Adieu 2018! Lessons learnt in the background verification arena in the year 2018

Seasons greeting to all our readers!

It’s time to say adieu to the glorious year 2018! 2018 has been quite an eventful year. Click To Tweet

We have seen in the year gone by, that background screening has become an extremely serious process. A background check report is a detailed report with information about an individual. The report can include information on their identity, address, education, past employment, reference from a previous superior, drug history, etc. It can also include elements of their financial history, like their credit score and previous bankruptcies and also criminal history, like past arrests and convictions.

We are cognizant of the fact that cases of employee fraud and falsification of resume and other data have been plaguing the recruitment process for years now. In the past companies that invested in verification were the large caps, IT/ ITeS, private banking and financial companies. Many organizations carried out background checks when their end client insisted on adherence to it. Others invested when certification bodies required it to be a part of the process. Some went in for it when they burnt their fingers. We must give credit to the category who proactively went ahead and signed up verification service providers to protect themselves from fraud. Owing to all these categories the Indian background screening industry has grown rapidly over the last few years but it is nowhere close to where it should be.

Let’s recapitulate the year 2018 and see what have been the highlights as far as background verification is concerned.

The #MeToo movement gained momentum in 2018. We saw many powerful individuals being exposed. With the #MeToo movement gaining momentum across the country, experts feel companies need to widen background screening, including social media checks, while hiring employees at higher levels. Companies are now not only vetting their top management but also employees of other cadres.

The world of social media is addictive. Posts on social media platforms can indicate the behavior and personality of a prospective candidate. Social media Verification is vital when it comes to protecting your brand. A lot of organizations have understood the need of the hour and gone ahead and verified their employee’s social media handles. It’s not just an individual’s angry rants, but also who they follow, what they read, their interests and where they vacation, can say a lot of things about a candidate

Not just at the time of joining a new job, background checks are now on repeat mode! Rescreening is the need of the hour. We have seen companies rescreen their employee base to comb through any employee indulging in fraud. Rescreening has helped organizations ensure that changes in employee circumstances were being accounted for as they moved through their career. Companies are ensuring as managers move up the ladder their records are up to date in areas like criminal convictions, professional licenses and conflicting competitive interests.

Credit score ratings were practically unheard of in mainstream business till some time back. 2018 has seen a surge in HR teams sending consent slips to employees to access their credit score. Employees being promoted to senior roles indeed need to have their credit score checked. There have been cases where employee’s credit score has dropped and they have been questioned by their management. So next time be careful of your credit card payment deadline. Keep an eye on your credit score. You never know when you may be asked for it. You definitely wouldn’t want a poor credit score being the reason you miss out on your next promotion.

Did you know one in every six candidates in India lied on their resume in 2018! We have written about resume lies in 2018. Companies that were aware that bad hires are a part of the talent acquisition function, invested heavily in employment checks, reference checks and education checks. Studies have proved that bad hires can cost up to 5 times their annual salary. Organizations now take discrepancies seriously. There is nothing big or small about a discrepancy. It’s either there or not there. A discrepancy refers to a mismatch between information stated by a job applicant in a resume/job application and the actual information’.

The most disturbing news pieces I read in 2018 were crimes occurring in schools and worse in day cares. I strongly advocate educational institutions and childcare service providers (day-care center’s) to mandate background checks. Schools and day care centers have understood the gravity of the situation and invest in verification. Yet there are many institutions who are penny wise pound foolish. In the wake on rising number of crimes in schools, it’s necessary to safeguard the children by ensuring that they are in a healthy and secure environment. Employee background verification is the only way to weed out unwanted elements around our children in schools and during transportation.

Now coming to the home front! We invest so much time, effort and money securing our workplace. Are our homes safe? Click To TweetHave we verified our driver, maid, nanny, and cook? In today’s busy world where both the husband and wife work, children and elders are left to be tended by domestic helps. Just last month we wrote about domestic help crimes. Before hiring those who take care of your home, children or family you might want to verify their credential’s like – address, IDs, criminal background and previous employment history. A large portion of India is securing their homes by verifying their domestic help. Are you?

As the remaining days of 2018 fly past and we make a plethora of resolutions. Let’s make a resolution! Let’s take a vow! Not the marital one! Let’s take a Verification vow! Let’s promise ourselves to keep not only our workplace safe but also our homes safe by investing in background verification.

Adieu 2018, let’s make 2019 a safer year for all! Invest in BGV! We at JantaKhoj are always at your service! Click To Tweet