Although as many as 88% of Dutch people do not think it is a problem if a (future) employer investigates them, and 86% understand if companies screen employees who receive a promotion extra, the number of screenings actually carried out decreased in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year. According to 79% of those surveyed, this has to do with the shortage in the labor market.

Harm Voogt, Managing Director and founder of Validata, recognises this. “Although more and more Dutch employees and employers understand the importance of screening, companies simply also need staff. This is a major risk, especially in sectors where employees have access to sensitive information, such as financial and business services, and in government and education.”

Voogt: “Undesirable behaviour at a previous employer can come to light through screening. By adding screening to an application procedure, the bad apples often fall away naturally. Someone with a guilty conscience will think twice before starting an application with extensive screening.”

No research encourages repetition

“In the cases where no investigation is carried out, it is not established what actually happened. In this way, repetition of undesirable behaviour can take place in the organisation or new organisation. In those cases, there is no reason to take measures in the eyes of these employers: after all the person who displayed the behaviour has left. That, in turn, is not encouraging for the willingness to report in the future,” says Klokman.