In today's digital world, where information is available at the click of a button, people value their privacy
In today’s digital world, where information is available at the click of a button, people value their privacy. From social media rants to embarrassing profile pictures, there’s some aspects of our pasts we’d rather keep hidden.
However, when it comes to background checks, employers have a duty to dig a little deeper into a candidate’s history.
So, how can HR walk the line between being thorough but also respecting candidate privacy?
HRD spoke to Iain Murray, sales director/vertical leader at Sterling Backcheck and host of our upcoming webinar ‘Beyond the Criminal Record Check – Defining the Background Screening Program’.
“The key is taking the time to understanding what information is needed – and why it’s needed,” prefaced Murray.
“Employers really need to think through that justification. That’s how organisations end up in trouble – they fail to explain to understand why they’re collecting certain elements of candidate information.”
According to Murray, simply looking at what background checks are available on the market and blindly selecting a product is not a good enough justification.
“Walking the line between being thorough and respecting employee privacy is an exercise in understanding what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and communicating that back to the candidate.”
In today’s remote and virtual world, it’s more important than ever before to vet your candidates.
To hear more on the importance of thorough background screening, sign up to Sterling Backcheck’s upcoming webinar here.
