Having productive, reliable staff onboard is undoubtedly something that is key to the success of any business, but employers first need to ensure new recruits pass all the relevant pre-employment checks and hold the legally required documents for employment in the UK.
Screening and vetting properly will save you money in recruitment costs and ensure you only employ candidates who are the right fit for your positions.
The explosion of the internet now means cybercrime and fraud are everywhere. So, in today’s digital age, you must go the extra mile to verify the authenticity of the documents handed over to you in candidates’ applications.
In the past, the document verification process required applicants to provide you with hard copies of their identity documents. However, new rules today mean employers are able to make the most of modern tech and use digital document identity validation technology to verify electronic documents sent by applicants.
At Secure Screening Services, we offer comprehensive screening solutions and are up to speed with the latest developments in employment screening. We now provide digital ID verification services for our customers.
Continue reading to learn more about digital ID verification.
Digital ID verification is an employment screening process to validate documents indicating a candidate’s identity and check they are genuine and legitimate and biometrically matched, without actually having to meet them face-to-face
Essentially, digital ID verification makes sure that a person is who they say they are, and that the personal information they have provided to you, the employer, isn’t fake or stolen.
During the pandemic, many workplaces found themselves having to switch to remote working, and at the same time, there was an increased need for pre-employment screening processes to go digital since face-to-face meetings couldn’t take place.
This logistical dilemma pathed the way for the UK government to step in on 6 April 2022 to approve digital identity document validation technology being used to help employers validate electronic documents relating to Right to Work, Disclosure Scotland and pre-employment DBS checks. This change means digital ID verification is now a feasible option for employers across the UK.
At Screening Screening, we process candidates’ relevant electronic identity documents, such as passports DBS checks, right-to-work documents, and digital identity document verification checks by using our connection with a government-accredited identity service provider.
Digital ID verification checks scan the biometric data on an electronic identity document. The fact that biometric digital ID scanners are capable of checking documents against a broad range of information across saved databases makes them more reliable than physical checks on hard copies.
As well as checking through the information and data provided in documents, digital checks also ensure document verification and that documents themselves aren’t fraudulent in any way. This may involve scanning watermarks on passports or checking the authenticity of a DBS check document for instance.
Creating fake documents is big business, and fakes these days can be sophisticated and appear pretty convincing. So, using the latest digital identity document verification technology will help to prevent you from going ahead and employing someone presenting misleading information and fraudulent documents in their application.
One of the main benefits of carrying out digital ID verification on applicants to your roles is that it helps to remove the risk of you validating documents that ought to be rejected. Correctly validating IDs will mean only people sending genuine documents which contain accurate and correct information will be able to pass your pre-employment checks.
In addition, time is money for employers. Allowing screening providers such as us at Secure Screening Services to perform digital ID verification on your candidates’ applications will also help to save you valuable time. One of the hallmarks of a well-run and productive business is time efficiency. You don’t want to be slow in your recruitment process or leave candidates waiting around. And using Secure Screening Service’s speedy digital verification will help to lift time pressures from you.
Some of your roles may be particularly popular, and you may receive hundreds of applications and interview many people. If so, you will want to ensure things are as smooth and simple as possible for candidates. Another advantage of going down the digital ID verification route is that it improves the candidates’ experience and alleviates the hassle and stress of them having to produce physical hard copies of their identity documents.
Are you a business owner who is concerned about just how long digital ID verifications could take? Well, you’ll be pleased to learn that digital ID verifications consistently provide quick turnaround times, and your applicants’ identity documents will be returned to you in no time.
The reliability of digital verification and the technology it uses also decreases the likelihood of employers falling victim to fraud. It’s reassuring for business owners to know their staff can be trusted, and that they really are who they say they are in their application, particularly if it’s for a high-risk position or one working with vulnerable people.
Digital ID verification makes screening much more efficient for modern-day businesses and is another example of how modern digital technology can come in handy for business owners.
Undoubtedly, screening providers being able to verify and process applicants’ documents remotely using technology amounts to a huge change for the screening industry and the way things are done. So, what are the consequences of digital ID verification for the screening industry?
Digital ID verification is enabling the screening industry to boom in the digital era of today whereby physical documents are rapidly becoming obsolete and used less and less.
A further impact of digital ID on the screening industry is that it is an adaptable solution that facilitates remote working. Many workplaces have indeed continued remote working practices in the post-pandemic era. It seems as though the trend of remote working is not going anywhere soon.
Digital ID verification has led to applicants no longer having to provide hard copies of Right to Work documents to employers. Documents for Right to Work checks can now be sent over digitally from anywhere and verified accordingly by us at Secure Screening Services.
At Secure Screening Services, we are committed proud leaders in our field. In fact, we are one of the first screening companies to offer customers digital ID verification. We have prestigious partnerships with two UK government-accredited Identity Service Providers.
Regardless of the number of candidates you’ve got to screen, our specially designed live online portal makes it quick and easy to buy flexible packages and monitor your screening progress. Secure Screening Service’s portal helps to make you and your job candidates’ lives far easier.
Do you want to ask more questions about digital ID verification so you can get a good idea of how it could work for your business’s screening needs? Our dedicated friendly team of experts here at Secure Screening Services are on hand to talk with you further about digital ID verification and discuss what our different packages offer.
Are you interested in working with Secure Screening Services? Get in touch with us today by phoning 01243 767 868 or dropping an email to hello@securescreeningservices.com.
