BD[T@RIAL

You're on my list

The problem is an old one. How does a company avoid hiring a person fired from an earlier job for theft or shoplifting? It's a sticky situation, because once the thief is hired, it can take months, even years, before an employer can remove the greedy hand from the corporate pocket.

In the past, retailers used local credit firms or just swapped information with friends and competitors to avoid hiring crooks. Now, thanks to computers and database sharing, it is possible for national as well as local firms to know before hiring that a prospective employee has taken money or merchandise.

Home Depot and the Target stores are two clients of Employment Screening Partners (ESP), a Bothell, Wa., firm that is a subsidiary of Deluxe Corporation, the country's largest check printer. Other major retailers are clients and also supply information to the database they all share.

The database is no collection of gossip. It contains only legally obtainable information and lists only cases involving a theft conviction or a state- ment admitting theft.

DAVID CUTLER editor-publisher

A recent case of a young man caught shoplifr ing at a Target store illustrates how the system works. Subsequently, he applied for a job at a Home Depot in a nearby community. When Depot checked the database they found his name and the shoplifting incident at Target. He didn't get the job. Most employers in the system state on their job application that a prospective employee's name will be run through the database. The day after a name comes up, the individual is notified by ESP and provided a chance to correct any misinformation.

A side benefit to companies concerned about hiring illegal aliens is that the database will detect a phony Social Security number, thus unmasking even the most sophisticated counterfeit documents.

The key here is consequences. Thieves will know their name could be listed, shutting off job opportunities. It's all about avoiding problems before thev start.