When you are looking to grow and improve your company, you might not just look at employees from within the UK. Instead, you might choose to look abroad for the best candidates possible. This will ensure that you have a wide pool of talent to choose from before you make the final decision about who to hire.
A background check is absolutely essential for people who are coming to work for you from overseas. This is something that creates accountability and transparency within your company. The check is something that no business owner should avoid doing because it will help to protect your clients and other people who you are working with.
Why should you perform criminal screening for international recruits?
They Might Have Convictions That Do Not Show Up In The UK
UK police databases are extremely thorough and well-maintained. They will allow a professional background checking service to find the information that you are looking for about employees who have convictions in the UK. However, the UK police databases will not show any convictions or cautions which were obtained whilst a foreign employee was abroad.
When you employ a specialist background-checking service, they will be able to get in touch with the police force in the potential employee’s home country. They will be able to obtain DBS check documents such as the person’s passport or driving license.
Once the convictions have been highlighted, you can choose to hire another overseas candidate instead of that person. This process will help to give you peace of mind and can be carried out for anyone who applies from abroad.
Failing to do a thorough check of a foreign candidate’s background could result in you hiring a convicted felon, which is something that no employer ever wants to do.
They Might Have Some Cautions Which Do Not Show Up In The UK
The next step down from a conviction is a caution for an offence. This happens when someone agrees with the police that they have committed a crime and are not actually formally charged. Many countries adopt this procedure as a way to keep people out of the court system, which can be extremely expensive for governments to maintain.
You will not be able to obtain a record of this caution by yourself if the potential employee committed the offence overseas. Instead, the background checking professionals that you hire can make sure that you are aware of any cautions that the person has received in their own country. This will influence your final decision on whether the person is hired or not.
Professional background checking services are so cost-effective that it would be unwise not to use one when you are putting people through the screening process. Every aspect of a potential employee’s criminal record will be obtained by the service that you use. You will be able to spot any undesirable candidates and hire the conviction-free ones instead.
