As a new year starts, companies begin with the implementation of their business plans to grow and continue on the success path when things are going well. These plans usually include expansion, relocating resources, new business deals, and to support all of this hiring new talent is necessary. This is why January and February are often peak months for hiring.  In today’s world, new hiring often means searching for candidates in foreign countries.  And foreign hires mean higher risk.

Forecasts around the world tend to be positive about the creation of new employment opportunities, so many companies increase their workforce. The following are some tips that our expert international private investigators have put together for recruiters and Human Resources specialists for any international hiring or expansion.  Taking proper steps to verify can mean hiring the perfect candidate and helping your business grow.  Not taking proper steps can lead to reputation and financial disaster.

Wymoo® investigators have been conducting professional investigations in over 100 countries for more than a decade, so we’ve seen the good, bad and the ugly when it comes to foreign hires.

Some HR professionals and hiring managers think that a “background check” is just checking records.  This is negligent and dangerous, especially when dealing with international risk mitigation.  An international background check investigation is actual investigation, and has nothing to do with public record searches in the United States.  Know the risk, and know how to minimize it.

Don’t rush the international hiring process

We know nobody wants to miss the opportunity to hire the perfect candidate. If your candidate is really good, they will probably have several offers. But being the first to make the job offer won’t give you any advantage, and on the contrary, it can put your company at serious risk. Take your time to evaluate the candidates thoroughly, and once you have selected the best fit, hire a professional investigator to conduct a real employment background check investigation to verify the subject.

According to a recent article an estimate of 25% of job seekers lie on their resumes to try to improve their chances of landing the job, so that means that 1 out of 4 people you interview is lying about something. Although some of the inaccuracies are “innocent”, like changing dates to hide a gap, the chances of stumbling into a big liar are high. Resume liars could face court, career-ending media coverage, and a ban by professional bodies, and yet they still take the chance because they know that many employers don’t take the time to verify or only do criminal records searches.

Criminal records searches are not investigations

To avoid “losing” time, employers often resort to quick database searches to verify criminal records. As mentioned before, rushing won’t be good in the long term to your hiring goals.  Trying to save money by cutting corners on a verification process can cost you big time later on, and can even lead to business failure in extreme cases of fraud.  Secondly, there are thousands of reasons why you may not want someone on your team, and having criminal records is not the only one. Candidates who have lied about their experience or education, who are using false IDs or passport or documents, could be far more threatening and dangerous to your organization than people who have criminal records.  And for those of you who don’t know…  many serious criminals and con-artists do not have criminal records!

Due to a lack of experience or knowledge (that they claimed to have) they could mess really bad with expensive equipment, infrastructure, or even the other people that work for the company. It’s not worth to take any chances, so a thorough investigation is important.

Investing upfront is your best option

Invest the time and the financial resources necessary to create and maintain a safe work environment. Your business plans are supported by your Human Resources team. Without a committed team your company goals won’t be reached.  Don’t try to save money by checking a box saying you conducted a “background check” when you actually only checked a database or public records.  Take your hiring and your employees seriously.  Verify who you’re bringing into your workplace family.  For international cases, it is critical to hire a company with investigators in the country or countries where you need them, and checking criminal and court records is only a small part of a proper investigation.  Some companies have to learn this lesson the hard way, and it’s not a pretty scenario.

Choose the right verification partner

To ensure a safe environment you will need help. Are you expanding to Russia, Philippines, India or Australia?  Thinking about hiring in China, the Ukraine, Latin America or Africa?  Research what reputable private investigation firms operate in the countries, and if they can provide a consistent service of international employment screenings in the countries involved.

We provide international background check investigations in over 100 countries, and we can help your business grow and remain safe.  Contact us for a free investigation quote today!

C. Wright
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