How to Detect and Prevent Payroll Fraud

How to Detect and Prevent Payroll Fraud Payroll fraud is most simply defined as employees cheating the payroll system at their place of  employment to receive funds to which they are not entitled. There are many ways  payroll fraud can be committed, including from salary, hourly and commission workers, as well as ways to prevent and detect it. What is Payroll Fraud? For workers who receive a salary, the most common form of payroll fraud involves fraudulently  boosting the amount they should receive or adding a false employee to the list and collecting these  wages. For workers who are paid hourly rather than on a salary, payroll fraud methods can include  altering the number of hours worked, signing in and out of work at incorrect times or claiming to  have worked shifts when they were not actually in work. Commission workers or employees who work in manufacturing and are paid by how many units  they produce can also commit payroll fraud. This is done by falsifying records such as how many  sales they have made or units they have produced. The final common form of payroll fraud comes in false claims for expenses. This can range from a  meal with family or friends being claimed as being part of business with a client, to taking trips away  falsely labeled as business trips or meetings. How to Detect Payroll Fraud While payroll fraud is uncommon, there are plenty of examples where it has happened, and it can potentially lose businesses and employers a significant amount of money. A study in 2011  found that companies in Britain lose around £38 billion a year due to payroll fraud. Five percent  of all expenses claims were found to be false, a total of over £150 million. However this figure covers what is detected, so the actual number is likely to be significantly higher. Due to the high financial cost of payroll fraud and the serious nature of such offenses, some methods have been developed to help to detect payroll fraud and provide evidence if it is  suspected. Some of the key signs that payroll fraud is taking place are as follows: Symptoms of an employee living an overly expensive lifestyle for their earnings Multiple employees that are not family members sharing an address or bank account Payroll audits Having a member of staff unfamiliar with the payroll system check records Anomalies in payroll records Preventing Payroll Fraud While it is important to detect if fraudulent activities are taking place at a company, it is equally  essential to do everything possible to ensure that it does not happen in the first place. As well as  frequent checks of the payroll records, this can also be done by making sure employees are aware  of the full consequences surrounding payroll fraud. The punishments relating to payroll fraud go far  beyond a work disciplinary or having to repay the money, with significant jail sentences frequently being  handed out for offenders. Getting an outside body or a member of staff from outside the team to check records every so  often increases the likelihood of wrongdoing being discovered. Not every case of an employee being  overpaid will be fraudulent, mistakes can be made, and frequent checks of the system can also help  to quickly correct these errors, without significant financial loss to the company or the employee  involved. Consequences of payroll fraud Payroll fraud is a serious offense, with severe punishments for those individuals who are proven  to have carried it out. In July 2012 a British man who had carried out serious payroll fraud worth  millions of pounds was sentenced to 17 years in prison. While most cases do not involve amounts as  large as this, a custodial sentence is a standard punishment for payroll fraudsters. Making employees  aware that not only will they lose their job, but potentially their freedom is one sure-fire way to  reduce the risk of workers considering payroll fraud. As well as the threat of imprisonment, they will  have to repay the money they obtained during their fraudulent activity, as well as facing a further  fine. Many legal experts who specialize in fraud believe that payroll fraud is committed as it is seen  as a victimless crime and that such actions are commonplace anyway. Ensuring employees know  that their actions are damaging and will result in significant sanctions is an excellent way to prevent this  behavior, and may encourage anyone who has been committing undetected payroll fraud to cease  with their actions. By taking care only to appoint top quality candidates when filling your payroll vacancies, businesses can ensure they have  trustworthy and reliable staff who will not commit fraud themselves, as well as picking up on any  suspicious activity from other employees.

