Background checks for HR – In the fast-changing world of work today, companies are more concerned than ever about making reliable hires in these uncertain times. According to the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, Sweden will be in a recession from 2023 and expected to last until 2025. The recession brings headwinds for both companies and individuals. This means everything from higher interest rates, significantly less growth, increased unemployment, and reduced employment. Despite these challenging times, how can your organisation prepare for the coming period? In this article, we have gathered our top tips for the entire HR department, with a focus on hiring and recruiting new employees.
Ordering a background check – what to consider?
Introducing background checks at an early stage of the recruitment process is therefore recommended. Many companies use it as their risk management strategy. It is a sustainable and long-term investment. Conducting thoughtful background checks is a crucial step in ensuring you recruit the right person for the job while minimising risks.
Keep calm and keep reading, in this article you will explore the five steps to ensure a secure hiring, focusing on the important role of the HR department in the process. Let employment background checks become part of your organisation’s risk management.
In times of economic uncertainty, new staff recruitment does not have to be cancelled, but it can be adjusted. Want to know more how? Send us your request below.
5 steps to secure employment in uncertain times
Explore the five steps to ensure secure employment, focusing on the important role of the HR department in the process. Let employee and staff background checks become part of your organisation’s risk management.
By following these five steps, you can ensure that you make informed hiring decisions while minimising the risk of negative surprises along the way. It’s time to take control of the recruitment process and create a stronger, safer workforce.
1. Understand your role as an employer
As an employer, you have a responsibility to comply with laws and guidelines regarding background checks. It is important to be aware of your powers and limitations. Explore the possibility of ordering a background check and make sure you follow best practices to protect both your company and candidates.
2. Choose reliable background check companies
Finding reliable background check companies can be a challenge. In Sweden we have the Freedom of Information Act, which means that most information can be found on the internet, if you know where to look. Today, there are many reputable background check companies to choose from. In addition, there are websites where you can order private information about people, all you need to provide is their name, address and social security number.
Websites that commercialised from private data like such have faced privacy issues and criticism from many organisations in particular the trade union whose main focus is to protect and maintain employees’ rights. Purchasing data from these sites can considers as a violation in people’s privacy and cause serious problems for those who are wrongly accused or wrongly registered. Background checks and GDPR are therefore an important aspect.
In this matter, as an employer, you should question the company’s approach to collecting candidates’ data, in particular personal data, and sensitive personal data, and where this data comes from? Another important thing is to look at the subcontractors they work with. Do they have a good reputation and are they reliable?
Reputable background check companies are therefore a recommend as they often contain a clear and transparent process. Moreover, they care for your data. Read on to learn more about how you can find a reliable employment screening company.
Background checks on employees, new hires or private individuals have become increasingly common in Sweden
When you do a Google search for the word “background check” in the last 12 months, you can see that interest in background checks in Stockholm and Gothenburg has increased significantly. In addition, more companies in various industries have chosen to introduce background checks as part of the hiring process.
According to the newspaper arbete.se, more job advertisements have included the words criminal record and background check, e.g., in job advertisements looking for postmen, 73% of the advert included requests for criminal and background check. Also, the positions of nurse, social educator, support assistant, cook, catering, personal assistant, terminal worker psychologist, care assistant and biomedical analyst.
Ordering private information online
- Limited information collected: does not provide a complete picture of a person’s background.
- Potential breach of data protection regulation: negligent collection and processing of sensitive personal data such as criminal records and health conditions may raise ethical and legal issues.
- May contain inaccurate information: Outdated information without correction may affect the data subject’s reputation, new job opportunities, etc.
Hiring a professional background check company
- Provide comprehensive and reliable information: Professional background check companies usually have access to multiple sources of information. They have the resources to check collected data directly with the source.
- Analytical and specialist in background checks and its processes: They have the expertise, accuracy and ability to review large amounts of data simultaneously.
- Customised solutions: Professional companies can adapt their services to specific needs. They can offer customised solutions suitable for different industries and situations.
