製薬会社が製造・流通する製品とその従業員は、国の医療制度や国民の健康に直接影響を与えます。医学研究や検査から、病院や医療提供者との高額な医薬品契約の管理に至るまで、詐欺的な従業員が物理的、法的、財務的、そして評判において、企業にリスクをもたらす可能性は無数にあります。

ここでは、従業員に起因するリスクを考察し、日本の製薬企業に対してリスクを軽減するための実用的でシンプルかつ簡単なアプローチを提供します。

製薬業界における従業員リスク

最近、日本公正取引委員会の調査により、医療機器メーカーの前社長と元医師が贈賄容疑で起訴されました。この事件は、医療機器の安全性を検証する医学研究に協力する見返りとして、医師に約320万円が支払われたものの、実際には研究が実施されなかったという内容です。

このようなケースで、バックグラウンドチェックによって役員や医師に関する採用リスクを特定できたでしょうか？

おそらく難しかったでしょう。特にこれが初犯の場合であれば尚更です。

しかし、過去に不正行為を行った人物が将来再び雇用を求めた場合、次の雇用主にとって潜在的なリスクをもたらす可能性があります。また、最初は「クリーン」な経歴でキャリアをスタートしたものの、不正行為や制裁、犯罪歴によって前職を辞めた人々が、業界内で新たな職を探している状況を想像してみてください。

これこそがバックグラウンドチェックが効果を発する時です。過去の問題や違反を明らかにすることで、将来の製薬会社が採用決定を行う際に重要な情報を提供します。バックグラウンドチェックは、過去に不正行為を行った候補者が次の雇用主に入社する前に、その記録を特定し、ブランドを傷つける可能性を防ぎます。このようにして、雇用主はより情報に基づいた採用判断を下すことができます。

このように、バックグラウンドチェックは、将来を見据えた採用プロセスにおいて、雇用主により効果的な予防策を提供するのに役立ちます。

バックグラウンドチェックの効果

バックグラウンドチェックを行うことで、候補者が不正行為、財務制裁、破産歴、さらには刑事罰や専門的な制裁を受けた経験があるかを確認することができます。

つまり、雇用主は「既知のリスク」を特定し、それに基づいてより適切な採用判断を行うことで、会社、従業員、顧客、さらには製薬業界全体の評判を守ることができます。

では、製薬会社はどのようにして、自社に適したバックグラウンドチェックを導入することができるのでしょうか？

その1つの方法は、企業の採用範囲に基づくものです。多国籍企業か日本国内の企業かによって調査を最適化するアプローチです。

1. 多国籍製薬会社：外国人専門職の採用増加

多くの製薬会社、特に多国籍企業は、国際的な医療卒業生や日本国外で生活し教育を受けた専門家を雇うことがよくあります。

法務省の最新データによれば、日本国内で「医療」の就労資格を持つ外国人居住者は2,500人以上おり、医師、看護師、その他の医療従事者が含まれています。

この背景を踏まえ、日本で事業を展開する多国籍製薬会社は、グローバルな視点でのバックグラウンドチェックを検討する必要があります。これは、候補者が生活、就労、就学していた国（例えば、アメリカ、イギリス、オーストラリアなど）に基づいた国際的なデータベースを活用することを意味します。

さらに、外国籍の候補者向けには「グローバルサンクションチェック」も重要です。これは、前述の個別調査とは異なり、800以上の国際的な監視リストを一括で検索するオールインワンの方法で、制裁、性犯罪、犯罪歴、テロ行為、腐敗、財務コンプライアンス違反などを特定することが可能です。

2. 国内製薬会社：グローバルなベストプラクティスの導入

日本やアジアでは、企業および従業員の誠実性が非常に重視されます。このため、一部の国内製薬会社は「誠実性を疑う」として、候補者に対するバックグラウンドチェックを避ける傾向があります。また、「必要性がない」「時間や費用の無駄」と考える企業もあるでしょう。

しかし、このアプローチは将来的にリスクにつながるベクトルです。

バックグラウンドチェックは、今や世界中の企業が採用している標準的なベストプラクティスです。90%以上の企業が実施しており、この重要なプロセスを省略することは、日本の製薬会社を国際的な採用基準から除外してしまうリスクを伴います。バックグラウンドスクリーニングの枠組みが欠如していると、製薬会社はその役割に必要な資格を持たない候補者を雇うリスクが高まる可能性があります。十分かつ適切にスクリーニングされていない医療専門家の労働力を雇うことは、グローバルな製薬コミュニティ内で組織の評判を危険にさらす可能性があります。

