Australia’s hospitality industry is one of the country’s most dynamic economic sectors, encompassing hotels, resorts, restaurants, and event services. The hotel sector alone is particularly robust, with market volume expected to increase to AUD $15.83bn by 2030, showing an annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2030) of 6.79%. It is also one of the country’s largest employers, accounting for approximately 6.6% of the total workforce.  

What sets Australia apart is its seasonal rhythm. While some parts of the world slow down for winter, Australia is just heating up, literally. From November to January, the country enters its vibrant summer season, creating a unique window of opportunity for the hospitality industry. As locals and tourists alike flock to beaches, festivals, and holiday destinations, they also increase the demand and traffic for restaurants, hotels, and event venues. This coincides with the Christmas and New Year holidays, making it a peak period for hiring across hospitality roles.  

During this festive season, businesses actively recruit for seasonal and casual roles to scale operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences. However, as businesses rush to employ new workers, they must also remember to hire safely. One way to achieve this is by conducting thorough background screening on prospective employees. 

What are the background screening programs that are most used in the hospitality industry?  

• Employment and/or education verifications 

• Reference checks 

• Social media checks 

• Right-To-Work check 

• Other background check services 

All of these services are important, and while they can run concurrently, they are independent of each other.  

Together, these background screening programs can help support a more consistent hiring process and can be configurable depending on the severity of the role. For example, candidates in guest-facing or service-oriented positions may include checks focusing on professional conduct, communication skills, and customer service performance history, while managerial roles involving access to sensitive information or financial transactions may include more compliance-focused background checks.  

Why are background checks useful in the hospitality industry? 

1. Safety Is Key 

In hospitality, ensuring a safe and secure environment for guests is a top priority. This begins with hiring employees who can be trusted to uphold the well-being and safety standards expected in the industry. 

Conducting background checks, such as criminal history checks, can help businesses be better informed regarding employment decisions that may impact guest safety or company reputation.  

2. Managing a Diverse Workforce 

The hospitality sector employs not only locals, but also a high number of international workers, including those on temporary visas. Over 321,116 Working Holiday Maker visas (including Working Holiday and Work and Holiday visas) were granted in Australia alone, as of June 2025. The Working Holiday Maker visa is a program that allows employers to hire young adults to have a 12-month holiday, during which they can undertake short-term work and study, which includes 40 partner countries or jurisdictions.  

While this global talent pool brings diversity, it also presents challenges in checking background information in other countries.  Limited access to international records can make it harder to thoroughly assess a candidate’s history. 

That’s where Right to Work checks can become essential. These checks confirm a candidate’s legal eligibility to work in Australia by verifying visa and passport status with immigration authorities. 

For businesses expanding their talent pool globally, combining Right to Work checks with a background screening program can help inform employers about candidates which will assist them in meeting the trust and integrity standards they may require in hospitality roles. 

3. Credibility and Integrity  

Hospitality workers often work in high-trust environments, such as hotel rooms, bars, restaurants, or with vulnerable populations such as children or elderly people. Due to their employment in such environments, it’s important for businesses to consider thorough background checks before hiring. 

Additionally, many hospitality-industry companies require employees to work independently, often without direct supervision. For example, in small hospitality businesses, staff may have access to the cash register even when a manager isn’t present. Room attendants are likewise often responsible for cleaning spaces sometimes while guests are still occupying them. These scenarios demand a high level of integrity, discretion, and accountability from employees. 

Reference checks offer insights into a candidate’s background in prior jobs and may include information concerning reliability and professionalism. Likewise, social media screening can reveal aspects of their online presence that may not surface during interviews but could impact your brand. 

Automating The Recruitment Process 

Efficiency is essential during peak hiring seasons. Automating parts of the onboarding process helps employers manage high volumes of applicants, whether they’re local or from outside the country, or whether they’re seeking casual or permanent roles. 

While automation may seem like a major shift, it brings structure and consistency to your hiring process. Automated background screening is particularly helpful as an initial filter. It helps identify and categorize candidates’ background histories early in the process, allowing your team to save valuable time and resources while maintaining quality in hiring.  Noting that having a human-in-the-loop is critical with any automated process involving making hiring decisions.  

