Does your firm have a rigorous background checking process? If so, then you are in the minority
Doing proper background checks is one of HR’s main functions yet a recent report has shown that it is “inconsistent—or simply non-existent” in the APAC region.
“The practise of background screening, and the true appreciation of the valuable role it plays in the quest for talent, is still relatively nascent across APAC,” said Camilla de Villiers, managing director, Asia Pacific at HireRight.
This leaves the door open for companies to hire employees that may have dubious backgrounds, inflicting “physical, financial, and reputational damage” to the company, she said.
HireRight’s recent Employment Screening Benchmark Report found discrepancies in the screening processes of 59% of companies.
In some instances, candidates hired and verified were later found to have falsified their information or knowingly bloated their resumés.
The report also noted that 80% of employers did not re-screen employees upon promotion.
“Most companies assume background screening is only necessary for new hires … Some companies [even] only initiate screening for senior employees which means people who work their way up the ladder might move into leadership positions without ever being background checked,” said de Villiers.
The survey found that only 42% of employers screened international candidates. De Villiers warned that international candidates sometimes apply for overseas roles to escape their negative past.
“By sharing the findings of the report and highlighting the common gaps in employers’ screening and hiring process, we hope that HR departments and leaders will find some of the insights valuable in helping fine-tune and evolve their own HR programs,” she said.
HireRight is currently conducting its annual Employment Screening Survey and de Villiers encouraged HR practitioners to participate, with the aim “to help [companies] get an idea of what their peers in the region are doing and how their own HR challenges and background screening policies stack in comparison.”