3. ベンダー従業員や関連当事者にもバックグラウンドチェックを

製薬会社は、原材料や設備供給から、第三者研究サービスや物流に至るまで、幅広い業務でグローバルなベンダーネットワークに依存しています。このようなベンダーの従業員が、機密性の高い内部データにアクセスする場合も少なくありません。

そのため、日本で事業を展開する製薬会社は、自社従業員だけでなくベンダー従業員にもバックグラウンドチェックを適用する包括的なアプローチを検討すべきです。

契約締結の前に、信頼できるバックグラウンドチェック会社を通じて、すべてのベンダー従業員に対してバックグラウンドチェックを実施するようベンダーに求めることが業界のベストプラクティスです。

これらの調査範囲は、基本的なものから包括的なものまで、従業員の役職、責任範囲、アクセスレベルに応じて変えることができます。ただし、重要なのは、ベンダーのバックグラウンドチェックポリシーが製薬会社のポリシーと一致していることです。不均一または一貫性のないバックグラウンドチェックは、企業のリスクを増大させる可能性があります。

最後に

製薬業界における従業員関連のリスクは避けられません。長期的な成功を目指し、リスクを軽減する環境を構築するために、製薬会社およびそのベンダーは、すべての潜在的な従業員にバックグラウンドチェックを実施するべきです。

バックグラウンドチェックプログラムは企業の採用範囲に合わせて調整可能です。多国籍企業はグローバルな調査項目を取り入れ、国内企業は国際基準に準拠した基本的な調査を導入することから始めるとよいでしょう。

日本における最適な製薬業界向けバックグラウンドチェックプログラムの構築について詳しく知りたい方は、ぜひFirst Advantageにお問い合わせください。よりスマートな採用と迅速なオンボーディングをサポートいたします。

この記事では、バックグラウンドチェックを実施することの重要性を検証し、日本の職場に最適なバックグラウンドチェックを構築する方法について説明したいと思います。

バックグラウンドチェックで採用決定を改善

バックグラウンドチェックは、応募要件に合わない人材を採用する落とし穴を避けながら、優秀な応募者を特定し、より優れた情報、スピード、意図を持って採用プロセスを進めるのに役立ちます。

プロフェッショナル・バックグラウンド・スクリーニング・アソシエーション（ Professional Background Screening Association ）による世界的な調査によると、米国以外の雇用主がバックグラウンド・スクリーニングを推進する主な要因は「改善」であり、61 ％がバックグラウンドチェックを実施する最も重要な理由として「雇用の質向上」を選択しています。

バックグラウンドチェックを実施することで、採用決定の質改善に加えて、いくつかのビジネス上の重要な点で日本の雇用主をサポートしています。

例えば:

• 会社や顧客にとって前向きな結果を迅速に生み出すことができる、最も有能で熟練した方を効率的に特定して雇用する。
• 優秀な人材を雇用する前に、候補者が「合っている」ことを確認することで、優秀な人材を維持し、離職率低下につなげる。
• 資格のない人または会社、従業員、および顧客を脅かす可能性のある反社会的勢力と関係のある人によって引き起こされる身体的、財務的、法的、および評判上のリスクを軽減する。
• 厳選されたパフォーマンスの高い方を採用するために必要な特別な配慮を促進することで、ビジネスとそのブランドを差別化する。

リスクを把握

特定の仕事や業界に関連するリスクによって求められるバックグラウンドチェックは、異なる場合があります。

まずは、応募者の応募書類、履歴書、または職務経歴書に記載されている情報を確認するための基本的なバックグラウンドチェックから始めましょう。この基本的なチェックを実施することで、すべての応募者が最低限の採用要件を満たしていることを確認することができます。基本的な調査を実施しなかったことでその職務に適していないかもしれない応募者に時間とお金を浪費している可能性があります。

