Onboarding is one of the latest buzzwords around recruitment, and simply means the process which a company goes through between making a job offer, and then that person starting work. Sometimes there are legal checks to be done, and companies might have their own process for taking up references or making sure people have the qualifications which they claim. Most companies do this in a range of ways – perhaps asking candidates to visit the office with their identity documents or setting up a Zoom call with a former employer to take a reference.

However, the last two years has changed the work environment hugely, with a massive push into adopting online solutions where possible rather than dealing with people face to face. Many candidates accept the need for this process moving online, but also don’t like the idea of being asked to hold personal documents like passports up to a webcam or scan them and send by email. Manual verification of key documents is also time consuming and lacking in security and could land your organisation in hot water with data protection authorities if you get the process wrong.

 

Organisational Resistance

Another buzzword we’ve been hearing a lot in the last years is “pivot” – used to describe a business which radically changed its business model to adapt to closures over the pandemic. Job applicants are more than used to getting online for video interviews and using other technologies when joining a company. Often, the resistance to change comes from within the company itself. Employees think that their current system is fine, don’t appreciate the need for increased security, or worry about their jobs if everything is to be done online. Managing this change may be tricky but is worth doing in the pursuit of greater efficiency. Companies which don’t move with the time and start to go fully online for their recruitment are likely to be left behind.

 

So, What Can We Do?

For small and medium-sized companies, setting up their own secure website which can deal with all the recruitment requirements is expensive. Most will choose to work with a third-party organisation which can help them run Right to Work checks, as well as process basic, standard or enhanced DBS checks. Large bodies such as the NHS use these services too, freeing up their HR and management team to turn their attention to other tasks. Candidates can also be kept up to date with what is going on, which forms a better impression of your organisation too.

Not all companies offering background checking or onboarding services are the same, so it’s important to take some time over choosing your ideal partner. A good starting point is looking at what sort of services your competitors are using, and which organisations they use for their checks. This should provide an easy way of shortlisting suitable partners. A good working relationship with the organisation doing your DBS checks or Right to Work checks is essential, whether this is a face to face or email-based relationship.