30,000 Ft. View

Announcing DQ-it Enhancements 8/18/2011

2011-08-18T07:43:00.001-07:00

August 18th, 2011

DQ-it (DQ-it CSA) Added Features Newsletter

Our team has added new features to the DQ-it CSA module to better assist you in managing and organizing your CSA data.

In this issue:

- Improved Driver Profile Page

- Displaying 'Clean Inspections

- Red Flag Violations

- Excel Export

- Coming Soon! CSA Fleet Management

Improved Driver Profile Page
In recent months, users have experienced the benefit of added data available on the driver profile page. In addition to the driver qualification file documents, individual CSA data on each driver is also displayed on the profile page. In order to limit the 'noise' associated with mass amounts of data, we have made the CSA data a collapsible field. This will allow easy viewing of the DQ file notifications, but at the same time place the CSA data at your fingertips. As a default, the CSA History box will be collapsed. Using the same feature currently in operation with the DQ file packages, clicking the triangle will expand the CSA box for viewing of the CSA data (see below).

Collapsed 'CSA History.' Click triangle to expand the data view.

Expanded 'CSA History' data view.

Display 'Clean' Inspections
We recently identified a bug in the DQ-it CSA application that did not always display 'clean' inspections; inspections without any violations. The bug has been fixed and now all 'clean' inspections will appear on the driver profile page.

Red Flag Violations

The FMCSA has identified 12 violations that are considered egregious violations. These 'Red Flag' violations carry the maximum 30 CSA points and focus on driver history (see list of Red Flag Violations.) We have added functionality to the DQ-it CSA application to allow you to identify when a driver has a 'Red Flag' violation. The new functionality is featured as a filter in the 'CSA Hit-List,' highlighted on the inspection reports and driver profile page, and a available as a sort field in the 'Advanced Details' section.

Driver Profile Page Showing 'Red Flag' Violation

'Advanced Details' with Red Flag Violation Grouping

CSA Hit-List Red Flag Violation Filter

Excel Export
Another feature added to the DQ-it application is the ability to export CSA data from the 'CSA Scores' tab, 'CSA Hit-list,' and 'Advanced Details. This will allow users to quickly and easily share reports from different Areas and Divisions in the company.

Coming Soon! CSA Fleet Management
Our team is currently working on an enhancement to DQ-it CSA that will allow companies to manage their CSA Vehicle Maintenance violations on a vehicle level. Using a sophisticated matching system, DQ-it will load individual vehicles into the DQ-it application and match the company vehicle ID with the VIN and Plate number provided by FMCSA. This will be a great tool for maintenance managers to identify vehicles with ongoing issues. Stay tuned!

Public Comment: National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners

2011-04-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

On December 1st, 2008 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a proposed rulemaking for the establishment of a National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME). Under the rule, the Department of Transportation would manage a registry of all medical examiners that are qualified to perform examinations and issue medical certificates. Only examiners in the registry would be eligible to determine if a driver is medically qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). In addition, medical examiners would be required to complete a test and continued training on physical and medical examination standards (similar to the requirements of Medical Review Officers and drug testing.) Once fully implemented, FMCSA would only accept medical certificates issued by medical examiners in NRCME.

The belief, from FMCSA, is that approximately 40,000 medical examiners are needed for NRCME to satisfy the national demand of 3 million DOT medical exams per year. The program would be rolled out in phases. Phase 1 would require all large motor carriers (50 or more drivers) to only use medical examiners in the registry. Phase 2 would require all drivers not covered under Phase 1 to use a registered medical examiner.

On March 16th, 2011 FMCSA released public comment regarding what a motor carrier has to do to verify if a driver's medical certificate was issued by a medical examiner registered in NRCME. FMCSA is seeking comment of whether to require the motor carrier to verify that every drivers medical certificate was issued by a registered examiner, and place a record of verification in the driver qualification file. Comments are due by May 16th, 2011.

FMCSA has estimated the following impact on motor carriers to satisfy the above requirement:

It will take motor carrier administrators 4 minutes per exam to verify the medical examiners NRCME number, write a note regarding the verification, and file the note in the driver qualification file.

It is my belief that many Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) will assist many of the medium to large motor carriers in not only meeting the requirement of verifying the medical certificate was issued by a registered examiner, but also establish workflows for catching unregistered medical certificates.

Although we are still a few years away from a final rulemaking on NRCME, it is important that motor carriers begin looking at their medical exam program. Do you know where your drivers are going for their medical exams? Do you have standards and procedures in place for unqualified drivers and waivers? Do you have a program in place to second review the medical examiners? If your answer is "no" to any of those questions, now is the time to begin consolidating your program. Not only will you be ready for NRCME, but I guarantee you will reduce costs and potential liability.

DOT Medical Exams -- FMCSA has a plan and you should be prepared

2011-03-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Anytime I make a presentation on Concorde’s DQ-it services for driver qualification files, I usually start with a rather poignant, but important image depicting a commercial motor vehicle crash with the heading “Do you know TODAY that all of your drivers on the road have valid medical cards and drivers licenses?” Unfortunately, the answers I receive are not brimming with confidence.

- From 2002 through 2008, there were at least 826 fatal crashes involving medically unqualified or fatigued drivers

- Over the past five years, 902,416 citations have been issued to commercial drivers who can’t prove they’re medically qualified. That’s about 15% of the total violations issued at roadside checks.

Earlier this month, Concorde launched a new service through our DQ-it brand that aims to tackle one portion of that question. For the past 12 years, our government division has perfected an online process for facilitating national medical examination programs electronically. Combining the depth of our provider network with an intuitive technology platform, Concorde has facilitated the ordering of hundreds of thousands of medical exams in all 50 states. We have now modified that process to the DQ-it brand to allow our customers to order DOT Medical Exams from an online platform.

One of the major action items on FMCSA’s docket, in addition to CSA and Hours of Service, is the certified medical examiners program (http://nrcme.fmcsa.dot.gov/disclaimer.aspx). There was a great article on MSNBC.com from September 2010 that highlighted the agency’s biggest concern; bogus medical examiner cards being issued to unexamined, and often unqualified, drivers. Many motor carriers task pre-employment and recertification medial exams to their local divisions and terminals. One advantage of this is that it allows the local division to take advantage of local/regional pricing (It should be no surprise that pricing varies by town/city/state). However, with the cost-effectiveness of local medical programs come the complications of maintaining a medically qualified driver pool. How does the local division vet the medical provider being utilized? Who is checking the long-form medical exam in conjunction with the card to provide a second review of the examiner? These concerns, along with the availability of counterfeit medical cards, are pushing FMCSA to establish the certified medical examiners program.

