To most, it means protecting the product line; typically, from copyright and trademark infringement to safeguarding patents. At Summit-Tek we believe brand protection begins with the people behind the product or service. Hiring like-minded people with similar goals and aspirations builds confidence. Experience has taught us that as a company grows, the brand becomes more vulnerable. The brand becomes more susceptible to internal discord and external exploitation. So where do we start in protecting a brand? We begin with investing in our people and performing more due diligence in the hiring process. This may seem like it costs a little more money and time, but the result creates an informed hire and stronger brand confidence.
As an ex-federal government employee with high clearance, I’m very familiar with the government process for vetting personnel responsible for safeguarding the most sensitive information. These basic principles have stood the test of time, progressed through countless revisions and remain the gold standard for allowing personnel access to classified information. Limiting this process to only classified security positions within the federal government isn’t representative of the true problem set. In other words, we believe the private sector should be adopting some level of the government standard to help safeguard their vetting of personnel and brand.
According to a survey by CareerBuilder, 56% of HR managers have caught job candidates in a lie on their resumes. Our own experience has found this percentage to be much higher. So how do we weed out the deception and find applicants that want to build a credible and profitable enterprise? Some of our fail-safe resources for uncovering the truth is adopting aspects of the federal process combined with social media research. Applying these tools consistently to the hiring or vetting process leads to building a stronger team and less penetrable brand.
A colleague recently reminded me of a news clip where a young man didn’t feel right about his substitute teacher and decided to do his own due diligence by researching the teacher online. He found was a story alleging some indiscretions from several years past. Needless to say, this Department of Education followed a less intrusive vetting process for their employees and their brand suffered as a result. Fortunately, the proper authorities took immediate action. But could this have been prevented? Yes. We should be investing more into vetting the people that interact with our children and our customers.
Whether you’re part of the private sector or a government agency, maintaining positive brand recognition is vital. A comprehensive vetting process ensures your workforce meets the gold standard and expectations of your particular customer in society. Summit-Tek recognizes the importance of maintaining a clean brand, free from adverse media attention for our clients. It’s time to invest in building a strong, reliable workforce.