October 13th, 2021 | Sterling

Why run background checks on candidates who aren’t based on work premises?

We have witnessed drastic changes to the labour market, most notably the shift from an employer-driven market to a candidate–driven one –  an area we’ve previously explored in our customer-centric blog . Many employees are beginning to re-prioritize what they value in the workplace as a result of the majority of workers wanting flexible working options, an increase learning and development, and new ways to measure productivity. In this candidate-driven market, employers are even more concerned with time-to-hire, optimizing the candidate experience, building teams on a foundation of trust and safety, and finding quality candidates that are strong representations of their brand.

With the steady rise in remote-working accelerating almost overnight due to countrywide lockdowns, it’s important that organisations maintain that bond of trust with their current and future employees.  However, with candidates driving the hiring trends, these companies must be agile in the processes of recruiting, onboarding and monitoring employees in order to secure strong candidates quickly. Robust background checks are an important first step in the process of vetting the right candidates for your organisation and helping you build your teams on a foundation of trust and safety.

Factors to Consider in Today’s Evolving Labour Market

The Importance of Background Checks

Criminal record checks can mitigate risk, protect your brand’s reputation, and allow you to hire with confidence. A strong background check provider will deliver a better picture of a candidate’s criminal history while still being mindful of turnaround times, accuracy, compliance complexities, and candidate experience. When working in fast-paced industriesit’s imperative that robust and quick background checks are implemented to get the right candidates hired rapidly.

Social Media Presence

Just as candidates research your company when applying to jobs, more employers are leveraging social media searches to make informed hiring decisions. With so much of our lives broadcast across social media, even more so when many have been unable to connect in-person due to periods of lockdown, sthere is a plethora of publicly-available information that background check providers are utilizing to help minimize the risk of a bad hire. This deep dive uses A.I., language processing, and image recognition to screen for risky behavior online, and flags problematic posts before they become a part of your company’s culture — or worse, in the headlines. Partnering with a background check provider that runs compliant-driven social media screening can increase your confidence that the people you’re hiring are fit to represent your brand and contribute positively to your company and culture. Social media searches pose no threat to the candidate experience, with no effort required on behalf of the candidate and a fast turnaround time to complete the search.

Putting Compliance First

Compliance is constantly evolving. When looking for a background check provider in today’s remote-first world, it’s important to place priority on built-in compliance capabilities that follow regulatory requirements and save you time. The company you partner with should also have a team of compliance experts that keep you informed of current legislative and regulatory changes and offer tools and best practice insights you can leverage to help you meet your compliance obligations.

New labour market realities have made it more important than ever to minimize margin of error, streamline hiring processes, and improve the candidate experience. Partnering with a strong background check provider can help you efficiently and compliantly screen employees and get them to work faster, which in today’s hiring landscapeis  essential.

Interested in learning more about Sterling’s services or want to brainstorm how our technology industry-specific background checks can work for you? Our team is here and ready to talk. Click here to start a conversation.

 

This publication is for informational purposes only and nothing contained in it should be construed as legal advice. We expressly disclaim any warranty or responsibility for damages arising out this information. We encourage you to consult with legal counsel regarding your specific needs. We do not undertake any duty to update previously posted materials.