Average cost of a fatal CMV crash in 2009? $7,200,000

Average cost per injury CMV crash in 2009? $331,000

Our DQ-it DOT Medical Exam program aims to tackle these questions and provide efficiencies for national and regional motor carriers. The core of the DQ-it platform with our driver qualification file service has been storing images of medical examiner certificates and tracking the expiration dates. With the addition of the DOT Medical Exam module, our customers can order exams electronically by selecting an approved medical facility and having an authorization form automatically sent to the facility (does not require utilizing our DQ File service). This process will ensure that your divisions are ordering exams from providers Concorde has vetted and also allows for a single, national price for a DOT medical exam anywhere in the country.

Typical fine for a driver having an expired medical card? $1,900

Starting price per driver for DQ-it DOT Medical Exam coverage = $3.83 per month

Although the online ordering provides consistency for how and where your drivers are getting medically qualified, the true value of our DQ-it DOT Medical Exam program is the back-end administrative function we perform. Every DOT Medical Exam ordered through DQ-it is reviewed by a member of our Medical Staff. The staff consists of highly trained medical professionals that have extensive knowledge of driver medical qualifications/disqualifications. The exams are “second reviewed” to ensure there are no disqualifying factors and the appropriate card type (1 month, 3 month, 1 year, or 2 year) was issued. If discrepancies are found, a member of the medical staff contacts the division supervisor to have the driver placed out of service.

Our DQ-it model offers a small monthly fee per driver that covers all DOT medical exams, the administrative review, and coverage in our DOT/FMCSA Medical Examination Review Program (includes review of state waivers, exemptions, and other ancillary program exceptions).

Are you prepared for CSA? You should be!

2010-11-22T07:47:00.001-08:00

It has been a few months since I have had an opportunity to write for the 30,000 Ft. view. I’m sure none of the readers of this blog have been stressing over the lack of posts, but it is nice to finally have some time to write about the new happenings at Concorde.

As for an explanation for my absence, I have been traveling a lot over the past few months and had the great fortune to sit down with various companies to learn more about the pains they are experiencing when it comes to U.S. Department of Transportation compliance (more specifically FMCSA). I see a real benefit in listening to the day-to-day issues carriers experience and seeing where Concorde can find new opportunities to service our customers.

A great example of this is what we have been doing with CSA 2010 (now just referred to as CSA; the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations Comprehensive Safety Analysis program designed to reduce accidents and fatalities on the nation’s highways). For those of you unfamiliar with CSA, I suggest this link as a resource. When the CSA program was first announced by the FMCSA over a year ago, we never really thought about it as a business opportunity for Concorde. There were a few companies that began offering CSA 2010 products during the test phase of CSA, but at that point it did not become clear that there was a need Concorde could fill. Most of the CSA products out on the market simply take the CSA data that is available online and use pretty charts and graphs to re-display the data. That did not interest us as a business opportunity.

Then one day this Fall a long-standing Concorde client mentioned to me the issues they were having with managing their CSA 2010 data. The DOT’s CSA website provides motor carriers direct access to the data. The limitation of the CSA portal is that the data is collected and displayed by DOT number, which is inefficient for many motor carriers. For example, a carrier with 5 DOT numbers would have to login 5 times each month to view or download the CSA data for the respective DOT number. Once the data is downloaded, the carrier would then have to find a way to sort the driver violations or manually match them to locations…as many carriers do not align their DOT numbers to Area and Region breakdowns.

The client I met with was manually downloading the raw excel files of data from the CSA website and manually generating reports for the safety department at monthly meetings. The biggest issue for them was that the company did have multiple DOT numbers, which made the process of generating reports and sorting the data to safety managers even harder. This company had tried other CSA software on a trial basis, but none of the products completely satisfied their needs.

Some of their needs included: the ability to consolidate all of the DOT Operating Numbers to a single report, automatically match drivers and violations to the divisions they operate from, rather than by the DOT number (i.e. which divisions caused the CSA points), ensure the quality and accuracy of the CSA data, and focus their managers on improving scores in the high risk areas.

I was surprised that none of the CSA products on the market were able to satisfy these requests, because they seemed so simple and obvious. I confess that it was not so clear to me either, because I originally did not see the value Concorde could offer with a CSA tool. But as I listened to the issues and concerns from the client, it clicked that Concorde could offer a value that was not available in the CSA marketplace because we currently manage the company’s DQ files, drug testing, and background checks. The value was simple; we can leverage the DQ-it software (electronic driver files) to match CSA violation data to specific company divisions and then use the software’s driver profiles to create a consolidated database of DOT compliance information. I could begin to see that if developed correctly, DQ-it could provide a valuable tool to display, identify, and solve CSA problems at all levels of the organization.

From that meeting, DQ-it CSA was born. What makes DQ-it CSA unique is that we are able to display the CSA data from a Company/Operation viewpoint rather than through the eyes of FMCSA. We believe this is an important element to uncovering the violation trends and problem areas within an organization. I am planning a “Sneak Peak” webinar on DQ-it CSA January 4th at 10:00 AM EST. You can register by clicking here. I can also provide private demonstrations using your data, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

On-site scanning for Driver Files
DQ-it and our driver qualification file system has become a flagship program at Concorde and I think it is a good time to officially announce a new offer. In 2010 we began a beta program with a handful of motor carriers that began using DQ-it for driver qualification files. For those that purchase our DQ-it Together and DQ-it Enterprise levels, Concorde will send a team to your locations to scan the driver files for the initial setup. Essentially, you provide us with the files and a desk, and let us do the rest. We bring the scanners and equipment on-site, scan the files, and have them transferred to our office for review and installation into the DQ-it platform. We have received great feedback from this program and are available to discuss your DQ file options.

New pricing model
On a final note, Concorde is working on some new service offerings for 2011. Stay tuned for more information on a new program that we believe will change the way DOT Compliance services are delivered and how motor carriers can more accurately budget for these services.

Oh My, OSHA

2010-06-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

Last month, OSHA released a statement regarding their intended review of the Bloodborne Pathegon standard from 1991. The standard was developed to protect healthcare workers from exposure to infectious blood. Since that time, the standard has grown to cover other industries with the potential for exposure, such as the Solid Waste industry. The purpose of OSHA’s review is to determine if the standard causes financial hardship on small businesses and if there is critical data to support the program’s effectiveness of preventing exposure to infectious disease.

