Employee or job applicant background screening has emerged as one of the most active and mission-critical areas of the application of HR-focused technology systems, according to Ina van der Merwe, CEO at MIE.
She says background screening is important as incidents of white-collar crime - including fraud, corporate espionage, theft of intellectual property and other forms of cyber crime - is on the rise.
“The situation reflects not only the extent to which technology can be abused, but also the level to which companies have to enforce employee screening to secure the services of the right person for the right position and avoid risk to resources,” Van der Merwe says.
She adds that the credentials and character of the person applying for a position may appear in order on paper but the reality of the modern workplace is that people have access to resources and infrastructure, and information remains the most prized asset for any organisation hence decision-makers cannot be too careful.
“There are a number of aspects to consider in the process of employee screening. While the main objective of decision makers in business is to take every precaution to recruit honest employees with integrity, the rights of individuals must also be taken into account.”
Van der Merwe adds, to this end, it is advisable for organisations to be “fully aware of legislation that governs human resource practice,” particularly from an equal opportunity and anti-discrimination point of view.”
She asserts that those initiating an employee screening program should be mindful of what information they are permitted to source on prospective employees. Elements such as criminal records, employment history and other details have to be kept in perspective.
The person who is to be screened, she advises, has to give written consent usually in the form of a signed consent form that lists which checks will be conducted.
Balancing act
According to Van der Merwe, an effective employee-profiling program applied via technology infrastructure involves a great deal more than making a few calls to review and confirm facts.
She believes that failure to check and analyse an individual's background prior to officially employing them is a major risk.
“It is the responsibility of the employer to not hire staff who could potentially harm the company. The cost of not performing a background check on someone definitely outweighs the cost of doing the checks,” she notes.
As is the case with most evolving processes in business, she adds, technology has had a profound effect on the situation.
“It has served as a catalyst for the development and integration of infrastructure that empowers users and covers all the necessary ground. Don't try to do the checks yourself, rather use a background screening company that has the expertise and experience to do this properly,” says van der Merwe.
Profound influences
According to MIE, background screening has become an activity that is synonymous with the recruitment process. Almost all employers perform some level of background screening before they hire someone.
It adds that the process of doing these checks need not be tedious and expensive. “Making use of a reputable background screening company means that all the information is sourced on behalf of the employer.
“The background screening company has trusted relationships with the sources of the information, and is able to receive the information and process the checks speedily and within the timeframe given [or] guaranteed to the client,” MIE says.
Van der Merwe predicts that technology will continue to have a profound influence and impact on human resource processes. At the same time, employee screening will rise in significance in order to safeguard the interests of business and users.
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