また、基本的なバックグラウンドチェックを超えて更に調査する必要がある場合があります。その場合は、次の3つのリスクを考慮する必要があります。

• 職務特有のリスク：センシティブな財務情報に直接アクセスできる会計士や、独自技術にアクセスできるデータサイエンティストは、空室のオフィスを掃除する清掃員と比較して、より徹底的な調査が必要になる可能性があります。
• 業界特有のリスク：ヘルスケアや金融サービスなど特定の業界では、従業員が脆弱な集団、機密データ、金融資産などにアクセスできるレベルに基づいてリスクが高まります。また、これらの業界は、特定のバックグラウンドチェックを義務付ける政府機関によって規制されていることがあります。このような理由から、基本的なバックグラウンドチェックに加え、専門的な調査が含まれていることがあります。

英国のDisclosure and Barring Service （ DBS ）をモデルにした新しい法律により、日本の保育機関や教育機関は、既存の労働者と新しい候補者について、性犯罪の履歴があるかどうかの確認が今後義務化されます。2024年6月に制定され、2026年（遅くとも）に施行される日本版DBSは、学校やその他の保育機関が性犯罪をチェックするためのシステムを提供し、これらの雇用者のバックグラウンドチェックの範囲を効果的に拡大していくことが予想されます。*

• 組織とその評判への大きな影響：一部の社員は、より広範な組織、そのパフォーマンス、および評判に大きな影響を与えています。これは、ビジネスを徹底的に管理していることが多い、知名度の高い経営幹部やエグゼクティブリーダーに当てはまります。メディア検索やディレクターシップチェックなどの追加のバックグラウンドチェックは、これらのポジションの資格を検証し、整合性を確保するために推奨されます。

「基本的なバックグラウンドチェック」の構築を。

日本における基本的なバックグラウンドチェックの目的は、候補者が提供した情報を検証することです。First Advantageの調査に通常含まれるものは次のとおりです。

• 学歴調査：在籍期間、学位、卒業日、および学部/学科を確認。
• 職歴確認：以前の雇用主に連絡し、応募者の雇用に関する情報（勤務期間、役職名、および退職事由）を確認。
• 反社会的勢力：数十年にわたる記録を含む反社会的勢力の記事のデータベースを検索し、候補者が反社会的組織と関係がないかを確認。

これらの調査では、個人的な意見は求められません。First Advantageの調査担当者は専門的な教育を受けており、人事担当者と話す際にも応募者のプライバシーを侵害しないようスクリプトを使用して、統一した確認結果を得られるようにしています。

業界や募集職種などに応じて、基本的なバックグラウンドチェックにご希望の調査項目を追加することができます。

コンプライアンスをお忘れなく。

日本（および世界中）のバックグラウンドチェックをコンプライアンスに沿って進める上で最大のポイントは、バックグラウンドチェックを行う前に必ず応募者の同意を得ることです。調査フォームの一部としてではなく、現地の言語で記載されており、かつ、実施される可能性のある調査項目を明確に記載した同意書を個別に提供します。

データのプライバシーと保護に関して、個人情報保護法は日本固有のものです。ただし、特に日本国外に居住する候補者や日本国外で働く候補者を雇用する場合、採用および調査プロセスには他の地域の法律や規制が適用される場合があります。

前述の日本版DBSによる保育機関などの犯罪歴確認義務のように業界規制も関連しています。バックグラウンドチェックに関連する適用法およびコンプライアンス規制については、貴社内の法務担当者に相談してください。

知識が豊富で経験豊富なプロバイダーと協力を。

ファーストアドバンテージでは、日本および世界中の雇用主と提携して、ビジネスと応募者に最適なバックグラウンドチェックを作成しています。当社の専門スタッフは、現地の文化や調査プロセスを理解しており、可能な限り最もコンプライアンスに準拠し、かつ完全な応募者情報を確実に入手するお手伝いをいたします。

日本国内の大企業から中小企業まで、次のような理由でFirst Advantageをご利用いただいています。

• 東京オフィスを通じた現地のニーズにあったサービスと、世界17拠点からのグローバルサポート。
• よりスマートな採用とより迅速な候補者のオンボーディングを促進する「候補者第一」のアプローチ。
• 他の顧客との経験に基づく信頼できるバックグラウンドチェックのガイダンス。
• 世界の他の地域で必要とされる幅広いバックグラウンドチェックを備えた、国内外のスクリーニングを可能にするオールインワンソリューション。
• 継続的なプログラム改善を促進する次世代テクノロジー。
• 現地の採用チームとグローバルな応募者に役立つ多言語サポート。

