Global Employee Screening: Why You Need It Before Hiring International

BySmartHire
Background checks

The recent pandemic has made it easier than ever before to hire employees that aren’t close to your company geographically. And while there are many challenges with remote work, technology has made it easier to address them. In addition, with many companies reporting greater productivity levels with remote working arrangements, it’s no surprise that some companies are looking to expand even more to include a global workforce.

There are many benefits to hiring internationally. It can draw top talent to your company from a much larger pool of candidates, bring diversity to your team, and position your company to succeed in a global market. However, hiring internationally does come with unique risks.

First, the candidate is providing documentation that may look very different from the documentation provided to US citizens, which means it’s much harder to determine authenticity. Additionally, language barriers may prevent you from following up on references or verifying that any documentation provided is valid.

When these challenges are not addressed, you can easily hire someone unqualified for their position or someone with a criminal background that may put your company and its employees at risk. Hiring the wrong candidate could put your business at risk of embezzlement, theft, data breaches, and other threats. Global screening processes can be implemented to reduce the risk that your business will suffer from any of these adverse effects.

When hiring internationally, it can be much easier to feel that some of the information you need to make good hiring decisions may have fallen through the cracks. However, global screening can help you overcome the challenges of conducting an international background check. Challenges with this process include:

  • Regulations: Each country has unique laws and regulations governing the process of background checks. Sometimes, areas or cities within a country may have additional regulations (similar to varying state and local regulations in the US). Determining how to comply with these regulations can be challenging, especially if you draw candidates from many countries. Because of this, there is no standard international background check process. Rather, each one will be unique, depending upon the country and the industry.   
  • Facing language barriers: Doing a thorough background check often requires fluency in the native language. For example, some countries only issue documentation in the local language, meaning that whoever reviews the documentation must know it well enough to understand the information. Additionally, contacting references is much more difficult if you have a language barrier.
  • Technological differences: Each country has different systems and ways to collect information and retain records. Background checks can do a deep dive into an individual’s past to ensure they have the required knowledge, skills, experience, education, and licensure (if required).

As you can see, there are many challenges with international background checks. However, taking the time to do this right can result in many benefits for your company, such as:

  • Attracting greater talent: Recruiting on a global stage can yield far different results than focusing on only domestic applicants. You may be able to get direct access to some of the top professionals in your industry. Alternatively, you may find candidates to take on positions that are hard to fill, such as areas with workforce shortages. International background checks can give you confidence that your international hires are reputable and their information is valid.
  • Protecting your business and team: One of the primary benefits of any background check – both foreign and domestic – is that you can screen out any candidates with a history of harmful behaviors. Global employee screening looks for information about a candidate’s criminal history. This information reduces the risk of hiring someone who may harm your business or other team members.
  • Considering culture: Background checks can often reveal a lot about a candidate’s personality. Hiring any candidate, even those fully qualified, can be a risk since you don’t know if they will appreciate your organization’s culture. If they don’t, it’s unlikely they will stay in the position long. This problem often contributes to a company’s overall turnover rate. And it can be exacerbated with new team members from another country. However, some of the data in a background check can give you an idea of their expectations and preferred work style, increasing the odds that they will be a good fit for your company.

At a time when employers all over the country are struggling to fill positions with qualified individuals, international hiring provides another route to finding qualified employees. However, it’s a huge risk without conducting a thorough background check. To learn more about the challenges with global screening and how to maintain compliance, contact USA Fact today.

USA Fact Global Screening Services provides comprehensive background and criminal checks for employers that comply with federal and local laws. By helping you eliminate high-risk applicants through tailored solutions, USAFact enables you to create a safe and productive work environment and a foundation for future success.