As employers search for applicants within labor pools that were once considered taboo, the employment process has become a corporate version of the game we used to play as kids . . . hide-and-seek. Unscrupulous prospective employees have no incentive to reveal their tarnished work histories. In fact, they do everything they can to cover them up. When successful, they put employers at great risk.

Low unemployment has made it more difficult and expensive to recruit employees. Since it is so much harder to get quality applicants than it was in the past, it can be tempting for managers to cut corners, overlook potential problems, and hope for the best.

Employers have no choice but to protect themselves. It's imperative that they do all within their power to gather the information they need to make sound hiring decisions. The risks associated with hiring from the least-desirable applicant pools are much greater. The consequences are more severe. Using a hiring process that fails to incorporate background checks, interviews, skill assessments, personality assessments, attitude assessments, educational verifications, trial periods, and reference checks is like agreeing to play Russian roulette without observing all the chambers of the weapon first.