バックグラウンドチェックは、採用プロセスの重要な部分であり、採用の質を向上させ、採用上の重要な利点を提供するのに役立ちます。これを知っていただき、日本の雇用主の皆様にも、すべての応募者に基本的なバックグラウンドチェックを行い、リスク評価を実施する必要性についてご検討下さい。リスクの度合いや採用プロセスのタイミングに合わせて、調査項目を変更することもできます。

First Advantageは、世界中の30,000を超える組織で信頼されているバックグラウンドチェックプロバイダーとして、貴社のビジネスと応募者に最適なバックグラウンドチェックを構築するお手伝いをいたします。よりスマートに採用し、迅速にオンボーディングすることにご興味がございましたら、今すぐお問い合わせください。

*注：この記事は2024年6月に書かれ、最終更新されました。保育機関のための新しい日本版DBS要件の最新情報については、貴社の法務担当にご確認ください。

Often in the background screening world, businesses are hyper-focused on pre-hire. The word “background” itself evokes the historical nature of assessing a candidate’s history prior to onboarding. With risk being top of mind for most customers, clients are realizing that a comprehensive screening program does not end at the candidate stage. Just because an individual’s foot is in the door, it does not mean materially significant events will not occur – crimes, driving violations, sanctions, etc. after they have been onboarded.

Through thousands of client engagements and recent client case studies, let us share what we found to be the best path to developing a rescreening program that fits the needs of your company.

What Is Rescreening?

Rescreening is the process of conducting a background check on current employees at some point post-onboarding at regular periodic intervals. From point of hire to the present, changes may have occurred in your employees’ lives that could affect their suitability for their current role. The potential risks of not knowing these changes could jeopardize your organization’s safety, security, and/or brand reputation.

Why Should I Rescreen?

Motivations differ from business to business, but here is what we’re hearing from our clients. What resonates with your business?

• Safety for customers and employees.
• Protecting brand reputation from negative or adverse headlines.
• Maintaining customer loyalty and trust
• Mitigation of risk against financial loss.

Rescreening Client Case Studies

As published in the First Advantage Annual Global Trends Report, different industries had varying pre-employment reportable record rates from criminal records background screens. This ranged from 14% of backgrounds with a criminal record (Staffing industry) to a low of 4% (Healthcare industry). We looked at clients in different industries to see how this rate changed with their post-employment rescreening programs. Even in industries with a considerably lower pre-employment criminal record rate (healthcare and financial services), we still saw significant reportable criminal records post-hire or onboarding with rescreening. The question is-do you want to know about it first or hear about it in the news? While we can’t predict future outcomes, we can see from large client studies that there are records that businesses want to know on their employees.

Structuring Your Rescreening Program

Who Should I Rescreen?

According to our research, about half of our rescreening clients are rescreening all their employees. The others base it on employee access and responsibility. Those employees, often called keyholders, are responsible for having access to company funds, lines of code, system access, intellectual property, physical properties, and/or vulnerable populations.

What Services Should I Include in the Rescreening?

What services you’re including in your rescreening package will be dependent on your business requirements and/or regulations. The primary focus is to review areas that are non-static or subject to change from the original screening. Secondary are any additional screenings that may not have been applicable or considered initially – e.g., if the employee has since taken on a new type of role. Rescreening programs commonly include one or more of the following checks:

• Criminal and Sex Offender Registry
• Motor Vehicle Records (MVR)
• Drug Screening
• FMCSA as required by Department of Transportation (DOT)
• Licensing
• Sanctions and Media
• Credit
• Abuse Registry

When Should I Rescreen?

Clients will typically use a combination of the approaches below:

• Time-based such as annually rescreening based on an employee’s start date anniversary and/or a specific companywide date.
• Event-based such as promotions, transfers, acquisitions, security access changes, and/or conversion from temporary to permanent.
• Contractual such as when a company starts working on a new contract and/or an employee is placed on a third-party assignment.

Implementing a periodic rescreening program is a practical and effective way to identify and address potential issues.

