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Fraud, Identity Theft and the New HR Director (for about 45 minutes)

This makes my hair stand on end.A client emailed me to say they just hired Bill Smith as their new HR Director.

Learn More
Fraud, Identity Theft and the New HR Director (for about 45 minutes)
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Fraud, Identity Theft and the New HR Director (for about 45 minutes)
September 25, 2026

Fraud, Identity Theft and the New HR Director (for about 45 minutes)

This makes my hair stand on end.A client emailed me to say they just hired Bill Smith as their new HR Director.

Learn More
The Warrant Nobody Else Found (And Why That Should Worry You)
July 21, 2026

The Warrant Nobody Else Found (And Why That Should Worry You)

We performed a criminal record search in Los Angeles, challenging at anyone’s game. Even yours truly. We reported a pending DUI charge and an outstanding warrant in the case against Applicant X. The DUI charge was from 2018, the warrant from 2025.

Learn More
Critical Thinking: Going Beyond the Job
June 22, 2026

Critical Thinking: Going Beyond the Job

Critical thinking is the practice of actively and carefully evaluating information before accepting or acting on it — questioning assumptions, weighing evidence, considering alternative explanations, and reaching conclusions through reason rather than habit, bias, or instinct.

Learn More
We’re Up to Bat: What Pre-Employment Background Checks and Major League Baseball Have in Common
May 26, 2026

We’re Up to Bat: What Pre-Employment Background Checks and Major League Baseball Have in Common

It's baseball season. The crack of the bat, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the arguments about the designated hitter rule that somehow still haven't been resolved. But here at Cutting Edge, when we watch a ballgame, we can’t help but see something else entirely: the beautiful, occasionally chaotic, always high-stakes world of pre-employment screening.

Learn More
Proving a Negative
April 22, 2026

Proving a Negative

A concise reflection on how background screening proves “bounded negatives” by clearly defining scope, using complete sources, documenting methods, and accounting for gaps or alternative explanations.

Learn More
Spring and Summer Hiring is Coming: Five Things to Think About.
March 7, 2026

Spring and Summer Hiring is Coming: Five Things to Think About.

March is a month where Cutting Edge Background starts to see a lot of seasonal hiring. Particularly rec areas that hire young people to work the snack bar, lifeguard at the pool, work the grounds. It’s a busy season.

Learn More
Education Verifications: FAQ’s
February 2, 2026

Education Verifications: FAQ’s

Rant incoming. It’s about education, and I guess, specifically, education verifications. Ain’t nothing new, just a reminder about some important notes.

Learn More
One Size Fits All? Not Really
January 16, 2026

One Size Fits All? Not Really

It’s January, the holidays are in the rear-view and my earrings still fit. Okay, it’s an old joke. You can groan.Do your background checks still fit?

Learn More
The Cost of a Bad Hire: Understanding and Reducing the Impact on Your Business
January 16, 2026

The Cost of a Bad Hire: Understanding and Reducing the Impact on Your Business

Learn the true cost of a bad hire—beyond $15,000—and how screening, verification, and risk assessments prevent repeat losses.

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Healthcare Employee Screening: Comprehensive Testing & Occupational Health Screenings for the Healthcare Industry
January 16, 2026

Healthcare Employee Screening: Comprehensive Testing & Occupational Health Screenings for the Healthcare Industry

Healthcare hiring guide for compliant screening: layered background checks, license and credential verification, risk reduction, and a downloadable compliance checklist.

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Comprehensive Guide to Criminal Background Check Minnesota: Process, Records, and Search Tips
January 16, 2026

Comprehensive Guide to Criminal Background Check Minnesota: Process, Records, and Search Tips

Minnesota criminal background check guide covering BCA searches, county/statewide/InstaCriminal™ screening, and FCRA-compliant review for safer hiring.

