Diligentchex is a Consultancy Firm helping Companies navigate the World of Background Screening and Due Diligence
Diligentchex is a Consultancy Firm helping Companies navigate the World of Background Screening and Due Diligence
Working with clients to acknowledge a better understanding of background and due diligence
With over 30 years of industry experience, Diligentchex is well placed to help clients make informed decisions when assessing their background screening and due diligence needs and requirements.
We have extensive sector experience and are constantly reviewing the market to keep us up to date on the latest industry innovations, technologies and best practices.
At Diligentchex, we believe in honesty, integrity and transparency. We are committed to providing our clients with accurate and reliable information, and we always strive to exceed their expectations. We are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and ethics.
The background screening industry is constantly evolving. Over the past few years, the sector has seen many technology-led innovations, from the introduction of digital identity checks, to instant employment verification using open-source banking methodology. Background screening providers are turning more and more to system integrations with third-parties, including ATS and HCM platforms, as well as with global data service providers, all with one goal, to process checks better and faster.
Looking ahead, the introduction and acceptance of verifiable credentials (digital certificates confirming, for example, academic achievements or employment history), created by trusted issuers and owned by the Candidate, will be of immense benefit for employers, saving time and money during Candidate Onboarding. Employers need to start considering how verifiable credentials will improve their speed to hire, as well as the candidate 'experience'.
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If you are carrying out any background screening activity, the first step should be to verify the persons identity.
The introduction of the UK Digital Identity Trust Framework has meant that verifying someone's identity has become much simpler.
When selecting a digital identity provider, employers must thoroughly test the user experience and service quality.
UK Criminal Record checks offer employers the opportunity to identify any undisclosed convictions.
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Disclosure Scotland (DS) and AccessNI (or authorised umbrella bodies), can help employers make informed and safe hiring decisions.
There are three levels of criminal checks available in the UK; Basic, Standard and Enhanced.
Employers must make sure that they use the correct disclosure level when requesting this check.
All UK employers must check if a new hire is permitted to work for you in the UK, before they commence their employment.
The penalty for employing illegal workers is now £60,000 for each illegal worker. Serious cases of employing illegal workers can lead to a criminal conviction of up to five years.
Right to Work checks may still be carried out in person, with the new hire presenting their original identity document to the employer. However, more and more firms are now using Digital Identity solutions to carry out this check.
Checks of a candidate's stated academic qualifications are crucial to ensuring achieved awards authenticity, and helps identify any false representations.
Employers need to be careful not to become a victim of Degree Fraud. Degree Fraud has been around for many years, yet still many employers are fooled by bogus certificates provided by unscrupulous candidates who source documents from fake certificate websites, or bogus universities and degree mills.
Standard employment references will provide an employer with the most basic of information such as, employee name, job title, dates of employment and reason for leaving. This information remains important, as it validates the information provided by the candidate in their CV and helps identify false or inaccurate information.
A major area of concern for employers is the increased threat from Reference Houses. Reference Houses not only produce fake employment references but may create a false business website and even respond to phone calls to confirm a candidate's job history.
Social media checks are increasingly being introduced as part of an employer's background screening programme, as well as being used for ongoing monitoring for high risk roles.
A social media search provides an employer with some insight into a candidate's personal values. Finding 'Red Flags', which could include threats to life, highly offensive comments, or details of illegal activity, will help build a picture of a persons suitability for a role.
The scope of research can be extensive, though most organisations limit the research to the past five years and will only search information posted in the public domain.
Due diligence is a methodical approach used to assess and mitigate risks associated with business or investment decisions. Different levels of due diligence are used depending on the type of transactional or investment activity, such as M&A deals, pre-vendor appointments, or customer onboarding.
During the due diligence process, it is crucial to consider the reputation and standing of business owners, shareholders and other senior executives and identify any potential 'Red Flags'. At Diligentchex, we help clients navigate through what is described as 'softer' qualitative due diligence. By this, we mean research conducted against public record information (e.g. filed corporate records, locally held civil litigation records), and other open-source intelligence (OSINT) pathways, including social media research. This research is complimented with standard AML checks against Sanctions lists, Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) and International Watch-lists records, as well as negative media searches.
Diligentchex has partnered with a well-established and highly respected public record and OSINT investigation company, which has helped clients around the world manage their reputation and regulatory risks.
Whether you are looking for help on pre-deal due diligence, supplier/vendor assessments, or individual reputation risk reviews, we are able to provide you with the guidance you need to meet your business requirements.
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