A little about what I have learned about Background Screening...

I have been fortunate enough to fall into – and work in background screening for four years.  It is an area of work I never would have imagined I would undertake.  I have found it truly fantastic and I consider myself very privileged.

Initially – I experienced a steep learning curve. What I have subsequently found is - I am in a never-ending learning cycle.  Legislation can evolve, and there can be differences in candidate screening requirements from State to State.  There are industry requirements.  There are respective company policies on risk mitigation. And the verification checks themselves need to be understood.  It is an ever-evolving landscape.

So often, there is confusion or misinformation around this industry and subject matter.  Around verification requirements. And around intricate details of privacy and data retention.   This is not surprising.  Firstly – it can be a complex area.  Secondly, in some cases, organisations may not consider the background screening piece or the quality of their current procedure, until – sadly, there is an unfavourable incident. Suddenly there is a necessity for at least one person or a designated team in the organisation to champion and manage this piece.   To procure a vendor, to scope the work and what it will involve, to educate the organisation and to implement background screening from the onboarding of new candidates – to existing staff and volunteers – not forgetting to devise strategy around ongoing screening.  And thirdly – new industry requirements can dictate the necessity.

What do I love about all of this?  For me - it all ultimately comes down to protecting the vulnerable. Even that word – vulnerable – is worth considering.  Every single person is vulnerable from time to time.  And in certain situations.  Then there are the obviously vulnerable in our society – children, elderly, disabled -to name a few. 

For me, it comes down to being fortunate enough to be a part of a team of like-minded people – so many of whom are vastly more experienced and hold true expertise – and all share a common goal – to provide an optimal vehicle to manage protection for the vulnerable, staff and volunteers and of course - clients of organisations. The by-product of this human protection - brand reputation protection and commercial protection.

To work in an industry – where I can play a part in supporting the protection of anyone vulnerable or circumstantially vulnerable – this I find deeply fulfilling.

These are just some things I have learned in my journey…

There is a reality in our world - all organisations – commercial, government not for profit etc – need to manage potential risks posed by recruiting employees or volunteers.  Ensuring employees and volunteers have a safe working environment – and that clients can be assured of this – is a duty of care.

Prevention of problems before they arise – by screening applicants - is the optimal way to keep your organisation safe. To do this – it is essential all organisations conduct background screening procedures.

The background screening checks organisations choose to conduct – depend on the type of work candidates will undertake in their role.    For instance – if a candidate will have access to company finances, assets, and / or company data – or work in an unsupervised environment – it may be useful to undertake a National Police Check and an International Police Check – should the candidate have worked or lived overseas for any period of time.

In some industries – a National Police Check is mandatory. Aged Care Facilities are a good example of this.

A National Police Check is a point in time check.  This means – the day the result is released to your organisation – the check is fitting to the applicant.  The reason re-checking is a consideration for every company – on a regular basis – is that – for whatever reason, the candidate could make different decisions for their life pathway the very next day.  A criminal offence an individual commits and is caught doing – with the offence heard in a magistrate’s court – after your initial Police Check – will not be notified to you voluntarily by the courts or the police.  Unless the staff member or volunteer offers up the information – the only way your organisation knows if there has been a change to the individual’s record – is if another check is run.  It is worthwhile keeping in mind – not all criminal offenses attract prison time.  It is also worth noting – if there is a pending charge for an individual – and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission deems that pending charge is relevant to the role the individual is undertaking – the pending charge will be released under Disclosable Court Outcomes.

It is also worth considering the necessity of introducing other checks into the mix within an organisation.   Verified reference checks, Working with Children verification checks, qualification checks, credit, bankruptcy, anti-money laundering, and event traffic checks.  Role dependant – with consistent reference to relevance to the role and how these checks could serve to mitigate against potential risk.

If you have candidates who will be working with children – the legal requirement for your organisation is that a Working with Children Check be undertaken.

We want to trust our people.  We want to take candidates on face value. We don’t really want to have to put people through this process.  And let’s face it – introducing a background screening policy – where all members of staff are required to be checked – for the first time – can be confronting.   Often this is met with suspicion for existing staff – and trepidation by management. Or conversely – a confidence by management that they have known so many members of their staff for 5, 10, 15, 20 years …. Where sometimes there can be varying levels of shock at times when resolved checks reveal surprising information.

I am still learning – and always will be. Remaining committed to the ultimate goal. Shielding people and organisations from harm.

I am always incredibly interested in how we better educate and serve in this space.

What are some of the areas of background screening you or your organisation would like more information on?