- Digital applications reduce the risk of human error
- A cloud-based digital system stores all information entered into it, saving administrative time and costs
- Electronic receiving of results reduces waiting times and allows your new hire to start earlier.
Lockdown has seen a rise in processes being conducted digitally that had previously been done manually. Pre-employment screening is no exception to this.
With restrictions easing and workplaces beginning to return to normal, it is an opportune moment to consider whether the digital processes the pandemic forced upon them are worth continuing into normality.
Efficiency
One of the most frustrating aspects of the compliance process is the filling out of the details and waiting for the result to be returned to you. Doing this process manually can prolong the time it takes to get the results of checks and start your new hire. There can be time wasted in waiting for the candidate to send over the necessary documentation, filling out the paperwork, and then sending the forms off and waiting for the result.
What the past year has shown is that technology undoubtedly speeds the compliance process up. By having all information stored in one easily accessible, cloud-based platform, details only need to be inputted once, and all necessary checks can be sent off simultaneously. It is also possible to have a digital platform that has role-specific bundles, so you never have to worry about whether or not you have requested the correct checks.
By receiving the results electronically, you can also start your new hire sooner, meaning a digital process streamlines the pre-employment compliance process at every stage.
Security
Security should be a top priority when it comes to compliance. It is important you know exactly who you are hiring, especially once you take the substantial rise in fraud during the pandemic into account.
While the pre-employment compliance process is secure however you decide to do it, there are extra protections a digital process can give you that a manual process cannot. One of these protections is extra steps relating to the candidate’s ID. Some digital platforms provide facial recognition technology and document verification, meaning you can be confident that your potential new hire is who they say they are and that the details they are providing are correct.
Organisation
Another stressful part of compliance and workforce management is audits, whether it be from Ofsted, the CQC or any other regulatory body. Being ready to pull out documents and information at short notice is therefore vital.
With enough organisation, it is eminently possible to be organised with a manual, paper-based process. It does, however, require storage space and regular upkeep. A digital process, especially with a cloud-based platform, means you do not need to worry about losing important documents or ensuring everything is in the right place. Having everything automatically stored in a permanently accessible, cloud-based space means you can be safe in the knowledge whatever you may need will be there when you need it.
Conclusions
It is easy to think that a manual pre-employment compliance process is easier, especially if that is how your organisation has always done it, and it will be too much of a pain to change to a digital process that will have minimal benefit.
It is important to recognise the time savings and increased security that you get from a digital process, however, and it is also worth considering that when hiring, first impressions count. If a prospective new hire sees that the compliance process is cumbersome and fiddly with loads of different documents to send over, it is unlikely that this will present the image of your organisation that you would like.
An efficient, easy-to-understand, and secure digitised process is more likely to hit the right notes and put your new hire at ease that their new employer takes compliance and onboarding seriously.
If you would like to see how Talent Clouds could streamline your compliance and onboarding processes, you can find out more about our platform here. Alternatively, feel free to ask us any questions you have.
Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash