Firm rides corporate desire to minimize legal liabilities when hiring staff
HIRE IMAGE LLC
OWNERS: Christine Cunneen and Thomas Tomlinson
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Pre-employment screening service
LOCATION: 6 Alcazar Ave., Johnston, and Pompano Beach, Fla.
EMPLOYEES: 6
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2004
ANNUAL SALES: WND
In companies’ growing desire for pre-employment background checks, Hire Image LLC has found a niche its founders think could be fairly lucrative.
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CEO Christine Cunneen said she and partner Thomas Tomlinson hope to reach $10 million in revenue in the next five years. “I think it’s attainable, which is pretty cool.”
The pair already is investing in infrastructure so the company can handle that volume. This year, they invested more than $100,000 in proprietary software. Next year, they plan to add two to five employees.
“What’s fueling the need in the background-screening industry is the increase in negligent-hiring lawsuits,” Cunneen said. “Because of increased hiring lawsuits, people are doing more background checks. They are less likely to get sued if the judge sees they did due diligence.”
Tomlinson said he discovered the trend while operating a private investigations firm in Pompano Beach, Fla. His customers were asking for criminal background checks, so he started a small business on the side to handle those requests.
“It was always a steady flow,” he said. “Then, a couple years ago, it took off.”
That’s around the time when Cunneen, then an accountant studying for an MBA, offered to help grow the business with Tomlinson, who is also her childhood friend.
“We joined forces, and it’s been a whirlwind ever since,” she said.
In the past two years, they’ve built a national clientele of more than 50 companies, two of which are based in Rhode Island.
“Our biggest clients are staff agencies and call centers, because they have the highest turnover,” Cunneen said. “We haven’t really done any marketing yet … it’s all been word of mouth.”
Part of what differentiates Hire Image from other pre-employment screeners is the thoroughoughness of its searches, she said.
The company works with 40 independent contractors and hundreds of court researchers across the country. As soon as a client sends an applicant’s name, Social Security number and date of birth, Hire Image almost instantaneously send the information to contractors and court researchers in the states where the applicant has lived.
“Although there are instant database searches, we never recommend those as a primary search for people,” Cunneen said. “We actually send people to the courthouses to do the research, because that’s where the primary data is housed, and that’s where you’re going to get the most accurate information.”
Average turnaround time is 24 to 72 hours, which is pretty standard, she said.
Some competitors try to offer results more quickly and at a cheaper rate, Cunneen said. But that usually means they do only do a database search.
“A lot of our competition is Fortune 500 companies who got into the business because they saw the big demand,” she said. “They’re running the nationwide database searches, which gives you a false sense of security.”
Some states – such as those in New England – do not report criminal activity to the national database, she noted, because it is not mandatory that every state do so.
In addition to more-thorough searches, Cunneen said, Hire Image prides itself on superior customer service. For example, because Tomlinson has a background in law enforcement, he takes the time to explain complex police reports to clients.
And Hire Image also offers drug testing, because clients asked for it, though the company does not make much profit from it.
“They want one-stop shopping,” Cunneen said. “That’s why we offer it … it’s really just providing a service for our clients so that they can have everything.”
Their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
In October, Cunneen was chosen for the “Make Mine a $Million Business” program, a national initiative that supports female entrepreneurs and helps them grow their companies, offering business coaching, mentoring and low-interest loans.
Through the program, Cunneen said, she has learned to take more time to think about the big picture. And she has learned that many businesswomen face the same issues: getting too caught up in the nitty-gritty of daily business and failing to delegate duties to others.
“The free business coaching … that has been incredible,” she said. “It helps you focus and challenges you. It keeps you on track.”