How First Advantage Supports Hospitality Hiring 

First Advantage helps hospitality businesses hire the right people through fast, reliable screening. A robust background screening program helps with your company’s overall goals of safety, trust, and service excellence. 

For more background check tips, ideas, and strategies helping you hire smarter and onboard faster, contact First Advantage today:  First Advantage APAC.

First Advantage’s ‘Collaborate’ events are a series of global conferences dedicated to background screening for our valued customers, partners, and invited guests. At Collaborate Singapore, we released some unique data from our annual 2025 Global Trends Report, revealing significant trends in background check speed, global screening, and risk management.  

But how can your organisation best leverage these insights?  

We recommend your organisation conducts an annual review of your screening programs. This way, you can adapt to trends and best practices, better align with evolving regulations, and achieve your business goals.  

Whether you’re a First Advantage customer or exploring new screening partners, this review will help provide useful tips to boost hiring confidence, improve efficiency, and help you stay competitive.  

To make it easy, we’ve created an Annual Screening Checklist – download it now and discover all the benefits of each item below.  

Is my background screening program fast enough?   

In the age of rapid technological advancement and digital transformation, speed is arguably just as important to the overall screening process as risk mitigation and cost. More specifically, thanks to the growing role of automation and AI technology, background checks are becoming significantly faster each year, and implementing a virtually seamless screening program is no longer merely an effective strategy for boosting efficiency, but it’s essential for those looking to optimise candidate experiences and secure top talent in today’s highly competitive market.   

Should I verify a candidate’s identity before a background check?  

Verifying a candidate’s identity at the outset of the hiring process, before conducting a background check, can help employers flag inaccurate or fraudulent personal information that might otherwise go unnoticed. This can help to mitigate risk that the the information provided by the candidate is not accurate before the background check takes place. 

There’s now a wide range of identity-first screening solutions available, many of which are straightforward to implement and important from a risk management perspective. In Singapore, for example, there has been a concerning trend involving the compromise of Singpass (Singapore Personal Access), the country’s digital identity system used for accessing government services and transactions.  

In the recruitment context, identity wallets, when properly used, enable candidates to securely share verified information directly with prospective employers. However, the growing prevalence of digital threats means these credentials have the potential to be misused, introducing new hiring risks if not properly validated. 

Key takeaway: Verifying identity upfront helps strengthen the integrity of your hiring process. 

Am I keeping up with regulatory changes?  

Perhaps unsurprisingly, maintaining compliance with evolving regulations remains the top reason for screening candidates and employees, regardless of industry or region. But today’s regulatory landscape is far more challenging than yesterday’s. New laws are being passed to protect businesses, customers, and employees alike. 

Some of the recent regulatory changes are: 

• The Workplace Fairness Act, expected to be enacted next year or in 2027, protects employees from discrimination based on 11 “protected characteristics,” 

• The Platform Workers Act, which took effect in January, placing ride-hailing drivers and freelance delivery workers in a distinct legal category and granting them greater protections,  

•  The Flexible Working Arrangement guidelines, encouraging employers to accommodate the changing expectations of employees and candidates in the way they work, such as flexibility regarding their work location, their preferred hours, and workload. 

As regulations continue to evolve alongside the advancement of technology, businesses must adapt quickly. Partnering with a global leader in background screening programs can help manage your compliance requirements.  

Does my program stop at the border, or does it follow the candidate’s history no matter where they’ve lived or worked?  

In many cases, despite having an otherwise robust background screening program, an employer’s access to their candidates’ criminal and/or employment history may be limited to their country or region of operation. And while this might seem like a relatively insignificant oversight, particularly for companies in industries not subject to global screening regulations, not catching even one outside criminal record or international sanction can result in considerable financial and reputational damage, as well as potentially putting the rest of your workforce in harm’s way. There are opportunities to expand screening globally and have your full program consolidated with one screening provider.  

Should I have an ongoing monitoring program?  

