Dear SafetyXChange Members:

As safety professionals, you no doubt urge your employees, friends and family members to drive safely. This is wise advice; but just how wise it is might surprise even you. All of us need to take it easy behind the wheel. If we don't, we could be headed for a wreck - not just on the roads but in our careers.

Driving Record as a Reflection of Character

"I hire character, and the motor vehicle report tells me a lot about character."

That's how Barry Nadell, senior vice president with Kroll Background Screening, sums up his approach to hiring at the executive and management level. Barry's attitude is typical of other business leaders. It's become common for employers and recruiters to conduct rigorous background checks on potential recruits.

The motor vehicle report is a big part of the background check. Along with searching for a criminal history, the Social Security Trace and reference checking, looking at the motor vehicle record constitutes one-quarter of what has emerged as the standard four-corner background check used in the corporate world to screen the character of job candidates.

What Your Driving Record Says About You

One reason motor vehicle reports are so commonly used is that you can get them instantly in 40 states. The motor vehicle report is also a repository of key information. For example, employers can use it to confirm the candidate's date of birth.

More importantly, a candidate's compliance with motor vehicle laws is a direct reflection of character. Employers are looking for red flags like DUI arrests, unpaid traffic tickets, failures to appear in court, possession of drugs, accidents and violations, arrests and outstanding warrants for the individual's arrest. Of course, felony DUI charges may also uncover charges relating to manslaughter and other serious charges.

Conclusion

Getting jobs in corporate America nowadays requires a demonstration not only of professional skills but character. Driving record is seen as a reflection of character. Thus, the candidate's motor vehicle record and history of compliance with motor vehicle laws is a matter of careful scrutiny for many corporate positions. And it is of particular importance if the position being sought is one that entails responsibility over the health and safety of others.

Wishing you career success and care on the roads,

Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet, www.execunet.com

INTERNET JOB SEARCHING
What Search Firms Do with Unsolicited Resumes

By Glenn Demby

Executive recruiters can be a big help in landing a new position. But unless you're specifically asked to, e-mailing a recruiter a copy of your resume and a cover note explaining who you are and what you're seeking isn't likely to get you too far.

According to a recent survey, 3% of recruiters respond to such notes by automatically hitting the "Delete" button. That's a fairly small percentage. But the other 97% of responding recruiters don't exactly embrace the unsolicited resume. At most, they'll give the cover note (and perhaps the attached resume) a quick glance and make a spot judgment about whether to:

• Send it to "Trash";
• Refer it to one of their assistants for further research; or
• In rare instances, call the candidate.

Although this might sound harsh, it actually represents an improvement over attitudes in the past 15 years. As the chart above shows, back in 1992, four of five executive recruiters said they didn't bother to respond to unsolicited resumes.

The bottom line: Sending out resumes unsolicited isn't a complete waste of time. You probably will get the recruiter's eyeballs. But not for long. You've got about one or two seconds to make an impression. So make sure that you say whatever you've got to say fast and effectively.

Source: ExecuNet, 15th Annual Executive Job Market Intelligence Report, http://www.execunet.com

SAXCIES PROFILES

All next week, we will profile a different winner of this year's Second Annual Saxcies awards in each daily issue of the SafetyXChange newsletter.

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