Summary

A rescreening program is not just a good practice, it’s essential to an employer’s overall risk management program. Rescreening empowers organizations with information to help protect their most important assets-their employees and customers. First Advantage can help you develop a rescreening program that meets your risk mitigation goals.

Do you own any credit facilities in Singapore? Have you experienced instances where your loan or credit card applications were declined? Are you aware that financial institutions occasionally review your past loan repayment history as well? In this contributed blog, Credit Bureau Singapore discusses the fundamentals of credit reports and why it is essential on employment background screening.

What is a credit report?

A credit report is a comprehensive record of your credit payment history compiled from different retail banks and major financial institutions (FIs). Credit Bureau Singapore (CBS) collects such credit data from the contributing members in this list. A credit report displays all credit-related data of the individual. It reveals vital information such as the total credit limit disbursed, the types of credit or loan facilities applied, the amount of overdue balances you may owe and even public information like litigation charges and bankruptcy proceedings.

You will be given a credit score based on these factors and past repayment behaviour. A credit score ranges from 1000 to 2000, with a score of 1000 having the highest likelihood of default and a score of 2000 having the lowest chance of delinquency. A risk grade ranging from AA to HH (lowest risk to highest risk) will be assigned to you when your credit report is retrieved.

How does your credit report affect you?

You may have experienced instances of unsuccessful loan or credit applications, as the lenders could have perceived you as a high-risk borrower. Credit providers review the CBS credit report to evaluate the likelihood of repayment before extending a loan. This helps them mitigate the risks of borrowers defaulting on future payments.

The consequences of having a poor credit report can be dire, especially if you are planning to make important life-changing decisions such as purchasing a new house, paying for your children’s education or even starting a new business. You will have to seek alternative sources of funds, which may mean having to re-plan your finances and possibly delaying your future goals.

As a new job seeker, a poor credit report may reduce your chances of being hired compared to applicants with better credit reputations. With the rise of workplace fraud in Singapore, pre-hire credit checks are essential, especially for jobs in the finance sector or those with access to client information. Employers or recruiters may request that you submit a copy of your latest credit report to ensure your creditworthiness before hiring. Some may even conduct annual reviews on existing hires to ensure that you are financially competent and not in financial distress. Such measures are implemented to prevent workplace fraud or potential conflicts of interest, which can damage the company’s reputation.

Tips for building your credit reputation

Do not feel disheartened if your credit report is not ideal currently. Instead, start now, be disciplined about repayment, and you will see a gradual improvement in your report. Remember, credit providers and employers consider other factors before they make a decision, and the credit report is just one of the few tools they use for their credit assessment.

About the contributor:

Credit Bureau (Singapore) Pte Ltd (CBS) is Singapore’s most comprehensive consumer credit bureau, with full-industry uploads from all retail banks and major financial institutions. It is a joint venture between The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) and Infocredit Holdings Pte Ltd. For more information about your credit score, visit www.creditbureau.com.sg. Lastly, follow Credit Bureau Singapore’s (CBS) Facebook for more updates and tips on how to stay credit active.

About First Advantage:

First Advantage provides easy-to-understand background reports so you can confidently make talent decisions. We offer employment screening including criminal history; education, employment, and professional license verifications; global sanctions; credit checks, and more.

Hire smarter and onboard faster with First Advantage! Send in your queries to info.asia@fadv.com and visit https://fadv.com/apac/industries/financial-background-checks/ to learn more.

First Advantage supports its employees and their passion for helping others, advocacy, and civic engagement through the FA Cares program. FA Cares is the company’s employee volunteerism initiative, created for staff so they can engage with the philanthropic causes of their choice. Mariah Mellor, Sr. Director of Corporate Communications, believes FA Cares empowers staff to take the initiative to find the organizations that excite them.

“If there’s a cause team members are passionate about and they want to get involved, having a Volunteer Time-Off (VTO) program [in the U.S.] empowers them to go out into their communities and start making a difference,” she said. 

 “Maybe they felt they didn’t have the time and now this is giving them that extra push. Not only are they going to be doing something good for their community, but they’re also going to be representing their company – and I think there’s some pride in that,” Mellor said. 

