- Increasingly remote hiring has increased the importance of screening and safeguarding, with over 70% of applicants lying about their prior experience and qualifications during the hiring process
- Knowing who you are hiring is more important than ever, with staff shortages meaning it is easy to rush through a candidate without due process
The screening process and safeguarding policy of public sector organisations should always be at the forefront of thinking of organisations in the public sector. However, the pandemic, and the move to conducting processes remotely that it has forced on us, has made the need for a stringent screening process and watertight safeguarding policy greater than ever.
Maintaining Standards
It is vital to give the right impression about your organisation to potential new hires from the very start of the hiring process. In high compliance industries like the public sector, this includes an emphasis on safe recruitment and prioritisation of safeguarding.
A stringent screening process is part of this process. New hires will almost certainly be pleased to see a thorough pre-employment checking process, as they will be safe in the knowledge that they are starting in a workplace that takes safeguarding and the security of staff and the vulnerable very seriously.
This is particularly important with hiring processes becoming remote over the past 18 months. It is very easy to have a less efficient and effective process with the need to get new hires started quickly, and just treat the compliance process as an irritation and an afterthought. Having a stringent screening process and comprehensive, easy-to-follow safeguarding policy makes everyone feel more secure, and gives new hires the right impression about your organisation.
Compliance as Part of the Hiring Process
There are obvious consequences to a substandard screening process and safeguarding policy, not least putting vulnerable children or adults and other staff members in immediate danger.
The move to remote processes has meant some of the wrong type of people have managed to evade screening processes because some organisations do not take screening seriously enough.
Safeguarding also needs to be as much a part of the hiring process as screening. By ensuring those joining your organisation are fully versed with the safeguarding policy from the get-go, you are far less likely to encounter issues in the future, and you will have a more confident and compliant workforce.
Put simply, there is no excuse for not taking screening and safeguarding seriously in the world of remote working. If you want to see Talent Clouds can help you with your workforce management, then please see our product page. Alternatively, feel free to ask us any questions you have.
Photo by Ben Sweet on Unsplash
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