While many organisations maintain a universal pre-employment screening policy for all candidates, the question of whether to continuously monitor or periodically rescreen existing employees can be more complicated. It’s necessary to establish a clear employee monitoring policy and guardrails that state legitimate business reasons for monitoring, what will be monitored, methods and tools used, and how often the screening should take place. In some cases, these decisions will be made based on contractual or regulatory obligations, but in others it will first require zeroing in on specific positions and classifying them based on a variety of potential risk factors, such as access to corporate finances, systems, or sensitive proprietary information.   

How are my candidates experiencing the background check process?  

Beyond protecting your business and workforce, background screening is also increasingly about offering optimal and even stand-out candidate experiences, which is why it’s so critical to seek feedback from new hires and make improvements wherever possible. Put simply, as competition for high-value candidates continues to increase, having a slow, unnecessarily invasive, and/or overly complicated screening process is an easy way to lose top talent to another organisation.   

Is my decisional matrix aligned with our organisation’s needs and optimised to reduce our effort?  

An organisation’s decisional matrix — i.e., specific criteria with which they analyse and make hiring decisions based on screening results — is essential to optimise your hiring and improve the efficiency of your screening and onboarding processes. However, in the absence of an automated, software-based system to help to apply their criteria based on these requirements, business and HR leaders run the risk of wasting valuable time, resources, and effort toward manually evaluating screening results and ensuring their decisions are in total alignment with their organisational needs and hiring standards.  

Am I benchmarking against similarly sized industry leaders?  

Finally, while it’s always crucial to understand and keep pace with industry trends, benchmarking your efforts against other industry leaders has become particularly important for optimising your screening program for everything from risk mitigation and compliance to efficiency and positive candidate experiences. Moreover, in today’s incredibly fast-paced and constantly evolving landscape, evaluating industry-relevant screening data allows organisations to not only keep pace with emerging trends, but also to identify new opportunities to stand out from the competition.   

Interested in learning how you can optimize your background screening program? Click here to download your own copy of First Advantage’s Annual Screening Checklist.  

Asia is increasingly recognised as one of the biggest contributors to the global economy. With annual revenues from corporate and investment banking (CIB) surpassing $1.4 trillion, and comprising nearly half of the world’s CIB income, expectations for this sector in Asia remain high. 

At the forefront of this momentum are Singapore and Hong Kong, two of Asia’s most prominent financial hubs, each with a distinct competitive edge. Singapore drives innovation in digital banking and fintech within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while Hong Kong is a key gateway to China and a leader in capital markets. As both cities’ banking sectors expand and compete globally, their momentum hinges on attracting and retaining top talent, especially as some banks accelerate tech adoption to stay competitive. 

In the shifting global economy, banks are recommended to consider exploring innovative strategies to address talent shortages, particularly during periods of turnover. In Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) introduced the Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics (AIDA) talent initiative to address talent shortages in AI and data analytics roles. In Hong Kong, it’s the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) where they formulated the “Connecting Talent to the Future” strategy, a coordinated effort to systematically close talent gaps in banking. 

Technology investment is one of the most effective strategies to improve efficiency and to build a strong foundation for the future. To help you increase your organisation’s resilience in the face of change, two hiring trends have impacted the banking sector in the two eventful first quarters of 2025.  

AI and automation are changing the nature of work  

In times of uncertainty, banks invest in the future, with spending in IT forecast to exceed an estimated $1 trillion by 2028 according to Gartner. New technologies are seeing widespread interest and adoption in the banking sector, reducing team sizes in some areas but creating new jobs in others.  

Here are some of the innovations currently trending in the banking industry:  

Application of Gen AI: Boston Consulting Group (BCG) reports that whilst banks are exploring Gen AI in the workforce, few are preparing the employees for the shift. Most institutions struggle to hire AI-skilled employees, and fewer than one-third have upskilled even a quarter of their teams. The challenge goes beyond hiring specialists; it’s about equipping decision-makers and oversight teams to understand and apply AI outputs, which many frontline and control staff still find difficult to navigate. 

Investing into Quantum Computing: This emerging technology takes advantage of the probabilistic calculations enabled by quantum physics in order to exponentially increase the speed of various operations. Whilst still in its early stages, quantum computing is expected to see wider adoption in the coming years. Banking applications are wide-ranging and include portfolio optimisation, credit risk score calculation, security encryption, and more.  

