International Background Check: What is it and How to Conduct It?

Screening processes are a vital part of running a successful business. This is certainly true when it comes to assessing job candidates who have previously lived, studied, or worked in another country. As an employer, it is in your best interest to do some thorough research before hiring international candidates, and this is where pre-employment screening tools such as an international background check come into play. By performing this check, an employer can gain insight into the job applicant’s background. This way, they will get to know exactly who they are hiring and perform Interpol red notice removal.

While conducting these checks isn’t what you’d define as easy, there are multiple benefits that make it worth your while. Below, everything you need to know about international background checks, including what it is, how to conduct one, and some of the best practices that you should keep in mind.

What is an international background check and when is it conducted?

An international background check is a type of screening that takes place prior to employing an international job candidate. Considering the rise in international recruitment on a global scale, these checks serve as valuable tools for modern day employers. They can help them make informed decisions during the hiring process and ensure qualified, quality hires.

An international background check is typically conducted in following situations:

•         the person applying for the job has spent a significant amount of time in a different state either residing or traveling
•         the local applicant has been traveling for a long period of time
•         the job applicant’s residence is outside the local jurisdiction of the company
•         the company has offices abroad or plans to expand into a new market and requires screening of local applicants

What does an international background check include?

This type of screening takes into account several important factors about the job applicant. The most common factor that the applicants are screened for is their criminal history. This type of check heavily relies on the use of foreign databases to check for major offenses that have been committed overseas. Then there’s the employment verification which involves assessing applicants’ previous professional employment. This type of check can help employers gain insight into the applicants’ salary, previous positions they’ve held, as well as their qualifications.

An international background check also includes verifying the applicants’ education information (the educational institutions they’ve attended, degrees and diplomas they earned, etc.), along with verification of applicants’ identification documents (ID, driver’s license, passport). It’s important to note that an international background check may be different in each company. This is largely due to the type of background details that a company chooses to focus on.

What are the steps for doing an international background check?

First, you’ll need to decide on the checks you’re going to perform. If it’s relevant for a particular position in a company (e.g. financial sector), you may choose to take a look into the applicant’s credit history. Similarly, if the candidate has applied for the position of a delivery driver, it makes sense that a company would want to check their driving record for any traffic violations. You will also need to research the employee’s country laws so that you’re not doing anything illegal, order reports, and then review findings. In some cases, you’ll need to obtain the candidate’s authorization to be able to access their records.

While taking a DIY approach here can be a low-cost solution, working with companies such as GSG security can go a long way in handling the complex process of international recruitment. They will rely on extensive resources to help ensure in-depth understanding of an applicant’s background. In doing so, they can help expand your team internationally much faster while complying with all the laws that are relevant.

What are some of the best practices when running an international background check?

Last but not least, there are certain practices you need to keep in mind in order to ensure everything goes smoothly. For starters, you want to be able to rely on a reputable provider to do your applicant’s background check and spare you the hassle of dealing with the complexities of varying regulations and laws. Before you get started, be sure to notify the applicant about it in written form and ask for their consent.

As an employer, it’s important that you take into account the applicant’s criminal record prior to deciding to hire them. In case the background check contains information that causes you to decide not to hire them, you will need to handle adverse action before making the decision.

Background checks as a vital component of international recruitment

Running background checks for international hires certainly comes with its own set of obstacles and challenges. However, it’s an important step in the hiring process that should not be skipped as it offers several important benefits. Stick with the tips above during your next international recruitment process and you should have no trouble securing qualified, quality hires for your company.