It is estimated that 1 in 3 people exaggerate or falsify
their qualifications and work experience. If the wrong person
is employed it can be very damaging to an organisation in
terms of cost and time. A professional reference check carried
out on your prospective employees not only saves you time
and money, but will also help to protect you against legal
and financial problems in the future.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is it important to screen applicants prior to employment?
If the wrong person is employed it can be very damaging
to an organisation in terms of cost and time in the following
ways:
Legal: There are numerous circumstances where a
Company and its directors could be held vicariously liable
for acts committed by its employees, for example discrimination.
Additionally, employers could find themselves unable to
claim under their fidelity insurance if inadequate checks
were made at the interviewing stage.
Financial: Any fraud committed by employees can
reflect badly on an organisation, for example Nick Leeson
at Barings Bank.
PR: If it becomes known that any Company is under
investigation it will prove immensely damaging to their
reputation.
Morale: Allegations of fraud will obviously have
a negative impact on remaining staff, for example BCCI.
When should references be sought?
References are usually sought after the applicant has been
given a conditional offer of employment. Any provisional
offer of employment should state that the offer is subject
to the receipt of references that are considered satisfactory
by the employer. In order to avoid discrimination all candidates
should be treated in the same way. If any discrepancies
are highlighted between the CV / interview and the results
of the reference, candidates should be given the opportunity
to explain them.
What are the timescales for the reference checking
process?
The Advanced Reference Check can take up to 6 weeks to
complete, since it is reliant on receiving information from
third parties. We will keep you updated on a regular basis
as to how the reference check is progressing. However, there
may be instances or occasions when third parties do not
respond to our requests, in which case we can not be held
responsible for the failure to deliver that particular reference.
What is the Employer's Mutual Protection Service (EMPS)?
EMPS is a national database designed to record the details
of individuals dismissed for gross misconduct and it facilitates
the searches of that information. Since the database was
established over 20 years ago more than 60,000 names have
been listed. The database operates on a subscription basis,
and subscribing employers supply a list of all employees
who are dismissed for gross misconduct. Your prospective
employees are cross-checked against this database.
What about Data Protection issues?
EMPS is registered under the Data Protection Act 1984 and
operates in accordance with the 1998 Act. No information
is held by EMPS regarding the details of the gross misconduct.
Prospective employees on whom a check is to be made are
required to sign a written consent form to facilitate the
release of their personal details. Indeed we will not commence
the process until the individual's written consent to the
process is received.
What information is obtainable from County Court Judgements?
County Court Judgements mainly cover action taken by credit
companies or financial institutions, e.g. regarding credit
cards or bankruptcy cases.
Is it possible to obtain references for periods
spent outside the UK?
Yes. However, the amount of information available varies
depending on the legislation in each individual country.
Most information can be obtained from the USA, South Africa
and many European countries. However due to legislation
in Italy, Germany and Spain only basic information can be
obtained, e.g. confirmation of employment. It is not possible
to access electoral rolls or conduct credit checks in these
countries. For information on reference checks in South
America, Asia and Eastern Europe, please click
here to contact us.
Can information on driving offences and criminal
behaviour be obtained?
UK legislation does not permit reference checking agencies
to access this type of information. However employers could
ask potential recruits to obtain a good behaviour certificate
from the police or a DVLA certificate stating that they
have no recorded traffic offences.
