Background Verification During Covid-19 | Challenges And Initiatives

 

With the unparalleled crisis of the Covid-19 still in play, it has hit our economy hard. The outbreak resulted in putting a vast number of professionals out of their jobs and businesses. On one hand, many enterprises had no choice but to freeze their hiring processes, furlough, or even let go of employees. These industries mainly included hospitality, tourism and travel, restaurants, IT, entertainment, and more. On the other hand, certain industries such as healthcare and e-commerce experienced a sudden hike in the need to hire new employees.

In these unprecedented times, business verticals need to undertake appropriate measures to recruit new employees safely and effectively. In this article, let's take a look at some of the major challenges faced by recruiters during the pandemic. Consequently, we'll discuss how recruitments and employee background verification are conducted in the post-pandemic era.

Major Hiring Challenges Due To The Covid-19 Crisis

Mass Layoffs

One of the many repercussions of the pandemic is that companies ran short of business, finances, and resources. Most of the companies, especially the SMBs had no choice but to let a major portion of their employees leave the job. Only a small fraction of employees were retained to carry out the business ventures. Some small and medium-sized businesses, that could sustain the resources they had, didn't fire their workforce. However, they had to freeze their hiring processes as long as no clear picture came out.

Mass Recruitments

While some sectors had to face major cut downs, some others experienced a rapid rise in labor demand. It includes retails, e-commerce markets, supermarkets, healthcare, and sanitation department, online learning facilitators, and more. With the lockdown in play and health threats imposed by the pandemic, hiring was as difficult as carrying out the jobs assigned.

Onboarding Process

Another major issue during the pandemic was the onboarding process of recruits. Candidates willing to join were offered jobs, but the recruiters weren't prepared for the crisis. They didn't have enough resources to facilitate the remote onboarding of the new employees. Some companies had to keep these recruitments on hold while some others went on with remote onboarding processes. It meant additional tasks for the HR department in ensuring a regular and smooth onboarding of new employees.

Adapting To The New Normal

The coronavirus outbreak gave rise to several challenges for recruiters. However, employers needed to adapt to the changing market demands and take initiatives to stay afloat, if not thrive in the current circumstances. Let's discuss some of the major changes taking place in the talent acquisition process across various industries.

Remote Hiring

Recruiting employees remotely has significantly become the new norm. It is not just the demand for the current situation, but also a much-needed upgrade to the recruitment process. Most companies including Amazon, and Nestle, that understand the growing demand for remote hiring have already started implementing it. Moreover, due to the social distancing guidelines, the need for video interviews and online skill assessments have increased rapidly. Pre-employment background verification and skill assessment services also assist recruiters in administering hygienic recruitments during desperate times like the current situation.

Also read: Importance of the Right Employee Screening Vendor

Shifting To Online Employee Screening Methods

To survive in the current circumstances, recruiting credible applicants has become even more crucial for organizations. If you are still wondering how to maintain the talent screening processes effectively during this period, shift to online methods. They are highly efficient, cost-effective services that can assist you in finding suitable recruits for your enterprise. Besides, top background verification companies enable you to customize your tests as per the job requirements. You can receive real-time, evidence-based checks to help you with your recruiting process. Opting for these methods can enable you to maintain a strong, reliable workforce.

Also read: Evaluating Employee Potential With Psychometric Testing

Conclusion

The recruitment process across all industries are facing the brunt of the pandemic. However, it’s high time to get ahead of the crisis, take innovative measures, and adapt to the new normal. This might as well be a great opportunity to inculcate a new company culture with innovative ways to build an engaging and credible workforce.

At Flink, we help our clients embrace remote hiring practices with our IT-enabled employee background check services. Give us a call at 080-4687-2477 or drop us a line at email@flink.in to learn more about our services and ensure trusted, credible, and verified recruitments for your enterprise.

Read more: Background Verification During Covid-19 | Challenges And Initiatives

Using Technology-Driven Employee Screening Tools for Assessing Candidates

Recruitment has always been a crucial factor in determining an organization's overall performance and success. It is a complicated process that involves screening and selecting ideal candidates for your company. Moreover, with the increase in employee turnover rates and vacancies generating an overwhelming amount of applicants, it gets even more challenging. Fortunately, with the rapid growth of technology-driven employee screening tools, recruiters are able to streamline and put a spurt on the hiring process. Thus, proficient background verification companies in India are coming up with advanced IT-enabled solutions to enhance the recruitment processes. In this article, let’s delve deeper into how incorporating technology can uplift employee screening processes.

