Later this month, hundreds of screening industry insiders will head to Austin, Texas for the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) 2015 Annual Conference. As an accredited member of NAPBS, Active Screening is proud to be attending this year’s conference!
The annual conference is a unique opportunity where screening industry experts get the chance to network alongside novices, everyone gets access to a diverse program of educational sessions and breakout groups, and more than 40 companies get to showcase their products and solutions.
What sets this annual conference apart from other industry events is that it’s run by the NAPBS, widely lauded as the premiere accrediting agency among background screening companies. In order to earn NAPBS accreditation like Active Screening has, screening companies have to undergo a rigorous training and testing program, proving that they are industry leaders. Only a small percentage of screening companies have been able to pass the NAPBS’ accreditation process, so when you work with Active Screening, you know you are partnering with one of the best Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRA) in the nation.
The NAPBS Annual Conference is a great place to learn about upcoming trends, legal complexities, international screening techniques, and future tech. Here’s some of the sessions we are most looking forward to:
General Session – Legislative Update
An update from NAPBS’ contracted partner of legislative activity affecting the industry at both the Federal and State levels. Members will not want to miss this session. Walk away with an understanding of the current legislative landscape that impacts your business. Members will also receive information and suggestions on how to be an advocate and engage with legislators.
*Active Screening regularly monitors activity in Washington, DC and keeps a close eye on changes to screening laws at the state level. Pennsylvania and West Virginia are two states who’ve made recent moves that greatly affect background checks.
General Session – Mitigating Your Risk in FCRA Litigation
FCRA lawsuits continue to be prevalent for both employers and CRAs and the Plaintiff’s bar is not showing any signs of slowing down. This session will use lessons learned from recent litigation and industry trends to pinpoint the top risk areas to mitigate your risk in becoming the next target. Best practice tips will be provided.
*Active Screening routinely tracks FCRA lawsuits. We analyze high-profile cases like the one against Chuck E. Cheese’s on our ActiveCare blog, make sure to report on the implications of these cases, and offer advice on how to deal with the fallout.
Breakout – Cybersecurity – Trends, Threats, and Best Practices
Cyberattacks continue to evolve and plague the global economy. What was once an annoyance and something financial institutions needed to worry about has now morphed into a worldwide epidemic of attacks, breaches of personal information, financial loss to consumers, and personal accountability placed on company executives and boards of directors. At the same time, there are dozens of companies that purport to “solve” the security problem with easy buzzwords such as “real-time threat intelligence” and “Big data analytics.” What’s the truth? What are the trends you should worry about? What are the things you should be doing from a technology and process perspective to protect your company? We will discuss all this and more.
*From Edward Snowden to cloud computing, Active Screening knows technology can make or break a screening company. Check out this post on our Information Technology Manager to learn more about the proactive measures AS takes to protect our clients information.
Breakout – Selling International Background Services Made Simple
Ed Etzel, NetForce Global
There exists a mystic that selling international background screening is too hard to do, therefore many US background
screening companies do not sell international services. There are many similarities international services have to domestic services that US background screening companies sell today. This session will highlight the similarities and build on them. The audience will find as they become more knowledgeable of the most frequent countries searched, their comfort level will increase in selling the services. The presentation will cover techniques to become successful at selling international services.
AND
Breakout – So you want to deliver screening services in Canada eh?
Michelle Leblond, PlusOne Solutions; Kerstin Bagus, ClearStar Inc.
This session will cover the basics screening companies need to understand for conducting work in Canada. It will focus on privacy, regulatory and cultural considerations and while primarily delivered as a US comparison, it will address concerns for any company in or outside of Canada. We will dispel myths and assumptions and provide fact on the environment of conducting work in Canada or screening Canadian applicants. And we’ll be funny!
*Cross-border background checks can be a real headache. Read this ActiveCare post to find out why. Anything Active Screening can learn to ameliorate this tricky part of our industry, the better!
Breakout – Successful Local Advocacy – Tips & Techniques
Derek De Vette, Baxter Research Inc.; Renee Harbeson, InfoMart; Judy Gootkind, Creative Services Inc.; Christine Cunneen, Hire Image LLC; Jamie Tucker, Akin Gump
A significant portion of legislation impacting private employers and background screening providers occurs at the city and state level. City Council members and State Legislators are typically more available for conversations and community feedback than their federal counterparts. At first glance, it may seem intimidating to connect with local legislators, especially if you do not have a personal or business connection to the particular jurisdiction. However, getting involved is easier than you think and can be a truly rewarding experience.a
This session will explore the following:
• Training, techniques and tips for effective engagement with local legislators
• An update on pending legislation at the city level that impacts private employers
• Lessons learned from past engagements
*You might not think that a small town screening issue would impact the national scene, but that’s often where grassroots movements like Ban the Box pick up steam. Click on the links to find out why Active Screening care so much about these issues.
If you want to see the complete schedule of events, click here. And, if you see our guys from Active Screening there, stop and say, “Hi.”