As companies hunt for the best talent available in the marketplace, a thorough background check has become a need of the hour. A comprehensive background check unveils any unverified credentials, thus, avoiding any unpleasant consequences, says Mr Amit Singh, Senior Vice President and Head- Commercial of First Advantage India, a leading background verification company headquartered in the US.
In an exclusive interview with Business News This Week, Mr Singhelaborateson how background verification helps improve safety and security at the workplace and delivers insights that enable companies make better and faster hiring decisions and improves the quality of hire.
Excerpts of the interview:
Business News This Week (BNTW): As a leading background verification firm, list out the risks involved if background verification is not conducted for employees?
Amit Singh:In current hybrid model of operations background verification is not just a tick mark in the recruitment process rather it is a mandatory step in thecandidate onboarding process.It helps mitigate risk and saves time and money involved in hiring a candidate.
However here are some of the major outcomes of negligent hiring:
- Unsafe work conditions
- Hiring an unfit candidate for the job
- Data breach
- Cybercrime, hacking
Implementing a comprehensive employee background check procedure is not just good practice but also a reasonable, prudent, and safe approach for businesses to chart an ethical future.
BNTW: Due to the pandemic, hiring has also gone virtual. How have you as a background verification company adapted to this?
Amit Singh:We had already embarked on a digital transformation with integrated technology in our day-to-day tools.With our digital initiatives driven by modern technology and alternate screening solutions, our processes transformed to adapt with the changing environmental and economic conditions.
Recruitment process has shifted to virtual mode making the hiring process more flexible with candidates based across remote locations. Our focus has always been to enhance customer experience with seamless onboarding process, reducing delivery cycle timelines and providing improved quality performance.
BNTW: What kind of technology does First Advantage deploy in conducting background verification of recruits?
Amit Singh:We are committed to deliver screening services that surpasses customer expectations. Since inception, technological advancement has been our major key for success in delivering quality performance.
Transforming our operations & processes, here are a few innovative solutions which helped our customers make hiring decisions and proceed with candidate on-boarding.
Digital Onboarding
We offer Digital Onboarding solution for organization. The service assures efficient online onboarding of the candidate, removes the hassle of paperwork and further eliminates the need of the candidate’s physical presence
Digital Address
We conduct alternate mode of address verification using digital methodology, thus enabling a fast, reliable validation of the address provided by candidates: An automated solution which uses advanced GPS technology to match the geographic coordinates of the address provided by the candidate with the co-ordinates captured via the mobile device from where the candidate is physically present.
E-Court
Our E-court services will ensure that your current and future employees are work-ready. Our criminal records background check solutions deliver peace of mind while enabling flexibility in your workforce. Quickly and easily know who is work-ready and hire quickly in the areas of your business that need it most.
Employment validation through UAN
For this process we use the UAN, validation of candidate’s association with the employer and the dates of enrollment using the EPFO portal for records. This helps to speed the hiring process by relieving the burden from busy hiring teams.
BNTW: Which sectors does First Advantage work with? What kind of clientele do you have? Which are the sectors usually which show high levels of discrepancy in background verification?
Amit Singh:First Advantage is a leading global provider of technology solutions for screening, verifications, Safety and compliance related to human capital. We have a client base across sectors like IT, Banking, Financial Services, insurance, Manufacturing, FMCG, Healthcare, Hospitality, Pharma,Engineering & Infra, Ecommerce & Logistics, Retail, Staffing, BPO, Consulting&Telecom.
In Q1-22, sectors such as BFSI, Retail, and Telecom have shown high discrepancy percentages.
BNTW: How many employees are currently employed in First Advantage? Are you planning to increase employee strength?
Amit Singh:We are operating in 26 locations, with 5,500 employees conducting background checks in 200+ countries and territories.
First Advantage has a team of experts who understand the requirements of the companies and has been inclined towards hiring right set of candidates with right skill.