- Complies with ethical guidelines and laws: They handle and store sensitive personal data with security and have a dedicated data protection officer to advise and act on risks such as data leaks.
- Support team to help you when needed: They have an accessible counselling and support team to help you with all your questions.
How do you know that background check providers are trustworthy?
1. Legal and ethical business operations:
Legitimate background check companies operate within the framework of applicable laws and follow strict ethical guidelines. They endeavour to protect individuals’ privacy and respect data protection rules.
2. Accuracy and reliability:
Professional background check companies use authoritative sources and carefully follow a process to ensure they provide accurate and reliable information about individuals. They often work with official authorities and databases.
3. Transparency:
Reputable companies are transparent about their methods and procedures for conducting background checks. They usually provide clear information to both individuals being checked and employers or other customers about what information is collected and how it is used.
4. Opportunity to correct incorrect information:
If incorrect information is discovered in a background check report, legitimate companies provide a process to correct or update the information. For an example, at Validata the candidate can update the information at the source itself, i.e., the candidate will get the opportunity to correct their information directly with the data provider. And make sure that at the next check, on other occasions the candidate’s information is correct
5. Customer service:
Reputable background check companies usually offer customer support and help customers understand and interpret the reports they provide.
6. Compliance with rules and laws:
They comply with all relevant laws and regulations, including rules on data protection and the rights of those being checked.
7. Limited public availability:
Professional background check companies often act as intermediaries between individuals and the information they seek. They do not publish general information about individuals on their websites.
8. Reputation and reliability:
Reputable companies usually have an established and trustworthy reputation in the industry and have been operating for a long time. They are often involved in pushing employment screening issues on political agendas and engage in trade organisations for professional employment screening companies.
It is important to be cautious and carefully evaluate background check companies before using their services. It may be wise to do research, look at reviews and ask for references before choosing a company to ensure they meet high standards of integrity and accuracy.
3. Understand laws in your area – How do criminal record background checks work?
Depending on where your business is based and the type of work you offer, the requirements for background checks may vary. It is important to understand local laws and regulations that govern such checks, including criminal records and criminal history records. Be sure to align your checks with these regulations to avoid legal problems. Our recommendation is to first and foremost notify the applicant that a legal background check will be conducted prior to employment. The criminal record rapport can be use as a certificate of god conduct. There are currently legal requirements for employers to request criminal records from the candidates, and only the candidate themselves can request a criminal record from the police. This applies to work in schools, pre-schools, work with children with disabilities, work in HVB homes, and work with insurance distribution. Note that as an employer, you can only demand to see offences that are relevant to the employment.
4. Go deeper into the candidate’s background – review the person behind the CV
It is not only criminal records that are relevant in a background check. Verification of work and education history, credit ratings and other relevant aspects of the candidate’s background can give you a more complete picture. This information can be crucial in assessing whether a candidate is suitable for a particular position.
5. Ask the right questions to reference – Know who you are hiring
References can provide valuable insight into a candidate’s work ability and reliability. It is important to ask the right questions and understand how to evaluate the answers. Ask for specific examples and assess how the candidate’s past performance can transfer to the current role. In a time of an economic uncertainty, background checks for the HR department are crucial.
By following these five steps, you can ensure that you make informed hiring decisions while minimising the risk of negative surprises along the way. It’s time to take control of the hiring process and create a stronger, more secure workforce.
Streamline the hiring process and background checks with our user-friendly screening software – Valluga
Save time and paperwork – with Valluga, you can digitize your recruitment process. You can easily integrate the entire hiring process with background checks for selected candidates. With just a few mouse clicks, you can integrate Validata’s screening software with your ATS or HR system. On one and the same platform, you gain access to reliable data providers that have information on candidates both from abroad and Sweden. Additionally, our dedicated screening consultants are experts in reviewing and analyzing screening reports thoroughly. The background check process takes 1-3 days for Swedish documents, plus an additional 2 days for extensive checks. To complete a report for international documents, the process can take up to 10 days. Both employees and employers will be notified when the final reports are ready to be downloaded.
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