The government in Singapore, under the National Quantum Strategy (NQS), has allocated SGD$300 million (USD$222 million) over the next five years to drive quantum technology research and to nurture talent. This investment reinforces Singapore’s ambition to become a global hub for quantum innovation. For banks, staying competitive in this fast-evolving field will require hiring specialists in the field and building internal capabilities early. 

Navigating Cryptocurrency: Cryptocurrency is no longer limited to niche online platforms: it’s now becoming part of the financial mainstream. According to Randstad’s 2025 Job Market Outlook and Salary Guide, both crypto and insurance companies are expected to continue hiring for digital and data-focused roles.  

In Hong Kong, the rise of emerging technologies and AI is driving the creation of hybrid data roles like Data Reliability Engineer, Data Analytics Engineer, and Data Science Engineer. The need for software engineers is also projected to increase in 2025, fueled by ongoing digital transformation efforts. 

Traditional banks lacking crypto expertise may soon need to bring in specialists to close knowledge gaps. To stay competitive in attracting top talent, these institutions will need to invest in strengthening their employer branding. This means improving how they hire, using a faster, smarter and reliable background screening to help build confidence in the workforce. 

Digital Transformation Acceleration: Many banks are protecting themselves against uncertainty by moving their operations entirely online, which may involve closing their brick-and-mortar branches. Digital transformation, however, requires rethinking the way customers do banking. According to Q2 Holdings, Inc.’s recent Digital Banking Report, AI, improved data analytics, and a personalised customer experience being some of the key ways banks can preserve customers’ trust and loyalty through the transition.  

Physical expansion: That being said, digital transformation is by no means a universal solution. Surprisingly, according to Q2 Holdings, Inc.’s findings, 35% of financial institutions are still planning to expand their branch network, possibly as a way of differentiating themselves from their digital-first competitors and serving demographics that prefer in-person contact, such as older customers. 

Banks going this route must focus their hiring efforts on finding staff with both top-tier financial qualifications and traditional soft skills.  

Hiring strategies in a skill-driven market   

Technological innovations bring new hiring challenges, but also new opportunities. To stay ahead of the curve and achieve sustainable growth in uncertain times, banks are deploying a wide range of hiring and employment strategies.  

Finding skilled talent: There remains a high demand for financial services professionals worldwide. Qualified talent is particularly sought after in specialised domains, such as gen AI and automation.  To attract top talent and stand out in a competitive market, financial institutions must deliver an exceptional applicant experience. Fast, seamless, and user-friendly background screening and onboarding processes not only promote successful hires but also encourage long-term retention. 

Going global: Strategic outsourcing allows banks to look for specialised skills outside of their usual recruitment pools while potentially reducing hiring-related costs. Banks looking to outsource key talent must, however, deal with their own challenges, such as providing international applicants with a localised hiring experience, adapting their screening and onboarding processes to the global market, and complying with local regulations. A trusted screening provider can help banks optimise their global hiring program while managing these challenges. 

Reskilling: Instead of hiring externally, some financial institutions are turning to reskilling their existing teams to fill specialised roles. Reskilling helps banks reduce the costs linked to recruiting and to help retain high performers even as the nature of work evolves. Workplace safety and compliance remain essential aspects of this strategy, with monitoring programs helping banks keep track of risk factors linked to their existing workforce.  

In times of change, a partnership with a reliable background screening provider can help bring stability and trust. First Advantage provides banks with tailored identity, screening, onboarding, and monitoring solutions, compliance and industry guidance, and world-class client and applicant experiences.  

Contact us today to learn how we can help you navigate and capitalise on emerging banking trends across Asia. 

On July 25, 2025, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (“HKMA”) released a circular confirming their phase 2 rollout of Mandatory Reference Checking (MRC). The phase 2 stage of the scheme takes effect from September 30, 2025, and requires all banks and Authorized Institutions (employers regulated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority) to conduct employment verifications on a wider scope of staff members. 

This scheme (phase 1 and 2) was created to address the “rolling bad apples” phenomenon. A “rolling bad apple” is an individual who changes firms, or changes roles within a firm, without disclosing previous misconduct or conduct that violates a firm’s policies, norms, or values.

