Guide on Employment Background Checks in North Macedonia
Everyday, Veremark carries out background screening all over the world for companies who need checked and verified employees. If you’re looking for background checks in North Macedonia, here’s some information that might help.
Macedonia's Growing Economy and Workforce
North Macedonia, a small but rapidly developing country in Southeastern Europe, has made significant strides in modernizing its economy. Over recent years, the country has attracted foreign investment, particularly in sectors such as manufacturing, information technology, finance, and outsourcing services. The Macedonian economy benefits from its strategic location in the Balkans and its ongoing integration into European and global markets.
The workforce in North Macedonia is diverse and youthful, with a high percentage of university graduates entering the labor market each year. This increasing availability of educated professionals, alongside a growing demand for skilled labor, has led to a higher demand for employment background checks. Employers in North Macedonia now recognize the need to mitigate risks associated with hiring unqualified or potentially dishonest candidates.
Legal Framework and Data Protection
Employment background checks in North Macedonia are governed by a combination of national laws and regulations, along with EU-style data protection rules, given the country’s path toward European integration. Understanding the legal landscape is critical for employers who need to ensure that their background check practices are in line with the country’s data protection laws.
Key Legal Considerations:
- Personal Data Protection Act: North Macedonia adopted a Personal Data Protection Act that aligns with the principles set out by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This law outlines strict guidelines regarding the collection, processing, and storage of personal data, making it imperative for employers to obtain the candidate’s consent before conducting any background checks.
- Consent Requirement: Just like under the GDPR, employers must obtain explicit consent from candidates before conducting background checks. The candidate must be informed about the nature of the checks and how their data will be used.
- Data Minimization: Only relevant and necessary information should be collected. This means that the scope of background checks must be proportional to the nature of the job.
- Retention of Data: Information gathered during the background check process must not be kept for longer than necessary. Once the hiring decision is made, any irrelevant data must be deleted.
- Employment Contracts and Background Checks: The law allows for background checks to be part of the recruitment process, but employers must ensure that checks are aligned with the specific job requirements.
Common Background Checks in North Macedonia
Employers in North Macedonia typically conduct various types of background checks to verify the qualifications and integrity of potential employees. These checks are aimed at ensuring that candidates possess the required skills, qualifications, and character for the roles they are applying for. The most common background checks include:
A criminal background check is a standard practice, especially for positions of trust and responsibility. In North Macedonia, criminal background checks can be conducted through the Ministry of Interior, which can provide information about an individual’s criminal history. Employers must obtain explicit written consent from the candidate before conducting such checks. It is particularly relevant for industries like finance, security, and public service.
Verification of past employment is a key part of background checks in North Macedonia. Employers verify whether candidates have provided accurate information about their previous roles, including job titles, responsibilities, and dates of employment. This is typically done through direct contact with previous employers or through third-party verification services. This process helps ensure that the candidate’s experience is authentic.
Educational qualifications are often verified to confirm the candidate’s claims about their academic background. Employers may contact universities or institutions directly to confirm degrees, diplomas, and certifications. This check is especially important for positions requiring specific technical expertise or high-level academic qualifications.
For multinational companies or roles that require global interaction, it is critical to screen candidates against international sanctions lists, politically exposed persons (PEPs) lists, and global watchlists. This helps ensure that the candidate does not have any connections to criminal or unethical activities. In North Macedonia, this is a common practice for financial institutions, government agencies, and multinational companies to comply with international regulations such as anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT).
While not as common as the other checks, credit history checks are sometimes conducted for roles involving financial management, accounting, or other positions where financial responsibility is critical. Employers in North Macedonia might verify a candidate’s financial stability, particularly in industries like banking and finance.
Seamless integration with existing hiring software
Plug our award-winning background screening software into your existing hiring workflows with Veremark's super-fast RESTful API.
