{"id":14952,"date":"2018-04-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-04-17T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/identifi-global.eu.applyflow.com\/the-true-cost-of-pre-employment-checks-for-employers-and-employees\/"},"modified":"2022-12-09T06:14:18","modified_gmt":"2022-12-09T06:14:18","slug":"the-true-cost-of-pre-employment-checks-for-employers-and-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/news\/the-true-cost-of-pre-employment-checks-for-employers-and-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"The true cost of pre-employment checks, for employers and employees"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\n\tHow long does it really take to secure and start a new job?<\/p>\n

\n\tTime Magazine says six weeks<\/a>; Monster says twelve<\/a>. Either way, timing can be costly for both parties involved.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tIt\u2019s a challenge for employers, who want to bring in new hires as quickly and affordably as possible, and for candidates, who may be facing their own financial and time pressures.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tOne reason for this extended period is time spent performing background screening checks, which can take up to six weeks to process.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tBusinesses\u2019 appetite for agility dictates that time-to-hire should be shorter than ever before. But with recruitment budgets constantly being squeezed and a high number of checks required for some positions, this can prove difficult. For businesses, compliance and reputation are also at risk. For candidates, time is just one cost, with the security of their data also brought into question.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tWe spoke with Olga Saliba and Rehman Zafar from Verimuchme <\/a>\u2013 who offer a centralised, private, secure identity management framework for businesses \u2013 to explore background checks in more detail.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\tChallenges for businesses<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n\tBackground checks cost businesses more than budget alone. For employers, there are three key non-financial challenges caused by pre-employment tests.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\tTime<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tWhile some checks (like adverse financial checks and identity checks) can be completed instantly, others take longer.  <\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tAs an industry standard, referencing can take 10\u201315 days; basic criminal record checks can take 14\u201321 days; standard criminal record checks can take up to four weeks, and enhanced criminal record checks can take up to six weeks to process. This will vary depending on whether the checks are conducted in-house or by a supplier.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tIn larger organisations, these checks are often mandatory even when an employee is changing roles within the company. These processes are old, bloated and ineffectual, particularly as the majority of pre-screening information can be reused.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tBringing the screening process online and operating through one party only can cut the time needed for checks \u2013 not least by removing the need to chase multiple partners.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\tCompliance<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tThe General Data Protection Regulation<\/a> (GDPR) comes into force in May 2018, requiring compliance by all businesses handling EU citizens\u2019 personal data. The cost of non-compliance is huge, reaching up to 4% of turnover or \u20ac20m \u2013 whichever is higher.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\t“Individuals must give consent for businesses to use and store their personal information for specific purposes.”<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tBusinesses conducting pre-employment screening checks possess large amounts of personal data, all of which must be handled and stored per GDPR demands. Individuals must give consent for businesses to use and store their personal information for specific purposes. While it remains to be seen whether certain checks will be forbidden by GDPR unless consent is offered, businesses should have a central, secure system for new employees\u2019 data, with adaptable access rights for staff who need to use the information.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tOutside of GDPR, right-to-work rules also carry heavy civil penalties for businesses that employ illegal workers and that fail to conduct right-to-work checks. Failure to comply with these regulations costs organisations \u00a350m annually, with a maximum civil penalty of \u00a320k per illegal worker for the culprit businesses. Checks must be secure, accurate and compliant.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\tReputation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tCandidates are also affected by employers\u2019 data practices. How are their personal details used? How is this information shared between recruitment agencies, employers and third parties? When applying for multiple roles, candidate data will be requested multiple times by different agencies and employers, and candidates are often given no control or assurance about how their personal information is kept safe.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tThis should change with the implementation of GDPR. Employers should remember that IT professionals \u2013 especially those in cyber-security \u2013 are particularly conscious of their data rights and need for data security. A confused, opaque background checking process can cost a business its reputation, while a streamlined process that offers transparency to candidates can enhance it \u2013 in turn improving candidates\u2019 views on the reliability of their target organisation.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\tChallenges for candidates<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n\tWe operate in an industry where employee demand outstrips supply. Skilled recruits can take their pick of roles that are offered to them. This said, even the most engaged contractor could be put off by too much red tape.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tFor employees, there are two key areas for concern around pre-employment checks.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\tTime<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tTime-to-hire generally lasts 10\u201312 weeks \u2013 a key frustration for everyone involved. Imagine the frustration of a contractor that has to go through the process every six months.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tThe average time to conduct pre-employment checks increases onboarding times, particularly in cybersecurity roles where enhanced CRB checks can take six weeks or more to be processed.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tDo businesses risk losing their star talent to competitors, as a result? An online checking system can speed up the process \u2013 an advantage to all involved.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\tSecurity<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tSome pre-employment checks require an excessive amount of personal information, with candidates required to share not just their name and contact details, but birth certificates, bank details, passport information, utility bills and more.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tIt\u2019s an identity thief\u2019s paradise, and recent high-profile data breaches mean those applying for IT roles are particularly concerned about informational security.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\t“Huge numbers of candidates could be sharing their bank details and more with multiple strangers.”<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tThe big danger for candidates here is unsecured data. How and where is their information stored, and for how long? Who has access? We\u2019ve heard tales of recruitment companies storing sensitive verification documents in Outlook, meaning huge numbers of candidates could be sharing their bank details and more with multiple strangers.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tThe solution? GDPR will undoubtedly reduce some of these data protection issues. Working with a third party that upholds rigorous standards and conducts all checks in one place can also help.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tFor recruiters and candidates alike, the cost of pre-employment checks is high \u2013 and it\u2019s by no means purely financial. However, a failure to conduct such checks can be higher still. Businesses must therefore find a happy medium between commercial agility and keeping their candidates happy and reassured.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tidentifi global has partnered with Verimuchme, who offer a centralised, private-by-design and secure identity management framework. Contact us <\/a>on 01908 886 048 to find out more.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How long does it really take to secure and start a new job? Time Magazine says six weeks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14164,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14952\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/14164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}