Types Of Technology-Driven Employee Screening Tools

Skill Assessments

Skill testing is one of the significant attributes in selecting the right candidates for every job role. Although recruiters have been using skill assessment tests for years, the process is becoming more complex with time. Besides, with the increasing number of applicants, it gets challenging to make fast and accurate evaluations. In these situations, online skill assessments can assist you in finding the best-suited candidate for the job. Nevertheless, as job requirements are becoming more dynamic, practical skills are being preferred over educational qualifications. Therefore, adopting an online assessment tool can add value to your recruiting process and upgrade the quality of hires.

Background Verification

Discrepancies in employment details can adversely affect the credibility of employers. To minimize the risk of bad hires, companies are increasingly adopting employee background verification to understand their applicants better. Now, with technology-driven methods, the screening process has become faster and more accurate. It provides an end-to-end solution to recruiters in finding the right candidate for the job role.

Online Personality & Psychometric Tests

Personality and psychometric testing is another essential tool for analyzing candidates’ potential. Administering technology-driven methods can help recruiters make these assessments accessible online while saving a lot of time and money. The candidates' resumes don't display their hidden personality traits and actual work potential. A tech-driven psychometric assessment aids employers in assessing candidates' skills and potential and mitigate negligent hiring risks.

Also read: Importance of the Right Employee Screening Vendor

Advantages Of Adopting Tech-Driven Skill Assessment Methods

Saves Time

Screening, interviewing, and decision making can be a daunting task. With the rise in applications and increased employee turnover, it gets strenuous for the limited resources of the HR departments. Adopting a technology-driven system for skill assessments aid the recruiters by saving quality time. Moreover, it assists in automating and eliminating repetitive tasks.

Improves Quality And Customized Solution

Using online assessment tools, like FlinkAssess, lets recruiters administer a quality hiring process with better efficiency. It enables employers to strategically devise questionnaires and analyze job applicants based on their skills. Additionally, you get the option to avail of the ready-to-use assessment sheets or customize your assessments based on the job requisites.

Functions More Strategically

Technology-enabled tools can help the HR department in deliberate planning and managing, assisting them in making informed hiring decisions. The valuable employee insights received through a robust screening process enables organizations in making effective recruitments.

Also read: 7 Common Myths Debunked About Background Screening Services

Getting Started With Flink Solutions

Screening candidates' skills and potential ability requires a holistic method of knowledge assessments and background checks. Moreover, to ensure a credible workforce, employee screening must be adopted as a continuous process. A technology-driven approach can assist you with an accurate and reliable screening of your candidate. Besides, it is a time and resource-saving process.

At Flink, we understand the time and effort put into the hiring process. Thus, we aim at providing extensive IT-enabled pre-employment screening services to uplift the quality of your recruitments. For more details, give us a call at 080-4687-2403 or email us at email@flink.in.

Illustrating The Industry-Specific Needs For Background Verification

Businesses, despite their size and status, struggle to cope with employees having deceitful work records. To avoid hiring spurious individuals, organizations are increasingly adopting employee background verification services. These background checks enable employers to make sure they are hiring trustable candidates and building a responsible workforce. Since every industry has different hiring needs, the employee background verification process is not a “one-size-fits-all” service. Therefore, to gain maximum benefits, verification services must also be exceedingly industry-specific. In this article, we will delve deeper into the industry-specific needs for background verification.

Importance Of Background Verification For Different Industries

IT Sector

With the expansive growth of the IT sector, the number of fraudulent cases has also gone up. The nature of possible scams and forgeries encompasses instances such as theft of data, stealing passwords, selling data to competitors, unlawful data breach, and more. Therefore, it has become essential for companies to take special care in preventing, detecting, and handling frauds. To reduce such instances and maintain a hygienic working environment, the first step that companies can take is to conduct employee background verification. Some of the checks that are a must for the IT companies include:

•  Education & employment verification
•  Professional reference
•  Criminal records
•  Global database check
•  Drug test

Learn more about what can be revealed in a background verification check in this blog.

Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI)

The banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) is yet another sector that faces frauds and scams time after time. Research reveals that these scams usually involve mid-level to senior management employees. The nature of frauds in this sector include:

•  Identity theft
•  Accounting fraud
•  Fraudulent loans
•  Forgery of checks
•  Phishing and internet fraud
•  Wire transfer frauds

The banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) is yet another sector that faces frauds and scams time after time. Research reveals that these scams usually involve mid-level to senior management employees. The nature of frauds in this sector include:

Healthcare

From the safety of patients to the security of confidential health records, healthcare organizations are endowed with hefty responsibilities. Thus, employees serving in the medical sector must be conscientious and reliable. An extensive check of candidates’ employment records, professional references as well as criminal databases must be administered. These verifications are crucial for showcasing candidates’ professional records. The professional licenses and other credentials attested by employees should also be verified before employment. Due to the nature of the job, pre-employment health checks and drug tests must be a part of their industry-related background checks.

