Candidate & Employee Security Screening Process

An essential element of any working environment is the employment of staff whose integrity and character is beyond doubt.  This is particularly important when placing personnel into positions of trust.

Employers wishing to enhance their candidate and employee security screening programme want to ensure that they only employ individuals who have demonstrated a high level of personal integrity.  They should consider as a minimum, comprehensive verification of the following:

			Academic and professional records;
			Career history;
			Character References;
			Criminal record;
			Financial and credit history;
			Identification

The sophistication and complexity of these searches will be dependent on the risks associated with the work the candidate or employee is engaged to perform.

High level risk is defined according to the following parameters:

			Authorisation - A candidate or employee entering into contacts, conducting trading, or initiating/authenticating disbursement of transfers;
			Value - A candidate or employee processing or controlling significant value in any form;
			Access - A candidate or employee having access to: critical systems;     equipment;     facilities;     children or vulnerable adults.
			Confidentiality - A candidate or employee maintaining or having access to highly sensitive or confidential information and data.

Classification of positions according to risk parameters is as detailed below:

			High Risk/High Level Typically Managing and other Directors, Company Secretary, General Managers, Functional Managers, Floor Traders, etc.;
			Medium Risk Typically Line Managers, in-house Security Staff, Cleaners, etc.;
			Low Risk All other positions.

There is only one benchmark for performing candidate and employee security screening within the United Kingdom - BS 7858:2006 British Standard "Security screening of individuals employed in a security environment - Code of Practice".

This standard gives recommendations for the "security screening of individuals to be employed in an environment where the security and safety of people, goods or property is a requirement of the employing organisation's operation and/or where such security screening is in the public interest."

Many organisations outside the security industry use this robust standard to perform their candidate and employee screening process.

To ensure compliance with the standard, the foundation of all candidate and employee security screening is the completion of an Application Form, (we are happy to supply this).  The information provided by the candidate or employee in their form tends to lead to a greater level of confidence by the employer and therefore reduced risk.  The Application Form must include (but not be limited to) the following information for verification:

			The option of five or ten-year continuous record of career and history;
			Self Employment References;
			Trade References;
			Two Character References;
			Educational References back to age of twelve, where applicable;
			Professional Qualifications;
			Consumer Information Check;
			Offences, Cautions and Convictions;
			Services Record;
			Proof of Identity;
			Signed Declaration.

The standard requires that each candidate is five-year telephone screened before employment can start.  This verifies from previous employers; dates, positions held, and reasons for departure, thus quickly culling those potential candidates who do not have positive returns.  Once successfully telephone screened, each candidate will proceed to the ten-year written verification. The process here confirms a continuous record on a month-by-month basis.

Upon completion each file goes through a rigorous quality audit to ensure it conforms to BS 7858 and a summary certificate is raised and signed by the Quality Manager.  Each file is then collated and returned to the Client with all the original documentation.  For Professional Indemnity Insurance reasons we only hold copies of successfully completed files.

Further checks are available at the Client's request:

			Basic, Standard & Enhanced Criminal Disclosure Checks;
			Background enquiries (as appropriate).