Privacy and Data Security
Given the strict data protection laws in North Macedonia, employers must prioritize the privacy and security of candidates’ personal data when conducting background checks. Protecting sensitive information and ensuring that background checks are conducted fairly and legally is vital to prevent legal issues and maintain the integrity of the hiring process.
Best Practices for Data Protection:
- Obtain Clear Consent: Employers should ensure that candidates understand the background check process and provide explicit written consent. This consent should cover all types of background checks being conducted.
- Limit Data Collection: Only collect the data necessary for the specific role. Employers should avoid asking for information unrelated to the job requirements, and background checks should be tailored to the level of responsibility and trust associated with the position.
- Secure Data Handling: Employers must implement robust security measures to protect the collected data. This includes encrypting sensitive information, limiting access to authorized personnel, and using secure storage solutions.
- Transparency and Communication: Employers should inform candidates about their rights, including the right to access their data and request corrections if necessary. Transparency in the process builds trust and reduces the risk of disputes.
- Data Retention Policies: Employers must adhere to strict data retention policies. Once the background check process is complete, any unnecessary or irrelevant data should be deleted or securely destroyed.
Turnaround times
Industries Benefiting from Background Checks
Banking and Finance
The financial services sector in North Macedonia requires rigorous background checks due to the high level of trust and confidentiality associated with financial roles. Banks and other financial institutions often conduct criminal, financial, and global watchlist checks as part of their hiring process.
Technology and IT
With the rise of the IT and technology sectors, background checks are increasingly used to ensure that employees handling sensitive data or working in cybersecurity roles have the necessary skills and a clean record.
Healthcare
Background checks in the healthcare sector are critical to verify professional credentials and ensure the integrity of workers in positions involving patient care. Checks include verification of medical degrees, criminal records, and past employment.
Education
Educational institutions in North Macedonia often conduct background checks on candidates applying for teaching or administrative positions. These checks verify educational qualifications and ensure that individuals with a criminal history involving minors or other sensitive matters are excluded from positions of trust.
Government and Public Sector
For public sector jobs, especially those related to national security or high-level government positions, employers conduct extensive background checks, including criminal records, global watchlists, and past employment verification.
Best Practices for Employers
To conduct effective and legally compliant background checks in North Macedonia, employers should adopt the following best practices:
1. Establish a Clear Background Check Policy
- Employers should formalize their background check procedures in a clear policy document. This policy should outline the types of checks that will be conducted, the consent process, and how the collected data will be used and stored.
2. Tailor Background Checks to the Role
- Background checks should be relevant to the specific position being filled. For example, a role in finance may require more thorough criminal and credit checks, while a position in education may focus more on verifying educational qualifications and past employment.
3. Ensure Compliance with Data Protection Laws
- Adhering to the Personal Data Protection Act and GDPR principles is crucial. Employers must obtain consent, ensure data security, and minimize the collection of personal data.
4. Maintain Transparency with Candidates
- Keep candidates informed throughout the background check process. This includes explaining what checks will be conducted, how the data will be used, and how long the information will be retained.
5. Use a Reputable Background Screening Provider
- Employers may choose to outsource background checks to professional third-party providers who specialize in compliance with local and international regulations. This ensures thorough checks and reduces the risk of errors or legal issues.
How it works
Data protection by design
Vault-like security with ISO and SOC2 certification
As North Macedonia’s economy continues to grow, employers must take steps to ensure that they are hiring qualified and trustworthy individuals. Employment background checks are a critical tool in this process, helping companies verify candidates’ qualifications, prevent fraud, and mitigate risks. By following the legal framework, respecting privacy, and conducting thorough checks tailored to the role, employers can make informed hiring decisions that benefit both the organization and the wider economy.
By adhering to best practices, respecting privacy laws, and using comprehensive background check services, companies can safeguard their hiring processes and contribute to a more transparent, efficient, and trustworthy job market in North Macedonia.
%20(1)%20(2)%20(2)%20(1).jpg)
%20(1).webp)
FAQs
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Transform your hiring process
Request a discovery session with one of our background screening experts today.