Key Changes in Phase 2 

Why This Matters

Published in May 2022, the scheme was designed to ensure that conduct-related information is shared between institutions during recruitment, thereby strengthening ethical standards and integrity across the financial sector in Hong Kong. These financial services firms that operate in the region are expected to foster an environment where trust, transparency, and compliance are non-negotiable.

Challenges in Scaling MRC Phase 2 Across the Workforce 

With the implementation of Phase 2, organisations face heightened obligations to prevent misconduct from being repeated across the sector in a much wider workforce. However, operational challenges may arise if employers don’t effectively implement the scheme, such as: 

• Delays caused by waiting for reference responses. 
• Cross-border challenges when the candidate has international experience. 
• Data privacy and consent management across jurisdictions. 
• Gaps in due diligence for individuals who may have recorded misconducts outside of the listed roles.  

How will the MRC Phase 2 Affect Hiring?  

With the scheme having been in place for the past three years, organisations have developed a familiarity with the additional steps involved in the hiring process. The challenge now lies in each organisation’s ability to implement the scheme across a broader range of staff roles, expanding beyond the senior positions initially covered.  

What Are the Mandatory Requirements? 

To comply with the MRC Scheme, institutions must collect and submit:

• Authorisation Form  
• 7-Year Employment History 
• Candidate’s Full Name 
• Date of Birth 
• Residential Address 
• Contact Number 
• First Four (4) Digits of HKID 
• Signed MRC Information Sharing
  Consent form

What Are the Next Steps to Consider? 

• Partner with a trusted background check provider to conduct the reference checks required under the MRC Scheme on your organisation’s behalf. This helps minimise the time and resources your in-house HR team would otherwise need to manage, especially with the added number of workers your business might need to review. 
• Implement rescreening of your current workforce to ensure ongoing compliance with the MRC Scheme requirements and to reduce the risk from those individuals who may pose regulatory or reputational damage. 
• Realigning your hiring process to meet HKMA requirements under the MRC Scheme and establishing robust background check practices, not only to roles required in line with compliance obligations, but also to other positions across the workforce to help mitigate wider risk.    

Our General Approach to Reference Checks: 

1. Employer orders a candidate background check. 
2. The employer asks the candidate to complete a reference check form and consent form. It is typically recommended that employers request three (3) professional references.  
3. Once the candidate has completed the forms, they submit it to the employers. 
4. The employer forwards the completed forms to First Advantage.  
5. The First Advantage operations team individually contacts each referee provided on the form, conducting an approximately 10 to 15-minute interview with each referee, using a standard script. 
6. Results are immediately entered into our standard report and available for employer review. 

The Strategic Value of Background Screening  

While the Mandatory Reference Checks (MRC) Scheme confirms whether misconduct has been recorded by past employers in Hong Kong’s banking sector, it does not capture the full picture. By integrating thorough background screening into your hiring process alongside the MRC process, your organisation can go further by adhering to best practice and supporting smarter hiring decisions.  

How Can We Help?  

With advanced technology and AI-powered platforms, First Advantage transforms the background screening process into a seamless, efficient experience for customers and candidates. Operating in over 200 countries and territories, our global software, data, and regional expertise enable us to be a one-stop shop. First Advantage brings innovation, automation, scalability, and customer success to the forefront, modernising the way businesses hire smarter and onboard faster.  

Need help aligning your background screening process with MRC requirements? 

Start with smart screening. Contact our experts today to learn more. 

In today’s world, businesses are becoming increasingly interconnected, with operations expanding across multiple regions, often including the Asia-Pacific (APAC). Rich in diversity, culture, and economic potential, this region offers both unique opportunities and challenges for companies aiming to grow their workforce.  

Navigating the APAC hiring landscape requires nuance, particularly for those unfamiliar with local markets and regulations, and without a robust background screening framework in place. 

Unique Background Screening Challenges in Asia Pacific 

The APAC region spans multiple subregions, including South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, and is home to an estimated working population of around 2.1 billion people, according to Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

Countries within APAC, such as Singapore, India, China, and Australia, are regarded as economic powerhouses that play a pivotal role in shaping the global hiring landscape. These nations contribute a diverse talent pool across a wide range of industries, each governed by distinct legal systems and cultural norms. Such differences have a direct impact on recruitment practices and present unique challenges for organisations operating across the region. 

