The recent pandemic has ushered in changes in every area of the business industry. The background screening industry was no exception to this. Carrying out physical verification of background checks seemed impossible when educational institutes, govt. and private offices were asked to close shop or work remotely.

But like they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going! While in-person or physical verification seems to be challenging to carry out, background verification (BGV) services provider like Neeyamo, have found innovative ways of carrying out the verification process to prevent falling foul of the rules.

While the conventional methods of carrying out a background verification can be looked at as the fundamentals in the current world, organizations should adapt to overcome the present-day challenges. Reaching out to your partner/verification services provider, for example, can help you understand the ground reality and provide you compliance update to help you better prepare your organization.

Another factor that takes a hit during any pandemic is the Turn-Around-Time (TAT). Having an open conversation with your partner also helps set the right expectations with regards to the TAT without hindering the overall applicant experience.

While setting the right expectations can help your organization get a better grip on the situation, given below are few points that can help both the end-customer/ verification provider maintain their status quo and the ability to produce the desired results once again –

Interim Verification Reports: As an alternative, companies can work with their background screening partners in processing an interim background verification report with the necessary information that can help you decide on the candidate. The report template can be designed as part of the business continuity plan and use only when the need arises. Identifying fields in the report that are an absolute must and can be addressed even during a pandemic would be a great way to remove obstacles in the hiring process.

Go Social – According to Digital 2020 Global digital overview, more than 4.5 billion people are using the internet as of 2020. The active social media users have passed the 3.8 billion mark with this number increasing by more than 9 percent (321 million new users) since this time last year. Nearly 60 percent of the world’s population is already online. People often use social media as a way to express and share personal information. A social media check can be an excellent alternative to verify an applicant’s character. In an article published by Ferretly, a person was found guilty of violating an espionage act and was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison. All this by simply conducting a social media check. Well, that is the power of social media today!

BGV Compliance – When it comes to background verification, compliance is the king! For example, in the UK, Disclosure Scotland emphasized on providing criminal record verification on priority for the ones working in the essential sectors like healthcare, pharmaceutical, childcare, prison, and justice, to mention a few via their virtual web services. But, keeping track of ever-changing compliance rules and regulations has always seemed to be a daunting task and more so during a pandemic. The best way to handle compliances is by implementing a background screening solution that not only automates your verification process but also keeps you in check and throws alerts every time there is a change in country-specific laws/ regulations.

Global Database – Lastly, leveraging global databases to access all the updated information from hundreds and thousands of verification sources. Some of these databases are built and maintained by the government. Thus, you do not need to worry about the legitimacy of these sources. These databases help a screening provider in fetching legitimate information for categories such as government-maintained sanctions and watchlists, crime, finance, anti-money laundering, or even adverse media. Thanks to government initiatives like these, ensure continuity and access to the right information all the time!

All in all, just like every other industry, the background verification industry has also found it’s new normal and a way to continue and move forward. The resilience lies in adapting to the situation, making technical tweaks in the overall verification process, and harness the best of conventional as well as a modern and more digitized version of the world! The pandemic is just a steppingstone; with huge potential in the BGV world, the efficacy of all the background verification operations can be maintained and increased with the right ideologies.

Interested to resume your background verification process and checks? Write to mary.jane@neeyamoworks.com! Our BGV experts will get in touch with you.