{"id":73838,"date":"2021-06-23T06:36:34","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T05:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bullhorn.com\/uk\/?p=73838"},"modified":"2021-09-17T20:26:02","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T19:26:02","slug":"5-reasons-why-hiring-should-start-with-identity-verification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bullhorn.com\/uk\/blog\/5-reasons-why-hiring-should-start-with-identity-verification\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons Why Hiring Should Start with Identity Verification"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past year, we\u2019ve seen a sea change in employment, from mass layoffs to a rush to hire as fast as possible, with many employers struggling to fill open positions. Virtual hiring may have gained traction due to Covid-19 social distancing restrictions, but 70% of talent acquisition professionals expect the virtual hiring trend or remote\/in-person hybrid hiring to continue, thanks largely to time and cost savings.[1]<\/p>\n

Those aren\u2019t the only benefits associated with virtual hiring. In addition to streamlining the process, virtual hiring breaks down geographic barriers, allowing your organisation to tap into a more diverse candidate pool, potentially spread across time sones. Before you can realise the benefits, however, you need to know with confidence that the candidates you\u2019re engaged with are who they say they are and that their biographical information is complete and correct. That\u2019s where identity verification comes in.<\/p>\n

Reason #1: Clean and Accurate Candidate Information is Critical to the Background Screen<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Background screens<\/a>\u00a0can play a pivotal role when you\u2019re preparing to make a hiring decision\u2014be it for a single candidate or 100. But as the old saying goes: Garbage in, garbage out. You need good information to get good results. Verifying identity before the background check helps you capture more accurate candidate biographical data, allowing the screen to be successful and returns all available information about a candidate.<\/p>\n

If you shortchange the initial identity verification step in your hiring workflow, the results you get back from a background screen might not include the information you need to make informed choices that support a culture of safety and trust. We can point to tragic cases where a background screen missed a criminal history due to something as simple as altering a birthdate. Moreover, hiring is a time-sensitive proposition. Incomplete or incorrect candidate data can result in delays or the need to re-run a background check\u2014assuming it\u2019s even caught.<\/p>\n

People sometimes change their names informally \u2014 using a middle name in place of their first name, or hyphenating their last name after a marriage, for example. They don\u2019t, however, always formalise the name change. This can lead to variations that could cause missed records in a background screen. By optimising the hiring workflow with digitally enabled identity verification, you can keep pace with hiring demands and still be confident that you\u2019re protecting your employees, clients, and company\u2019s reputation with smart hiring practices.<\/p>\n

Reason #2: Automated Candidate Data Collection Removes Friction from the Process<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It might seem like adding an additional identity verification step to the candidate engagement process would increase friction and turnaround time, but this isn\u2019t necessarily the case. By automating candidate data collection and doing it as early as possible in the hiring process, candidates don\u2019t need to type in the same information time and time again throughout the screening and onboarding process. And capturing it automatically versus relying on typing minimises errors and time-consuming reentry.<\/p>\n

A very real example for many is the widely reviled practice of forcing candidates to re-enter resume information after uploading their resume. It\u2019s redundant, unnecessarily labor-intensive, and error-prone. This data should simply be extracted from the source document. The same applies to the rest of the hiring process. Automating data entry can eliminate the need for candidates to provide identity information every step of the way, thus reducing friction and redundancy in hiring.<\/p>\n

And when identity verification tools cross-verify candidate identity information against reliable sources \u2013 such as government-issued IDs, telecom records, or credit bureaus \u2013 you can rest assured that the candidate data used in the screening process is reliable.<\/p>\n

Reason #3: Optimising Workflows Means a Better Experience All-Around<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When there are fewer data collection points in the hiring process, and when candidates can get through screening and onboarding faster, you can hire faster. An optimised workflow where verified candidate information feeds into the background check, Social Security number trace, and I-9 process, create a streamlined experience.<\/p>\n

Many screening companies present Social Security number trace as a form of identity verification, but what it really does is produce an address history and aliases tied to an SSN, which is a critical component of a background screen but should not be confused with identity verification. In addition, organisations shouldn\u2019t rely on the I-9 process as their only identity verification method. Identity information used during the I-9 process may differ from the identity that a background check was conducted against.<\/p>\n

By verifying identity at the onset and feeding this verified identity information into other hiring processes, you\u2019re creating a streamlined workflow from start to finish. Simply put, better data translates into reduced hiring friction and increased velocity.<\/p>\n

Reason #4: A Streamlined Process Improves Productivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When individuals at your organisation spend less time collecting and recollecting candidate information, they can spend more time on meaningful, profit-generating tasks, benefitting both them and the organisation.<\/p>\n

Your background screening partner should collect, verify, and populate candidate identity data into your systems and minimise back and forth with candidates. With the inclusion of identity verification as part of your screening package, you\u2019d be equipped to collect accurate candidate data upfront before the background check and feed this data into the background check and other downstream processes.<\/p>\n

Reason #5: Deter and Detect Identity Fraud from the Get-Go<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to a recent Risk Based Security report, the total number of data records compromised in 2020 exceeded 37 billion, a 141% increase compared to 2019 and by far the most records exposed in a single year since they began reporting on data breach activity.[2]<\/p>\n

Incredibly, this number does not include the nearly 50% of breaches (1,923 of 3,932 publicly reported breaches) that did not report the number of records compromised. With this explosive growth in exposed records, we can safely assume that many identities are at risk of exposure and theft.<\/p>\n

Yet, many HR professionals and businesses may have a blind spot when it comes to identity fraud. A\u00a0Sterling survey<\/a>\u00a0of HR professionals early last year found that nearly one in five organisations has experienced candidate or employee identity fraud, and the identity fraud threat has only continued to grow since then.[3]<\/p>\n

Verifying identity<\/a>\u00a0is a powerful tool that employers can use to verify that their candidates and workers are, in fact, who they claim to be, and that fraudulent data is not being used during the hiring and onboarding process.<\/p>\n

How to Verify Identity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The past year has reduced any hesitancy organisations had for adopting digital solutions, which holds true for HR departments and recruitment agencies. Comparing a driver\u2019s license to a candidate during a face-to-face meeting is relatively easy, but a remote hiring world has forced us to reconsider handling identity verification. What does a fast, effective digital identity verification process look like?<\/p>\n

Multiple, linked identity verification methods mean you can right-size the identity verification process to meet varying standards based on the roles being filled or other factors. This leads to success should one method not work for a given candidate. Verification methods to look for include:<\/p>\n