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Staffing Background Checks: Comprehensive Guide for Staffing Companies to Hire Smarter and Onboard Faster
January 16, 2026

Staffing Background Checks: Comprehensive Guide for Staffing Companies to Hire Smarter and Onboard Faster

High-stakes staffing guide to background checks: reduce bad hires, stay FCRA/state compliant, speed onboarding, and use tailored screening checklists.

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Comprehensive Employee Background Checks: Your Guide to Effective Background Check Processes
January 16, 2026

Comprehensive Employee Background Checks: Your Guide to Effective Background Check Processes

Comprehensive guide to employee background checks: layered county/state/federal screening, FCRA compliance, best practices, and a downloadable checklist for safer hiring.

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Background Checks Minnesota: Comprehensive Guide to Background Check and Public Criminal History Search
January 16, 2026

Background Checks Minnesota: Comprehensive Guide to Background Check and Public Criminal History Search

Minnesota employers can reduce hiring risk by using compliant background checks, combining statewide, county, and federal searches with FCRA-required consent and documentation.

Learn More
Meet The CEBI Team: Adrian Van Doreen
December 9, 2025

Meet The CEBI Team: Adrian Van Doreen

Professional Highlights: What is your role, and what do you enjoy most about it?

Learn More
Meet The CEBI Team: Lana Van Doren
November 30, 2025

Meet The CEBI Team: Lana Van Doren

Professional Highlights: What is your role, and what do you enjoy most about it?

Learn More
🦃 Did You Hire a Turkey?
November 6, 2025

🦃 Did You Hire a Turkey?

A Thanksgiving Look at Background Checks‍It’s that time of year again — turkey on the table, gratitude in the air… and maybe a few questionable hires around the office.

Learn More
Scary Season Comes to Background Checks: Gather ‘Round Children
October 3, 2025

Scary Season Comes to Background Checks: Gather ‘Round Children

After 30 years in the business of pre-employment background checks, I have a couple scary stories to kick off October.

Learn More
FAQs from the shameless commerce division of Cutting Edge Background Investigations
September 1, 2025

FAQs from the shameless commerce division of Cutting Edge Background Investigations

Q. It’s painstaking having to enter all the details for the background checks. SSN’s,DOB’s, addresses, employers, education, references.

Learn More
Optimizing Your Background Screening Program: Advanced Strategy Options for HR Leaders
July 3, 2025

Optimizing Your Background Screening Program: Advanced Strategy Options for HR Leaders

It's July, things are on lock for the summer. Baseball, 4th of July, kids at camp, vacation planned.It's a lock with business too—hiring is humming, no surprises coming your way. Well, who can tell. They are "surprises," after all.

Learn More
Employment Verifications: Background screening lynchpin or obsolete policy?
June 10, 2025

Employment Verifications: Background screening lynchpin or obsolete policy?

Employment verification has been a cornerstone of background screening for decades, and I should know. I’ve been around this business for literal decades. We dutifully call previous companies to confirm dates of employment, job titles, reason for leaving, eligibility for rehire, the whole nine.

Learn More
When Background Checks Go Wrong: Getting What You Expected
May 5, 2025

When Background Checks Go Wrong: Getting What You Expected

We've all experienced consumer letdowns: the menu photos showed a juicy steak, but what arrived was tough and overcooked.

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Criminal Searches and the Time Drag
February 25, 2025

Criminal Searches and the Time Drag

Criminal search delays often stem from quality assurance bottlenecks, prioritization of large clients, or misleading provider excuses—Cutting Edge Background ensures fair, efficient, and transparent screenings for all clients.

Learn More
New Year, New Background Check Policies
February 25, 2025

New Year, New Background Check Policies

Reviewing and updating background check policies ensures compliance, consistency, and legal protection—Cutting Edge Background simplifies the process.

Learn More
12 Days of Background Checks
February 25, 2025

12 Days of Background Checks

Background checks safeguard employers from legal risks by ensuring accurate applications, compliance with laws, verification of credentials, and diligent screenings—Cutting Edge Background simplifies the process for peace of mind.

