Background checks in international education recruitment

When it comes to recruiting candidates in the international teaching landscape, ensuring a candidate is who they claim to be, and that they are not going to pose a risk to your school or its student is every recruiter’s number one priority.

That’s why it can be distressing to learn that conducting criminal background checks alone result in fewer than 0.2% of abusers being identified. (Source: International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children)

Required background checks

To stop predators slipping through the cracks, the vast majority of accrediting bodies, including Council of British International Schools (COBIS), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Council of International Schools (CIS), and New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) require international schools to conduct some or all of the following checks on new hires:

1. ID verification check – Confirms the candidate is who they say they are
2. Education verification check – Confirms the candidate holds the qualifications they say they hold?
3. Employment verification check – Confirms the candidate worked where they say they worked
4. Employment reference check – Confirms the candidate performed as well as they say they did
5. Global sanctions check – Confirms the candidate is not restricted, sanctioned, or prohibited
6. Criminal check – Confirms the candidate does not have a criminal record
7. Social media check – Confirms the candidate is behaving appropriate on social media platforms

Option 1: DIY international teaching background checks

In order to complete the above checks, Schrole recommends following the below steps:

1. Create consent forms designed specifically for the various checks. It’s important to word these forms carefully and to have the letters looked over by a legal professional to ensure you are not breaking privacy laws and asking for information you legally cannot.
2. Have the candidate provide you with appropriate paperwork, including ID Documents and qualifications (originals or attested copies). It’s important you store these documents in a manner that is fully compliant with all relevant data protection laws and regulations.
3. Research who to contact at each past employer to verify the candidate’s teaching history.
4. Research who to contact at past education institutions to ensure the candidate’s qualifications are legitimate.
5. Research who to contact at national and local police departments of the candidate’s past addresses.
6. Contact the persons identified in steps 3-5. Be aware that you may encounter language barriers, privacy laws and additional fees.
7. Search the candidate’s name on social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, etc) to uncover both profiles and any mentions.?
8. Collate all information on a secure server so it can be referenced in the future if the need arises.

Option 2: Ask your international teaching candidate to complete their own background checks

If you’re unable to complete your own background checks due to time or administration restrictions, candidates can simply provide you with all their checks, and you can do your best to verify the veracity f the documents.

At Schrole, we highly discourage this option.

Option 3: Use Schrole Verify

HR software built specifically for International Schools, every Schrole product is designed to protect your school and its community. No product does this better than Verify, where you can request in-depth background checks with just a few clicks.

Verify can access information in hard-to-reach locations where other agency's struggle, utilising rich data from a range of government agencies to complete the same checks required by international education accrediting bodies.

Checks are in-depth, accredited and affordable, costing you as little as $330 for all seven.

1. ID verification check – $10.40
2. Education verification check – from $72.00 (per qualification)?
3. Employment verification check – from $39.00 (per employer)
4. Employment reference check – from $39.00 (per employer)
5. Global sanctions check – $26.00
6. Criminal check – from $78.00 (per country)
7. Social media check – from $65.00

Don’t put your school, its reputation, and most importantly, the safety of your children at risk. Contact Schrole to learn more about Verify, and relax knowing you’ve done everything in your power to protect your students.