The timing of the standard review is rather interesting given OSHA’s increased audit and citation activity over the last year. I have heard of at least two non-healthcare companies that had been audited by OSHA for their Bloodborne Pathegeon program. Unfortunately the OSHA inspections resulted in heavy fines for non-compliance. In each instance, the companies were cited more specifically for non-compliance with the Hepatitis B requirement of the standard. Both organizations had a Bloodborne Pathegeon program and developed the required training material. The citations and fines came as a result of missing documentation and program execution. Because there are discrete date requirements associated with the Hepatitis B vaccinations, it becomes very easy fall out of compliance if you do not have an automated system for managing the vaccination schedule.

What are the Hepatitis B requirements in the Bloodborne Pathegeon standard? 29 CFR 1910.1030(f)

Section (f) of the OSHA standard outlines the requirements of the Hepatitis B Vaccination and Post-Exposure requirements. It should be noted that the following requirements are only a small piece of the overall OSHA standard requirements. This Blog is intended to point out the Hepatitis B requirements as it has been a focal point of recent citations.

Example:
29 CFR 1910.1030(f)(2)(i) states that the Hepatitis B vaccination must be made available to employees who have occupational exposure to blood or any other infectious materials, within 10 days of initial assignment.

In this instance, the employer shall give the employee the option to accept or decline the Hepatitis B vaccination. If the employee initially declines, but at a later date requests the vaccination, he/she is entitled to the vaccination. OSHA requires that the vaccination and all other requirements be completed at no cost to the employee.

The Hepatitis B vaccination is actually 3 doses that must be completed on a specific timeline. In addition to the 10-day window requirement for the initial vaccination dose, dose 2 must be completed in 1 month and dose 3 must be completed in 6 months. Many companies are seeing citations and fines not only for 29 CFR 1910.1030(f)(2)(i), but also for not overseeing employees through Doses 2-3. The Hepatitis vaccination becomes obsolete if all three doses are not completed.

Recent fines for none compliance with 29 CFR 1910.1030(f)(2)(i) and other sections of 29 CFR 1910.1030(f) have ranged from $25,000 to $85,000 in 2009/10.

DQ-it Hepatits B Module
In an effort to mitigate further OSHA citations, the two companies mentioned above turned to Concorde for assistance. Within our DQ-it system, Concorde has a Hepatitis B tracking module that enables clients to stay on top of the vaccination requirements. The module will store the vaccination request form (with a 10-day expiration), Dose 1 vaccination documentation (with a 1 month expiration), Dose 2 vaccination documentation (with a 6 month expiration), and finally Dose 3 vaccination documentation. The benefit of the system is that it meets the OSHA requirements for document storage and ensures the completion of the vaccination series. For more information contact Josh Rosenzweig josh@concorde2000.com

Summer Development Projects

2010-05-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have decided to take a break from last month’s regulatory-themed Blog to write about some of the new projects we have in development at Concorde.

New Service Offering: VIN & Registration searches are now available to obtain information (vehicle make/model/year, name and address of owner, TAG inception and expiration dates, and depending on the state may provide insurance information) on vehicles using a VIN or TAG number. Call 215-587-6268 for pricing and state availability.

For those of you using our DQ-it system for driver qualification files, by now you have probably seen the latest update in our DQ-it version 1.5 release on May 10th (if you haven’t, it is definitely worth taking a look http://www.concordedqf.com/). We added some great new features to the system to make it easy for users to manage driver compliance and complete action items that show up on our daily e-mail notifications. As I’m sure you can tell by the recent improvements to the DQ-it system and backend operations, Concorde is taking serious steps to make our DQF system one of the best on the market.

What to look forward to this Summer
By the end of June, 2010, we plan on releasing what is believed to be the first mobile version of any DQF software on the market. DQ-it Mobile will allow users to view driver and site compliance, order and view motor vehicle records, add driver pictures, and update driver information all on the go. The difference between DQ-it Mobile and the traditional DQ-it website is that it will be optimized for easy navigation on almost any smart phone such as the iPhone or Blackberry. To help us in make sure that you smart phone model is included in the original build, we are asking our customers to complete this short survey.

This summer will be an extremely busy time for our development team as we begin planning for DQ-it v2.0 and a host of other system improvements. We are working diligently to integrate all of our systems together (drug testing, background screening, DOT Compliance, and medical services) to offer clients a true one-stop-shop for all of your screening needs.

For those of you in the solid waste industry, I may have previously discussed with you our model for DQ-it 2.0. Concorde sees a great opportunity with our DQ-it program to give motor carriers the ability to hire drivers faster and reduce redundant spending on screening services. Phase 1 of DQ-it 2.0 is to beta test the program within the solid waste industry and gradually expand out to other transportation sectors. If you are a solid waste company looking to get drivers behind a truck in a matter of hours, and not days, please contact me at 215-587-6268 or josh@concorde2000.com and I will be happy to share more information on the program.

ESS 2.0 to AppCheck Transition

Our non-transportation regulated clients will also benefit from development projects beginning this summer. As many of you know, we have begun offering a FREE Applicant Tracking System that is pre-integrated with our AppCheck background check platform. Today, we offer two different background check platforms (ESS 2.0 and AppCheck) to our clients. The goal for 2011 is to transition all clients over to the AppCheck platform.

Why are we transitioning? The AppCheck platform was specifically designed to allow for easy integration into a client’s current ATS or Concorde AppCheck Tracker ATS. We believe that the benefits of AppCheck tracker are now superior to the features in ESS 2.0.

What does AppCheck offer? One of the most beneficial aspects of AppCheck tracker is that it gives companies the option of offloading the background check data entry to the applicant. We provide applicants with a secure username and password to go online and complete the FCRA electronically. After the FCRA has been completed, the applicant is directed to an order screen where he/she enters their personal information to complete the background check searches. For our clients currently using AppCheck, the only interaction they have with the background check process is initiating the order to Concorde (orders typically include the Applicant Name, E-mail Address, Location, and Job Title) and waiting for the results to be delivered via e-mail. Concorde can integrate AppCheck to almost any existing Applicant Tracking System free of charge. As always, Concorde will provide constant updates to our clients regarding this transition and welcome any feedback/concerns. We also encourage anyone who is interested in trying the system out now to contact us and we would be happy to provide a consultation on how AppCheck can help streamline your current process.

On a final note; I am once again planning a summer travel schedule across the country to visit our clients who we normally do not get to visit face-to-face. I will be contacting as many of our clients and possible to schedule visits, but I encourage you to send me an e-mail at josh@concorde2000.com if you will be around this summer and are interested in a visit.

