Competition is fierce in Hong Kong and making false claims on education and employment history is a lot more common than you think. Considering how expensive, time-consuming, and labor intensive the recruitment process is for most companies, hiring the wrong employee will be an employer’s worst nightmare. Knowing how to protect your company during the recruitment process will significantly mitigate your risks.
To help your company avoid making the wrong hire, these are 5 things you must know before hiring an employee:
1) 78% of Job Seekers Lie During the Hiring Process
If you are under the impression that lying on resumes is an uncommon practice perpetrated by a few bad apples, think again. An article from CNBC reported that 78% of candidates who had applied for or received a job offer in the previous six months admitted they had or would have considered misrepresenting themselves on their application. Another research also found that Hong Kong’s job seekers have the highest rate of lying on their resumes in all of Asia.
While these numbers could be interpreted as job seekers exaggerating their talent or qualification in one way or another, it is still a warning sign for employers constantly making hires based on information that does not reflect a candidate’s ability and eventually paying for their mistakes with inflated wages and expensive benefits.
2) The Traditional Hiring Process Puts You at a Disadvantage
Most companies will employ a traditional hiring process that looks similar to this – resume and portfolio screening, phone screen, in-person interview cycles, sample work test (technical or sales pitch), and finally, a “culture fit” interview. The problem with this hiring method is the difficulty to truly evaluate a candidate’s ability and integrity after a long and expensive process.
While an honest and accurate resume, combined with interview performance and a sample work test, might give employers a general overview of the candidate’s ability, there are still many unknowns about the candidate’s past experiences leading to this job. Hiring a candidate who is dishonest about their background could not only spark safety concerns for other employees but cause significant damage to the company’s reputation.
3) Criminal Record isn’t the Only Thing to Check
Some companies will look at criminal records more strictly than others. A private school or childcare center will likely have to check a candidate’s criminal record more carefully than a restaurant would, as hiring a dishonest or unethical employee could implicate severe consequences. However, to fully evaluate a candidate’s integrity, their criminal record should not be the only thing that a company checks for.
The candidate’s background could be reflected in many aspects of daily life, including but not limited to credit rating, driving records, civil and criminal litigation records, medical history, and previous work-related insurance claims. In addition, an employee’s controversial comments on the internet could also damage their company’s reputation and should also be examined if necessary. With all this information in hand, employers will have a far better picture of what a candidate brings to the company and be able to make better decisions on their recruitment.
4) You Have the Right to Investigate
As an employer, you have the right to investigate before deciding on a hire. You are spending a tremendous amount of time and money on recruitment, and it only makes sense to take effective measures to ensure a candidate is right for your company. This is especially true when hiring someone for a senior management position. You are offering huge wages, benefits, and responsibilities to someone who was unknown to you until very recently. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Hiring a professional pre-employment screening service will allow you to conduct investigations and gain access to information in a safe and risk-free manner, while saving tremendous costs. Aside from performing background checks, a professional service could also conduct a comprehensive investigation to verify the candidate’s claims on education, qualifications, and past employments upon obtaining the candidate’s consent letter.
5) Pre-Employment Screening is a Growing Trend
Most companies would not have the resources to perform thorough investigations, especially if it involves education and employment records overseas. However, hiring professional consultants can guarantee a quick and definite verification.
The labor market is constantly changing, but most companies are still using the same recruitment process that was invented decades ago. This inability to adapt is causing older businesses to miss out on the best talents and hindering their growth while their competitors enjoy newer and more effective ways to make hires. Hiring a pre-employment screening service is becoming a global trend. And not only big corporates benefit from them, more and more small businesses are beginning to see reduced costs in their hiring process after shifting towards this device.
Herald Business Consulting is an innovator and an industry leader in providing pre-employment screening service for employers in Hong Kong. Our service has helped Hong Kong businesses save hundreds of thousands of dollars from making the wrong hire, and we can help you too. Use our pre-employment screening for your next hire and gain a significant edge over your competitors.
Contact Us
Herald Business Consulting’s experienced investigators can help you perform thorough pre-employment screenings on potential employees and protect your business from unnecessary risks. If you are interested in our pre-employment screening service or need professional advice, do not hesitate to contact us here.
