This is designed to be a permanent digital identity verification solution.
This development has raised many questions about what pre-employment screening and vetting will look like in the future. With a stark choice for many organisations between continuing with manual pre-employment vetting processes (filling out paper-based forms and verifying identity documents in person), or adopting a digital approach, how can organisations ensure they have the best possible vetting process?
1 – Go digital
Simply put, having a digital vetting process is faster, safer, and more cost-effective than conducting the process manually. The demand from organisations and businesses from across the country for a continuation of the temporary digital measures after the pandemic (leading to IDVT) demonstrates this.
Money saved
A digital vetting process saves money by detecting any potential errors in the application before it is submitted – reducing fines and application fees. It is also quicker overall, with no unnecessary time wasted filling in the same candidate details repeatedly, and no waiting time for the original identity document for you to verify, with the technology available to do that for you.
Added security
Adopting a digital approach can also improve safeguarding by providing an extra layer of security to the vetting process. It is a sad truth that ID fraud incidents in the UK rose by as much as 70% during the lockdown period. Technology has the ability to identify fraudulent or illegal documents, as well as the ability to be trained to spot the latest techniques used by fraudsters, to a far greater extent than the naked eye.
Speed
There is also the simple additional benefit of receiving the result confirmation sooner. This enables employers to start their new hires in their new roles sooner – which is particularly important given the ever more competitive job market.
2 - Take vetting as just one part of a whole
Having a simpler vetting process is one thing, but putting your vetting process together with HR and workforce management adds a new layer of organisation, security, and efficiency to the vetting process.
Vetting is not just a box-ticking exercise that is quickly done during the employment process then forgotten about. It is a constant process, with a proactive attitude towards updating employee DBS and other checks being key.
There are several benefits to adopting this approach. Firstly, it leads naturally to a better overall safeguarding process. Being safe in the knowledge that both new and longer-standing employees have up-to-date background checks means that everyone can be reassured their workplace is secure. There is also the increased level of organisation such an approach generates, which reduces the stress of any audits and makes the lives of HR departments objectively simpler.
Digital as the present and the future
Many organisations underestimate quite how much time and money they could save by simply altering how they complete their vetting processes. Adopting a digital-first approach to the pre-employment process can save organisations a lot of money and valuable working hours, whilst also making the entire process more secure and more centred on continuous safeguarding.
In an ever more competitive job market, it is imperative that the vetting process as a whole is as straightforward for the candidate as possible – you will simply lose out on the top talent if it isn’t. A digital vetting process, and a focus on continuously ensuring that your workforce is fully certified is a great start. The technology embraced by many organisations during the pandemic have proved they work – it is time to start using them.
If you have any questions on this topic or would like to know more, please get in touch with the team.