CSA 2010 and the FMCSA Background Check Program

2010-03-09T12:46:00.000-08:00

As those of us in the Mid-Atlantic States finally see some relief from the snow, I would like to spend some time this month writing about the new programs from the FMCSA: the CSA 2010 Initiative and the Pre-employment Screening Program. I’m sure many of you have heard at least a few sound bytes about the CSA program, but I would like to share with you some more detailed information about the audit process of the initiative. Concorde had the opportunity to assist one of our clients with an audit since we provide the Company with driver qualification files services via our DQ-it application. Here are some interesting takeaways from our involvement in the audit:

Let me start by giving a brief overview of the CSA 2010 Program. The focus of the program is to begin enforcing drivers for serious rule violations of the following categories: Driving while disqualified (as determined under §391.15 for drivers operating vehicles 10,001 pounds or more & § 383.51 for drivers operating vehicles 26,001 pounds or more), Driving without a valid commercial driver’s license, Making a false entry on a medical certificate, and/or Committing numerous Hours-of-Service violations. The enforcement focus will be on the driver, however, the FMCSA will also look to determine if the carrier has any responsibility in the violation.

In addition, the program includes 3 major components:
1) A more comprehensive carrier safety measurement system "CSMS"; to replace SafeStat
2) A farther reaching intervention process that will extend beyond on-site inspections.
3) A new safety fitness determination system More information about the CSA 2010 initiative can be found at http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/.

The FMCSA announced that Component 1 of the CSA 2010 initiative will begin November 30th, 2010. Beginning April 12th - November 30th, 2010, Carriers will have access to the Data Preview Event. This will allow motor carriers to review their BASICs data before the official launch of CSA 2010. The Data Preview can be viewed at https://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/login.aspx.

What will change on November 30th, 2010?

1) SafeStat will be replaced with CSMS
2) Warning letters will be sent to carriers nationwide
3)Improvements to the documentation of roadside inspections that will integrate into CSMS

The 9 states currently running the CSA 2010 Test Model (CO, DE, GA, KS, MD, MN, MO, MT, and NJ) will run all 3 CSA 2010 Program Components beginning June 2010. The remaining 41 states will be phased into the complete CSA 2010 program starting 2011.

Although the CSA 2010 program has a primary focus on large truck drivers and bus operators (as defined in Part 383 The Regulation), in some instances small truck drivers (as defined in Part 390 The Regulation) are also subject to the oversight and subsequent audit process. This all depends upon whether or not your company operates in interstate vs. intrastate commerce and/or if the states you operate in have adopted Part 390-391 of the regulations.

Here are some of the thoughts from Art Cohen, VP of Operations, who attended the CSA 2010 Audit:

The auditor identified, as a result of discussions with the carrier staff, that the Company had “small” truck drivers (i.e. drivers who may or may not have CDLs but only operate trucks weighing more than 10,001 but less than 26,001.) None of these “drivers” were in the DQF system although they are required to have DQF files. (Note: there are a set of facts and laws that affect this requirement; this includes intra v. inter state driving and to what extent, a state has adopted the FMCSR.)

• The CSA 2010 Audit does not extend to areas which are not known to be problematic. For example, if the audit was triggered by numerous roadside inspections uncovering drivers with invalid medical cards, there would be no inquiry into hours of service, accidents, or drug testing. All of these would have been reviewed in a regular compliance audit.

• In the CSA 2010 audit, the auditor reviewed both current cards and the prior card and identified several drivers that had gaps between when their last card expired and they received a new card. The auditor made a point of suggesting that carrier utilize a system that would provide advance reminders of the need to update these items.

• Terminated drivers would be included for a specific year or period.

• The auditor asked for a great deal of DQF data on many more drivers than would have normally been reviewed in a full audit. This created a need to be able to quickly produce documents from a file.

• Because a CSA audit focuses on a driver’s qualifications as evidenced in the DQF, this creates a strong need to have a system that provides reminders to help ensure that a driver is qualified at all times.

• There were some questions related to expired driver’s licenses.

It should be noted that many of the issues mentioned above were specific to the carrier undergoing the audit, but it does provide some insight into how the CSA Audits are conducted. A standard FMCSA Audit can be categorized as a mile wide and an inch deep, whereas a CSA 2010 audit is an inch wide and a mile deep.

The other new program being released by FMCSA in the Spring/Summer of 2010 is their Pre-employment Screening Program. This service will allow carriers to run searches on new hire drivers to get 5 years of crash data history and 3 years of inspection data. This information DOES NOT contain conviction information, just the raw inspection and crash data. The data is the same data you may currently receive from FMCSA’s Driver Information Resource (DIR). The difference with the PSP program is that FMCSA is offering a streamlined version of the DIR.

Concorde is currently working with the FMCSA to develop an interface for you to order the PSP on a new driver and receive the information. If this is a program that you might be interested in, please contact Josh Rosenzweig at 215-587-6268 or josh@concorde2000.com for enrollment information. We are currently seeking guidance on how our clients might want to use the service.

As always, I encourage everyone to check out our new Online Supervisor Training. We offer classes on the first Friday of every month at 10:00 AM EST and can also create Company specific trainings for your organization. Visit http://www.concorde2000.com/Page.aspx?ID=57 for more information.

Hair Testing - A Closer Look

2010-01-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

Last week I was privileged to accept an invitation to Psychemedics Hair Testing laboratory in Los Angeles, CA. Concorde has been working with Psychemedics since the Summer to launch a national hair program for one of our clients. The goal of this meeting was to get a better understanding of the hair testing process and what makes Psychemedics different from other hair laboratories.

During my visit, I was taken on a tour of the laboratory to see first hand how the process works. I was amazed at how much manual work it really takes to complete analysis of a hair test versus a urine test. Psychemedics has a room of technicians that open the specimen bags for sorting, weigh the hair follicles, arrange the hair lengthwise, measure the hair follicles, weigh again, and finally transfer to a lab tube. Psychemedics has automated a good part of the process, but it was clear that there is still a manual component that cannot be automated.

I then visited a separate area of the laboratory where the analysis is done. Psychemedics has a proprietary process in which they wash and liquefy the hair specimen to receive a more accurate result. Their specialized washing technique of 3 hours and 45 minutes in a proprietary chemical wash has been proven effective in removing any instance of contamination to the hair, such as secondary exposure.

Why Liquefy the Hair? Psychemedics explains:
“Psychemedics uses patented digestion methods to liquefy the sample to release essentially all the drugs present, which results in greater detection capabilities. Other labs may simply extract some drugs from below the hair surface with solvents, thereby leaving behind or destroying some of the drug present in the process. Because this type of solvent extraction is a less effective method, it opens up the possibility of drug users slipping through the employment process undetected.”

