U.S. Security Firms Now Have a New Vetting Solution for Job Applicants
EyeDetect+ is an advanced screening method that not only measures eye behavior to detect deception but also gathers similar physiological data as captured by a standard polygraph instrument, making it EPPA compliant and therefore legal for U.S. security firm usage.
U.S. security firms now have an alternative method for screening job applicants called EyeDetect+. This automated test accurately verifies if applicants are being truthful about their involvement in disqualifying activities in just 30 minutes.
LEHI, Utah – June 10, 2020 – Customers and the public trust security firms to safeguard people, places and information. This trust is quickly destroyed when security personnel commit a crime — which credibility assessment technology company Converus says is mostly due to inadequately prescreening job candidates.
Over the years, some security firms’ reputations have taken a hit in the news. For example, last month an off-duty security guard was arrested and charged with assault. In March, more than 600 weapons from a security company were reported lost or stolen since 2009. And in January, a security guard was convicted of falsification of evidence as a police officer, disorderly conduct and theft.
In one of the more extreme examples of a bad hire, in 2017 a New Jersey security guard was accused of stealing $100,000 on his first (and last) day at work from his new employer’s armored truck.
“Since guards are trusted with customer access codes and/or keys to their facility, it’s imperative to have a very efficient and thorough screening process,” said Brett Magleby of Salt Lake City-based Panther Security & Investigations, a Converus Service Partner. “It’s a huge liability for a security company to have someone knowingly dishonest in a customer building or secure site. They can quickly lose a security firm’s contracts by doing something dishonest.”
According to research published in April, the U.S. security services market is estimated to reach 39.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. This market has grown 2.8% per year on average between 2015 and 2020. With this growth, technology company Converus says its recently released EyeDetect+ lie detection system can help security firms be more certain of hiring honest, trustworthy personnel.
EyeDetect+ detects deception by measuring involuntary eye behaviors and, using a “Physio Tracker,” similar physiological data captured by a standard polygraph instrument.
“Unfortunately, there may be disqualifying activities in a job candidate’s history that an interview, background investigation, fingerprint check, drug test or personality test may not uncover,” said Converus President and CEO Todd Mickelsen. “We’ve developed automated tests that verify if the applicant is being truthful about their involvement in these disqualifying activities in an unbiased, fast, accurate and affordable way.”
EyeDetect detects deception in 15-30 minutes by analyzing involuntary eye behavior, including pupil dilation, blink rate and other eye movements. Results are available within 5 minutes. Research studies show EyeDetect is 86 to 90 percent accurate. Tests are typically less than half the cost of polygraph and can be carried out by the security company’s hiring team.
The new EyeDetect+ adds a device called “Physio Tracker” that gathers similar physiological data as captured by a standard polygraph instrument: cardiovascular, respiration and electrodermal activity.
With these additional data, EyeDetect+ meets the U.S. Federal Government’s functional definition of a polygraph per the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 (EPPA) to allow its use to prescreen “prospective employees of armored car, security alarm, and security guard firms who protect facilities, materials or operations…”
With pandemic restrictions creating more demand for additional personnel to guard facilities, Mickelsen feels the increased need for security firms to fill open positions quickly makes for an ideal time to offer an advanced, business-friendly screening method.
“Unlike other lie detection methods, EyeDetect+ allows for safe social distancing while prescreening a job applicant,” added Mickelsen.
EyeDetect is currently used by more than 500 customers in 43 countries in 40 different languages. For more information about EyeDetect and Converus, visit: converus.com
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About Converus®
Converus provides scientifically validated credibility assessment technologies. EyeDetect® detects deception at 86-90% accuracy in 15-30 minutes by analyzing eye and other behaviors. IdentityDetect® detects falsified identities at 91% accuracy in about 1-3 minutes by analyzing subtle variations in the motor nervous system responses. These technologies help protect countries, corporations and communities from corruption, crime and threats. Converus is headquartered in Lehi, Utah, USA. Visit: www.converus.com
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Converus Press Contact: Jeff Pizzino, APR /+1 480-606-8292