Learn More
6 Tips for Employers on Conducting Background Checks (Part 2 of 2)
February 25, 2025

6 Tips for Employers on Conducting Background Checks (Part 2 of 2)

Employers must navigate FCRA, Ban the Box, and Clean Slate laws carefully; Cutting Edge Background helps avoid compliance pitfalls and ensures accurate screenings.

Learn More
6 Tips for Employers on Conducting Background Checks (Part 1 of 2)
February 25, 2025

6 Tips for Employers on Conducting Background Checks (Part 1 of 2)

Background checks prevent negligent hiring risks, and Cutting Edge Background ensures compliance effortlessly.

Learn More
DEATH, TAXES AND. . .COMPLIANCE?
February 25, 2025

DEATH, TAXES AND. . .COMPLIANCE?

Cutting Edge Background simplifies FCRA-compliant background checks by automating authorization, disclosure, and adverse action processes to ensure legal compliance and reduce employer paperwork.

Learn More
Understanding Ban the Box (Fair Chance initiative) Laws
May 3, 2024

Understanding Ban the Box (Fair Chance initiative) Laws

Learn about the latest updates to Minnesota's Ban the Box legislation and how it affects your hiring process.

Learn More
Fraud, Identity Theft and the New HR Director (for about 45 minutes)
September 25, 2026

Fraud, Identity Theft and the New HR Director (for about 45 minutes)

This makes my hair stand on end.A client emailed me to say they just hired Bill Smith as their new HR Director.

Learn More
Fraud, Identity Theft and the New HR Director (for about 45 minutes)
September 25, 2026

Fraud, Identity Theft and the New HR Director (for about 45 minutes)

This makes my hair stand on end.A client emailed me to say they just hired Bill Smith as their new HR Director.

Learn More
The Warrant Nobody Else Found (And Why That Should Worry You)
July 21, 2026

The Warrant Nobody Else Found (And Why That Should Worry You)

We performed a criminal record search in Los Angeles, challenging at anyone’s game. Even yours truly. We reported a pending DUI charge and an outstanding warrant in the case against Applicant X. The DUI charge was from 2018, the warrant from 2025.

Learn More
Critical Thinking: Going Beyond the Job
June 22, 2026

Critical Thinking: Going Beyond the Job

Critical thinking is the practice of actively and carefully evaluating information before accepting or acting on it — questioning assumptions, weighing evidence, considering alternative explanations, and reaching conclusions through reason rather than habit, bias, or instinct.

Learn More
We’re Up to Bat: What Pre-Employment Background Checks and Major League Baseball Have in Common
May 26, 2026

We’re Up to Bat: What Pre-Employment Background Checks and Major League Baseball Have in Common

It's baseball season. The crack of the bat, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the arguments about the designated hitter rule that somehow still haven't been resolved. But here at Cutting Edge, when we watch a ballgame, we can’t help but see something else entirely: the beautiful, occasionally chaotic, always high-stakes world of pre-employment screening.

Learn More
Proving a Negative
April 22, 2026

Proving a Negative

A concise reflection on how background screening proves “bounded negatives” by clearly defining scope, using complete sources, documenting methods, and accounting for gaps or alternative explanations.

Learn More
Spring and Summer Hiring is Coming: Five Things to Think About.
March 7, 2026

Spring and Summer Hiring is Coming: Five Things to Think About.

March is a month where Cutting Edge Background starts to see a lot of seasonal hiring. Particularly rec areas that hire young people to work the snack bar, lifeguard at the pool, work the grounds. It’s a busy season.

Learn More
Education Verifications: FAQ’s
February 2, 2026

Education Verifications: FAQ’s

Rant incoming. It’s about education, and I guess, specifically, education verifications. Ain’t nothing new, just a reminder about some important notes.

Learn More
One Size Fits All? Not Really
January 16, 2026

One Size Fits All? Not Really

It’s January, the holidays are in the rear-view and my earrings still fit. Okay, it’s an old joke. You can groan.Do your background checks still fit?

