Validata part of the onboarding process at ABN AMRO Bank

‘Validata is an important sparring partner with an objective view, strategic insight and expertise with regard to pre-employment screening’

‘With approximately 2500 to 3000 new employees each year, a streamlined and automated screening process is quite important,’ explains Martijn Meiberg, Product Owner Onboarding at ABN AMRO Bank. ‘Our team is part of Best Start. The departments Employer Branding and Recruitment are also included in this cluster. Best Start covers the complete first part of an employee journey: from the moment ABN AMRO Bank comes into view, to the recruitment process and the actual hiring.’

Building new relationships with the onboarding app

‘With Best Start, we want to create an onboarding process that runs as smoothly as possible. We have developed an onboarding app where, a month before they start, new employees receive information like a welcome message from our CEO, our mission and vision and practical tips to prepare for the first day of work. Often, new employees are left in limbo in the period between signing their contract and starting their job. With this app we want to break the silence and already build a relationship.’

‘Another way of making the onboarding more fun and more human, is assigning a buddy. Every new employee is linked to a buddy that – next to the responsible manager who is often busy with operational tasks – shows the ins and outs of ABN AMRO Bank during the first weeks. In addition, there are onboarding days where new employees can meet each other and important information is being shared, like our cultural values, strategy and purpose.’

An important role for compliance during onboarding

‘Next to this soft side of the onboarding process, the practical side should run equally smooth. A process that involves various departments and systems. An employee should receive the right employment contract from HR and be included in the personnel file in time. In addition, IT is responsible for issuing a laptop and Facility Management for a personal access card to enter the building.’

‘In this practical process, compliance plays an important role: is a (potential) employee honest and reliable? The screening results of Validata, partly answer this question. Here, the fact that as a financial service provider, we have a legal obligation to prove that we hire the right employees, is taken into account.’

The benefits of a fast and efficient screening software and service

‘On a yearly basis, ABN AMRO Bank welcomes 2500 to 3000 new permanent employees. To process such numbers in a fast and efficient manner, our recruitment and onboarding process is automated as much as possible. In this, the screening solutions of Validata are carefully integrated into. As soon as a manager enters a new hire into our system, several processes are started. IT and Facility Management are notified and Validata is asked to conduct a pre-employment screening.’

‘When we started screening at Validata several years ago, we selected suitable screening profiles together for our custom software system. One of the few disadvantages of this custom software solution was that updates and adaptations took more time install. That is why in 2019, we switched to the standard screening solutions of Validata. Today, we can instantly benefit from the latest developments with regard to their software and service.’

‘Next to Validata’s pre-employment screening, our Security and Integrity Management department also analyses certain registers, possible frauds and other cases. Because of these enquiries, we can create a complete image of (potential) employees and make informed decisions based on the screening report.’

Validata is always available and has a solution-oriented approach

‘Every year, ABN AMRO Bank re-evaluates its pre-employment screening policy. When I discuss this with Robber Remmers, Commercial Manager at Validata, or Loetje de Koning, Customer Success Manager, they always offer sound advice. About current laws and regulations for example, or screening solutions used by other financial institutes. In addition, Validata shows how to integrate certain things more efficiently. In the end, everything comes together in one process that increases clarity and speeds up our onboarding.’

‘Validata is always available and has a solution-oriented approach. Every six months, we come together for a strategic conversation where we compare our long-term plans and analyse our options. We also determine if the current solutions still meet the requirements and if certain internal processes can be arranged more efficiently. Validata is an important sparring partner because of their objective view, strategic insight and expertise with regard to pre-employment screening in the financial sector.’

Sharing a similar vision concerning an optimal employee journey

‘In our recruitment and onboarding process, a positive experience of (potential) employees is crucial. Even though we would like to know who we will be working with, pre-employment screening is often seen as a necessary evil. The fact that someone’s personal data and history need to be checked can feel like an inconvenience to some new employees. Therefore, it is encouraging that ABN AMRO Bank and Validata are on the same page when it comes to creating an optimal customer journey.’

‘To complete the screening process as fast and efficient as possible, Validata offers adequate assistance as well as smart software. With their new application Valluga, (potential) employees can use their mobile devices to start the process when it suits them best. All parties involved know how the screening is progressing and if any additional information is needed. Such insights make it easier to offer timely assistance, so the screening can be completed sooner.’

‘The extent to which ABN AMRO Bank automates its processes and the way Validata responds to this, works really well. The fact that we share a similar vision with regard to an optimal employee journey, efficiently arranging processes and complying with laws and regulations, allows our new employees to start earlier.’