Choosing a background verification partner can be quite overwhelming as you may need to learn the differentiators you should look out for. E.g. A background verification company may claim that they have the fastest TAT but their amber rates might be high. In another case, the accuracy of the report of a vendor might be good but at with high TAT. But what is BGV TAT and what is Amber rate? 

In this section, we will take you through all the BGV lingo you should know and what factors you should consider when evaluating background verification services.

1. Range of Services: Some background verification companies in India may provide basic checks like employment, qualification, criminal, ID, and Address while others may offer a full suite of services i.e. new age checks like social media, drug testing, and instant, digital checks like moonlighting. Regardless, you should know all the services a BGV company provides and select the one that fits your requirements.
2. Compliance and Data Security: You must check whether the BGV partner you decide to onboard complies with all local and international regulations. Check whether they follow guidelines such as GDPR or equivalent to protect the personal data of your candidates. Some data security equivalents in India include ISO 270001, NASCOOM Certification, and SOC 2 compliance.
3. TAT (Turnaround Time): TAT is the time taken by the Background verification companies to complete the BGV process, right from the BGV initiation to generating the final report. But why is TAT so important? Firstly, it’s because it directly affects your hiring process. Secondly, high TAT means you have to wait longer to find out whether the candidate you’ve chosen is fit for the job or not.

   The average turnaround time varies, depending on the types of checks, whether the process is traditional or digital, and many other factors. The medium TAT of all standard checks can range from 14 days to even a month depending on various factors. However, as per a report by People Matters, with the help of technology and GenAI, some background verification companies can bring these numbers down to a week or even less.

4. Amber Rate: A major indicator of the accuracy and reliability of background verification companies in India is the Amber rate.

   The term ‘’Amber Rate’’ refers to cases where the verification results could not be concluded due to discrepancies or missing information provided by the candidate.

   Some background verification companies try following up with the respective candidate or HR to fill in the missing information. Similarly, some even opt for alternatives to close amber cases but the closure of these cases is not guaranteed. Hence, amber cases are something that no HR would want and you must choose a vendor that has the lowest amber rate in the industry.

   A good amber rate range is between 1% to 4% and companies exceeding this threshold might not prove to be reliable in the long run.

5. Technology and Integrations: Modern background verification companies use advanced technology to improve the speed and accuracy of their BGV processes. The biggest example of this is the shift towards Instant digital checks like EPFO to verify employment and Digital Address Verification platforms. It is also important to ensure that your BGV partner can support integrations with your current HR tools like your HRMS and ATS platform to ensure a seamless flow of data.
6. Customer Support: Reliable customer support is very important to address any urgent queries and issues that need immediate attention. Check whether your provider has dedicated support channels and look at some online reviews to get an idea of the quality of the service offered.

It is also important for you to look at client testimonials, case studies, and online reviews to gauge the reliability of the background verification services that a company offers.