Although Hair Testing is not an approved testing method for DOT regulated tests, there are some advantages to hair testing in the pre-employment stage.

For instance, hair testing has a much longer detection rate than any other specimen (urine, saliva, blood) that can go back several months in some cases. Psychemedics has conducted some very interesting case studies and found that the positive rate of companies that have implemented a hair testing program skyrocketed compared to the urine test. One of the main reasons for this is that someone taking a pre-employment urine test can abstain from using illegal drugs for a couple of weeks and potentially have a negative result. With hair testing, depending upon the level of use, a person taking a pre-employment test, who uses illegal drugs, will more than likely come back with a positive result.

One important lesson I learned from the Psychemedics team is that companies looking to add hair testing should be very conservative about launching the program. In one case, a Psychemedics client launched their program to the entire company and lost about 1/3 of the workforce because of the high positive rate.

If you’re interested in learning more about hair testing, please feel free to e-mail me at josh@concorde2000.com

The one less traveled

2009-12-23T12:48:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in last month’s Blog, I wanted to focus my thoughts in the last 30,000 Ft. View of 2009 not reflecting on the past year, but instead give you a glimpse at the future of Concorde through my eyes.

For those of you that are clients, vendors, and employees of Concorde, you may have noticed the multiple product and service additions that have been introduced throughout the year. We have added an Applicant Tracking System, an upgrade to our Driver Qualification File System, Online Supervisor Training, a new background check platform, and numerous cutting-edge enhancements to our government contract (that may in fact change how medical information is stored and transmitted electronically). All of these projects were conceived, developed, and implemented for the sole purpose of providing our clients and vendors with faster access to data and simplify their day-to-day interface with Concorde.

I am very proud of the systems that our team has created this year and believe that when they are launched to every client in early 2010, you will see the benefits that these programs can provide. And as you become more familiar with the enhancements we have made, the dedicated and creative people at Concorde will be hard at work developing what I believe will change the way future applicants are screened and hired…

I’m often asked “What do you do?” That’s always a tough question for me to answer. Am I being asked about my specific job, what my company does, or both? It becomes an even tougher question when I’m asked “What does Concorde do?” This is such a complex question because I do not think Concorde can be accurately put in a category of we do “X.” Yes, we provide our clients with screening services such as background checks and drug testing, but at the core, that really isn’t what we do. As I reflect on all of our accomplishments in 2009, I see a common theme:

We created a new background check platform because…our client needed it.
We added an applicant tracking system because…our client needed it.
We enhanced our DQF software because…our client needed it.

Our industry, for better or worse, has transformed into a commodity business. It’s all about who can sell a cheaper background check or drug test. And it is for that reason that I have a hard time describing Concorde as an “Employee Screening” company because that’s just not what we do, and our clients understand that. We are not in the business of selling commodity services. We are in the business of solving complex business issues that our clients have in screening applicants and employees. And because of the team we have assembled at Concorde, I am confident in saying that no one else in our industry does that piece better.

It has become painfully clear to me this year that Concorde is not the best fit for every business. And that is why Concorde’s future focuses on the clients and industries that are the best fit. We cannot be everything to everyone, but we will do anything for anyone who becomes a Concorde client…and that is simply why people choose Concorde

We will not succumb to selling a cheaper background check or drug test.

We will not succumb to sacrificing quality for speed.

We will dedicate our time providing clients with even more, cost-effective data in the hiring process to help companies hire a safer workforce in a fraction of the time than it currently takes. I believe we can accomplish this without giving in to the commodity market. Instead, we will make it easier for you to access the data you need and recycle the date for future use, rather than selling you the same services over and over. How do we accomplish this?

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all of the difference.” – Robert Frost

As I sit here on a cold December afternoon, I am reminded of these words as we enter a new decade, faced with a diverging road. Many companies, like Concorde, choose to spend much of their time chasing the top competitors in their industry. Always trying to develop a better, faster mouse trap. But what if instead of building a better mouse trap, we found away to co-exist with the mice, essentially choose the road less traveled.

For the life of me, I cannot stop daydreaming about a concept project we are working on affectionately called “The Vault.” What if I told you that Concorde could provide even more information than you currently receive about an applicant during the pre-employment screening process and hire that applicant in a matter of hours rather than days…and on top of that significantly lower your cost per hire?

The vision of The Vault is not to sell a faster background check or cheaper drug test. It is to create an organic network of cooperation between competing companies and applicants/employees in a given industry with the ultimate goal of improving worker safety.

Sometime in the next decade, I am convinced The Vault will become a reality, and inevitably bring us to another divergence in the road.

Traveling West

2009-11-25T11:55:00.000-08:00

I just returned this week from a trip to Scottsdale, AZ for the annual NSWMA Safety Committee meeting as well as a week long vacation. As many of you know, Concorde has a very strong presence in the Solid Waste Industry so this meeting is always a great opportunity for me to see multiple clients at the same time. The setting offers a unique experience because it is one of the few times when I get the chance to sit down with more than one client and l listen to them discuss issues within their industry and provide recommendations to each other.

As for the Safety Committee meeting, most of topics discussed during the two-day session were specific to the Solid Waste industry (I can provide the materials to anyone who is interested), but there are some general DOT/FMCSA headlines that I believe are important to share.

One program that is soon to be launched by the DOT/FMCSA is the CSA 2010 system, which will be replacing SafeStat. The goal of the CSA 2010 program is to reduce the number of large truck and bus crashes through the use of better data and safety/compliance information. The Safety Measurement System (SMS) within CSA 2010 will provide roadside violations and crash data for a two-year period. The SMS will rate the severity of infractions and include a company rating system. I am in the process of learning how Concorde can provide the SMS data to our clients through the DQ-it system.

If you would like to learn more about CSA 2010 you can register for their two webinars in December by clicking here.

I am very pleased to announce that in December Concorde will begin a beta test of our Online Reasonable Suspicion Supervisor Training. The goal is to have the beta testing completed in December and make the product available to all clients by January 2010. In the initial stage, there will be two versions of the training.

The standard version is the requisite two-hour Reasonable Suspicion training that is required by the DOT. This will be a live session hosted by one of our trainers and will be available twice per month (we can also schedule a separate training for only the supervisors in your company.)

The extended version of the Online Training is a four-hour session that will include the Standard Version plus an additional two-hours on company policy and Concorde Drug Testing procedures. Each extended version training is specific to a company so there is a minimum participant requirement.