Learn More
Meet The CEBI Team: Adrian Van Doreen
December 9, 2025

Meet The CEBI Team: Adrian Van Doreen

Professional Highlights: What is your role, and what do you enjoy most about it?

Learn More
Meet The CEBI Team: Lana Van Doren
November 30, 2025

Meet The CEBI Team: Lana Van Doren

Professional Highlights: What is your role, and what do you enjoy most about it?

Learn More
🦃 Did You Hire a Turkey?
November 6, 2025

🦃 Did You Hire a Turkey?

A Thanksgiving Look at Background Checks‍It’s that time of year again — turkey on the table, gratitude in the air… and maybe a few questionable hires around the office.

Learn More
Scary Season Comes to Background Checks: Gather ‘Round Children
October 3, 2025

Scary Season Comes to Background Checks: Gather ‘Round Children

After 30 years in the business of pre-employment background checks, I have a couple scary stories to kick off October.

Learn More
FAQs from the shameless commerce division of Cutting Edge Background Investigations
September 1, 2025

FAQs from the shameless commerce division of Cutting Edge Background Investigations

Q. It’s painstaking having to enter all the details for the background checks. SSN’s,DOB’s, addresses, employers, education, references.

Learn More
Optimizing Your Background Screening Program: Advanced Strategy Options for HR Leaders
July 3, 2025

Optimizing Your Background Screening Program: Advanced Strategy Options for HR Leaders

It's July, things are on lock for the summer. Baseball, 4th of July, kids at camp, vacation planned.It's a lock with business too—hiring is humming, no surprises coming your way. Well, who can tell. They are "surprises," after all.

Learn More
Employment Verifications: Background screening lynchpin or obsolete policy?
June 10, 2025

Employment Verifications: Background screening lynchpin or obsolete policy?

Employment verification has been a cornerstone of background screening for decades, and I should know. I’ve been around this business for literal decades. We dutifully call previous companies to confirm dates of employment, job titles, reason for leaving, eligibility for rehire, the whole nine.

Learn More
Criminal Searches and the Time Drag
February 25, 2025

Criminal Searches and the Time Drag

Criminal search delays often stem from quality assurance bottlenecks, prioritization of large clients, or misleading provider excuses—Cutting Edge Background ensures fair, efficient, and transparent screenings for all clients.

Learn More
New Year, New Background Check Policies
February 25, 2025

New Year, New Background Check Policies

Reviewing and updating background check policies ensures compliance, consistency, and legal protection—Cutting Edge Background simplifies the process.

Learn More
12 Days of Background Checks
February 25, 2025

12 Days of Background Checks

Background checks safeguard employers from legal risks by ensuring accurate applications, compliance with laws, verification of credentials, and diligent screenings—Cutting Edge Background simplifies the process for peace of mind.

Learn More
6 Tips for Employers on Conducting Background Checks (Part 2 of 2)
February 25, 2025

6 Tips for Employers on Conducting Background Checks (Part 2 of 2)

Employers must navigate FCRA, Ban the Box, and Clean Slate laws carefully; Cutting Edge Background helps avoid compliance pitfalls and ensures accurate screenings.

Learn More
6 Tips for Employers on Conducting Background Checks (Part 1 of 2)
February 25, 2025

6 Tips for Employers on Conducting Background Checks (Part 1 of 2)

Background checks prevent negligent hiring risks, and Cutting Edge Background ensures compliance effortlessly.

Learn More
DEATH, TAXES AND. . .COMPLIANCE?
February 25, 2025

DEATH, TAXES AND. . .COMPLIANCE?

Cutting Edge Background simplifies FCRA-compliant background checks by automating authorization, disclosure, and adverse action processes to ensure legal compliance and reduce employer paperwork.

Learn More
Understanding Ban the Box (Fair Chance initiative) Laws
May 3, 2024

Understanding Ban the Box (Fair Chance initiative) Laws

Learn about the latest updates to Minnesota's Ban the Box legislation and how it affects your hiring process.

Learn More

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