Top 5 Twitter Apps for Recruitment

Top 5 Twitter Apps for Recruitment Social media is an absolute necessity in these modern times when recruiting new talent. Twitter is an extremely useful tool for posting job opportunities as well as researching applicants. Alongside applications such as Hootsuite (which can post tweets and job posts) and FollowerWonk (which can analyse statistics about potential candidates), here are the top 5 Twitter apps which recruiters can use. 1. TweetMyJobs TweetMyJobs holds two options for recruiters the small business, free option (less than 25 jobs per year) and the enterprise (more than 25 jobs per year) option. Some big clients (such as Intercontinental Hotels Group) use the Enterprise option, where the company  receives  its own branded [job] Twitter channel, however both options receive  post distribution on Facebook and Twitter. According to statistics from the @TweetMyJobs_EU feed, the website tweets well over 1,000,000 jobs a month, and around 60,000 or more a day so your post may become lost if you use the free option, however it has received a lot of positive feedback. 2. TwitJobSearch TwitJobSearch is a simple search engine for jobs. There are three options either TJS can pick up a job tweet, recruiters can have an XML file of jobs tweeted by TJS, or recruiters can manually add their jobs to the search engine (linked via their Twitter account). The website is extremely simple to use and there is no charges for posting jobs. 3. Jobvite JobVite has two products: Source and Hire. Both Jobvite Source and Jobvite Hire have Twitter channel feeds, which promise automatic distribution of jobs with shortened and trackable URLs and hashtags, as well as automatic posting on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn feeds. Jobvite also release a Social Recruiting Survey each year, so have a lot of knowledge in their field. 4. Bullhorn Reach Bullhorn Reach integrates Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, with 52% of recruiters who use Bullhorn leveriging Twitter according to official statistics. A job is posted to the Bullhorn Reach platform and then automatically shared to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  With clients such as eBay and Nike using Bullhorn Reach, it is the most popular of the recruiting applications and websites available. 5. Broadbean Social Broadbean Social describe their Twitter application as an extension to your career site, by automatically publishing job openings, managing the candidate application process and optimising tweets with hashtags. With hundreds of staffing companies and corporate recruiters using their technology, Broadbean are one of the most trusted applications available. As shown here, there is a wide variety of software to be used in social recruiting, each with positives and negatives it is up to the recruiter themselves to decide on the one they will use. What Twitter applications do you use for recruitment? Image: Shutterstock

How To Say Thanks in a Job Search [INFOGRAPHIC]

How To Say Thanks in a Job Search [INFOGRAPHIC] As it is Thanksgiving, many Americans are reflecting on little ways that they can express how thankful they are.  While you might say thank you after being passed your first slice of pumpkin pie, it’s often all too easy to forget the weight those two words when they’re put together. A simple thank you has more power than we often give it credit forand there are a million ways to show your gratitude. The way you say thank you (or don’t) could make or break your chances with potential employers. This infographic from Careerleaf  will provide you with everything you need to know about saying thank you during your job search. Takeaways: DO send a handwritten note after the interview (91% of HR manages considered this very, or somewhat, helpful) and make sure you post it on the day of the interview. DO connect through social media and  DO send an email 87% of HR managers agreed it is  appropriate  to send an email after an interview. DO be creative with your thank you online videos are 5.33 more effective than text. DONT send a thank you gift this may be seen as bribery. DONT forget to say thank you 22% of HR managers say they are less likely to hire a candidate who doesnt say thank you after an interview. DONT show up at the office,  DONT send something too long and DONT call the day after these can all be off-putting or seen as agressive. RELATED: 6 Clever Ways to Improve Your Job Search Tactics Image: Pablo

The art of conversation A sign of expression. Evidence of confidence.

The art of conversation A sign of expression. Evidence of confidence. What would you classify as a form of art? Is making conversation a form of art?  Even the simplistic concept of just talking has a relevant importance. Without it, how would we communicate? Bearing in mind that communicating by email and text is a form of conversation also. The more you involve yourself in conversation, the better at it you’ll become. You’ll become someone who people will enjoy talking to. Most importantly, you’ll become more employable.   The star of the show, if that’s what you’d like to call it. SEE ALSO:  Our Brains Respond Better to Difficulty Than We Imagine For all you students and graduates out there, being a confident converser will make performing at interviews a lot easier. In fact, a lot more enjoyable. You won’t find yourself stumbling over words, trying to make yourself sound professional. Nevertheless, even if you are an avid speaker, nerves are always there as a setback, so beware of that. However, the point that I’m trying to put across is that, being able to articulate, is a skill. An important skill that will affect you daily! When you go to an art gallery and look at a piece of art work, what does that say to you about its author? To me it illustrates intelligence, an enquiring mind and enthusiasm. These are a few of the many skills that employers want to see in their employees. It’s these qualities that are illustrated when you’re having a skilled conversation with someone. The other person can see the character within you.   That’s why, although you should always conduct yourself formally and appropriately, it’s important to act as if having a conversation with the interviewer. Easier said than done, I know, but, like I said, it’s a skill.   It’s a skill that can be perfected by practice. Networking! We’ve all heard this before. In order to develop a network  around you, you need to be able to talk to people. You build a connection by just having a conversation with someone. Whether you’re in conversation with prospective employers, friends or whoever, you’re finding common interests with one another and moving forward in your relationship. On a lighter note, you build friendships just by talking! Provided that you’ve got something positive to say, you would gain a certain amount of respect. You’d become a likeable person, an individual who others would love talking to. Like I’ve mentioned before, it adds to your popularity. Your self-esteem develops. The art of conversation: A sign of expression. Evidence of confidence. A skilled conversation is an illustration of who you are and shows that you have a voice. This is what it’s meant by indulging yourself in the art of conversation.  If that’s something you feel especially skilled for, or would just like to improve it, you might be interested in learning new language tools by taking some online classes. Online programs have been developed to help professionals improve their skills. Earning a  master in negotiation and dispute resolution  will help you manage conflict through negotiation and mediation. The techniques used in these programs will help you face any challenge, whichever sector you are in or career path you are deciding to get into. Plus, the art of conversation is useful in your professional life, as well as personal, and could help you achieve you career goal. Take part in it more and youll see the difference. photo credit: opensourceway via photopin cc 6

