The current UK job market is highly competitive and ensuring you recruit the right candidate is crucial for the success and growth of your company. A key element of your recruitment process is carrying out thorough pre-employment checks. These checks not only help verify the qualifications and suitability of potential employees, but also protect your business from potential risks.
In this blog, we take a look at the essential pre-employment checks you should be carrying out to help you make an informed decision when it comes to hiring the right candidate.
Identity verification
The first step in pre-employment checking is to confirm the candidate’s identity. By conducting an identity check, you’re effectively making sure that the person you are recruiting is who they claim to be. This may seem obvious, but sadly some unscrupulous people will attempt to impersonate someone else for fraudulent benefit. That’s why it’s important to confirm the person in front of you is who they say they are.
Typically, this involves examining a range of documents. That might be official letters, bills and identity documents such as a passport or driving licence to make sure that all the details are consistent. You’re not expected to be able to spot fake documents but you need to exercise due care and attention in your checks.
Right to work check
UK employers are legally obliged to check that an employee has the right to work. By fulfilling this obligation correctly, employers will ensure that they are able to avoid legal repercussions and potential fines related to illegal working. Employers must examine and retain copies of relevant documents. Most employees born in the UK will be able to prove their right to work by providing their passport. If they don’t have a passport, there are a number of other accepted documents and the Home Office provides additional information and guidance on these checks.
Similarly, if you recruit overseas workers, there are checks to complete and this can be quite complex, so it’s important to understand what is involved in the process and your responsibilities as an employer. Again, there is more guidance on this on the Gov.co.uk website.
Criminal record check
Conducting a criminal record check is essential when recruiting new staff in sectors such as care, health and education. The level of check required will depend on the nature of the role being recruited for. These checks are known as Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. For instance, standard and enhanced DBS checks are necessary for roles involving work with vulnerable groups, such as children or the elderly.
Depending on the number of checks you need to carry out, you may be able to become a verified check provider as an organisation. If not, you will need to use an umbrella body who can conduct the checks on your behalf. As before, there is additional guidance online to ensure that these checks are carried out correctly and that appropriate identification documents are examined.
Employment history and references
Confirming a candidate’s employment history is vital to confirm their experience and skills, as well as the reasons for any gaps in employment which might need further investigation. Obtaining references from previous employers can prove difficult at times as some employers will only confirm dates of employment and job title. Even that limited information should be checked though against what the candidate has told you. Being a Sales Assistant is very different to being a Sales Manager and some people will embellish and over-exaggerate their roles and responsibilities to give the impression that they have more experience than is actually the case.
References can also provide valuable insights into a candidate’s work ethic, performance, and behaviour in the workplace if more details are forthcoming. It is advisable to speak directly with the referees to get an honest and comprehensive view of the candidate’s suitability for the role. You can then type that conversation up at a later date so you have an accurate record.
Qualification checks
Ensuring that a candidate possesses the qualifications they claim to have is crucial for roles requiring specific training or professional qualifications. Potential new hires can show you their qualification certificates or you can contact their college, university or training provider to confirm this information.
Medical and health checks
Depending on the nature of the job, a medical or health check might be necessary to ensure the candidate is physically fit for the role. Employers should be careful that they do not discriminate when carrying out these checks and only use them if they are essential for the role. For example, if you are hiring someone to drive a lorry or a bus then they must have an eye check.
Best practices for conducting pre-employment checks
To ensure the effectiveness and compliance of your pre-employment checks, it’s good practice to obtain consent for conducting checks by seeking the candidate’s express permission in the first instance and informing them about the nature and purpose of the checks. Employers should also be consistent and should apply the same checks across all candidates to avoid discrimination and ensure fairness in the recruitment process.
Compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR regulations is vital as only people involved in the recruitment decision making process should have access to any information provided in pre-employment checks. With that in mind, it’s vital to keep accurate records of all the checks carried out in case of any future disputes or discrepancies. If you outsource any checks to third party providers, you should carry out due diligence and make sure they are reputable and uphold the highest of standards in handling sensitive personal data.
See how HRX can help with your pre-employment checks
Conducting comprehensive pre-employment checks is a critical step in building a reliable and competent workforce. By following these steps you will be doing your upmost to confirm that you are hiring the best candidates. Getting recruitment decisions wrong can be time consuming and costly to rectify, so putting these measures in place adds additional layers of legal compliance and validity to your decision making process.
HRX is great tool to make sure that you have all your pre-employment checks at your fingertips. By uploading all of your checks into the employee’s individual record you will be able to see quickly if any checks are missing and provide information as requested by auditors when carrying out compliance checks. To find out more about our HR software, be sure to book a demo with one of our experts, or alternatively, sign up for your FREE 30 day trail and see it for yourself.