Even though this is a web-based training, the concept has been designed to create a highly interactive environment for the participants. For example, the Reasonable Suspicion modules include 3 Breakout Sessions in which the participants will be broken up into small groups, all online, and asked to discuss various training situations and videos. The participants will also be required to pass an online examination to obtain a certification of completion.

I will have more information on the features and price points for the Online Supervisor Training next month.

As I sit here completing this month’s blog, I am already drafting my thoughts for the December blog, which will be a recap of Concorde’s progress throughout 2009 with a look ahead to 2010. I know that 2009 has been a turbulent time for everyone, but I am enthusiastic about what 2010 and beyond have in store for us. I spent much of my time in Scottsdale and on vacation reflecting on the events of this year. It was the perfect time to step away from the day-to-day activities and really focus my thoughts on the future.

What I came up with was this:

We (Concorde) need to provide our clients with the best data, faster, in a cost-effective way that dramatically improves compliance/safety and limits liability through cooperation and sharing of information.

Here is some food for thought: Would you be interested in getting more data about an applicant and reduce your costs associated with obtaining that data? Would you like to have better safety data than the DOT? Would you be willing to work with your competitors to have those abilities? Stay tuned for next month.

SAPAA Conference and DQ-it

2009-09-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

Steve and I traveled to Austin, TX last week for the annual SAPPA Conference. Not only was this a great opportunity to get a feel for the state of the drug testing industry, but it also provided us an opportunity to visit some clients we rarely get to see face-to-face. I was especially pleased with these client visits because of the positive feedback I received about the quality of work Concorde's staff produces. The visits had an added value because the clients I met with provided me with some very interesting suggestions for improving our systems that I honestly never thought about.

For example, I learned from one client visit last Wednesday that Concorde is infamously known for being the 3 AM wake-up call. It turns out that our daily DQF notification e-mail (which was sent at 3 AM) was waking up their Operations staff who would keep their PDAs on in case of an emergency. Needless to say, as I left their office I called our IT department to have the time of the DQF notification e-mail changed to 9 AM. All of us at Concorde work very hard to anticipate our clients needs and stay ahead of the curve, however there are always instances when we do not see things that you see. Therefore, I not only offer, but encourage you to contact me if you are having an issue or would like to submit a suggestion to improve our systems. I do not want you to be stuck using a system that either causes more work for you or doesn't operate the way YOU need it to.

The value of being a Concorde customer is that not only do we listen to your ideas/concerns, but we immediately work with you to develop solutions that will exceed your expectations.

In other Concorde news, I am happy to report that we are about to launch the latest version of our Driver Qualification File system; DQ-it. DQ-it offers a 3 tiered service level for companies of all sizes and oversight objectives. Click here for more information

DQ-it version 1.0 focuses on improving the user interface of the system. For those of you who currently use the IMS system or have seen a Demo of it, I think you can all agree with me that it is not very user-friendly. With DQ-it we improved the site navigation, search tools, and added bonus features to make sending updates easier and allow Concorde to track documents better.

DQ-it Navigation
The main improvement to the site navigation is that we have simplified the layout. In the new DQ-it there are fewer navigation buttons and it is easier to pull up an applicant or site. For example, all of the locations you have access to in the system can now be searched using a drop down menu (in the current version you have to go to a separate page to access a particular site). We also moved the navigation for the employee information directly to that driver's DQF page.

Search Tools
In DQ-it, there is now an easy to use search box on the top left column of every page in which you can enter in a SSN or last name to search for a driver. Underneath the search box is a jump list. This will display a list of names of the last 10 files you have looked at. You can click on any of the names to "jump" right back to that file.

Driver Page
The most noticeable change to DQ-it is the revamped driver page. You can edit all of the driver's information directly from their file page as well as upload a photo of the driver. Another nice feature is that we have reorganized the imaged documents section. All of the boxes are collapsible and as a default will only show the most recent document. All of the historical documents are hidden, but can reappear with a click of a button. We have also put the expired items and missing document notifications that are included in the daily e-mail to also show up on the individual driver page.

MVR Ordering
Now throught DQ-it, you will be able to order Motor Vehicle Records directly through the system. This can be done by ordering a single MVR or running a "batch" of all of your drivers. The completed reports will be sent via e-mail to you as well as automatically added to the driver's file. We have created DQ-it to allow companies to just use the system for ordering and storing MVRs, so if you are not yet interested in full-service DQF management, this is a great option.

Bonus Features
Finally, the most exciting change to DQ-it v1.0 is the modifications we have made to sending updates and new driver files.

Upload Documents
An upload-it-yourself feature has been added so that you can upload a document directly to a driver's file without having to first send it to Concorde. This is a great option if you have 1-2 documents to update. Concorde will still review the file that is uploaded for completeness.

E-mail Documents
If you e-mail documents we have added an e-mail feature that will automatically open an e-mail with the correct e-mail address to send to us and a pre-filled subject line. Using this feature will help us better track your documents.

Fax Documents
A new fax button automates the cover sheet process by pre-printing all of the coversheet information. You use the online tool to select the driver(s) you are sending documents for and simply print out the cover sheet and fax all of the documents to Concorde. This same concept is also used in the "New Driver" action, which basically automates the separator sheet process for all new drivers.

Not only will these new features assist you in your daily DQF role, but they will also be used to improve the tracking and turnaround time of getting your documents and new driver files into the DQ-it system.

Even as version 1 of DQ-it is being launched, we are already working on version 2. Stay Tuned!

You can join me for a sneak preview of the new DQ-it by registering here. The event will be on October 30th at 1:00 PM EST

Client Visits

2009-08-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Dallas, Houston, Chicago, and Milwaukee to visit some of our clients. Since most of our clients are not located in the Mid-Atlantic region, we rely mostly on phone, e-mail and fax to communicate with you. Although technology has made it capable for us to do business with organizations across the country, I truly believe there is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting to build relationships, solve problems, and get the pulse of the client.

During my 5-day trip I was able to visit 4 clients and 2 vendors to discuss current programs as well as applications that are currently under development. The two vendors I met with were Psychemedics (Hair Testing Lab) and HR Smart (Applicant Tracking System). We are in the process of launching a nation-wide hair testing program for one of our clients, so if you have any interest in hair testing I would be more than happy to debrief you on my conversation with Psychemedics. As for HR Smart, Concorde is in the process of partnering with this company to give you access to an applicant tracking system that integrates with our AppCheck application. This is the first step to Concorde’s goal of producing a fully integrated system from applicant tracking to DQ Files.

