Feb 14 2021
Finding the best candidates and recruiting them to your company is the most important function of an HR department. In competitive industries, the quality of your employees can make or break your brand’s reputation. That’s why so many HR professionals take background checks for their candidates so seriously.
Background screenings that are quick, accurate and cost effective are essential, especially if you are hiring in volume. New technology in recruitment enables HR departments to complete screening applications easily, saving both time and money.
This article will look at some of the ways technology is enhancing recruitment screening, and how it can create a stronger, safer and more collaborative workplace culture.
1 – It saves time
Employees are increasingly expecting employers to utilize technology in the recruitment process, as it can make the process easier and quicker. With screening technology, candidates can receive a simple email that will initiate the background check process.
Using up-to-date technology for your background screening can reduce the hiring process by up to 50%. Applicants can consent to the background check electronically, rather than having to physically sign a disclosure. Links for this process can be sent via email and the background check can begin as soon as the candidate responds.
Furthermore, new background check software provides an applicant tracking system which enables you to see exactly where a candidate is in the process. This makes it easier for HR departments to understand and prevent hiring delays in getting the background check finished.
Your team can further save time during the hiring process with the aid of time tracking services that can offer critical features such as a built-in timer, the ability to record times for different clients or employees simultaneously, automating billing, detailed time entry notes, and detailed breakdowns of your tracked hours.
2 – It’s more secure
People are much more conscious of data privacy than they were in times past. When employees know their privacy is being protected, this helps build a relationship of trust and integrity between employee and employer.
Using up-to-date technology for your candidate screening provides better privacy protection for your candidates. Transferring sensitive documents via the cloud rather than sharing them through a file or in hard copy can greatly reduce your chances of a data breach.
You can rest assured that your department is staying compliant with privacy laws when you don’t have to worry about someone’s private details being saved and forgotten in a computer or a filing cabinet. This can save your company a lot of money in fines and potential lawsuits.
It can also protect your organization from cyber criminals, who often target HR departments because they know they are a treasure trove of sensitive information. Using a private cloud-based network can ensure the only authorized eyes can see the sensitive information you send.
“Private cloud networks, by their very nature, offer better web application security and defense, which can be vital for companies that handle a lot of sensitive customer or other information,” says cloud computing expert Barbara Ericson of Cloud Defense. “Private cloud networks also give administrators additional security tools, such as providing information about who accessed data, what changes were made, and additional emergency controls.”
3 – It streamlines your recruitment process
With a quick and reliable way to conduct background checks, HR professionals have more time to focus on other aspects of recruiting, like a candidate’s skills, experience and personality. However, it’s important to choose a reputable online company for your screening software. Make sure the software you choose is from a company that has been active in your industry for at least three to five years.
Some background screening technology even comes with continuous monitoring, which will send your HR leader an alert if anything drastically changes in an employee’s background check. This feature is more rare and is difficult to use for formal employees due to the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC). However, it’s still available to the millions of workers in the gig economy and can be a valuable predictor of employee risk.
With a full background check being conducted digitally, HR professionals get all the information they need in one comprehensive report. There is also less risk of implicit bias or human error versus compiling a background check manually.
When HR professionals have access to efficient screening processes and can focus more on other aspects of recruitment, companies will have higher quality hires. When there are high quality employees in a company, workers tend to have better job satisfaction. After all, hiring employees that are a good fit goes a long way in creating a positive workplace culture.
Conclusion
New technology can make the candidate screening process quicker, less expensive, and provide a better experience for both you and the candidate during recruitment and beyond. By using new technology for background checks, employers can find better employees that will help create a positive workplace culture long beyond the hiring process.
