World

Warming Temperatures and Rising Sea Levels Threaten Coastlines

Published

5 years ago

June 29, 2019

cars in miami drive over sea water that's flooded into streets

A hurricane is one of the deadliest types of storm that occurs on planet Earth. They rage on both land and sea, and form powerful winds that can create massive waves and shatter glass all at once. Whether on a boat or on a coastline, a hurricane is something to steer clear of – its destructive force can travel hundreds of miles, ravaging everything in its path. And as ocean levels continue to rise, they have the potential to destroy more and more property situated on coastlines. While it is unknown if climate change will cause more hurricanes in the future, what is almost certain is that they will grow in both size and intensity. Despite hundreds of scientists making this prediction, cities continue to build on land that may soon be underwater.

When Hurricane Harvey struck the United States in 2012, it caused over $125 billion in damages, making it the costliest hurricane in United States history. In fact, the five costliest hurricanes on record occurred within the past fifteen years. As climate change continues to change the ocean’s temperatures as well as raise water levels, hurricanes will have more of a chance of reaching catastrophic sizes. As temperature’s increase, winds will become faster, and precipitation will increase. Rising sea levels means more coastal flooding, and higher storm surges when hurricanes do hit land. This spells trouble for the US population, 40% of which occupies coastal counties.

Cities are making an effort to counteract hurricanes and reduce the possible amount of damage. Boston has $80 billion worth of infrastructure which stands to be demolished if trends continue the way they are. The city is considering taking action against future hurricanes, by building a massive sea wall, along with a number of coastal parks which will minimize damages. However, with forty-seven miles of coastline, it’s a tall order. There is currently no exact estimate on how much such measures would cost, but with the property values and length needing to be covered, experts are certain that it would at least be in the billions of dollars.

Superstorm Sandy alone cost New York City over $19 billion, and roughly $71 billion in the US overall. Affecting much of the east coast, it struck down power lines, damaged roads, and tore down branches. While cleanup services such as Palmetto Tree Service enjoyed a temporary bump in earnings, most businesses were not so lucky. Besides hurricanes, coastal erosion costs the United States over $500 million a year in property damage, not to mention an additional $150 million in beach nourishment. But in addition to lost money, coastal wetlands are also being lost at a rapid rate. These wetlands are crucial to the conservation of hundreds of species of wildlife. Without them, species already endangered and cramped into these areas by human habitation will be lost to the ocean. If something isn’t soon done to protect these areas, or to relocate wildlife in them, then more and more species will be lost every day. As is, things are only going to get worse.

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World

Creating Better Hiring Practices: How KENTECH Can Improve New Employees

Published

4 days ago

September 15, 2024

Rosario Farell

Although some may think background checks are only necessary for high-security jobs like government positions or teaching roles, most employers could benefit from the additional insights that a background check provides. In addition to providing information about an applicant’s criminal history, employers can use background checks to understand their abbreviated credit history or confirm information like employment, educational, and licensure history.

Why background checks are important

Unfortunately, while one would like always to assume the best, the truth is that not everyone is telling the truth. A study by SHRM found that 31% of people admitted to lying on resumes, while 56% admitted to “stretching the truth.”

This statistic makes it abundantly clear that business leaders must not feel comfortable simply trusting prospective employees’ applications at face value. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so a background check is used to confirm important information about an applicant and help make a better, more informed hiring decision.

At KENTECH, a leading background check technology provider, the team likes to say that they help their clients hire “not just the best person, but the right person.” After all, the cost of hiring and onboarding a new employee is extensive. Indeed reports that these costs can range from $4,000 to $20,000 per new employee.

If a hiring decision is made, only for that person to not perform well in the role and have to be let go shortly after, that’s a lot of money wasted. It’s better to make sure that you are making the right decision from the beginning.

KENTECH’s revolutionary background check technology

Some of KENTECH’s cutting-edge background check technology solutions include:

● Employment Verification Program (EVP): KENTECH’s Employment Verification Program is a web-based service designed to help streamline the background check process for employers. It gives employers one location through which they can manage the entire process from start to finish. Users can order background checks and verifications and easily manage documents — all from a single, convenient dashboard.

● Report Investigative Scoring Count (RISC): KENTECH’s RISC system helps organizations quickly interpret screening results at a glance. An organization can set up the criteria that matter most to them for screenings, and each background check will be labeled with a color code corresponding to the criteria set by the business. This provides employers with a visual cue for what applications may require closer scrutiny and helps identify which candidates may be most qualified.

● Rapid Application Center (RAC): KENTECH’s Rapid Application Center technology allows applicants to input their information and order background checks themselves. This saves hiring teams time with minimal burden to the applicant. An applicant signs onto a custom-built website and enters their information so administrative staff don’t have to. Administrators then receive email notifications when a candidate posts their information and when results are returned, allowing them to sign on at their convenience to view them.

● Unified Bulk Screening (UBS): For businesses that screen a high volume of candidates, KENTECH also offers a solution called Unified Bulk Screening (UBS). Once business leaders sign into their EVP account and import a list of candidates and their required information, they can see up-to-the-minute results in their portal or opt to receive a consolidated report that displays all results at once.

However, although the primary audience of these developments is the business and its leaders, there are also some significant benefits to the candidate experience. If a background check feels obstructive and frustrating to an applicant, they may form a negative first impression of the business or even give up. The KENTECH team designed their technology to be easy to use, often able to be integrated into the application and HR management system to make the process as seamless and intuitive as possible.

Although background checks might seem like an extreme step for the average employer, with the help of technology like that offered by KENTECH, it doesn’t have to be. KENTECH’s advanced background check technology helps streamline the process, allowing employers to get better insight into their prospective employees without significantly burdening themselves or their applicants. With this, background checks can become a standard, beneficial step in virtually every job application.