Remote work has grown exponentially in the past year since Covid started. A trend that had been slowly increasing is now the new normal as a result of the pandemic. With hundreds of millions of people around the world moving to working remotely in 2021, the work landscape has changed dramatically. So too has changed the perception of remote work, as the benefits for employers and employees alike have come to light.

For employers, the advantages of remote work are clearly demonstrated in different statistics. For one part, there are reduced operational costs involved with no longer requiring as much physical space (offices), and therefore saving in rent, utilities, security, etc. Less work-related distractions have also increased productivity in some cases. But there is much more to reduced costs and increased productivity. For example, recruiters have encountered that offering remote work positions attracts more and better talent, which directly impacts the quality of the workforce. People feel so comfortable with this option that they report to be more satisfied (hence less turnover too).

Physical boundaries are now left behind because companies can feel confident of searching for the best talent regardless of where they are from, or where they want to currently reside. This spatial flexibility is a win-win situation. Employers get to choose the best talent they can find, and employees get to choose where to work and live. Instead of limited opportunities, everyone encounters more options. Fraud cases have escalated along with remote hiring worldwide, as there are more unknowns. As a result of more international hiring and remote work options, Wymoo International investigators report an increase in demand for international background check investigations.

However, the changes have also implied new ways of doing things. The labor market transformed from locally based populations to a global dynamic. Employment background check investigations have evolved from domestic database searches to international investigations where real evidence and real risk mitigation is key. The recruiting process is certainly not the same than in the old days when companies interviewed candidates in person, who had been referred by someone inside the company.

The new norm is to be able to find applicants with much greater qualifications, but also these are people who we might never meet in person, and whose background is completely unknown to us. A database search is not enough in domestic hires, much less in international hires. Verifying an international candidate requires real investigation conducted by trained investigators in the country where you need them.

This is the main reason why the global remote work market has triggered the need for international background check investigations. Companies want to take advantage of the new opportunities that a global market has to offer, but they also need to keep the same safety levels and risk mitigation standards than they had in the past.

It is not the same to screen a candidate in the U.S., than in Russia, China, or the U.K. Not to mention the much serious differences in developing countries, where records are outdated and do not cover a wide range of the population. This factor highlights the importance of using local expert investigators in the country where you need the employment screening, and to be able to rely on a background company with global reach. This combination of capabilities ensures that the employment background check investigations will be conducted using a consistent method, despite the local differences in laws, regulations, technology and language, no matter what country or countries.

If your company is on board with the global work market opportunities, and you want to follow the best background check practices, contact us for a free quote! Our team can help in over 100 countries with customized investigations to reduce your risk.

C. Wright
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