December 15th, 2022 | Sterling

Blog Roundup: Insights to Sharpen Hiring Programs for 2023

Employers of all sizes and industry sectors have been profoundly impacted by the events of the last few years and, with potential uncertainty continuing as we head into 2023, the need for robust yet agile hiring programs remains a priority. As organisations attempt to prepare for the year ahead, it’s a great time to reflect on learning points from 2022 that may help to inform the creation of compliant, scalable hiring to meet resourcing needs while delivering great candidate experiences. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the most popular Sterling content from the last 12 months that may provide HR leaders with the insights needed to sharpen hiring programs for the year ahead…

Background Screening Compliance: GDPR and Candidate Data

Whether feeling the pressure to secure the best candidates during the competition for talent, or simply looking to get candidates into Day One of the job sooner, employers must avoid the temptation to compromise on compliance. Understanding legal obligations relating to finding and appointing new staff can be a complex yet essential task. Outsourcing processes such as background checks to a third party, and leveraging their expertise, can provide employers some peace of mind, but this doesn’t replace their need to have a full awareness of obligations such as GDPR. No surprise then, that one of Sterling’s most popular posts from 2022 was ‘GDPR and the processing of criminal conviction data across Europe.’ In this piece, Sterling’s Privacy team cover the GPDR essentials for global businesses, explain the risks of getting it wrong, and highlight a case of a major data breach.

New UK Right to Work Checks and Digital Identity

On the topic of compliance, businesses saw significant changes to the UK Right to Work (RTW) check processes, with a move to digital identity enhancing the experience for candidates and employers alike. Back in September 2022, the temporary measures for UK RTW checks ended and were replaced with digital identity verification in line with UK Home Office guidance. From October 1st onward, all identity verification checks for UK RTW were to be conducted via a certified digital identity provider (IDSP) such as Sterling, or carried out in-person, while remote verification via video call was no longer acceptable. In our blog post ‘Right to work checks are changing on October 1st. Are you ready?’, we covered the essentials of the UK Home Office’s Digital Identity and Attributes Framework, the changes to UK Right to Work checks, and what that means for employers.

For the latest on digital identity and background screening, including our recent partnership announcement with Yoti, check out our Digital Identity Hub.

Candidate Communication: How to Get it Right from First Touchpoint to Day One

With record job vacancies reported in the UK earlier in the year, the race for talent in 2022 has been a very real issue for many employers, so when they do find the right candidate, it’s critical to retain them through the onboarding process and help get them to Day One in the job as soon as possible. In our Sterling Live session on this topic at the beginning of the year, our expert panelists, Tim Stokes of Sterling and Wendy Muirhead of Ceridian, discussed the importance of candidate communication from the very first touchpoint and how it could be the key to success. Here we host the on-demand recording of this session, where viewers can understand the practical considerations when it comes to the processes and technology that can help to make a real difference and get candidate communication right.

Shifting the Great Resignation to the Great Reimagination

Along with key compliance considerations and practical steps to improving hiring programs, Sterling also carried out unique global benchmarking research in 2022 looking at what’s driving today’s trends, where new opportunities exist, and what the future may hold for HR professionals, sharing these results in the form of a compact report. Sterling distributed surveys and collected data from more than 1,200 HR and staffing professionals, and over 3,700 job seekers, revealing just how many employers are struggling to find enough candidates, highlighting areas of investment to overcome hiring challenges, and surveying candidates who have dropped out of their latest hiring experiences to discover the specific reasons why.

The insights in our report reveal a genuine sense of excitement at the prospect of reimagining the hiring process. Considering redesigns and improvements to recruitment, background screening, onboarding, and employee retention, HR professionals are taking both a realistic view of what they can accomplish in the near term, and an opportunistic view of how the hiring process can evolve going forward. 

Great Onboarding Leads to Ongoing Employee Engagement: The 30/60/90 Day Plan

In discussions with Sterling customers over 2022, it was clear that even after delivering a great candidate experience and securing new talent in the role, an HR department’s job is still far from over. Onboarding a new employee shouldn’t end when the paperwork is completed. It should be one part of a strategic plan to help the new employee excel in their new position. After all, 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for at least three years after experiencing a great onboarding experience.

In another of our most popular posts from 2022, we explored ways to increase employee engagement for a new worker by implementing a 30/60/90 day plan. This includes a strategic outline of the job expectations for the new employee over the first 90 days. The plan clearly communicates training, culture, and expectations to the employee, allowing them to easily transition from a “newbie” to a full-on contributor to the team and company.

We hope you find these, and other blogs in the Sterling archive, to be helpful as you plan your hiring for the year ahead. To discuss how the latest background screening and identity solutions could enhance your program, don’t hesitate to reach out – our experts are here to help discuss your needs.

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.