The Holiday season can bring spikes in hiring, but Digital Identity could help

With retail and hospitality businesses ramping up temporary hiring for the busy holiday period, leading background screening and identity services firm, Sterling has stressed that firms must screen temporary recruits as they would ‘traditional’ staff, and Digital Identity can help.  

According to Sterling’s latest research report, which comes from a global survey of more than 1,200 HR professionals and perspectives from more than 3,700 recent job seekers, reliance on the contingent segment of the workforce has become the new norm. Over half (59%) of employers admitted that most of their workforce is made up of contractors, consultants, and other forms of temporary workers. This will only be amplified by the Christmas period, with Tesco already confirming that it will be recruiting 15,000 temporary colleagues across the UK to help customers during the busy festive period.

Candidate experience  

However, Sterling’s report found that only 32% of respondents said they background screened contingent workers, possibly due to 29% admitting that they found hiring contingent workers more complicated than traditional workers. Yet, with the demand for talent still rife, the firm warns that businesses should not neglect compliance. The study found that the majority (59%) of candidate respondents agreed that their background screening experience made them feel more confident about working with the organisation and that they are joining an authentic environment of trust and safety. Compliant background screening measures can have a huge impact on the candidate experience and should not be underestimated during a time when a large proportion of employers are struggling to hire.

Steve Smith, President of International at Sterling, commented:  

“For those firms recruiting temporary workers, particularly at scale, it’s important to be aware that processes for vetting permanent staff cannot simply be ignored for contingent workers. With Digital Identity screening requirements now enforced, firms also need to be aware of not only what checks are required, but also which vendors they can utilise.

“Making the switch to Digital Identity will be a critical component towards speeding up the screening process and making it simpler for all parties. It’s essential that firms familiarise themselves with digital Right to Work checks, especially as all UK businesses are now advised to use Government certified Identity Service Providers (IDSPs) to complete digital Right to Work checks.”   

“While some businesses may not immediately recognise the advantage of using an IDSP, the introduction of Digital Identity should be viewed by employers as a positive change.: Working with a registered IDSP will allow firms to benefit from technology that can significantly improve the candidate experience, as well as the speed and accuracy of their background checks.”

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