Background Check

The background check becomes more prominent part of the recruitment process these days than it was in the past. Most organizations work with the confidential information and data, develop secret strategies to achieve the competitive advantage, and they have to work just with trusted employees. The background check is the best way to find out the real facts about the new employee.

The background check is the controversial process step in the recruitment. It touches the privacy of the job candidate. The background check is the potential legal issue in many countries (when implemented inappropriatelly). The background check has to be compliant with the local legislation, and it has to be set the way securing the personal data privacy.

It is difficult to implement the global background check process as governments are protecting the personal data of citizens.  Some key data can be missing or cannot be granted to the third party in some countries.

Why is Background Check necessary?

The background check certifies the information provided in the job resume and during the job interview are correct, and the job candidate is a trustful employee. The check confirms the length of employment and covers potential gaps in the career history. The mutual trust is necessary for the organization. The theft of the sensitive data is a matter of minutes.

The background check process compiles information about the employee, which are relevant to the employment relationship. The background check is about confirming information provided about the previous employers, education, criminal records and others. The background check is not just about taking references from the previous employers. It confirms the existence of the previous employer, period of employment and the departing reason.

Background Check Basic Rules

The background check is not a surprise included in the recruitment process. The company should inform the job candidates in the beginning about the background check for the new hires. The background check should be briefly described in the job advertisement.

The employee has to be informed about the background check process, the decision process taken after collecting background data, the potential escalation procedure and data privacy. The employee has to agree with the background check, and the employee has to be the originator of data to be validated.

Human Resources has to be a strong process owner. The background check process has to be clear, and the contract with the vendor of background checks has to be validated and confirmed by the lawyer. The background check is not without risks (as providers of background check say).

Background Check Suppliers

The background check is usually outsourced to a specialized company, which have access to many external databases and employs specialists, who are able to get information from the previous employers.

The external supplier of background checks has the experts in  the local legislation and offers the tailored process to meet the needs of the client. The supplier  usually offers several packages of background screening to meet different needs for job positions in the organization.

The external provider monitors the changes in the legislation and adjusts the background check process to adopt the necessary adjustments.