Employment and reference checks
Many organisations today value work experience on a par with qualifications when hiring from an increasingly well-educated pool of candidates. Speaking to a candidate’s former employers is important not only to verify employment tenures, but also to secure reliable references. Alongside interviews, these help to give you a strong idea of whether or not the candidate has the right traits and attitude to succeed in your business.
Bear in mind that there are specific types of employment check depending on the role you’re hiring for. For example, for a director level role, you would be encouraged to carry out what is known as a ‘Directorship Check’. This helps you to verify that a candidate has previous experience at director-level, while also identifying potential conflicts of interest and another other factors which might disqualify the person from the role.
Another good example is the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR), which affects the banking and financial services sector. Senior Managers at organisations in the sector must be approved by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) before starting in their roles.