If I could give my trip a theme it would probably go something like this: “Concorde wants to use technology to improve your employee screening workflow, not try to fit your workflow into existing technology.” I realized during this trip, as I was demonstrating our new AppCheck system, that every client has a different way of managing the employment screening process. Advancing software applications have allowed companies to streamline a lot of these processes, but many times companies have to compromise on certain “wish list” items because they have to fit their process into the technology.

As I was on the plane from Houston to Chicago, I began to think about this idea a little more and realized this is exactly what makes Concorde different. Almost all of our software applications were created to streamline or improve the company’s workflow. In some cases these programs have only one use, but most of the time we can use the foundation of an application we created and customize it for another company in an entirely different way.

For example, AppCheck was developed to satisfy the need of a client who wanted integration with their Applicant Tracking System. However, during my visit with other clients we identified other uses for AppCheck that does not require the use of an Applicant Tracking System. It became apparent to me that some companies do not want to use an ATS right now, so we are in the process of developing a “mini-ATS” that will allow companies to manage job applicants and requested background checks seamlessly. It is this type of customization that is unique to Concorde because we continually try to improve our product to fit your needs.

Our goal as a company is to make your job easier, so if you find yourself frustrated by a time consuming process or would like to share your “wish list” ideas I encourage you to contact me. Your “wish list” item may be something that we already have developed for another client or may need to be created from scratch. Either way, we want to hear from you.

As for future client visits, I am making a pledge to visit every Concorde client by 2011. Whether you are a small company of 3 employees or a large company of 30,000 Concorde is committed to providing you with a personalized level of service. We will be posting on our website when Concorde representatives will be traveling for client visits or conferences, so if you see that we are in your city let us know if you are available for a quick visit.

Although we can deliver that person service from anywhere in the country, it is important to us that we make the effort to visit your facility and get a better understanding of your day-to-day operations so we can develop programs that provide direct solutions to your needs.

Integration

2009-05-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

It has certainly been an exciting few weeks at Concorde. A contingent of Concorde representatives, including myself, traveled to St. Louis (plus four other states for some of us…more to come on that story) for the Annual National Association of Professional Background Screeners Conference, we have released a new background screening application called AppCheck, and we are in the process of launching a new training center called “Concorde Online.”

The 2009 Annual NAPBS conference was held in St. Louis, MO and provided us a chance to attend valuable educational sessions and improve relationships with our vendors. I will start off by saying that the inbound trip was anything but normal for Mike Maxson and I. As we boarded the small regional plane in Philadelphia, I joked to Mike that there were two additional pilots riding in the passenger cabin so on the off chance something happened during the flight, our odds looked pretty good that we would be safe (keep in mind that Mike does not like to fly). Well sure enough I jinxed everyone on the plane because about an hour and a half into the flight, the Captain gets on the overhead to inform us that we have lost hydraulic power and procedures require that the plane make an emergency landing at the nearest airport, which was Columbus, OH. Now for those non-aviators like myself, hydraulics on a plane control functions like the brakes. Fortunately our pilot maneuvered a smooth landing and the brakes had enough hydraulic power to stop the plane. Keep reading because the story gets much better.

As the plane taxis to the gate, I look out the window to find a tall, lanky man with a mullet and unkempt beard walking around the plane appearing to inspect the plane. This individual looked like the stereotypical gas station attendant who charges you $800 for a new tire when your car brakes down in the middle of no where (think National Lampoons Vacation). So as I’m looking out the window and I joke again to Mike, “I bet this guy is responsible for fixing our plane.” I guess that was strike two for me because as we get off the plane, the man is on the jet way and tells the captain “I don’t see anything leakin’” (very technical, I know). To make a long story short, the plane could not be fixed so we ended up driving 400 miles to St. Louis. If anyone has done that drive you know that there is not much else to describe.

The NAPBS conference was a great opportunity to attend some very informative educational sessions. The most valuable session that I attended was a discussion on the relationship between Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and background screening companies. In my humble opinion, it appears that the ATS and background screening industries are on a collision course, most of which is being driven by the customer. The major debate going on is which service is seen as the primary purchase by the customer and which is an add-on service. Of course, both the ATS companies and the background screening companies want to be the primary purchase. There are a variety of reasons for why this is, but when it comes down to it, no company wants to be in another company’s shadow. As I sat through the session, the key issue that kept creeping up was the topic of “integration.” This is why I believe the collision course of the two industries is being driven by the customer.

“Integration” is a term being used in business almost as frequently now as “innovation.” The nature of business management today is that there is a software application for almost anything: payroll, customer management, accounting, application tracking, applicant screening, and compliance to name just a few. Companies are now using anywhere from 3-6 software applications to effectively manage their business from 3-6 different vendors. The problem is that even though the 3-6 applications a company uses have either a direct or indirect relationship to one another, they are all developed by different companies, therefore limiting any possible streamline. As a result, customers are now pushing for a single platform that integrates all of their applications (mainly because customers like using multiple vendors) so data can flow more effectively and there is a central repository of that data. The question then becomes, which application is going to become the single platform? By the way, Concorde is currently developing a long-term solution to this for our clients.

This brings us back to the showdown between ATS and background screening companies. I believe there are 5 major issues at stake for both sides.

Background screening companies have a greater desire to integrate with Applicant Tracking Systems than ATS have to integrate with background screeners. I believe this is because customers are pushing more on background screeners to initiate the integration. The problem is that integrations can be anywhere from $25k-$40k without breaking a sweat.
Applicant Tracking Systems represent the beginning stage of employee screening, making it the first software application used in the employee lifecycle. However, just because it is the first, it does not make it the best.
There are more background screening companies than ATS companies. This means that ATS companies can be more selective with who they want to integrate with.
Applicant Tracking Systems are predominately software companies compared to background screeners who are consultants/professional services firms. The ATS’s core business strategy is to improve the framework software, not necessarily to diversify their business model by integrating with other service providers.
The Applicant Tracking System market is extremely saturated and unstable right now (the same can be said for the background screening market). According to the May 2009 Edition of HR Magazine, HR managers look to change their HR technology vendors every year, especially now when many HR technology vendors are close to failing. In comparison, background screening companies like Concorde average a much longer client relationship and in most cases do not have to re-bid contracts every year.

The bottom line is that it is hard for a company like Concorde to integrate with an Applicant Tracking system that our client is using…until now.