The Benefits of Using Freelance Writing Services

The Benefits of Using Freelance Writing ServicesPutting freelanc writing on a resume is an option for people who do not wish to employ freelance writing services. In fact, many companies provide this service so that employees can promote themselves on their resumes. This service should be provided by the company itself to get all the expenses reimbursed.This option is useful in several ways because of the fact that you are the one who will be writing the materials instead of using any professional writers. If you are using professional writers, you are paying them and therefore you are using your time and effort in that regard. Thus, the idea of putting freelanc writing on a resume is quite advantageous as you can spend your time and effort in promoting yourself instead of using the services of freelancers.If you decide to use freelancers, you have to be sure that they will provide you with high quality work so that you will be happy with what you are getting from them. This is impor tant because if you have hired freelancers, you have to make sure that they provide you with good quality work so that you can be happy with what you are getting. You have to make sure that the work is of high quality as this will attract the employer and so he will be more likely to hire you.Of course, you will have to keep in mind that you are the one who will be getting the work and so you have to be sure that it is good. This is what making sure of quality are all about and this is very important so that you will be able to get the job. However, in this case, you need to put your own hands in the task because you will be doing all the work yourself.This means that you have to take the initiative in order to get your resume written. This means that you will have to put your own efforts into doing all the writing and you will also have to be careful in choosing the writing style that you will use. The best way to ensure that you get all the qualities of a good writer is to use the professional writing services offered by the company.Instead of using the services of freelancers, you can use the current position of the company in which you belong to. This way, you can just write the resume without having to use the services of freelancers. Of course, this will cost you some money but it will be worth it as you will get the position by yourself.For those who do not have a good writing skill, the next option is to use the services of a career coach. Such coaches are available to the public and you just have to pay them for their services. You can use this option because you want to promote yourself and this is how you promote yourself.In summary, the option of putting freelanc writing on a resume is quite useful. However, you have to use the services of professionals so that you will be able to get all the qualities of a good writer.

LinkedIn Tip #4 Create Captivating Profile Content - Sterling Career Concepts

LinkedIn Tip #4 Create Captivating Profile Content LinkedIn Tip #4: Create Captivating Profile Content So far we’ve talked about a LinkedIn headline, photo, and summary. If you’ve been reading our posts for the past several weeks, you are well on your way to a standout LinkedIn profile. Now it’s time to fill in the rest of your profile. Great content sets an “excellent” LinkedIn profile apart from an “average” LinkedIn profile. Here are three strategies to keep in mind: Customize the order of sections. Sections of your LinkedIn profile are in an appropriate order to emphasize the most important information first. Include relevant paid and non-paid experience. The Experience section is relevant  to the job target sought, and is not limited only to paid work, and could also  include volunteer work, school projects, organizational involvement, and other activities. Stay focused on your most recent experience. Work history does not go back further than 10-15 years. Makes those years count! Following these LinkedIn tips may sound like a lot of work, and to be honest, it can be. But you are worth the investment of your time and money (if you seek professional assistance). Since LinkedIn is the #1 go-to online site for recruiters and hiring managers, you are missing huge opportunities if your profile doesn’t properly showcase your talents and skills. Check back next week for tips on marketing your personal brand on LinkedIn. [photo courtesy of freedigitalphoto.net]

