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6 Things to Know About Employment Background Checks in the UK

Background checks are becoming an increasing necessity for employers. There are numerous benefits to this, and employers are increasingly recognizing the utility it brings. However, there are many misconceptions about background checks. For instance, some people think that background checking companies can hack into electronic devices to get information.

That’s false. There are several rules and restrictions that background checking companies have to follow. All that’s done is within the bounds of GDPR. This article shall communicate six things about background checks in the UK that everyone should know:

Some industries have made background checks mandatory

While these checks are an employer’s preference, some industries are making them mandatory. For instance, the security industry or the financial industry.

Primarily because these are sensitive industries, and getting resources without knowing their background can result in severe losses.

GDPR rules are laid out about storing employee data

Employers get a lot of applications, and they have to store the data for business use. The GDPR guidelines have been stated, which inks out the terms about how the data can be used. Here are the points to help you understand the rules better:

  • The company or business that stores the data is liable to protect it against any theft or data breach.
  • The data can’t be stored without the candidate’s consent.
  • The data can be requested by the candidate.
  • The employer must have a legit reason to store the information.

A security check cannot be requested for individuals that’d like to have the data for personal use

According to the law, security checks can only be requested by employers. This is

because they’d like to figure out who they are hiring and prevent making wrong hiring decisions. However, this information cannot be requested for personal interests as it can be used for unethical purposes.

Individuals may have personal grudges with other people. If this rule wasn’t in place then people in power could easily abuse their position to cause harm to someone. While it makes complete sense for businesses to ensure that they don’t hire a wrong resource, it doesn’t make much sense to allow security checks for individual gains.

The costs of background checks vary depending upon their type

Not all background checks are the same. And not all of them are done for the same purposes. There are instances where superficial checks would do just fine. On the contrary, there are other scenarios where an in-depth check is required to see if the person is the right match for the job or not.

So the costs of an employee background check really depend upon what type of check the employer signs up for.

Employers outsource background checks to third parties

It’s a common practice for businesses to outsource background checking processes to professionals. This practice is common because most businesses don’t have the resources to set up a dedicated department for this purpose.

Plus, many small to medium-sized businesses don’t hire that often that they’d need a dedicated department. Hiring the right service is an easy process that gets the task done quickly and the business doesn’t even have to spend a lot of money for it.

Employers can know what value a potential candidate can bring

Background checks don’t just let the employer know about a candidate’s qualifications. The check can also extract out the performance reports of an employee. That way, the employer can know better who they are hiring.

Every business needs the right resource for them to function well. However, it’s not just the skills or competence that matter. What soft skills, ethics, and morals a person must also be thoroughly considered. Because it isn’t always the best talent that pushes companies towards progress.

By conducting multiple checks on a candidate, you can better understand what they bring to your organisation. That’s a great way for hunting gem employees.

Final Words

Background checks for employment help employers understand their potential staff better. By conducting such checks, they can make the workplace safe and productive.

There are several misconceptions about the field. We hope that the above-mentioned points paint a better picture of background checks for you.

Getting your candidates through background checks is a great way to ensure safety and efficiency. Remember, a little incompetent candidate is a better option compared to someone with great talent but who is also a potential murderer.

By running checks, you have a better position in making the right hiring choice.

To know more about background checking or to hire our services, give us a call right away!

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