You can also read A Fundamental Guide to Conducting Employee Background Checks.

Employee Background Verification: A Crucial Need

As the employment market is vast and diverse, so must be the nature of hiring procedures. Internal background screening can be complicated at times. Therefore, hiring proficient background verification companies like Flink Solutions can assist you with robust screening systems. Our comprehensive screening methods are designed to provide customized verifications for the industry-specific needs of our diversified clients.

If you would like to know more about it or get a demo, drop us a line at email@flink.in or give us a call at 080-4687-2403.

Top Five Benefits Of Pre-Employment Background Checks

In the current business ecosystem, employee background verification has become a healthy measure. However, most companies believe a basic social media check is enough, but in reality, it is not. To upgrade the quality of hiring, organizations must conduct an end to end background check on candidates. Through this process, a complete background history, including education, previous employment, court records, etc., can be validated. Moreover, most of the candidates lie in their resumes. Therefore, a proficient background verification company can help you design an employee screening program specially tailored to your company’s needs. Let us explore some of the considerable advantages of pre-employment background checks.

Benefits Of Pre-Employment Background Checks

Improves The Quality Of Job Applications

Conducting a pre-employment background check can dramatically enhance the quality of job applicants. Any misrepresented information regarding education, qualifications, previous jobs, etc., can be detrimental to an organization. Pre-Employment Background Checks ensure complete verification of potential employees to weed out candidates with any discrepancies. Along with fewer misstatements of job applications, it reduces applications from candidates who try to hide serious issues. Subsequently, it encourages applications from quality aspirants who can add value to the organization.

Establishes A Safe And Productive Workplace

An unfit employee can cause severe mishaps in the workplace. Administering background checks will reduce any workplace violence by eliminating candidates who can present a threat to the working environment. A comprehensive screening of records can outline any critical behavioral habit that may pose a threat in the future. By ensuring a safe working environment, you can enhance the productivity of its workforce, leading to better achievement of organizational goals.

Eliminates Negligent Hiring Risks

Negligence in the hiring process can dent the reputation of any organization. In many cases, the companies are directly held accountable for their employees’ actions. It is because the companies have a legal and moral obligation to maintain a safe environment. They must make sure their employees do not have any previous criminal records or unacceptable habits. Companies that neglect these background checks before hiring end up being liable for any misconduct. In some cases, due to the filing of a lawsuit, companies suffer immeasurable damage due to negligent hiring. Thus, companies are increasingly adopting background checks before hiring employees.

Also read: 7 Common Myths Debunked About Background Screening Services.

Minimizes Employee Turnover

By applying background screening, you improve the quality of your hires. Employees who are honest and competent for the job role can build a robust workforce. Moreover, these employees are less likely to leave the company or make others want to quit. Hence, pre-employment background checks can minimize your organization’s employee turnover.

Reduces Substance Abuse

Pre-employment background checks also screen candidates for any records of substance (drug) abuse. You can check if the potential employees have incurred any charges related to drug or alcohol abuse previously. The drug tests also ensure the elimination of candidates who are currently consuming drugs. Thus, administering this process helps employers maintain a healthy and safe working environment.

Learn more about what can be revealed in a background verification check in this blog.

Conclusion

Pre-background checks prevent organizations from hiring incompetent employees and reduces the loss caused by fraud and dishonesty. Additionally, it improves the quality of hires through its screening process and enables companies to maintain a safe working space.

If you have any queries regarding background checks and pre-employment screening services, get in touch with us here. Our team of professionals can help you with comprehensive solutions to meet your company requirements.

Evaluating Employee Potential With Psychometric Testing

Recognizing unique talents, nurturing, and retaining them is a crucial part of an organization’s success. The past performance of an employee is not a reliable marker of their future endeavors. Their potential to perform under any circumstances is what determines their ability to lead and contribute to your organization.

Psychometric testing is a comprehensive set of tests that enable organizations to identify skilled employees. From personality assessments to situational judgment and logical reasoning, psychometric testing covers it all. Apart from recognizing quality employees, these tests can also help organizations understand the different personalities that exist in your organization. Also, evaluating your employees’ potential will help you identify the future leaders of your organization.

Let’s delve deeper into the subject of psychometric testing and the different types of tests included in it for employee evaluation.

What Is Psychometric Testing?

A mismatch of organizational values and mindsets within a workplace can degrade the overall performance of the company. Psychometric testing is a method of eradicating such mishaps. With these tests, organizations can optimize their recruitment processes to ensure pragmatic employment. The extensive set of tests can unfold a potential employee’s personality and performance. Besides, it can also aid decision-makers in ascertaining whether a candidate is fit for a particular job role.

