Every time a business has a new vacancy, there is added stress around having to replace or fill the new position. Sometimes the employer feels they will never find someone as good as the employee who just left, or that the new role won’t be able to be filled by the right person.  When all goes as planned, and with a little luck, companies can find and hire the best person for the job.  All this occurs when hiring domestically in your own country.  In today’s world, many hiring managers and Human Resource professionals expand their search into other countries, either to find the talent they are looking for, or to find the talent they need at a more competitive price to minimize expenses.

When hiring internationally, the risk for false resumes, fake ID’s and passports, misrepresentation and fraud increases significantly.  Recruiting processes can be exhausting, and when the right candidate is found, there is no guarantee the candidate is who he or she claims to be.  How can an employer be sure the documents, resume or CV, passport, ID and other information is true and accurate?  What if you don’t speak the language in the country where the candidate has worked or lived?  The truth is, verifying a candidate from a foreign country is a complicated task, and requires the skills and resources of an international private investigation company with actual investigators in the country or countries where you need them.  In other words, if you’re considering hiring someone from China, you better have an experienced investigator in China if you expect to properly mitigate the risk.

The employer must shift through many resumes and applications, assuming the information is correct. Based on what the employer reads, he has to choose the right people to fill in the position. Interviews are then set up and the best candidates are selected.  However, the employer has no way of knowing if the person selected has provided information that is truthful and accurate.  How can employers be sure of the qualifications or history of a candidate if no proper employment screening is conducted?  They can’t.  For companies who avoid proper screening because of the related expenses actually end up losing more money in the long run from bad hires, and can face worse problems.

Here are the top 6 reasons why real international employment background check investigations are critical to successful hiring in foreign countries or hiring someone from a foreign country.

1. More Information is Less Risk

Although interviews for international candidates can be conducted via telephone, online conference calls, video chat and even in person, there is still no way to be sure you will actually get what you are seeing or what you’re being told.  Many companies have found that when hiring in India, China and Russia, for example, that when a candidate is hired, the person sent to do the job can actually be someone else!  Such cases are increasingly common and are run like a type of mafia business where candidates are sold to companies in exchange for visas and other benefits, and all without the company knowing.  In other cases, the candidate’s work experience isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, or may be completely false.  The more you know about a candidate, the less risk you have in the hiring process.  Professional investigators not only verify the basic information, but also obtain additional evidence to give you a more complete picture.  Make sure the company you use for an international case has investigators in the country where your candidate resides.  Local investigators speak the language, have access to records in the country, and have the experience needed to verify your new hire.

2. Real Investigators for Real Evidence

Searching databases or criminal records in the U.S. is not a real international background check investigation, but only a small part of a proper verification process.  In most foreign countries, doing this alone would be negligence and dangerous, and certainly not a real background check.  Having real professional investigators conducting real investigations means obtaining real evidence, so you can stay safe and make an informed and safe hire.  Searching databases in developing countries can be risky, since some of those countries do not have updated systems or there are no systems at all. There is no substitute for real investigation. Field investigators are a key piece in real background checks. A flawless employment background check would include but would not be limited to birth records verification, employment and education verification and criminal and court records. When performing a crossed control, employers guarantee the veracity of the information provided by the candidate.

3. Verification of Professional History

Employment history is as important as the degrees and professional certifications an employee may have. However, to be a good performer within a company, the professional should have certain skills and abilities. Sometimes, when verifying employment and education, an employer may confirm the candidate’s honesty. Other times, employers just confirm the potential employee is legally capable of performing a role within the company, but not his experience and or achievements.  Employers might also be looking for someone to train from zero up so the business does not have to deal with previous bad habits on the job.

4. Get Evidence on Performance and Reputation

Employment background checks allow an employer to get insights and feedback on a candidate’s previous performance. If an applicant lies about his or her previous education or employment and the hiring manager does not uncover those lies, it would be easier for the new hire to lie in their new workplace. The verification of the information provided by the candidate on their resume and during the interview would result in a smart decision making.

5. Protect Your Company and Existing Employees

The main objective of an employment background check is to ensure the security and safety of the business and its employees. Employment background checks may include credit, driving records, criminal records, court records, blacklists, references and sex offender information. Employers give complete strangers access to sensitive information such as the company´s finances and reputation. Employing the wrong person could cause a disaster in your company. The outcome of the investigation can identify potential hiring risks for safety and security reasons.   In the long run, this leads to greater profitability at the company.

6. Save Money in the Long Run with Better Hires

An employment background check reduces uncertainty in terms of the candidate you are hiring. Some employers prefer to do the preemployment screening by themselves, however, it takes extra time to conduct verifications and there is a large chance the employer would miss critical information that will affect the hiring decision.  An employment background check can considerably decrease the possibility of executing a risky attrition hiring. Hiring the wrong people affects not only the business in terms of money, but also the rest of your team.

By conducting professional employment background check investigations, an employer can avoid having to start the recruiting process again for the same position in the near future just because the employee did not meet the expectations.  Not to mention avoiding costly losses from bad hires in the form of fraud and illegal activity, and negative media coverage.  Professional field investigators will do a flawless check faster and better lowering the company’s risk. No employer would regret having enough information to make wise decisions.

C. Wright
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