Implementing background screening in the Asia Pacific region presents several key challenges: 

• Decentralised Data Sources: The region’s decentralised data sources and varying legal frameworks require a tailored approach, local knowledge, and proven experience. For instance, criminal background checks must be conducted at the country or even state/department level, as there is no unified regional database. In some countries and for some roles, background checks are not a mandatory part of the hiring process, adding another layer of challenge
• Diverse Educational Systems: Each country has its own education system, with varying degree structures, accreditation standards, and grading scales. For example, a bachelor’s degree may take three years in Australia but four years in some countries in Southeast Asia or East Asia, adding a degree of complexity when comparing qualifications across borders.
• Language Barriers and Cultural Norms: Multinational companies with offices across the APAC region can face significant challenges in background screening and hiring due to language barriers and cultural differences. Miscommunication can arise from language discrepancies, leading to misunderstandings or incomplete information during the screening process. Additionally, varying cultural norms and practices can impact the interpretation of background check results and the overall hiring process, requiring companies to adapt their strategies to ensure consistency and fairness.

High Job Mobility and Turnover Rates 

Employment verification in APAC can be further complicated by high job mobility and varying turnover rates. Candidates may have held multiple short-term roles across different countries, making it more challenging to verify their employment histories.

• In Australia, the overall job mobility rate is 7.7%, with the hospitality sector reaching 15.5%. 
• Singapore reports a relatively low monthly turnover rate of 1.2%, indicating more stable employment patterns.
• In Hong Kong, the employee mobility is high, with 63% of workers either planning to change employers or considering a job switch in the next coming months.

• In India, the 2024 Deloitte India Talent Outlook Survey reported an average attrition rate of 17.4% across organisations, particularly in fast-growing sectors such as technology and services. 

These differences highlight the need for flexible and localised verification practices. In high-mobility markets, where talent is sourced not only locally but also from neighbouring countries, employers must be prepared to assess frequent transitions and short tenures without compromising the integrity of their hiring decisions.  

To do this effectively, organisations should partner with a background screening company who can verify employment histories across borders, including short-term roles, without being limited by location or jurisdiction. 

The Risks of Inadequate Screening 

Inconsistencies in candidate information are a global concern, and several cases across the Asia-Pacific region highlight why thorough background screening is essential. 

In the Philippines, a Filipino traveller was intercepted at the airport by immigration authorities while on route to Hong Kong, after presenting a fake job certificate. In Singapore, a reporter from Channel NewsAsia successfully obtained a fake university degree certificate in 2023, which was delivered via WhatsApp. These forgery services were easily accessible through websites found with a simple Google search, demonstrating how effortless it can be to acquire fake credentials. 

According to Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report to the Nations from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), over 1,900 cases of occupational fraud were reported across 138 countries, resulting in more than $3.1 billion in losses. Asia-Pacific reported the highest average loss per case at $1.2 million, surpassing even Europe.

The possibility of failing to conduct thorough background checks can lead to serious consequences, from hiring unqualified individuals to exposing your organisation to financial and reputational risks. 

Our recent 2025 Global Trends Report echoes this concern. In the Asia-Pacific region, 28% of employers ranked managing risk as the second most important reason for conducting background checks. However, most of our respondents prioritise speed of hiring with 63%.  

We recommend a balanced approach, where background screening processes can reduce time-to-hire, as well as providing a thorough verification to watch over critical red flags. 

Inadequate background checks can lead to several risks, including: 

• Reputational Damage: Hiring individuals with falsified credentials or criminal backgrounds can harm a company’s reputation and erode trust with stakeholders. 
• Legal and Compliance Issues: Non-compliance with local laws and regulations can result in legal penalties and fines. 
• Financial Losses: The costs associated with employee turnover, legal claims, and workplace incidents can be significant. 
• Workplace Safety: Ensuring a safe work environment is crucial, and hiring individuals with undisclosed criminal backgrounds can pose a threat to other employees. 

