International employment screenings can present a challenge to recruiting and human resources staff. With more remote working options, not only do companies have the opportunity to hire talent from anywhere in the world, but they also face the fact that many local candidates have lived and worked abroad. It is hard for a U.S. based company to deal with a background check investigation of a candidate from Russia or China, or an American who has spent part of their life in a foreign country. Without the necessary tools and resources, and a trained investigator in the country or countries involved, a background check can become a nightmare.

Private investigation firms like Wymoo International can offer a solution to this problem, and can provide a standardized due diligence or international background check investigation service regardless of the country or countries involved.   The following are 3 critical aspects of international employment screenings that a professional firm can cover.

Having boots on the ground

Local expertise is indispensable. Human resources people in developed countries are used to having a lot of information at the finger tips. But it does not work the same all over the globe. In fact, most countries lack of modern, updated, and centralized databases where recruiters can search for a name and date of birth and obtain records. Professional private investigators on the ground know exactly what government office to visit, what are the procedures to request for certain data, they communicate in the same language as the previous employers and references (which is highly important to guarantee that nothing will be lost in translation), and they know the laws. Having access to the information is the starting point of any international employment screening, and it can only be accomplished with professionals on the ground.

Consistency in the screening process

Consistency is extremely hard to obtain without local resources. A company cannot afford to be meticulous with local hires and sloppy with international. Regardless of where the candidate is from, the level of investigation has to be the same. Any blank space, any unverified piece of information, can represent an enormous risk. What if a candidate has been an exemplary citizen in their home country, but has a bad record somewhere else? How many scammers, fraudsters and criminals have been able to disguise their real intentions because nobody cared to verify? Being consistent is important to guarantee that everyone has been equally selected, and that everyone has been properly screened. Doing otherwise would be like adding a double lock to your home’s front and back door, but leaving the windows open.

Investigators in different countries have to follow different steps to conduct an employment screening, but the final result is what matters. A criminal records search could take a matter of minutes in the U.S., but you cannot expect to follow the same process and obtain the same results in Malaysia or South Africa or China.  Remember that criminal and court records are only a very small part of a proper international background check investigation.  Real evidence requires real investigators in the country or countries where you need them.  Consistency in the screening process means that despite the differences in languages, country’s laws, and technology resources, you will be able to ensure that every candidate has been properly verified.

Thorough investigations

The third critical aspect is to conduct a thorough investigation. In some cases -even if not recommended- recruiters waive part of the verification process with local candidates because they have been referred by someone close. However, international background check investigations must be very thorough to guarantee that every piece of information fits the candidate’s portrait of themselves. The global work market is fierce, and in some countries the pressure over being qualified for a job is so strong that people decide to lie in their resumes just to land a position. It is easier to be deceived when you are not familiar with how things work in another country, which is why conducting detailed investigations is important to see the whole picture.

If your company is planning to hire overseas, contact our expert investigators for a quote.

C. Wright
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