A recent survey from a recruitment company indicated that as many as 83% of employers are missing out on top talent due to delays in background screening. The best candidates become frustrated with delays in waiting for checks to be completed and go elsewhere. At a time where companies in many sectors of the market are finding it difficult to fill all vacancies, any hold-ups in the checking process can put companies at risk.

Right to Work Checks

Levels of background screening will depend usually on the level of responsibility the job entails. Generally, a company will want to do more detailed screening and checking on someone who is being hired into a senior management position than someone much more junior. One of the non-negotiable checks however are the Right to Work checks, where an employer must verify that the people being employed to work in the UK are in the country legally and have the legal right to take up paid employment. There is a range of ways of doing this, and the best method will depend on the company. A small company might just ask new employees to bring their passports with them to an interview. Larger employers typically use a digital portal or third-party partner to allow applicants to verify their identity digitally.

Delays in DBS Checks

Disclosure and Barring Service checks – or their equivalent in Scotland and Northern Ireland – are legally required for many positions, especially in healthcare or education. In many cases, applicants will not be able to start work until their DBS certificate arrives in the post, or in cases where they start work, their duties may be restricted. Delays in processing DBS checks is nothing new, and the length of time for processing varies not only depending on the time of year, but also depending on where you live. Employers who request a large number of DBS checks should be aware of roughly how long it will take to complete, but you can maximise your chances by taking care over completing the form and getting someone else to proofread it before hitting the submit button online.

Other Screening Checks

Most companies will at the very least chase references for people applying to work with them. When a large volume of applicants all need verifying at the same time, this can take quite some time if handled in-house. Many organisations are also conducting more detailed checks, such as verifying academic qualifications with universities or schools, or looking through someone’s social media feed. These checks are not a legal requirement, so if a company is keen to get someone into position quickly, they may choose to skip some of these stages. Credit checking is also required for many roles in financial services, and online credit scoring and referencing sites make this a quick job. It also means that you as a candidate can also log in to the credit checking site and see the same information a prospective employer will be judging on.