean up all the time, so what can you do? An online payroll initiative can save your company on overhead and prepare the firm for the rough and tumble nature of 21st century business.

When you institute online payroll, your employees are responsible for changing their own contact information. You will no longer have to deal with paychecks accidentally sent to the wrong addresses. In addition to saving you the hassle of updating your employee contact database, an online payroll gives you the opportunity to statistically analyze how your company is operating.

Changing to an Online Payroll System
The best part is that transferring to an online payroll system isnt difficult. As long as you have a computer infrastructure in place, you should be able to download the appropriate software to your network and let your employees fill in the various informational fields. Then simply keep your IT team appraised of any systemic changes to your payroll programs, and youre set.

By anticipating employee payroll issues before you institute your online pay manager, youll save your staff a big hassle. Unfortunately, people usually need to be told several times about logistical changes of this nature. Keep everyone in your company up to date by posting the new payroll rules and regulations, so that your HR staff doesnt get overburdened when the time comes to make the change.

By outsourcing payroll, you save on operating costs and encourage international investment. As domestic logistical work becomes more and more expensive, it is increasingly common for U.S. firms to outsource their payroll departments. That said, how can you trust that overseas workers will do a good job in processing the appropriate paperwork and file the forms on time?

The truth is that some payroll outsource companies dont manage their clients well. As a result, there have been instances where the foreign firms in charge of regulating the payroll affairs of U.S. companies have shirked their duty. This shouldnt turn you off from the whole idea of outsourcing. Indeed, by making a smarter payroll initiative, you can protect the workers at your firm.

Save Resources By Outsourcing Payroll
You can reroute resources otherwise devoted to payroll for the benefit of your domestic workers. Simultaneously, youll be helping to fuel the international economy. Of course, there is some concern among businesses which outsource that domestic trade regulations on the books might interfere with outsource attempts in the future. How serious are those concerns?

The truth is that, as globalization emerges as a world market force, all countries–including the United States–are revamping how they relate with the global economic dynamic. If youre concerned that operating costs could spiral out of control, therefore, develop a backup plan. Dont stress your staff by making the payroll logistics more complicated than your firm can handle.