Ever since 1986, when the U.S. government began requiring “facially valid” documentation of eligibility to work in the country, the I-9 form has been giving employers headaches. Not because millions of illegal immigrants are using false documents, but because little mistakes – like a misspelled name – mean a lot of time wasted trying to re-file and, in some cases, fines for improper documentation (which range from $110 to $1100 per form). Like it or not, proper I-9 procedures are a key aspect of talent management.

Here are 5 common I-9 errors you should strive to avoid:

• An incomplete form.

  Maybe the candidate left the “Alien #” blank, or maybe you notice that something is missing but the candidate has already left the office. It’s tempting to just push the paperwork on rather than go through the hassle of re-contacting the candidate and having them go through the hassle of coming in again. But in the end, the extra hassle is far less painful than problems with U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS).

• Incomplete documentation.

  In Section 2, its 1) one “List A” document OR 2) one “List B” document and one “List C” document. In other words, just having a driver’s license isn’t enough. For some forms of documentation in Section 2 and Section 3, document numbers, issuing authorities, and/or expiration dates have to be filled out.

• Untimely documentation.

  The law is clear: the I-9 has to be completed properly by the third business day after the date the employee started work for pay, or, if the employee is hired for three business days or less, at the time the employee started work for pay. Waiting longer can result in a fine or, worse yet, concrete evidence that you have hired an undocumented worker – which can mean a fine of $375-3200 per worker.

• Over documentation.

  The USCIS frowns on employers asking for more documentation than they need. Over documentation can be interpreted as a form of discrimination, which carry significant penalties from UNCIS as well as the threat of a lawsuit from the prospective employee.

• Using an old form.

  In the age of the internet, there’s no excuse for this mistake. The latest form is always available at this USCIS page.

To cut down on minor errors, some companies have instituted a “quality control” program. This can mean anything from having someone outside HR check I-9’s before they are filed to hiring an outside company to pre-process I-9’s.  Some have also provided employees with blank I-9’s which highlight the areas that need to be filled out. Other won’t let an employee start his or her job until the form is completed correctly.  Given the costs associated with I-9 mistakes, your company may want to consider similar policies.

To learn more about recruiting software, staffing software, talent management, and other HR-related topics, subscribe to this blog and check out the other blogs from Bond US.

D’oh! That’s Homer Simpson’s usual reaction when he misses something that to most of us is painfully obvious. We can all relate to Homer’s problem though – it is all too easy to miss something obvious sometimes in the rush to get the sale, fill the order, or just follow through with a customer or candidate.

These little ‘misses’ can add up to big dollars. Staying aware of these issues and putting a process in place to prevent them from happening will improve your profitability. Here is our Top Five common staffing and recruiting mistakes:

1. Not remembering to bill or pay for an expense associated to an assignment.

This is one that leaves money on the table, increasing the cost of the assignment to you, and reducing profit. In one survey of staffing companies, 60% of respondents felt this was a problem, and 20% indicated that this happened once or twice a month.

2. Not following up with the candidate that did not get the job.

Here is one that should be a piece of cake, but no one likes to be the bearer of bad news. In our survey of recruiting and staffing firms, 100% of survey respondents related to this common mistake, and 30% indicated that it happened more than once or twice a week! To avoid this problem, set-up to-do activities in your system to remind yourself to communicate with the candidate. It keeps the door open and lets them know you are still working to find the right position for them.

3. Calling customers to extend an assignment is a lot cheaper than finding a new assignment.

Making a few additional follow-up calls can pay big dividends. You can find that the client really likes the work being done by the temporary employee, or that, with a little training; the person assigned could easily handle a different, more profitable assignment. Of our survey respondents, 70% agreed that this was a common mistake.

4. Not pre-qualifying resumes you receive before adding them to your database.

Here is a classic example of Garbage In, Garbage Out. Why clog up your candidate database with a bunch of unqualified resumes? The junk just slows down your searches and wastes recruiter time. In our survey, only 40% pre-qualified every resume they received. Spend the time up-front to qualify resumes and you’ll have a stronger database of candidates for your customers.

5. Not asking for new orders when doing contingent employee quality check calls.

This mistake is so obvious that it should be stamped on the phone of everyone making follow-up calls, “Always ask for more business!”

Process is power.

Every one of these common mistakes is avoidable. That is what a powerful recruiting and staffing software can do for you. It can be your vigilant assistant to track your activities, candidates, employees, orders, fills, and back-office details so that you don’t forget the little things that cost money and reduce your level of customer service.

We’re here to help you. Call or click for more details.