How to choose an international Background Screening partner
Globalisation of employment markets and increased professional mobility mean that background screeners will increasingly be asked to check the qualifications and employment history of job applicants from around the world. Yet international screening can present a number of challenges.
Issues of language, local surcharging and legal requirements in other markets can result in longer turn-around times and increased costs, making it hard to keep to contracted levels of service.
A good international screening partner should enable you to offer a consistent and professional service to your customers, regardless of the countries where checks will be required.
Service elements to look out for include:
- A partner with demonstrable knowledge, experience and established relationships in the countries where you will need most frequent checks.
- An online system or portal that allows you to track the progress of your checks, regardless of time zones or local holidays.
- A dedicated account manager who can advise you, in advance, of market norms and legal requirements related to any specific country or type of check.
- Local language support to deal effectively with any issues that may cause a delay and require human intervention
- A fully documented audit trail that clearly shows primary source verification (PSV) of each check.
- A proper understanding of, and compliance with local data laws such as GDPR.
- An ability to show typical turn-around times for any specific country, allowing you to set realistic customer expectations.
- The option of technical integration between back office systems, to allow checks to be automated wherever possible, reducing costs and turn-around times.
Finally, a good international screening partner must also provide honest feedback on whether a check will be possible at all. Issues including political unrest, computer system failures, changes to governments and lockdowns related to Covid-19 have all prevented verifications from being completed, either temporarily or in the longer term. Fast and accurate assessment of what is not possible on the day, is as important as good account management or great turn-around times.
To discuss your international screening requirements, call Phil on +44 203 897 0956 or contact us at [email protected].
