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an accidental typo, inaccurate data
can have significant downstream
consequences. In Canada, any credible
background screening provider is
required to verify a candidate's identity
prior to starting a background check.
Before COVID-19, many organizations
relied on doing this in person, whether
through the hiring manager or Canada
Post.
But with in-person activities limited
or closed, that created a challenge. As
remote hiring becomes a common,
long-term strategy, it's important to
see what options background screening
providers offer for identity verification.
Partnering with a company that offers
virtual ID verification in accordance
with RCMP policies will ensure that
the candidate that you're screening and
ultimately hiring is who they say they are.
Re-checks: One of the questions I
often hear is "Why is it necessary to
conduct background checks when we're
simply rehiring an old employee?" The
answer is simple: You should re-check
because circumstances can change.
It's true that things such as previous
education or employment history won't
change, but a criminal history could.
To elaborate, a criminal record is a
compilation of criminal convictions
attributable to an individual through
t h e s u b m i s s i o n o f fi n ge r p r i n t s .
Contributors are the police services
across the 2,500 jurisdictions in
Canada.
Someone could be arrested or charged
with a criminal offence anywhere
in Canada at any time, triggering
the submission of new conviction
information to an existing criminal
record or the establishment of a new
criminal record for an individual where
none existed previously.
That someone could very well be an
existing employee. As you bring back
employees, we recommend keeping
these considerations in mind.
Adapting and moving forward
Remote hiring is not just a temporary
solution. It will increasingly become
more popular as remote work gains
wider adoption. As you review policies
and incorporate remote hiring into
your process, consider:
Technology: For background checks,
integrations and ID verification ― are
they all up to par and aligned with your
policies?
Roles: As you're creating or filling
roles, are these roles collaborative? Do
they necessitate supervision? Do they
require a high level of security?
Culture: If you're expanding the
number of remote workers, embrace the
remote culture. Can you set the right
expectations for new employees?
Hire the right people: An employee
who is productive in an office setting
may not be as productive at home and
vice versa. Don't just hire for the role
without considering the setting.
The long-term transition may be
bumpy. Be patient and flexible. The
process will take time getting used to.
In the meantime, implement, document
and adapt lessons learned.
CHRR
The pandemic has driven us to rethink
old ways of doing business and to
recognize that it's time to adapt modern
approaches to hiring, onboarding and
employing people.
Conor McKee is vice
president of operations at
Sterling Backcheck in
Vancouver. To learn more
about how Sterling
Backcheck can assist with remote
hiring, visit www.sterlingbackcheck.ca.
