Recent high-profile employee scandals have prompted UK companies to become
extra vigilant when it comes to hiring new staff, according to research.
The Elan Employment Trends Report reveals that in a world where businesses
are increasingly security conscious, the HR function is becoming a tool to
protect against staff misconduct.
More than half of organisations are now scrutinising prospective staff more
thoroughly than they did a year ago.
References are an area of particular concern, with 56 per cent of companies
making more rigorous checks with past employers. A further 52 per cent of the
120 employers surveyed are paying closer attention to a candidate’s previous
job role, and actively checking facts with a jobseeker’s last workplace.
Gaps in employment are an added area of concern, with 46 per cent of
organisations double-checking reasons for long periods of unemployment.
A further 34 per cent of firms validate a candidate’s qualifications and one
in five look closely at a jobseeker’s outside interests.
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Kate McClorey, board director at Elan, said: "References are still the
best way of verifying a candidate’s claims, and we would encourage employers to
contact referees as a matter of course."
