For organizations, conducting a background check of the employees is vital. From making the work environment safer to selecting the best possible employee, background checks in India can help companies in many ways. Also, it is always recommended to perform background screening to prevent resume fraud which is prevalent in India.
As per data from 2012, many employees of IT companies were having false information in their resumes. There have been found discrepancies in the employment history of many Indian employees as stated in the Global Benchmark Report.
Global companies always prefer conducting this employee background check to avoid any sort of issues in the future. Well, you must be having a lot of queries in mind – Why do you must conduct background screening of employees? How can you conduct thorough background checks in India?
Well, simply scroll down to find out answers to all your queries related to performing a robust employee background screening in India:
Table of Contents
1. Is it crucial to run employee background checks in India?
2. Can companies legally run background screening on Indian employees?
3. Benefits to reap as a company with background checks
4. What types of background checks can companies run on employees?
5. When to conduct background checks for the employees?
6. What kinds of employee’s background checks are illegal in India?
7. Mistakes to avoid when it comes to background checks in India
8. FAQs about background checks in India
Is it crucial to run employee background checks in India?
Though it is not mandatory, it is still recommended to run a background check before hiring any candidate. Global companies who don’t want their brand image to be affected or get into any trouble can go ahead with background checks.
Employers can request job applicants for various details that are relevant to the position. They can conduct education verification or criminal background checks as per their requirement. However, it is the company’s responsibility to maintain confidentiality and protect the candidate’s personal information.
Can companies legally run background screening on Indian employees?
If the employer is having the consent of the candidates, it’s completely legal to perform background screening of the employees.
Benefits to reap as a company with background checks
Background checks in India are no doubt a crucial way of identifying a suitable candidate. Companies, especially the global ones, don’t want to risk their reputation with fake or fraudulent employees. A thorough check on the employee’s background is beneficial for the employers as:
· It helps in making better and clear hiring decisions.
· If the company somehow skips the screening process then this can negatively impact the working environment
· Employees with wrong work experience or education qualifications won’t be a good asset to the company.
· A stern background check can prevent the wrong hiring of employees with false degrees.
· Companies that do not perform background checks often face risk and safety issues.
What types of background checks can companies run on employees?
Companies can perform different background checks on employees depending on their requirements.
1. Employment history
A company always starts the background screening with employment history verification. This type of check helps you to get an insight of what was the employee’s exact job responsibility. To get all the details about the employees, it’s always better to reach out to the HR team of the employee’s previous company. Through this, it becomes easy to verify their salary, work conduct, and reason for leaving.
2. Identity verification
No matter what the size of the company is, they should always demand valid identity proof from the employer. This is the basic information that employees need to provide to their employers. Before hiring any employee, companies can ask for their government identification cards from the Indian employees.
3. Criminal record verification
The employee’s past criminal background can be a threat to the work environment’s safety as well as the individual’s performance. Indian companies can look for employees’ criminal records by checking public court records. For this, employers need to take permission from the government authorities.
4. Reference verification
Examining the references provided by the employees is a tried and tested method. With this sort of verification, the companies will find out about employees’ social behavior, performance, and crucial details. Speaking with former managers, team leads and supervisors are always a great way of identifying new employees.
5. Social media profile check
A new way of performing background checks on candidates is checking and verifying their social media profiles. Employers can go through their public social media accounts and gather information.
6. Work authorization check
Another check that is essential for an employee’s background screening is work authorization. Employers can ask for proof that they’re allowed to work anywhere. For this, a work visa or citizenship proof would be enough.
When to conduct background checks for the employees?
A background check in India needs to be performed after the interview process. If a candidate gets selected, it’s the right time to do a thorough check of all the details that he/she has given. Employee background checks are a part of the pre-employment verification process. So, it needs to be done as soon as possible before joining.
What kinds of employee background checks are illegal in India?
Running a check and verification on the employee’s background is legal as this helps companies to choose suitable applicants. However, some restrictions on conducting background checks are also there.
All the background screening that a company is performing on Indian employees should be as per the privacy rules. As per India’s Information Technology Act, it’s not legal to do anything related to personal data. Along with this, conducting a background check on these grounds is illegal in India:
· Sexual orientation or caste
· medical records and health situations of the employee
· biometric information including fingerprints
Mistakes to avoid when it comes to background checks in India
· Every employer must follow India’s privacy laws while performing background checks. It is advised only to gather data that is relevant to the hiring process.
· Another mistake that employers must avoid is not seeking the applicant’s consent. As per Indian law, employees must provide their consent to do background checks. Employers also need to share details like what information they are looking for and from where they are gathering the data.
· Employers sometimes skip the background check which strictly needs to be avoided. With a successful screening process for the employee, companies will be able to get an honest and right candidate.
FAQs about background checks in India
Is doing background checks on employees legal in India?
Yes, running background checks on employees is legal in India but it must be conducted in compliance with Indian privacy laws
Which sectors require running background checks on new employees?
In India, performing a background check is common so almost all employers perform this verification process. Be it healthcare or IT, this screening process can be done by organizations of any industry.
What benefits come with background checks in India?
Background checks of employees in India ensure protection from occupational fraud, safer work culture, no disputes, and better hiring quality.
Do privacy laws affect background checks on employees in India?
India’s regulations don’t allow excessive collection of the personal data of the candidates. During pre-employment screenings, companies must keep India’s privacy protection laws and rules in mind.
To sum up
Background screening of employees is essential as it keeps the organization safe from fraud and a bad brand image. The dependency of employers on just a few sources for background checks in India can sometimes skip important details.
The process of employee background screening can be time-consuming, but VFact Services makes it easy for companies. With VFact Services background checking, companies will be able to streamline their hiring process. Also, screening firms like VFact Services run extensive research to gather crucial details about the employees.