Every organization needs a thriving employee base to succeed in its ventures. One wrong hire can disrupt the proceedings, lead to additional economic liability, and cause grave repercussions for organizations. Therefore, implementing psychometric tests has almost become a necessity. It lets you conduct an objective and result-oriented analysis to cumulate quality employees for your organization.

What Is Included In Psychometric Tests?

Psychometric test services involve a series of tests to determine employees’ ability, engagement, and aspirations. During recruitment, these tests can bring out the personality traits of individuals that are not surfaced on the resumes. A well-crafted set of questions enables employers to screen individuals based on their analytical ability, psychological capability, and behavioral traits. It carefully administers questions that have no direct right or wrong answer. Thus, it brings out the analytical capabilities and personalities of various individuals. This process helps in determining the right role of an employee in the organization.

Read full article here: Evaluating Employee Potential With Psychometric Testing

What Can Be Revealed In A Background Check?

An employee background check is integral to the recruitment process enabling hiring managers to make well-informed decisions. According to a PBSA (Professional Background Screening Association) survey, over 96% of employers in the US diligently conduct employee screening either by themselves or through background verification companies. Employers can garner conclusive data about potential candidates and evaluate personality traits essential for different roles.

What do Employee Screening Services Entail?

A comprehensive process covers a range of background screening services. An employer can conduct checks for verifying the following aspects of an employee-

•  Criminal records
•  Educational background
•  Credit check
•  Drug screening (for substance abuse)
•  Employment history (for experienced candidates)
•  ID and address verification
•  Professional references

There’s no prerequisite order for performing screening. Employers have the freedom to select different checks based on their needs, nature of the job, and location. An employer may execute a particular check based on their motivation including criminal, employment history, and identity checks. The biggest motivation for any organization while conducting screening is to safeguard its employees and clients from any potential risk.

What an Employer can Expect from Background Checks?

Harvard Business Review revealed in one of its articles that at least one out six job applicants misrepresented themselves to induce an employer to offer them the job. Resume frauds and manipulation of data are among the most common convictions. A wrong hire can add to a company’s costs and hurt its bottom line in the long run. Employee screening services tackle this issue and, thus, save an organization from bleeding a fortune.

Read full article here: What Can Be Revealed In A Background Check?

Top Seven Myths Around Background Screening Services Debunked

For an organization, hiring an employee is a complicated process. From identifying job requirements for a position to planning recruitment ads and training essentials, the process can be long enough even before the actual screening can begin. Amidst this chaos, recruiters often willingly skip the background verification process to escalate hiring.

Poor hiring decisions can reduce a firm’s productivity and might lead to costly delays and, ultimately, a loss in revenue. According to a study, even single poor hiring can cost a company up to 20 lakhs. Instead of following a herd mentality, an employer’s focus must be on making informed decisions. However, employers still tend to shy away from background checks. Despite the benefits of background screening services, the decision ultimately comes down to some surrounding myths.

To eradicate negative connotations about background screening services,we have debunked the seven most common myths to enable authentic hiring.

1. Background Screening Services are Expensive

It is the most common belief among employers. They regard background screening services as an expensive instrument that they skip for reducing costs. However, they often forget that the consequences of a poor hiring decision can go beyond the cost factor. It can affect a company’s morale and reduce team productivity. Indeed, top background verification companies like Flink provide quality services within an allocated budget. So, instead of being short-sighted, companies must understand the long term benefits of employee screening to prevent future credential fraudulence.

2. All Background Checks Provide the Same Information

Employee background verification companies obtain information about a prospective employee from different sources for validation. Therefore, it is unlikely that they will contain the same data. The verification process, in its essence, remains the same for various checks, which is to validate data about a candidate. However, the aspects verified may vary as per different categories, including criminal records, drug testing, professional experience, and educational qualifications.

3. Candidates Even with a Single Criminal Record Should be Banned

It is the most misconstrued belief among both employers and candidates. The background verification process is not a flaw finding mission. Most recruiters believe that a candidate with a single criminal record is not fit for hire. For instance, a person with a single DUI (driving under influence) record might not be fit for a driver’s role, but can still qualify for a clerk’s position. Blanket banning candidates might not be a reasonable choice by employers. Due to it, employers may lose out on some competent employees.

4. Only Large Multinational Companies Require Background Checks

Whether it's an SME, a Fortune 500 company, or a business dealing with gig economy workers, background checks are critical for every company. The sole purpose of a background check is to protect the interest of both employers and candidates. It aims to present a credible job with a worthy candidate and vice versa. Also, many roles require employees to handle sensitive information. Therefore, employers must carefully scrutinize them during the hiring process.

Read full article here: Top Seven Myths Around Background Screening Services