August 2026 Owl's Outlook

The August Owl's Outlook is here, and the stakes around getting screening right have never been higher. 🦉

This month covers AI bias hiding in plain sight, identity fraud slipping through the hiring process, and a wave of state and global updates you need to know about.

Inside this issue you'll find:

- A Stanford study of 4 million+ job applications revealing that AI screening tools can produce racially disparate outcomes employers may not even see coming
- Why the Dean's Desk says starting every background check with identity verification is no longer optional in today's AI-driven world
- Data showing that driving risk doesn't stop at hire, and why continuous MVR monitoring may be the most overlooked tool in your safety program
- Georgia's updated First Offender Act, now automatically sealing eligible records and what that means for your background check results
- Key best practices for international background checks and why the process looks very different outside the US
- Why background screening forms remain one of the greatest legal risks in the process, and how the KnOWLedge Vault can help
- A spotlight on Screening 601: Drug Testing Program Basics, with free SHRM and HRCI credits included
- A new partnership between AB Global and Paylocity to unify hiring, HR, and compliance on one platform

Plus, Professor Hootsworth is out approving the local produce. Follow along on LinkedIn using #WheresHootsworth.