What sets one company that sells commodities apart from another?  Let's look at the car rental company National, which has a commodity... cars.  Why do I keep using them?

• I love Emerald Isle... you get off the airport shuttle, walk up to any car you want, get in, and drive to the gate. You hand them your driver's license and a mirror hanger info sheet from the car, and 2 minutes later you are gone. It is fast, easy, and convenient.
• Their online booking platform is easy to use.
• They have a reward points program I use to build up free day credits.
• Their prices are very competitive for fleet customers.
• As soon as I drop the car off, someone greets me immediately. Within 60 seconds I am on my way to the airport and by the time I get on the shuttle bus, I already have the receipt emailed to me on my blackberry.

All the other rental car companies have the exact same car I can rent. There are five different car rental companies at the airport and each is just as easy to get to as the next. They are selling a commodity. They have to grow to be big enough to have economies of scale so they can remain competitive on the price. But it is these other things above that get my business. I check the price occasionally just to make sure they are competitive, but until they screw up the above, it is too easy to stay.

What do you do in your company that makes it easier to stay than leave? Better yet, what are you doing that makes people refer you to their friends and neighbors when the topic comes up? And finally, are you big enough to have the economies of scale you need to be competitive on the price and still maintain the profits you need to reinvest in the company's assets for the future and afford to pay competitive wages to have the best people?   

After all the time and resources spent on advertising, recruiting, interviewing and hiring someone, you need to know you are making a good choice. Pre-hire background checks are important and can protect against negligent hiring, workplace violence, and more.    

Here are some tips to remember when using background checks:

• Establish a clear background screening policy and process
• To avoid claims of discrimination, use background checks consistently and fairly
• Use an experienced and trustworthy background check provider
• Comply with FCRA, state and federal laws, and EEOC guildelines

Companies that want to avoid high employee turnover realize the value of conducting background checks on prospective job candidates. To learn more, contact ProValue.