Frequently Asked Questions for employers

As a professional screening organisation, Validata focuses on facilitating an optimal screening process for both employer and candidate. Validata has automated the entire screening process and offers this service through a secure online environment. Verification of candidate information is done by Validata directly at the source via our vetted international data partners. Screening with Validata is, therefore, more reliable and quicker than when an employer manages the process itself. Moreover, our software helps employers to guarantee that the entire process is privacy compliant.

Validata screens candidates within an online environment called Valluga. Within this secure environment, both the employer and the candidate can access their own account. The employer must specify who they want to screen and what they want to check and then Validata takes over the screening process. Once all checks are complete both the employer and candidate are notified and can review the report online. Validata also has an in-house support team that can answer any screening queries and support candidates.

Validata uses various external partners to perform the checks. For example, the Education Executive Agency (DUO) is a permanent partner for the verification of Dutch diplomas and we work with data partners Nuffic and Qualification check to check all international diplomas. Additionally, partners such as Focum, EDR, and iCOVER are used for the verification of (inter)national financial data if this is part of the screening. Validata has made agreements with these partners regarding the processing of the data and the security requirements. All the data suppliers we work with can be found in our privacy statement.

Validata holds:

• The ISO 9001 certification, is an internationally recognised standard in the field of quality management. This certification sets requirements to secure and improve processes concerning customer satisfaction.
• The ISO 27001 certification, is a standard focused on information security. The standard describes how an organisation should deal with information security, to ensure the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of data.
• The ISAE3000 report, is an assurance report, reviewed by an independent IT auditor and accountant, which allows us to provide assurance on our processes that involve privacy, operational processes and information security.

In addition, Validata has a POB license issued by the Ministry of Justice and is a recognised member of the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA).

Yes, it is possible. Validata offers an advanced API that makes it easy to integrate with your existing HR software. Our integration ability means that you can screen candidates from directly within your existing ATS or HR system.

Are we already integrated with your HR tools? Meet our integration partners. If your HR software is not presently a partner get in touch with us and we can easily make an integration.

Yes, Validata works for multiple multinational companies and screens candidates and employees located all over the world. Today, Validata offers its screening solutions to more than 1000 clients across Europe, where we screen candidates from more than 60 countries.

Want to learn more? Read our clients’ stories.

The cost of screening a candidate depends on the type of checks you wish to conduct. We have set profiles and prices for businesses in certain sectors however, these can also be tailored to your company’s individual needs.

Want to see our suggested background checks for your sector? Select your sector here.

Invoices are sent by email to our clients and they can then choose to pay in advance or after the fact.

• Invoicing in advance: Screening is performed from a credit balance agreed upon with the client. When 90% of this credit has been used, a new invoice will follow.

• Subsequent invoicing: In this option, Validata charges for screenings performed upon completion. In this case, we invoice on fixed days, twice a month.

After the candidate has provided the required data, the average turnaround time of a screening at Validata is 5 working days. Elements that have a longer turnaround time are the certificate of conduct (VOG) and the verification of foreign diplomas.

A screening cannot be conducted without the candidate’s knowledge, that’s why it’s very important that communication is upfront and clear for the candidate. Validata manages the entire screening process after the employee has been notified by the employer. They are sent an email with clear instructions on how to complete the screening, reminders if they fail to submit information on time, and we also have an in-house support team that is available for extra support.

In our secure environment Valluga, both the employer and candidate have interim insight into the progress of the screening process.

In addition, we work with interim reports per background check: when a component has been completed, an interim report is presented with the findings. As an employer, you can regularly check the statuses of checks.

Validata’s online system offers various options for sharing customer-specific documents within the screening. This can vary from an upload whereby the signed document is part of the entire file or the document can be presented in a fully digitised format to be signed and stored.

Yes, Validata offers the possibility to extend and or design screening profiles. We can work with you to ensure that the screening fits your organisation’s needs.

Want to speak to one of our specialists?

Contact us

Validata has an in-house Support team to help clients and candidates with their questions. Our team is available from 8:00 to 20:00 (Fridays until 18:00) by phone at +31 (0) 88 050 2100 and email at support@validatagroup.com.

Yes, it is possible to run reports in our screening application. For this purpose, the relevant screening data that you select is compiled and this information can then be exported as a CSV or PDF file.

Once all of the candidate’s data has been verified, Validata provides a screening report containing the results. In the report, we present the objective findings per background check. We also provide interim reports i.e. as soon as one check is complete you can view its status. This way you can monitor the progress of each screening.

Once the screening is completed, both client and candidate are notified via email. The screening report can then be downloaded directly from the screening application.

The screening report is reviewed by the employer. To make an objective judgment, it is smart to indicate in the screening policy which departments and employees are responsible for this.

No, we only report objective findings. We verify the information that the candidate provides to us and do not pass judgment on possible deviations that occur.

Should serious findings come to light, we advise the employer to enter into discussion with the candidate and to make these deviations negotiable.

• No, as an employer you do not need a candidate’s consent to screen them. According to the GDPR, the candidate’s consent is not the correct legal basis for processing personal data because there cannot be free will in this situation. This is because if you do not consent to the screening, you may no longer be considered for the position. The correct basis is the legitimate interest of the employer. In some cases, the employer is also legaly required to conduct certain screening aspects. The employer is bound by rules. It is up to the employer to have an up-to-date screening policy that reflects the framework of proportionality and subsidiarity. In addition, the employer must take into account his transparency obligation, this means that screening cannot be done without the informing the candidate.

Screening with Validata means that you must comply with all privacy legislation (GDPR). Subsequently, as an organisation, you must consider the screening elements needed for the various employee groups and the degree of candidate and employee privacy invasion. In addition to these requirements of proportionality and subsidiarity, there is an obligation to provide information. A screening policy is an important guideline that supports you to properly comply.

The norm is that almost all data is kept for 90 days (3 months). It is also possible to safely store all data and reports at Validata in a separate environment upon request.

It is required to store personal data on servers within Europe. The data centres are hosted by AWS in Frankfurt with a backup in Ireland.