1. Why it’s necessary
It’s important that employers take an active approach to researching an applicant’s background to avoid problems further down the line. Many people admit to having lied on their CV, particularly about their experience, qualifications or salary. You might think this kind of bad practice would have become less prevalent with the rise of LinkedIn and Twitter, which for many can now act as a de facto electronic CV, but it is still a real issue, says the Chartered Institute of Professional Development.
2. Know the legalities
With the recent blacklisting scandal making the headlines, pre-employment checking has been brought into sharp focus. But current issues in recruitment are far more complex than they first appear. Employers have a right to check candidates’ online profiles, but they shouldn’t go on fishing expeditions to find out details about their private lives.
Recent social media research by the CIPD revealed that two in five employers look at candidates’ online activity, but few inform applicants that this is being done. To avoid the risk of legal challenge they should be fully aware of the law on data protection and discrimination in employment.
3. Ask candidates’ permission
Employers can help to manage the risks of dishonesty by using declarations of truth and ensuring candidates give permission to allow employers to research their qualifications, experience, dates of employment, and right to work in the UK.
4. Be accurate
Employers should take reasonable steps to validate the accuracy of information accessed online. A distinction should be drawn between social media for mainly private purposes and social media for mainly professional purposes (ie employers can check LinkedIn but not Facebook).
5. When using recruitment agencies, agree what pre-employment checks are necessary and appropriate.
If responsibility for pre-employment checks is outsourced, employers must recognise that they retain overall responsibility for the legal and ethical consequences of either lax or over-zealous approaches to pre-employment vetting and could suffer reputational damage where practice is poor.
This advice was drawn from new a new guide from the CIPD entitled Pre-employment Checks: An Employer’s Guide