Job Loss Warning Signs For When The Writing Is On The Wall

Job Loss Warning Signs For When The Writing Is On The Wall Job Loss: Warning Signs For When The Writing Is On The Wall Recently, I have had a spate of resume clients who have come to me because they are getting bad vibes from their employer. If you have ever been in this position, you know this feeling all too well. Some people cant quite explain it, but its a sense of unease, intuitive feeling that something is up, and observation of a sudden cloud of secrecy that appears among upper management. This can set the alarm bells ringing, and many people start dusting off their resumes. And they are absolutely right to do so. Time and again, clients have come to me expressing these same concerns, and within a short span of time, their worst fears come true. My advice: Always listen to your gut. If you think something is up, it usually is. When job loss has nothing to do with your performance and everything to do with the companys health, you need to be your own advocate and get the heck out of Dodge. Here are some warning signs for potential impending job loss: Poor company publicity in the news / corporate scandal. Anytime a company undergoes close scrutiny in the media or experiences a scandal, this can impact the longevity of its survival, depending on the severity of the issue. Customers dont like to be associated with businesses embroiled in high-profile issues, and end up quietly slip away. Drops in revenue usually means rapid staff cuts. Mass layoffs not yours. Yet. Sure, you missed the chopping block this time, but just because you dodged the bullet this time doesnt mean that you are saved. Everything is up for negotiation, including your job. Bad corporate financial reports. Keeping an eye on internal financial and staff reports as well as stock performance can tell a lot about the overall health of the company. If things are not robust, it might be indicators of changes to come. Severe external economic and market turmoil. The great recession of 2007-2008 taught everyone that bubbles do burst.  Companies that survived this downturn trimmed employee head counts down to the bare minimum. Last hired usually means first fired when things start to go bad. Lots of shuffling around of staff / shakeup. Companies change. Thats a fact of life. Shake-ups and change management is fairly common, but if your employer is undergoing a major radical shift, that means no stone is being un-turned, and that includes your job. Sudden surge in company executive closed-door or off-site meetings. While this does happen occasionally for non-nefarious purposes, employees have intuitive radar to know when something is up. As stealthy as managers think these meetings might be, they arent fooling anyone. When the whole management teams starts disappearing in a flurry of meetings, it is something to pay attention to. Always. Abnormal paychecks. Your pay is the companys obligation. When they start faltering on the amount or when you actually receive it, this is a red-hot flag. If they cant meet their obligations, that means your involvement in the company is running out. Direct observation of unethical corporate behavior. As much as some dastardly companies think they are pulling the wool over someones eyes, justice usually finds a way of prevailing. If you witness unethical behavior on a grand scale, its not too much longer before someone catches on. And that can be a whole kettle of trouble for the company. Time to disassociate and bail. Company not rehiring vacant positions and asking less people to do more. As the economy fluctuates, belt-tightening is normal. But when it gets to this extreme, it means that bosses are getting rid of dead wood and possibly moving towards actual layoffs. Be keenly aware of these types of moves. Manufactured reasons to put you on performance improvement plans. This is a tricky one because we all dont like addressing and accepting the fact that we have goofed up or done something wrong. But if there sincerely and genuinely is no reason why youve been put on report, it could mean that someone has an agenda and is laying the foundation of a case to get rid of you. The company is merely covering its bee-hind by creating documentation in case you sue them after they terminate you. Rumblings of a corporate merger or acquisition. As much cheer that is spread about how well be a new, stronger organization, its just a few more corporate heart beats later post-merger that the ax begins to swing. True, many people do retain their positions, but be aware that oftentimes, the new entity will draw out exactly what they need from you to keep things moving before bringing in their own people. Benefits are cut. Traditional expectations are suddenly revised or scaled down to bare minimum or none at all. This could mean elimination of perks, parties, and extras that once were enticements to come work for the company. Travel expenses / professional development activities suddenly eliminated. The most immediate stop-gap to a company bleeding financially is to trim the fat which unfortunately means that they are often cutting off the hand that feeds them. But major cuts like this are a true indication of the actual financial state of the company. Drop in supervisor interest and increase detachment. Any boss that has checked out has lost their investment in their job, the company, and you. They also are trying to detach themselves from any professional emotional connection before they drop the guillotine. Reverse of previous point: Your work gets put under a microscope. A quick rise in interest / scrutiny of your work could mean bosses are trying to glean as much as they can about your work so when you are gone, they minimize the impact to company momentum. If supervisors take a keen interest in spending more one-on-one time with you, look out. Your work is suddenly being parceled out or assigned to others. If you are being coaxed to give up work, or if it is suddenly ripped out from underneath you, this is a very bad sign. Stripping employees of responsibilities is definitely a death knell and spells job loss. A new position is created that is the same / redundant to yours.  You of all people know what your work entails, and whether another position could help shoulder the burden of the tasks you are charged to complete. If a new position comes open that mirrors yours and the work simply doesnt justify it, you could be training your replacement. Management stops talking about long-term plans. Whether it is long term plans for you and your career at the company, or how your work has long-term impacts on the company, then they have lost the capacity to see you growing or even continuing on with the business. Your position suddenly appears in job ads.  A client of mine found out that her job was posted online by her employer (while she was still working there) by another employee. It was so humiliating to know that the world knew about this and she didnt. You guessed it. They tossed her to the curb. Management steps in to direct your employees. Any time responsibility is removed or circumvented, this is a direct show of managements lack of confidence in you, justified or not. You are excluded from meetings in which you used to participate. Oh, its ok. You dont need to be there are words you never want to hear. People start avoiding you. Sometimes, when a job loss is afoot, loose lips and gossip spread out before the actual job loss happens. People tend to disassociate from co-workers about to be let go. These are just some examples of things that could indicate potential job loss. But the most sure thing that can predict this unfortunate situation is your gut. Your intuition is simply your best defense against job loss.