While technology is revolutionizing background checks and making it easy — doing background verification for the tech industry is another ball game altogether.
According to the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA), 94% of employers conducted at least one type of background screening, while 73% had a documented policy for background screening procedures.
Hiring challenges in tech
With the pressure of producing high-quality products and solutions, technology companies are under constant pressure. This often results in a rushed hiring process to get employees on board. However, it mitigates risk because even one bad hire can increase liability, fraud, criminal activity, or breached data.
Here are the challenges faced in background verification:
- Need to fill existing or open tech employment vacancies quickly and efficiently
- Hiring candidates with specific skills and licenses is tough
- Extending or lengthening the hiring process can lead to delayed hires or missing out on good IIT applicants
- Cumbersome and slow background screening companies add to the woes
Tech-savvy millennials
Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the largest generation of workforce. As a result, more IT companies have to accommodate this generation’s mobile technology and social media-oriented behaviour. The hiring process expected by this generation is swift — which is another problem.
Why is background verification critical for the tech industry?
IT employees are entrusted with critical data, which gives them easy access to intellectual property and sensitive data.
Reduce risks against malpractice and frauds
Considering that tech employees have access to personal and financial data, malpractice and fraud are ongoing problems. From risks of identity theft to data breaches and hacking, the list of avenues to perpetrate fraud is enormous.
There are umpteen things that can go wrong in the process and even harm people. Therefore, when critical information is at stake, it’s a wise decision for all tech companies to run thorough background checks on a candidate before hiring them.
Harnessing a safe work environment
IT workers are a close-knit team with interdependence on multiple departments and verticals. Any candidate with wrong intentions can take advantage of the same. Hence, a leak or breach in one area would impact the entire company.
By running comprehensive employee background checks, you are ensuring the protection and the safety of your customers, workers, and reputation.
Safeguarding company assets
Doing a strict and comprehensive background check of employees will ensure the safety of the companies’ reputation. Its people and team know your firm or company — and background verification can help avoid hiring such candidates who may stain the same.
Think of background verification as an investment that would be instrumental in safeguarding organisational assets, promoting safety at the workplace, reducing turnover owing to right hiring, protecting company reputation, avoiding legal action and inspiring confidence in customers and shareholders.
Getting quality but long term hires
Background verification is pivotal when hiring for senior management roles in the technology sector. Remember that along with software or hardware skills, attributes like leadership qualities, strong emotional intelligence, qualitative and quantitative performance of the past, and more come into play. By doing background checks, one can make an informed decision.
What should be checked?
Multiple level checks are conducted in the background verification process of tech employees:
- ID & Address Verification
An ID authenticity check is a prime step in the background verification of a candidate. Any candidate faking an ID is a potential threat to the company.
- Education History
Education credentials are crucial since the job is mostly skill-related. Many candidates embellish their resumes with fake details. One should check if an individual took the tech subjects and earned the certificates he claims to have.
- Employment Verification
The background check process scrutinizes the employment history to ensure they provided accurate information about their past work. This guarantees a company is employing qualified people.
- Civil Misconduct
Civil violation data should be mandatory in the background check of tech company recruiters. It may include vandalism, civil theft, or a crime against a person rather than against the state.
- Criminal Record
This record minimizes the employer’s liability and includes past sentences, charges, and arrests. Tech companies are required to obey federal criminal background check laws before proceeding with the employment screening process.
- Reference Checks
Most employees in the technology sector come through references. Before going blindly by a reference, do check the authenticity of the source too.
How IDfy conducts background verification for the tech industry?
We conduct all the necessary checks listed above with a user-friendly, quick, and efficient approach. Primarily, we conduct checks that reveal if the candidate is licensed to work in a particular vocation and report the credential title, current status, and issue expiration dates.
With IDfy’s background verification solutions, you can get accurate and reliable information about the candidates.