AppCheck is a background check application Concorde has just released for one of our clients. The highlight of AppCheck is that we have successfully “integrated” with an ATS without any need for IT support from the ATS, but more importantly at no additional cost to our client. It is what I affectionately call the “covert integration.” AppCheck is designed with a very different workflow process than our current ESS product. Instead of having the Human Resources or Recruiting departments be responsible for the background check data entry, the burden is put on the applicant to complete the information online. The system also features online completion of the FCRA and DOT Consents with electronic signatures. At the present time, AppCheck has only been “covertly integrated” with 1 ATS (we are 1 for 1) but the application model was designed to integrate with other ATS without the need for costly custom integration. If you have any interest in AppCheck please send me an e-mail josh@concorde2000.com and I will be happy to show you a Demo.

The last announcement I have for this month is the upcoming launch of “Concorde Online.” This is a comprehensive training center that will feature live and recorded training sessions for: software guides, compliance review and discussion, supervisor training, and much more. All of our software applications will have monthly sessions to cover specific elements of the software. We will conduct regular compliance sessions on topics such as 49 CFR and the Fair Credit Reporting Act as well as live Q&A sessions on breaking regulatory news. Finally, we plan to launch both a recorded and live version of our popular Supervisor Training, which we anticipate launching in the Fall.

On the Hill and Back to School

2009-04-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

"On The Hill"
On March 23rd and 24th, Art Cohen and I traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in the National Association of Professional Background Screener’s (NAPBS) annual “NAPBS Fly-In.” The purpose of the fly-in is to give member companies, like Concorde, the opportunity to meet with Congressional Staff members about issues important to the background screening industry. The top issues of the 2009 Fly-In were: Social Security Number Redaction, the E-Verify Program, and the use of criminal records. There are also a few bills currently in committee that involve some element of background screening that were discussed with staffers.

This was my first foray to the NAPBS Fly-In and I can tell you that it was an extremely rewarding experience. The first meeting of the trip was with the EEOC for a discussion of the e-Race Initiative and the impact of criminal records in workplace discrimination. Our very own Art Cohen led most of the discussion to help educate the commission on background screeners’ role in the process of obtaining criminal records and how we are not out to prevent people from getting hired. Our goal was to show the commission that we have procedures in place to responsibly conduct criminal record searches for our clients. It was a lively, but productive discussion that helped to position NAPBS as an organization willing to work with the EEOC.

In addition to the EEOC, we had several small group meetings with Congressional Staff members including: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), and the House Judiciary Committee Staff.

Overall, we had a successful trip and were able to have our positions on key issues put front and center. For example, our last meeting of the trip with Senator John Ensign (R-NV) was the most productive of any meeting I attended. Senator Ensign is the sponsor of S. 163 (Child Protection Improvements Act of 2009), which would require child-serving organizations to background check all volunteers. The bill, as it is currently written, has some sound bytes that we believe would negatively impact the screening program. The bill would require that every organization conduct a background check through a “national” criminal background check, primarily using the FBI database. What many members are not aware of is that the FBI database is full of holes and was developed as a law enforcement tool, not a criminal record depository for background investigations. Senator Ensign’s staff appeared to be very receptive to our comments and had interest in following up with NAPBS when a new draft of the bill was introduced.

"Back to School"
Earlier this week I had the privilege of speaking at Temple University to members of the Business Honors Student Association. First off, let me say that Temple has done a wonderful job of transforming their campus in North Philadelphia. Surrounded by one of the roughest neighborhoods in Philadelphia, Temple has continually upgrading their campus, similar to what the University of Pennsylvania has done over the past decade in West Philadelphia to be one of the premier metropolitan campuses in the country. The Fox School of Business at Temple has a spectacular new building that is worth seeing. In my opinion, Alter Hall (School of Business facility) rivals that of any business school facility in the country.

When I was first asked to speak to the Business Honors students I really had no idea what I was going to talk about. I did not want to bore or scare them to death talking about how bad the economy is and how this is the worst job market in decades. I was sure that they heard enough of that in their classes and from their parents. I also did not want to spend an hour talking about the intricacies of drug testing and background screening. Although discussions about individuals using Whizzinators to beat drug tests and cats being able to obtain college degrees can be entertaining, I had a feeling that this particular audience would lose interest after 10 minutes. (Note: If anyone is interested in learning more about Specimen Validity, and more specifically products like the Whizzinator, let me know. If there is enough interest we can hold an interactive webinar on the topic in the future.)

So instead of talking shop, I decided to talk about the challenges I have faced as a young professional in the workforce. Many of the students were graduating seniors and I felt that the experiences I have had in the past two years, since graduating college, would be beneficial to them. Unfortunately, college business classes are not designed to teach you how to deal with challenges in the workplace. They provide a great foundation of fundamentals, but they do not teach you how to manage a department, cope with the peaks and valleys of a business, or more importantly prepare you to navigate corporate politics.

One topic that seemed to get the most interest from students was when I began to talk about the resume and interview process. I believe college Career Development offices are a great resource for students who are about to enter the workforce. However, I also believe that Career Development offices are to blame in a few areas. First, a recent trend by many large universities has been to add a dollar value to their degrees in order to raise the interest of prospective students and raise the expectations of top employers. Career Development offices at universities all around the country are posting information on their websites as to the average starting salaries for degrees (http://www.lebow.drexel.edu/CareerServices/Undergraduate/Landings.php). Unfortunately, this practice is creating false expectations among graduating students. Graduating seniors are going into interviews believing that they are worth $50,000-$65,000 per year because of the school they went to, not necessarily based on their accomplishments, personality, skill set, or the financial position of the company.

My message to the students was that their resume is a dime a dozen. Coming from someone who has interviewed numerous applicants over the past two years, especially recent college graduates, I can tell which local college the applicant went to based upon the format of the resume. Not only do they have the same basic information (School, Internships, Summer Jobs, Extracurricular Activities) but they all look the same. Career Development offices are encouraging students to follow a specific template that in the end hurts the students because after awhile it all becomes white noise to the person reading them. I also stressed the importance of not relying on the resume during the actual interview. The resume is what gets you in the door, after that, you need to rid yourself of the crutch and focus on selling yourself to the interviewer. I told the students a story about an intern I hired from Temple over a year ago. To make a long story short, I knew I was ready to hire this student within 15 seconds of walking into the room and shaking his hand. My personal opinion is Career Development offices should be spending more time helping students gain confidence in who they are and generating a presence and less time on resume workshops.

All in all it has been an eventful few weeks and April is shaping out to be just as busy. Steve Rosenzweig, Art Cohen, Mike Maxson, and myself will be traveling to St. Louis in a week to attend the NAPBS Annual Conference. The NAPBS conferences are a great time to learn about the new issues in background screening, continue education, and connect with vendors that have developed new products.