It’s important to understand the background of the person you are employing, regardless of their role, experience or qualifications. However, one of the most common questions we are asked by our clients is: ‘What checks should I include?’
In an ideal world, we would say you should cover every check that is relevant to the role and only omit anything that is not applicable, i.e not everyone can have an enhanced DBS check. Carrying out all relevant checks provides you with a full picture of the person you are recruiting, quite simply, it is the best way to mitigate risk when hiring people. However, not everyone has the luxury of being able to carry out this level of screening due to reasons such as cost, time and resources. So, here are our top 5 checks that we recommend to our clients:
Right to Work and ID Verification
If you are employing people in the UK, you can’t avoid this check as it is a legal requirement. Any employer who doesn’t carry out a right-to-work check in the UK will face fines of up to £20,000. It is therefore vital to include it as a fundamental stage within your screening programme.
This check involves validating documents, checking the candidate’s right to work (via share codes if applicable) and ensuring all data matches correctly. For compliance, employers need to also keep a record of all documentation and verify ID documents in person or virtually. Our team will do the hard work for you by collating and validating documentation, all you will need to do is verify the person’s ID during the recruitment process, ahead of their first day. Through the checks we conduct, we will ensure that we support your statutory defence should supporting documentation ever be required.
According to Fraudscape[1], identity fraud is on the rise with the number of cases in 2021 increasing by 22%. Whilst identity fraud is often used against individuals, companies should carry out this check to ensure they are hiring the right person and to protect the business from fraud.
ID verification also underpins other checks, as we can ensure the screening is being carried out against the correct individual.
Criminal Record:
Many of our customers now have recruitment of ex-offenders policy which is aimed at supporting individuals who have an active criminal record back into the working environment. However, we acknowledge that a solid understanding of whether someone has a criminal record or not is vital in safeguarding and protecting both employees and the business as a whole. For those who do have acceptable convictions against a “rehabilitation policy,” it is important to understand that no further offences have taken place either prior to or during employment.
Criminal records show convictions and depending on the type of check you will be able to uncover both spent and unspent convictions. It is also worth noting that if your candidate has spent time overseas, you should carry out a check in the other countries where they have resided. For your ease, Agenda can take care of all of your criminal record requirements, including international checks in over 200 countries.
Criminal record checks can be done quickly and simply through our online portal with direct access to the DBS for England and Wales checks, Disclosure Scotland / Access NI for Scotland and Northern Ireland or using our trusted partner for overseas checks. We are able to process basic, standard and enhanced criminal records, dependant upon the type of role an individual is going to work in within your business.
Referencing – Employment, Academic and Gap Periods
For many positions, you will be employing someone based on their previous experience and ability to carry out a role. Organisations which do not work against a regulated framework often have their own defined periods in which they reference any periods of time in which gaps do not need to be verified. For example, you may reference the previous three years and any gap periods over 28 days (BPSS Framework). It is important to note that whilst most employers will only confirm dates and role(s) performed that validation of that detail is still an essential part of the verifying process.
For employment history checks, we reach out to previous employers to verify the candidates’ dates of employment, job title and where required, reason for leaving. Whilst shaping a solution with our clients, we work to understand the defined period which referencing should cover. This is usually a minimum of 3 years but can go up to 10 years in some cases.
To go one step further, in order to get a true understanding of the candidates’ employment background, we can carry out employment or professional reference checks with previous employers. Reference checks are carried out by expert interview analysts and a series of questions are asked about the candidates’ skills and experience as well as their character and how they were perceived by colleagues. Employment references allow you to gain a thorough overview of how your future hire has performed in a previous role. Therefore, it is an important check to include in your screening programme, and one would say vital for any senior roles.
Social Media, Media and Open Source Intelligence Check (OSINT):
An OSINT check is an open-source intelligence check and can also be referred to as an internet/web mining check or social media check. Given the huge rise in online activity and the negative implications of someone’s social media history being defamatory this check has become increasingly important. You only need to follow the news to see the impact of an individual’s activity on social media (sometimes from years ago) on their reputation including that of their organisation.
OSINT checks gather data and intelligence on a candidate’s online activity, this includes areas such as websites, social media, and news articles. Crucially, we can also tailor search criteria based on key areas you would like to investigate, for example, if the candidate has an affiliation with specific activists’ groups. All information will be collated and provided in a final report for you to review before the next step of your onboarding journey.
Other ‘must have’ checks to include:
There are so many areas to investigate when looking at an individual’s background. Whilst there are various checks you can include in addition to those mentioned already, here are just a few more for you to consider:
Ultimately, by carrying out these checks, you will have a better idea of the person you are employing and be able to determine whether you are happy to continue their onboarding. Our team will work alongside you to advise on a screening programme that encompasses your requirements and provides you with the best protection. We also offer flexibility to add or remove checks for specific individuals and our team is readily available if you have any questions or need advice.
For the full list of background checks we can carry out and to discuss how we are able to support your screening programme moving forward, please contact our solutions team at screening@agenda-screening.co.uk
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