Do you really understand them; do you continue to check their backgrounds for any changes in circumstances? Many organisations put a lot in to the recruitment of the right employees, while forgetting to check the employees they already have. Not only could screening your existing employees help you to meet regulatory requirements, it could also provide you with valuable insight when it comes to any changes in circumstances.
How do I perform background checks on existing employees?
Many organisations may not think about screening their existing employees or may even be put off by carrying out background checks on their existing workforce due to the number of checks required, especially if the recruitment checks are done manually. However, if these checks can be done all at once with a single upload, the impact on the HR team is minimal.
This bulk upload screening enables employers to order background checks on a large number of employees in one go.
It allows you to quickly and efficiently screen either your entire workforce or a large number of employees, such as seasonal hires, and is ideal for annual re-vetting of existing employees.
How does a bulk upload screening service work?
Employers complete a data sheet with relevant employee details and upload it via the provided secure transport system, ensuring the confidential information is protected and shared safely. Background checking results for the employees are then available in a Management Information (MI) database where businesses can view the progress of all employee checks and monitor the results in real-time.
How do I make sure I’m making the right decision when recruiting new candidates?
When it comes to pre-employment screening, it shouldn’t be a case of doing it to tick a box, it should do more than this and provide you with a deeper understanding of the people you’re looking to employ. After all, if a candidate isn’t right for the role you’re recruiting for it can be damaging for both them and you. So, by having a detailed understanding of an individual’s background, including their identity,education, employment history, credit history and any relevant criminal record information, you can be well informed to make the right hiring decision.
What is pre-employment screening?
Pre-employment screening involves the process of background checking candidates before you choose to hire them. The purpose is to verify the identity and background of the individual applying for the position and the information provided in pre-employment background screening reports are used to decide whether the individual has the appropriate skills and experience to carry out the role in question. Checks can also flag if there are any legal or compliance issues in the individuals’ history that may put the organisation or its customers at risk.
How long does a background check take?
The time it takes us to screen employees depends on the type of checks being carried out. Adverse financial and identity checks can be carried out instantly. Media checks, sanctions file, FCA checks and Directors Searches take around four hours, whereas DVLA can take eight hours. For more in-depth checks such as personal reference and employment, education, professional and technical membership referencing, these can take 5-15 days to process. Criminal Record Checks with no errors take between 1-14 days on average, for basic, standard and enhanced checks.
How can I improve our recruitment experience?
Many organisations face challenges with pre-employment screening when it comes to how many employees they have to perform background checks on vs internal resource. Time is always of the essence, especially in such a competitive job market, so often checks are not performed unless it’s a necessary box to tick.
More organisations are therefore looking to external partners such as Experian to work with to help improve their recruitment experience. By outsourcing the screening of candidates, checks can be done quickly and efficiently, allowing for extra capacity within internal HR teams and giving candidates a good first impression of their organisation.
Many industry sectors also face the challenge of high employee turnover due to the nature of the industry, such as retail or distribution. Screening a large number of employees quickly is something that outsourcing background checks, especially when they can be done in bulk, can alleviate the pressure of, particularly during peak seasons.
Find out more about how you can get deeper expertise from our experienced team with our tailored Experian Background Checking solutions.
¹ https://www.gov.uk/government/news/employment-rate-remains-at-record-high