Matt McGregor, Director of Non-Profit & Education Solutions, is passionate about driving community engagement. He suggests that those lucky enough to have employee volunteer opportunities at their companies should make use of their programs, such as FA Cares, to find their niche and start connecting. “From an advice perspective, it’s get involved, connect – connect with your community, connect with your peers, connect with your clients,” McGregor said.  

McGregor did just that during Collaborate, First Advantage’s annual customer conference. Held in Las Vegas, the event welcomed current and potential customers, employees, sponsors, and partners from several different markets. One of the conference highlights was an FA Cares table, sponsored by Aliro and Military Connected, featuring program resources and an opportunity for attendees to write letters to soldiers. First Advantage employees who didn’t attend the in-person conference also participated in the service activity. 

In total, more than 100 letters were written – a tremendous success given this was the first time FA Cares had a presence at Collaborate. It speaks to the appetite for community impact and engagement found throughout First Advantage’s ecosystem.  

Amanda Meagher, Customer Success Director, also helped oversee the FA Cares booth at the conference alongside McGregor and Ashley Guistizia, Project Manager. Meagher said she wanted to get involved with FA Cares as soon as she heard about it. She has taken her personal passions of volunteering and giving back and turned them into a part of First Advantage’s culture. Last year, she planned her first volunteering event with the company, and she’ll do it again this upcoming May.  

 “Volunteering has always been close to my heart and an integral part of my life. Having the opportunity to incorporate First Advantage is a huge bonus and I’m so happy that it’s just as important to the company I work for,” Meagher said.  

FA Cares leaders agree that the program is still evolving and welcome the idea of having more staff and customers join in to help shape its future. While the program is still U.S. based, the hope is to grow and expand. In the interim, First Advantage has joined the Global Mentorship Initiative, which is open to all employees. The program allows First Advantage employees to mentor students from underserved communities around the world. There’s a plethora of ways to get involved, so any time is a wonderful time to start!  

“We’re people – everybody needs a community,” said Elizabeth (Liz) Ryther, Talent Acquisition Manager. “This is just another way to be a part of a community and to network and to make a difference. Some days you’re going to be the one volunteering, and other days you’re going to be the one asking for help.”  

Diana Hornung, Executive Assistant to the COO, agrees. She helped procure the materials needed to ensure the FA Cares booth was successful at the conference. Though she didn’t attend in-person, her support was felt throughout the event, serving as a reminder that people can create impact in an array of capacities. “There’s just so many ways to give back to your community. My advice to others on how to start giving back – find what you like to do, and I bet there’s an organization out there that will fit your interests,” she said. 

Visit First Advantage’s YouTube channel to watch a Collaborate recap video, where many attendees engaged in First Advantage’s mission to make an impact through FA Cares.  

Employment-related identity fraud is nothing new, and since the increase in remote workforce following COVID, the employment background screening industry has seen an increase in job candidates using stolen identities in an attempt to gain employment. 

Over the last 12 months, First Advantage customers have been talking with us more and more about a new fraud vector they are seeing. Essentially, the person who interviews and is hired for a job role is not the person who shows up to work on their first day. This phenomenon is called “Bad Apple” fraud, and it seems to be a growing trend across several different industries. 

Anecdotally, customers have told us they believe Bad Apple fraud is “growing” and appears to be a larger concern in the Retail, Staffing, and Business Services industries.

However, customers in other industries have alerted us to this new trend as well. Beyond avoiding a negative background screen, or bad interviewing skills, some believe “Bad Apple” fraud may be used to generate fraudulent unemployment claims. However, we have not been able to validate that hunch just yet. 

To better understand the problem of Bad Apple fraud, we conducted a webinar poll with roughly 100 First Advantage customers. We asked questions related to our customers’ experience with Bad Apple fraud, the perceived size of the problem of Bad Apple fraud, and a question related to their level of concern. 

In the survey, we found a little more than half of the respondents (51.4%) have experienced Bad Apple fraud directly. Almost 75% of survey participants believe that Bad Apple fraud is growing substantially, with 20.8% relating “fast growth” and 52.1% feeling that there is “medium growth.” Not surprisingly, when asked how concerned they are with Bad Apple fraud, 27.1% said they were “very concerned,” with 41.4% responding with “concerned.” Only 27.1% said “slightly concerned, and a very small amount, 4.2%, said they are “not concerned.” 

