As any manager or company director knows, hiring new staff is both a necessary and potentially risky endeavour. You need the best people for the job, especially if your business is growing. New ideas, perspectives and skills expand reach, markets, and possibilities. Add to that the pandemic-induced changes to workplace settings, and employers and employees alike now expect more flexibility and autonomy. But how do you really know a new employee is trustworthy? Do they carry any hidden risks to your company’s financial or legal standing? And, in a reputation economy, how can you be sure your employees’ views and affiliations don’t run counter to your business ethos? A pre-employment background check investigation can give you peace of mind to know you’ve made the right choice.
What are pre-employment background check investigations?
As discussed in a recent blog, background checks come in a variety of forms. A pre-employment background check investigation carefully reviews someone’s criminal, commercial, financial, professional, and personal history for employment purposes. Importantly, it allows a company to validate a potential hire’s information and verify they are who they claim to be. Furthermore, it delves into a range of known risk factors to see if there are any red flags. Besides checking for a history of criminality, this includes potential shady business practices and associations, extremist views, or unsavoury political affiliations. Pre-employment background checks are increasingly common, particularly where access to money, sensitive information and/or vulnerable populations are concerned. They have also become more important as the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted our work patterns and more employees are working remotely, away from daily supervision in the office.
Why do a pre-employment background check investigation?
Built over time, trust is an essential ingredient in healthy and productive interpersonal, employment and business relationships. However, without the basis of a pre-existing relationship or personal connection, it can be hard to evaluate someone’s trustworthiness. This is especially true when so many of our interactions are now mediated by technology. How do you know you can really trust someone, especially where your business’s finances are involved? Additionally, customers and the public increasingly see employees’ personal social media use as reflective of their employer. This means businesses need to be conscious of avoiding potential employee social media reputation disasters.
For businesses, the risks of getting it wrong on the hiring front are manifold. You don’t want to waste time and resources training employees that are not fit for purpose or, worse, might damage your company’s finances or reputation. Previous Cybertrace pre-employment background check investigations have turned up racist comments on social media that would not align with the client’s business ethos, extreme political affiliations, failed business ventures, a history of companies wound down by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), questionable business dealings and associations with criminals such as bikie gangs, as well as evidence of corruption. Considering these risks, a premium intelligence product such as Cybertrace’s provides you with security, certainty, and peace of mind.
How does Cybertrace differ from other pre-employment background check investigation providers?
Many discount providers offer background checks that are no more than automated information dumps from a range of online databases. While it is great to have lots of information, Cybertrace stands out from others by offering a premium intelligence product. Our experienced analysts add significant value to any information by applying their investigative skillset and analytical expertise. As a result, we provide more depth and breadth than our competitors to give you the most complete picture possible. Importantly, this protects your company, your finances and your reputation from unnecessary risk.
A recent example illustrates this well. When a private equity firm was considering loaning money to their client, it needed a thorough financial risk intelligence assessment. Due to Cybertrace’s unrivalled expertise and track record, the company hired us to conduct a comprehensive background check investigation. At first, all the available information on the loan applicant came back positive. It wasn’t until Cybertrace analysts closely examined the client’s associates that a murkier picture started to emerge. In the end, it became clear that their client sought to secure a loan on behalf of a convicted criminal! Cybertrace’s meticulous intelligence work thus saved the private equity firm from significant financial and legal risk. An automated discount background check would have never picked this up!
What premium pre-employment background check investigation services does Cybertrace offer?
Cybertrace offers a range of premium pre-employment background check investigation services and related intelligence products. What is appropriate to each client depends on their unique situation as well as the legal context. As such, a full criminal background check can only be carried out with the Subject’s consent. However, even without the Subject’s consent, premium background check investigations can still present a comprehensive picture of someone’s identity. This might include:
- a detailed criminal and civil court appearance history;
- information on any bankruptcies, property ownership, tenancy, self-managed superannuation funds, business or company registration;
- past addresses, utility providers and people the Subject resided with;
- any domains or websites hosted by the Subject;
- evidence of online gambling (within certain limitations);
- the Subject’s social media history as well as any relevant associations with others;
- any appearances in news media;
- for corporate clients undertaking executive due diligence, Cybertrace can also provide information on the Subject being a politically exposed person (PEP), affected by any international sanctions or exclusions, or potentially implicated in money-laundering or tax evasion schemes.
Are background check investigations only for new hires?
As a business owner/manager, you need to know of any financial, legal, or reputational risks that new employees might carry. Cybertrace’s premium pre-employment background check investigations certainly provide that peace of mind. But what about your current employees? Are any of them in trouble with the law or hooked on online gambling? Could their personal social media activity be potentially damaging to your business’s reputation? Might they have any unsavoury affiliations you’d rather learn about now than read in the papers later on? Cybertrace can provide you with a prompt, discreet and professional background check investigation service to vet all your employees. This can happen either as a one-off or regularly as part of your business’s risk management strategy. Furthermore, we also provide the same service regarding any contractors and vendors as well as merger/acquisition targets. Contact us today to discuss options and tailored solutions that suit your business.
What do I need to do?
If you want peace of mind regarding new employees’ backgrounds and affiliations, don’t settle for a discount product. For premium pre-employment background check investigations as well as background checks on current employees, contractors, vendors, and merger/acquisition targets, contact the internationally recognised experts at Cybertrace today. We will provide you with all the information you need to make informed and safe decisions.
