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| Background Screening - A Rocky Road: Ajay Trehan, CEO AuthBridge |
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published in the NASSCOM ITES-BPO Background and Reference Resource 2007 |
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| After two years of working in a BPO, background screening of existing employees revealed to the company,
'Navneet' is actually not who she claimed to be but a sister of
'Navneet'! AuthBridge verification team discovered Navneet unfortunately had died of pneumonia after accepting the offer but
before the joining date and her lesser qualified, younger sister stepped into her shoes donning her name. The move was smooth in the absence of background screening.
The initiation of the screening for existing employees was probably the first road block
'Navneet' faced. For submitting documentary proof of her education and past
employments, she used hers and her dead sister's documents, doctoring dates to cover gaps. |
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| The case was a challenge with it novelty of approach and motive. Eventually the in-depth verification laid bare the subterfuge.
'Navneet' lost her job and may now find it impossible to work in the industry. |
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| Unusual as this case was, it clearly brings to light the significance of screening employees; both to be hired & those already employed.
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| Estimates for the IT/ ITES industry reveal 15-17% employees have discrepant records and 70% relate to false previous employment
record and the balance to false educational qualifications. The figures for BPO sector alone are higher at around 20%.The results of the INDIA TODAY-Ma Foi
Employment Trends Survey conducted by TNS-Mode across all major industry segments indicate employment in organised sector is growing rapidly, after years of
stagnation. Corporate India is expected to create 8,22,456 new jobs in 2007, across 16 sectors; IT and ITEs sector creating the maximum jobs. |
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| With an employment boom and a dearth of employable populace, prospective new hires' tendency to fluff up their CV's will be on
the rise. Techniques involved get savvier, document tampering gets more professional and more hands get into the pie. Placement firms, firms established to
issue experience certificates and verify them during screening, diploma mills, recruiters all stand to gain. |
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| Results of a 2006 survey conducted by AuthBridge revealed 59% were of the view that pre-employment background screening
should be conducted and at all levels of hiring and that checks to be conducted should vary with the level of hiring. |
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| BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR EMPLOYEES
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| The survey results revealed though the industry concurred on the import of
conducting background checks at all levels of recruitment, only 7% considered screening for entry-level candidates.
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| Though the criticality of discrepancies at entry-levels is lower than that of middle & senior management levels; the huge
numbers recruited may allow employees with questionable intent to enter the portals of Corporate India without so much as a backward glance. Many a
'Navneet' may find place in the midst of genuine employees.
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| The absence of structured and regularly updated databases in the Indian scenario is a challenge for all in the Background
Screening Industry. |
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| Countries like UK & US have government & privately owned databases available in the public domain which make the process of
employee screening more reliable. |
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| Criminal Record Verification is one of the biggest challenges screeners face in India. In the absence of a centralised databank
of all criminal records, verification process has many a hurdle. A crime committed is recorded at a police station nearest to that locality and this
information is only available there. The verifiers will only be able to unearth the information if the crime was committed in a locality near the workplace
or place of residence. There is no databank yet of all FIRs lodged at the District or State levels. Though solved cases can be searched through various
court records, cases sub-judice or settled out of court are practically impossible. |
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| With Background Screening gaining momentum and crystallising its import in
the hiring process databanks are the future. NSR is one such path-breaking initiative in creating a bank of screened profiles of ITPs.
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| Prior to 2002, no statistics are available about the percentage of resume
frauds or discrepancies in Employment details etc. Today, it is accepted that nearly 20% resumes have a degree of fraud. Figures are available cross-industry
& across board.
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| The Background Screening Survey 2006 conducted by AuthBridge illustrated that discrepant reports are looked at with askance
and decision in 46% are taken depending on the level of discrepancy, while 34% would re-verify.
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| ACTION TAKEN IN CASE OF DISCREPANT REPORT |
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| As techniques for fudging facts get
savvier, screeners need to get their processes smarter, keener
and battle-fatigued to meet new challenges and spot the red
herrings and 'Navneets'.
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