Consistent orders and production are giving manufacturers reason to thaw hiring freezes and potentially recall laid-off workers.

Economic recovery has started to glimmer a little brighter in a recent front page report by The Wall Street Journal. Consistent orders and production are giving manufacturers reason to thaw hiring freezes and potentially recall laid-off workers.

Encouraging factory output figures are appearing across several industries such as apparel, appliances and automotive goods. Factories, in fact, seem to be the big bright spot for the first quarter of 2010 with 11,000 new jobs added in January.

The big gain in industrial production hasn’t been lost on the Federal Reserve which acknowledges tangible gains on the road to economic recovery. That in turn may lead to the reversal of emergency policies set into place during the worst months of the downturn.

Allen Edmonds, a company specializing in high-end men’s shoes, began noticing business picking up in October. Although initially regarded as a fluke, business remained consistent with overtime required to fulfill orders by December.

Chief Executive Officer, Paul Grangerd, remains optimistic his companies fortunes will continue to thrive moving forward, “We depleted our inventories much faster than expected and ended up working overtime in December just to catch up and have been working overtime ever since.”

Electronic producer, LaBarge, Inc, is also seeing an upturn in business. Craig Labarge, CEO, reported, “Order inflow has really improved compared to a year ago.”

LaBarge is beginning to add to its 1,500 member strong workforce and iS looking to add upwards of another 100 employees over the next year. Mr. LaBarge’s attitude is unlike many other business owners these days.  He stated, “Every day that goes by we get a bit more comfortable.”

However, optimism was tempered with caution by the Federal Reserve whose report released last Wednesday indicated little downturn in the current unemployment rate of 9.7% for the remainder of 2010.

Additionally, the Federal Reserve said, “The pace of the economic recovery will be restrained by housing and business uncertainty,” as well as “only gradual improvement in labor market conditions.”

Scott Wine, CEO of Minneapolis-based Polaris Industries, which produces snow mobiles and opther vehicles, said “We are starting to see demand come back, but we’re trying to look at ways to make sure we don’t go out and get ahead of ourselves in terms of hiring and expenditures.”

Like any serious injury, sometimes a painful and slow recovery process is required for one to be back at 100% again. Being in the midst of that recovery can be frustrating, but it’s the tangible signs of recovery that keeps one going.

As a nation, we’re beginning to walk again economically, but it will require time before we can run.

Let a professional background screening agency like Iamscreened.com can research your old employers and verify your dates of employment and title for you.

You would think that the bigger the company you work for, the easier it would be to use it as a reference when you apply for a new job down the road. I mean, it’s a huge multinational company and anyone can approach Human Resources to verify your employment right?

Sadly, this isn’t always the case.

Large corporations and businesses typically have very restricted access to their Human Resources Department. For starters, it’s a simple matter of business security.  Additionally, the bigger the company, the more people you’re going to have beating on HR’s door for all sorts of matters be it employment, grievances, references and benefits:

“Are you considering my application yet?”

“Are you hiring? What positions are available?”

“Did this employee work for you?”

As a result, it makes it a lot more difficult for your potential employer to determine your previous dates of employment and title if you don’t give them a little assistance.  If not, they’ll be out there with the rest of the mob clamoring for a way in.

Paving the way for ease of reference into your employment history will do wonders for your application process. As opposed to having to hurdle all kinds of roadblocks and dead ends, your efforts can ensure your references are checked without delay.

I had a friend who always made sure to get the names and contact information of two supervisors and the department contact information for either Human Resources or Payroll whenever he submitted a two week notice.

When he submitted the application for the new company for which he was applying, he was able to provide defined points of contact from his old companies which could be called immediately for verification of employment. It shaved days (and perhaps weeks) off the application process.

Not only did he ensure his employment verification process proceeded quickly, but also his new company was grateful for the fact they didn’t have to navigate a maze of gatekeepers, phone menus and call centers trying to find the right avenue for verifications.

Furthermore, do your research on exactly how your company does its verifications. Is it done over the phone? Is a fax and verification release required? Are verifications outsourced to an automated, third party service like The Work Number for Everyone? Know these details! They can make a big difference.

Naturally, there may be constraints or instances in which you just might not have the time to gather the reference information you need. For a low fee, a professional background screening agency like IAmScreened.com can research your old employers and verify your dates of employment and title for you.

Verifying employment doesn’t have to be a pain for you or your new employer. With a little foresight and preparation, you can ensure a speedy verification process that can ensure your first day at the new job comes about a lot faster.

Could a history of bad credit, debt and financial mismanagement have an effect on your potential employers’ decision to bring you on as a member of the team?