To help solve the problem of Bad Apple fraud, First Advantage recently announced the release of RightID.  RightID is designed to flag inconsistencies in a job applicant’s identity and leverages responsible generative AI and machine learning to help recognize potentially fraudulent applicants in real-time before a First Advantage background check begins. Learn more about RightID.  

This content is offered for informational purposes only. First Advantage is not a law firm, and this content does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.  Information in this may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. 

Readers of this content should contact their attorney or lawyer to obtain advice concerning any particular legal matter.  No reader, or user of this content, should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information in this content without first seeking legal advice from counsel or lawyers in the relevant jurisdiction.  Only your individual attorney or legal advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation.  Use of, and access to, this content does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader, or user of this presentation and First Advantage. 

In response to this as well as other uses, First Advantage is introducing its next-generation RightID product, which responsibly harnesses the power of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to help identify erroneous, and in some cases, potentially fraudulent identity information that has been submitted in advance of the background screening process. This updated product will help U.S. employers mitigate risk while offering them a convenient and secure resource to address identity fraud.

First Advantage leaders will discuss the increased concern around job applicant fraud during an upcoming webinar. One of the behaviors noted is the rise of candidates who submit incorrect information on the person’s PII to subvert the background screening process. The goal is to educate employers about how to protect their brands against bad actors, particularly as more companies continue to offer remote-first and hybrid working opportunities. Hiring people with ill intentions can have frustrating consequences, so it is critical to consider how to utilize screening processes to “foil the fakes.”

This timely conversation will touch on what government agencies define as deepfakes, or “multimedia that has either been synthetically created or manipulated using some form of machine or deep learning (AI) technology.” In a Cybersecurity Information Sheet called “Contextualizing Deepfake Threats to Organizations,” the National Security Agency (NSA) and its agency partners outline some of the trends they’ve witnessed related to the prevalence of deepfakes.

Their advice? Organizations should find ways to use technology that can spot deepfakes by using tools that have “real-time verification capabilities” and other detection mechanisms. With products such as RightID and others included in the First Advantage suite, companies can feel more empowered when fighting against fraud to better protect their organizations, colleagues, and customers.

To learn more about how to help safeguard your company’s employment process, register for our upcoming webinar, Foil the Fakes in Today’s Virtual Job Applicant World. The event starts at 1 p.m. EST on March 28.

Recognizing this, the Credit Bureau (Singapore) Pte Ltd offers discerning employers a strategic advantage in the recruitment industry. In this contributed blog, you will learn the key role of informed hiring decisions, specifically, the credit credential of jobseekers and how organizations can foster efficiency and compliance.

Importance of Credit Report in Employment Screening

Contributed by Credit Bureau Singapore

Finding the right group of employees is crucial to the growth and productivity of a business and we can all agree that employees are the backbone of the company.

Companies will wish to hire the right person so as to eliminate any unnecessary performance distractions, this will allow the employees to focus on what is relevant to accelerating the growth of the company. Whereas bad hiring decisions may potentially lead to more frequent follow-ups or even disciplinary actions that might reduce the efficiency and productivity of their work.

How then can companies ensure that they really picked the right person for the job?

Importance of Credit Reputation for Jobseekers

Most jobseekers already know that it is important to prepare a good resume and perfect their job interview skills to land into their dream jobs but few are aware that employers will also take reference from your credit report during pre-employment screening. This is especially crucial for companies who are in the finance industry as employers will request for your Credit Report to assess your overall credit health and financial stability.

Credit Bureau (Singapore) Pte Ltd has evolved to provide employers with reliable credit screening tools to make well-informed hiring decisions. This is especially relevant for banks and financial institutions as they are closely regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Under MAS’s Guidelines on Fit and Proper Criteriahttps://www.mas.gov.sg/regulation/guidelines/guidelines-on-fit-and-proper-criteria, be it an institution, exempt financial institution, exempt entity or a fund management company, they are recommended to do employment checks which include credit report checks on pre-hires.

Similar to a report card, employers will be able to use the individual’s credit report during pre-employment screening to evaluate the individual’s credit health before eventually determining the employability of the potential candidate. Through the individual’s credit reports, employers will be able to pick out any adverse payment history or possible recent law litigations and bankruptcy record. Poor credit score or report serves as an indicator that the employee might be financially irresponsible and also serve as an early warning sign to prevent companies from hiring potential data monger who might seriously damage the company’s reputation in the future.

