The Benefits of staggering background checks to onboard quicker

Beth Ritchie

24 Apr

min to read

Share this article

Background checking is an essential part of the recruitment process, without it you expose your business, staff and clients to unnecessary risk. In addition, carrying out background checks helps ensure the right hire for the position first time round, reducing the possibility of having to go through a costly recruitment process again.

While advances in technology have reduced the average time to complete background checking to as little as 2-5 days, it can still seem slow and cumbersome, particularly when speed is of the essence and fast recruitment and onboarding is essential.

But depending on the position you are hiring for, you can reduce your time to hire by carrying out essential checks while waiting for other checks to be complete.

An identity check is the most important check and should be carried out first. This check can be near instant but is essential because all other checks are based on it.

The Right to Work check ensures that the candidate has the right to work in the UK. In order to satisfy compliance this check must be carried out for all candidates whether they were born in the UK or not. And with fines of up to £20,000 per worker, missing this check can be a costly mistake.

Employment verification checks are often more complicated and can take longer to complete. It makes sense to get this check started quickly to allow time for previous employers to respond. Similarly, education and professional qualification checks should also be requested promptly, with schools and universities taking time to reply. This may be extended even further during academic holidays when institutions might be unmanned.

Global watch list checks search databases of potential terrorists, fraud practitioners and anyone facing sanctions, this check is usually completed within 48 hours.

Criminal record checks can be the slowest to complete depending on where in the world you are hiring, the candidates place of origin and the level of check required. In the UK, criminal records checks are carried out by DBS in England and Disclosure Scotland. Checks in the UK can take anywhere from 2 hours to 8 weeks but checks outside the UK can take even longer.

A specialist screening provider will ensure that checks are carried out in the right order for the fastest possible results. Veremark can advise on the right checks for your position and help reduce your time to hire, so you can get candidates working more quickly.

‍

Share this article

Our featured blogs

Fit and proper tests: helping UK finance companies to comply with requirements and mitigate risks

Louise Berry

min to read

How efficient is in-house background screening?

Mark Sorne

min to read

Hiring with Confidence: Mitigating Risks in Fintech Recruitment

Daniel Braithwaite

min to read

View all

FAQs

What background check do I need?

This depends on the industry and type of role you are recruiting for. To determine whether you need reference checks, identity checks, bankruptcy checks, civil background checks, credit checks for employment or any of the other background checks we offer, chat to our team of dedicated account managers.

Why should employers check the background of potential employees?

Many industries have compliance-related employment check requirements. And even if your industry doesn’t, remember that your staff have access to assets and data that must be protected. When you employ a new staff member you need to be certain that they have the best interests of your business at heart. Carrying out comprehensive background checking helps mitigate risk and ensures a safer hiring decision.

How long do background checks take?

Again, this depends on the type of checks you need. Simple identity checks can be carried out in as little as a few hours but a worldwide criminal background check for instance might take several weeks. A simple pre-employment check package takes around a week. Our account managers are specialists and can provide detailed information into which checks you need and how long they will take.

Can you do a background check online?

All Veremark checks are carried out online and digitally. This eliminates the need to collect, store and manage paper documents and information making the process faster, more efficient and ensures complete safety of candidate data and documents.

What are the benefits of a background check?

In a competitive marketplace, making the right hiring decisions is key to the success of your company. Employment background checks enables you to understand more about your candidates before making crucial decisions which can have either beneficial or catastrophic effects on your business.

What does a background check show?

Background checks not only provide useful insights into a candidate’s work history, skills and education, but they can also offer richer detail into someone’s personality and character traits. This gives you a huge advantage when considering who to hire. Background checking also ensures that candidates are legally allowed to carry out certain roles, failed criminal and credit checks could prevent them from working with vulnerable people or in a financial function.