Instant Background Check on Employment History: Advantages and Best Practices
Considering how competitive the landscape of talent acquisition is, it’s imperative that employers make hiring decisions as fast as possible. However, deciding in haste can cause companies to miss critical red flags and not thoroughly verify qualifications and credentials, leading to bad hires.
With an instant background check, employers can now verify crucial information about the candidate’s employment history quickly and accurately. In this article, we’ll discuss:
- What an instant background check is
- The importance and benefits of doing a quick background check
- Best practices for instant employment check
- Criteria for choosing a background check provider for instant employment reports
What is an Instant Background Check for Employment?
An instant background check or instant employment check is a service designed to quickly verify the employment history of a job candidate. Background screening companies use advanced technology and databases to provide immediate confirmation of an individual's reported previous employers and employment dates. The primary aim is to expedite the hiring process by offering employers a fast, accurate way to validate a candidate's professional background.
What Does an Instant Background Check on the Candidate’s Employment Profile Reveal?
An instant employment report can reveal the candidate’s past employers and the time they spent at the company. These details can help give employers a glimpse of their skills and identify red flags, such as lying in their resume and reference fraud. It can also reveal if the applicant is working several roles simultaneously (moonlighting).
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The Importance of Quick Background Checks for Employment
Without instant employment reports, organisations often resort to manual employment verification. This is a time-consuming process, involving manual checks, phone calls, and awaiting responses from previous employers. Depending on how far back you want to check and the availability of the involved people, manual checks can take weeks.
Taking this much time runs the risk of losing top candidates to faster-moving competitors. In fact, reports say that top candidates are off the market in just 10 days.
Furthermore, in the digital age where data accuracy and privacy are critical, the traditional methods may fall short, posing legal and compliance risks.
It is for these reasons that an instant background check for employment has emerged as a game-changer. Below are additional advantages of utilising quick background checks:
Reduced recruitment costs
An accelerated hiring process reduces the time to hire, which then reduces recruitment costs. Recruitment and hiring costs money, so the longer the process is, the higher the costs are. Furthermore, employers may need to increase their offer to their top candidates to compete with the offers they may have already received. Finally, keep in mind that the company has a diminished productivity level for as long as the position is vacant.
Improved candidate experience
A fast hiring process is a key factor in maintaining candidate interest and engagement. Instant reports convey a sense of urgency and respect for the candidate's time, enhancing the employer brand.
Enhanced accuracy and reliability
Leveraging advanced technologies and databases, an instant background check offers a high degree of accuracy that can supplement traditional verification methods, reducing the risk of hiring decisions based on erroneous information.
Risk mitigation
Instant reports help in identifying fraudulent candidates and ensuring compliance with employment laws, thus protecting the company from potential legal and financial repercussions.
Learn more about Veremark's instant employment verification here.
Best Practices for Instant Background Checks for Employment
While the advantages of instant employment reports are clear, their effective implementation requires adherence to best practices:
Prioritise compliance with the law
The first priority is to comply with the relevant laws and regulations. In particular, check the country’s data protection act. For more information, here’s a 2024 Guide on Background Check Laws.
Keep in touch with the candidate
Clearly communicate the background screening process to candidates, obtaining necessary consents and ensuring a transparent process.
Don’t skip adjudication and adverse action
After receiving the results of instant employment checks as well as other background checks, proceed with adjudication. This is the process of weighing the results against the policies and hiring standards of the organisation.
If the organisation decides against hiring a candidate, ensure that they receive an adverse action notice. This notice may be required by law and aims to give the applicant a chance to access their information and correct any error or incompleteness.
Here’s a Guide on Adjudication and more information on Adverse Action in Background Checking.
Choosing a Background Screening Platform for Your Instant Employment Reports
Here are some things to look for in the third-party provider for your instant background check needs:
- Immediate or near-immediate turnaround time
- Accuracy of reports
- Compliance with the laws and regulations, including data protection
- Seamless integration with existing HR systems (to easily see information and make informed decisions)
- Responsive and helpful customer support 24/7
- Customization options
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Count on Veremark for Instant and Accurate Background Screenings
In need of streamlining your background check and hiring process? Veremark meets the above criteria for a dependable provider of instant background checks.
With your candidate's tax, insurance, or payroll provider, we can quickly deliver a verified employment profile, including their previous employer and the time they spent at the company. This, of course, can identify reference fraud and “moonlighting.”
Despite the immediate turnaround time, there's no compromise on the accuracy of the results. This helps prevent hiring mistakes that could be costly to the organisation in the long run.
Above all, Veremark adheres to strict standards to protect candidate information. The service ensures that all checks are conducted legally, with full consent from the candidate, aligning with the data protection regulations. Learn more about instant employment reports here.