Could a history of bad credit, debt and financial mismanagement have an effect on your potential employers’ decision to bring you on as a member of the team? The answer is increasingly “yes” as more and more employers are taking their applicants credit histories into consideration when extending an offer of employment.

Credit checks have largely been the tools of banking and other businesses in the financial industry as far as being part of the application process.  After all, you think “credit report” and you assume “Oh, well, I’m not handling money or finances so I don’t think I have to worry about anything.” Are you sure about that?

A new hiring trend in the past few years shows companies outside of the financial sector are seeing credit checks as a way of measuring personal integrity and honesty. Resumes may give an employer a good assessment of a candidate’s skill set, but a credit report is said to reveal elements about someone’s personality not stated in a cover letter.

A recent story by Boston.com regarding credit checks entering mainstream employment practices cited a statistic produced by staffing and recruitment company, Spherion. The statistic revealed that over the last five years, credit checks have increased 55% among U.S. employers. Definitely not chump change as far as percentages go.

Carl Greenberg, Vice President of Spherion, a staffing and recruitment firm, said, “The credit check has become a general measure of responsibility and organization.”

Companies now order credit reports to see what kind of life a person is living and whether that could translate into a liability for the company.  After all, given the expenses with hiring, training and sustaining an employee, hiring choices need to be on the mark especially in the new economy where every dollar counts.

Does this seem terribly invasive and inappropriate? Do companies have the right to do this? Well, employers are prohibited by law from utilizing someone’s credit score during an employment screening process. In fact, the types of credit reports available to an employer will never release a credit score and, in fact, don’t deduct points like a general credit inquiry.  This tool is used to show how an individual handles their finances, overall.

Nancy Pulliam Weston, columnist for MSN.Money said, “Some employers are convinced that people who manage their credit well are better workers than those who don’t.”

Although Federal law does require employers to receive a candidate’s written permission before performing a credit report, many companies make such checks more or less mandatory. The logic is that if an applicant doesn’t agree to a credit report screening, they obviously have something to hide.

However, the process can over generalize someone’s information and not bother taking extenuating circumstances into account. The practice could (may have already) disqualify otherwise talented and viable candidates.

Many people with poor credit have found themselves victims of circumstances beyond their control and have found their credit suffering as a result. Someone might be saddled with student loans, medical bills, victim of identity theft, laid off from their company, etc. These are people for whom a paycheck can make or break one financially.

The credit report continues to take a greater role in the hiring process and as it does, employers need to weigh its importance carefully when considering an applicant. The generalization of someone’s worth based on a poor credit score not only deprives someone of a chance to get back on their feet, it might also be costing a company the opportunity to build a skilled and talented workforce.

The secret shopper scam comes across as so legitimate, you might not even know you’re being scammed at first.

For many, being a “secret shopper” has proven to be a fun and lucrative way to make a little extra money. Unfortunately, the rise in unemployment has seen a rise in employment scams  and that means there could be a secret scumbag behind that offer to make you into a secret shopper.

To bring some of you up to speed, being a secret shopper means going undercover as a customer at a select store or business and recording the entire experience. The data you collect and are subsequently paid for translates into a valuable marketing tool for interested parties.

However, a secret shopper scam comes across as so legitimate, you might not even know you’re being scammed at all. Many start off with a formal interview process over email with individuals being told to submit resumes for the purpose of a background check. You even receive official directions to shop at an actual store.

The trap springs shut once you’re done and flush with the excitement of a job well done and the promise of money on the way. Just one small detail to take care of and that’s your account information so your payment can be directly deposited.

In reality, the crooks just get direct access to your personal information and, voila, you’re a part of a growing number of identity theft victims.

The FBI says other versions of the scam involve counterfeit checks and wire fraud. The really lousy side of this is that it takes advantage of decent people looking to make a little extra cash in these difficult times.

Don’t let these vultures get close enough to work their scam on you. The following is advice to protect you or someone you know who might be looking to cash in on an email offer that sounds too good to be true.

Do your research! Not all secret shopper positions are phony and careful research online can help you determine the real deal versus a bogus operation.

Don’t reply to spam email.  Ever.

You should avoid clicking on links inside unsolicited or unknown email.

Don’t fill out forms in email messages that ask for your personal information.

A reputable business won’t ever charge an application fee.

If your secret shopper assignment includes a sent a check for “payment in advance” and you are asked to send a portion back, treat that as the mother of all red flags and stay away!

Believe it or not, there are legitimate operations out there that can provide you with a valuable secondary income. Do your homework, know what you’re getting into and be as miserly as “Scrooge McDuck” when it comes to your personal information. By doing so,you’ll effectively debunk secret shopper scams and other employment cheats.