A key element of the recruitment process, in order to ensure that a business is hiring the right people and also fulfilling its legal obligations, is to carry out thorough pre-employment checks. These checks help to verify the suitability of prospective employees and protect your business from potential risks by ensuring compliance. There are a number of essential pre-employment checks that companies should carry out, let’s look at what they are and why they are important.
Identity Verification
The first step in pre-employment checking is to confirm the candidate’s identity. By conducting an identity check, employers are effectively making sure that the person they are recruiting is who they claim to be. This may seem like an unnecessary step but sadly some deceitful individuals will attempt to impersonate someone else for fraudulent gain, so companies need to satisfy themselves that the person being recruited is who they say they are. Typically, identity verification involves examining a range of documents. Those documents might be official letters from a government agency or local council, bills from utility companies and identity documents such as a passport or driving licence. The aim is to make sure that details such as the new starter’s name, address, date of birth and even their photograph are consistent. Employers are not expected to be able to spot fake documents, but they do need to exercise due care and attention in carrying out their checks.
Right to Work Check
Employers are legally obliged to check that an employee has the right to work in the UK. By fulfilling this obligation correctly, employers will ensure that they are able to avoid legal repercussions and potential fines related to illegal working. Employers who are found to have failed to conduct these checks are also likely to be the subject of negative publicity which can have a highly damaging effect on their reputation. Employers must examine and retain copies of relevant documents which confirm an employee’s right to work status. Most employees born in the UK will be able to prove that they have the right to work in the UK by providing their passport to their employer. If they don’t have a passport then there are a number of other accepted documents and the Home Office provide additional information and guidance on these checks here, Right to work checks: an employer’s guide – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). If you recruit an overseas worker, then similarly there are essential checks to complete. These checks can be quite complex and employers may have to abide by certain conditions attached to the employee’s employment status, so it is important to understand what is involved in the process and your responsibilities as an employer, again there is guidance online at Employing someone from outside the UK – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Criminal Records Check
Conducting a criminal records check is a mandatory part of pre-employment checking when recruiting new staff in sectors such as care, health and education. These checks are known as Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and standard or enhanced DBS checks are necessary for roles involving work with vulnerable groups, such as children or the elderly. The level of check required will depend on the nature of the role being recruited for. A DBS check will provide details on spent and unspent convictions and if people are barred from working with specific groups and this information is presented in the form of a disclosure certificate. If any issues are disclosed on the certificate then it is crucial that employers conduct further investigations and carry out risk assessments before confirming employment. As before there is additional guidance online to ensure that these checks are carried out correctly and that appropriate identification documents are examined, you can find out more about DBS checks at DBS checks: guidance for employers – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Employment History & References
Confirming a candidate’s employment history is vital to confirm their experience and skills as well as the reasons for any gaps in employment which might need further investigation. Obtaining references from previous employers can prove difficult at times as some employers will only confirm an employee’s start and end date and their job title. Even that limited information should be checked though against what the candidate has told you. Being a Marketing Assistant, is very different to being a Marketing Manager and some people will embellish and overexaggerate their roles and responsibilities to give the impression that they have more experience than is actually the case. References can also provide valuable insights into a candidate’s work ethic, performance, and behaviour in the workplace if more details are forthcoming.
Qualification Checks
Ensuring that a candidate possesses the qualifications they claim to have is crucial for roles requiring specific training or professional qualifications. Potential new hires can show you their qualification certificates or you can contact their college, university or training provider to confirm this information.
Medical and Health Checks
Depending on the nature of the job, a medical or health check might be necessary to ensure the candidate is physically fit for the role. Employers should be careful that they do not discriminate when carrying out these checks and only use them if they are essential for the role, for example if you are hiring someone to drive a lorry or a bus then they must have an eye check.
Best Practice for Conducting Pre-Employment Checks
To ensure the effectiveness and compliance of your pre-employment checks, it is good practice to obtain consent for conducting checks by seeking the candidate’s express permission in the first instance and informing them about the nature and purpose of the checks. Employers should also be consistent and should apply the same checks across all candidates to avoid discrimination and ensure fairness in the recruitment process. Compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR regulations is vital as only people involved in the recruitment decision making process should have access to any information provided in pre-employment checks. With that in mind it is vital to keep accurate records of all the checks carried out in case of any future disputes or discrepancies.
Conducting comprehensive pre-employment checks is a critical step in the recruitment process. By following these steps you will be meeting your legal obligations and gathering relevant information to confirm the recruitment decision.
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Why not also check out our blog on a similar topic Recruiting is More Than Just Interviewing
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