So you’re looking to hire an applicant that has lived or resides outside of the United States? You should still conduct a background investigation, right? Far too often, well intentioned HR executives and recruiters overlook this vital step in the hiring process, thinking international background information is either inaccessible or unduly expensive. Increasingly, U.S.-based companies and multinational employers based overseas assume unnecessary risk when hiring candidates from outside the U.S. if they fail to perform due diligence on those individuals.

The “Background” on international background screening

Today, we are at an interesting crossroads for both U.S. and international screening. The advent of the internet has made access to and mobility of information easier than ever worldwide. This has resulted in great efficiencies, as well as unintended side effects, such as privacy violations and identity theft. In the U.S., these side effects have been addressed through federal and state legislation requiring a permissible use for the information and strict guidelines regarding information handling and ensuring accuracy and reliability.

Internationally, there are few standards in employment screening processes. From one country to the next, records maintenance capabilities, procedures, and rules for access vary widely. To begin with, the ability to access information in various countries is dependent on compliance with global information exchange rules for ensuring data security across international borders. One such compliance framework is the European Union’s Directive on Data Protection, which prevents the transfer of personal data to non-EU nations that do not meet the European “adequacy” standard for privacy protection. A select few U.S. companies, including employeescreenIQ, are Safe Harbor certified with the U.S. Department of Commerce to meet the requirements for international data exchange and privacy protection.

Viable options

There are effective screening tools available to organizations that employ individuals from around the globe. employeescreenIQ provides access to country-specific criminal history research, and language-based services to verify past employment, education, and personal references. Another important tool when conducting an international background check is an OFAC (Office of Foreign Asset Control) Terrorist Watch List Search, enabling an employer to cross reference their applicant against a global list of known terrorists and deviants.

International criminal history

International criminal history research begins with identifying the office(s) or agency responsible for maintaining criminal records in a particular country or region, then following whatever procedure that office makes available. employeescreenIQ has established access to criminal history information in more than 150 countries around the world. The cost and turnaround time of a criminal history search varies widely from one country to the next, and typically there is no process for oversight or auditing of the results. The key is that the tool is available and can be considered the best information reasonably available in a given country.

Language-based verification services

Verification services (employment, education, and reference checks) are typically not dependent on a national office or agency, but must be requested directly through the employer, school, or individual. They are performed via telephone, and fax when necessary, in the native language of the locality. Distinctions between U.S. and overseas verifications include the increased expense of multiple long distance phone calls and faxes, and the fact that complete and accurate contact information is mandatory, as it can be virtually impossible to locate a company or individual overseas without precise contact information. As in the U.S., educational institutions and personal references around the world typically consider it their obligation to vouch for those upon whom they have conferred degrees or agreed to act as references. Precise contact information, again, is crucial to completion. employeescreenIQ offers verification services in over 14 languages and dialects, covering over 225 countries around the world.

Key considerations

Collectively speaking, International screening tools are in their infancy compared with the current state of employment screening in the U.S. This means that there are drawbacks: they are more expensive, they average longer turnaround times, and in most cases there is little recourse if an applicant disputes something in the report. Compared with the average company’s investment in recruiting, relocation, training and salary of a new employee, the expense is miniscule. Due diligence and consistency in the hiring process are industry standards for U.S. companies, and are closely scrutinized in the event of employment litigation. These standards are becoming increasingly relevant overseas as international economies and business practices continue to evolve.

employeescreenIQ Global Screening Services

employeescreenIQ’s Global Screening Services are an important tool in an increasingly global business environment. As with our domestic services, you can trust employeescreenIQ to stay on top of the latest developments worldwide in accessing reliable, timely, and compliant information to increase the value of your hiring decisions.

For more information regarding international background checks and the valuable service employeescreenIQ provides, please visit us at www.employeescreen.com/global.