What do employers look out for?

Employers use your credit report as an assessment tool to your financial history, they look out for any potential red flags and whether you are financially stable before confirming that you are the right person for the job. Here are some common indicators that employers will look out for in your credit report:

1. Non-Scored or Public Records. Employers will look out for public records such as past and/or existing writ of summons, bankruptcy record filed against you. This information will be retained in the credit report for 5 years from the date of discharge from bankruptcy.
2. Bureau Score. The Bureau Score is calculated from an algorithm based on information in your current available credit data and is a fluid number which may change from time to time in tandem with changes in your credit information. Lenders will assess the Risk Grade and Probability of Default to determine if you are a high risk borrower.
3. Account Status History. Lenders will be able to use this information to assess your repayment behaviour for the past 12 months. This information is displayed on a rolling 12 months basis (with the most current cycle on the left) while closed accounts will have the last 12 months payment status history as at the date of closure displayed for 3 years.

Read on further to understand more about what the CBS Credit Report comprises of: https://www.creditbureau.com.sg/enhanced-consumer-credit-report.html

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Hire smarter and onboard faster with the right talent while receiving compliance guidance with First Advantage! Send in your queries to info.asia@fadv.com and visit https://fadv.com/apac/industries/financial-background-checks/ to learn more.

This measure legalizes and regulates recreational cannabis for adults aged 21 and older. Adults can possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrates, and can cultivate up to six cannabis plants at home (up to 12 per household). This will become effective 30 days after approval, which is December 7th, 2023. Distribution facilities will take up to 9 months to be licensed beyond the December effective date.

Ohio Recreational Cannabis Legalization in the Workplace does not:

• Require employers to permit/accommodate the use, possession, or distribution of cannabis.
• Prohibit employers from refusing to hire, discharging, disciplining, or taking other adverse employment action in terms of hiring, tenure, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of an individual’s use, possession, or distribution of cannabis.
• Prohibit employers from establishing/enforcing drug testing policies, drug-free workplace policies, and/or zero-tolerance drug policies. Interfere with federal employment restrictions, including federal Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.
• Permit individuals to commence a cause of action against an employer for refusing to hire, discharging, disciplining, discriminating, retaliating, or taking other adverse employment action against an individual with respect to hiring, tenure, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment related to that individual’s use of cannabis.
• Impact the authority of workplace’ compensation program administrators to grant rebates or discounts on premium rates to employers that participate in a drug-free workplace program.

Additionally, any individuals discharged because of their cannabis use are considered to have been discharged for just cause of purposes of unemployment benefits eligibility if the individual’s use of cannabis was in violation of an employer drug or related cannabis policy. The measure prohibits operating a vehicle, motor vehicle, streetcar, trackless trolley, bike, watercraft, or aircraft while using or under the influence of cannabis, which may impact some workplaces. Employers should review and update their policies prior to this Ballot Measure’s effective date in December 2023.

The foregoing commentary is not offered as legal advice but is instead offered for informational purposes. First Advantage is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice.  The foregoing commentary is therefore not intended as a substitute for the legal advice of an attorney knowledgeable of the user’s individual circumstances or to provide legal advice. First Advantage makes no assurances regarding the accuracy, completeness, currency, or utility of the following information. Regulatory developments and impacts are continuing to evolve in this area.

According to the amended regulations, employers are still prohibited from inquiring into information related to the criminal history of applicants until after making a conditional offer of employment. This includes but is not limited to inquiring about criminal history information through an employment application, internet search or a consumer background report.

There are a few exemptions found in the regulations, however in order for the exemption to apply, the employer or the employer’s agent must be required by law to conduct the criminal background check. A state, federal or local law that requires another entity, such as an occupational licensing board, to conduct the background check, will not exempt the employer from the prohibitions found in the regulations as well as the other requirements.

Employers are still prohibited from considering certain types of criminal history, as under the current California Fair Chance Act; and employers must still perform an individualized assessment and provide specific information to the applicant during the adverse action process; however, the amended regulations provide greater details and examples regarding this process.