The pandemic has shifted the entire ecosystem and compelled businesses to alter their processes to accommodate remote working environments and drive a digital transformation. It has created new risks for companies in terms of security and identity verification of recruits.
One of the most crucial procedures in the background screening and recruiting process is to verify the candidate’s identification before employing them. Data fraud is a threat that always looms large, and thus businesses should realize the importance of identity verification.
An efficient identity verification process is of utmost importance in the remote working landscape to ensure greater trust and transparency, secure employee onboarding, and reduce risk to your business.
There are fewer possibilities for face-to-face interaction in the remote work landscape. Therefore, the processes for authenticating the identities of potential workers might be more time-consuming. However, you can take specific steps to ensure a comprehensive screening and onboarding process and confirm employees’ identities before they begin their first day of work.
Importance of identity verification
- Inconsistent verification by businesses can severely impact the workplace, whether you have on-site, remote, or hybrid personnel.
- Your company may be vulnerable to fraud and other malicious activity if you don’t have a well-thought-out identity verification strategy throughout the employment process.
- Fraudsters may readily obtain confidential company information in a world where identification evidence is required to access products and services.
Tips for remote identity verification
1. Develop a consistent identity verification process
We should develop strategies to maintain consistency in the identity verification process of the recruits. This process can be done in-house by HR teams or outsourced. For example, as part of a background check, your policy should include guidelines for cooperating with your screening provider to verify applicant identification. This verification process will be consistent across all positions in the company.
2. Complete identity matching before onboarding
Getting comprehensive and correct information from candidates from the beginning will make the identity verification process go smoothly. Candidates might omit minor personal details when supplying information for a background check, so you will need a technique to get their full name, address, and other important information.
Grammatical mistakes and omissions can lead to a lot of rework for the company. Companies require a digital solution to identify potential candidates’ data anomalies.
3. Conduct a thorough SSN-based background check
The SSN-based background check is an authentic instrument to gauge the candidate’s background. Since the government issues individuals SSN, it becomes impossible to bypass this step with inaccurate information. SSN can help extract details of each individual. Many service providers for the SSN background check, but a trustworthy screening service becomes essential.
4. Biometrics authentication
The worldwide biometrics market is expanding at a breakneck pace for remote employee identity verification. Biometric authentication employs technology to use an individual’s unique biological traits as a password to confirm their identification.
This method can determine if the person attempting to log in is genuine by matching their biometric signature to the database. Thanks to this ever-evolving technology, only the correct people in your business can access critical information. Thumbprint, facial, retinal, and voice recognition are just a few biometric technologies.
5. Understand local legal requirements
Form I-9, or the Employment Eligibility Verification Form, is one of the most crucial identification verification procedures for all recruits in the United States. It certifies a person’s lawful employment permission in the United States and verifies their identification. Within three days of a representative’s first day on the job, all firms should complete Form I-9 formalities.
Furthermore, innovative techniques for the identity verification process are becoming more accessible to businesses. The remote employee identity verification industry is advancing at a tremendous speed. Companies should tailor their identity verification solutions to their specific needs and risk levels. The development of new remote ID proofing technologies is at the heart of building confidence in the digital economy’s progress.
In a remote situation, though, recruiters may want their employees to physically present their approved identification documents in the office so that the HR team can verify their authenticity and legality. However, this might not be feasible for each employee working remotely. Thus, remote ID verification is gaining importance for companies to ensure low risk and build trust.