Blending Global Policies with Regional Best Practices 

A robust and thorough background screening program serves as a vital risk mitigation tool. It can help to prevent legal, physical, reputational, and economic risks by ensuring that candidates are thoroughly vetted. This process builds trust with stakeholders, including government entities, financial institutions, and partners.  

Moreover, a robust background screening program can also enhance brand reputation and a company’s dedication to both their employees and customers, which fosters confidence and loyalty. 

To navigate the challenges of background screening in Asia Pacific, companies need a program blending their global policies with local best practices and experience. This approach ensures that the screening process is both thorough and mitigates risk with local regulations. 

Consider these 4 best practices:

• Centralised Framework with Regional Flexibility: A successful global background screening program starts with a centralised strategy that ensures consistency in hiring standards across the organisation. However, it must also be adaptable to regional laws, norms, and expectations. This balance allows companies to maintain high standards while respecting local practices. 
• Efficiency and Integration: Partnering with a background screening provider offering a dynamic technology platform across all countries and supports multiple languages is crucial. Integration with applicant tracking systems (ATS) ensures a seamless and efficient process, providing real-time status updates and a cohesive applicant experience. Streamlining reduces redundancies and can even speed up the hiring process. 
• Compliance and Risk Management:  The right partner simplifies compliance and change management by consolidating background screening under one vendor. This approach means your screening programs address global hiring regulations, helping you to manage legal risks. 
• Regional Expertise and Presence: Having a partner with a strong presence in
  Asia Pacific and extensive experience in the region is invaluable. They can navigate the complexities of local laws, cultural sensitivities, and data access challenges. This kind of partnership with regional expertise supports a screening process that is thorough, consistent, and helps to manage local compliance requirements.

Start Screening with Confidence 

Expanding your screening program (whether regionally or globally) requires careful planning and execution. By partnering with a knowledgeable and experienced background check provider, companies can feel more confident that their screening processes are efficient, support compliance goals, and are configured to the unique challenges of the Asia Pacific region. This approach not only helps to mitigate risks but also enhances the overall hiring experience, fostering trust in the workforce.

To learn more about our background screening solutions for Asia-Pacific, click here. 

Written by Mariah Mellor, Sr. Director, Corporate Communications, First Advantage

First Advantage (FA) is embracing an exciting new chapter in our journey. With our acquisition of Sterling bringing together two industry leaders, it became important to introduce a refreshed set of core values. These values reflect who we are today and who we strive to be tomorrow. They are principles designed to inspire every interaction with customers, partners, and each other.

I recently sat down with CEO Scott Staples and Chief People & Culture Officer Beth Price to talk about how these values came to life and why they matter.

Q: Why did you decide to refresh the company values now?

Scott: This is a transformational time for us. Bringing two purpose-driven companies together gave us a unique opportunity to step back and ask: Who are we now? What do we stand for together? Both legacy organizations [First Advantage and Sterling] had strong cultures, but we needed a shared set of values that reflect the company we’re building—and where we’re headed.

Q: What was the process like to define these values?

Beth: Inclusive and intentional. We didn’t want values from the top down, we wanted to build them with our people. So we held global focus groups, conducted surveys, leadership interviews, and gathered feedback directly from managers and teams. The five values we landed on represent the most consistent and powerful themes we heard across the organization.

Q: What are the new values?

Beth:

Authenticity – Be honest. Be human. Be real.

Curiosity – Ask questions. Explore boldly.

Integrity – Do the right thing.

Teamwork – Win together, grow together.

Customer-Inspired – Build with purpose, and our customers at top of mind.

Q: How do these values show up in the work we’re doing now?

Scott: Whether it’s how we serve customers, make decisions, or support our teams—these values are a key to how we operate. For example, when we talk about being customer-inspired, it’s not just a phrase. It’s about really listening to customer feedback and creating solutions that matter to them. When we lead with authenticity, it’s reflected in how we show up everyday and in how we communicate—with transparency and empathy.

Q: What do you want people outside the company to know about the FA values journey?

Scott: We’re serious about building a culture that reflects the best of who we are and what our people care about. This isn’t just a box we checked. These values are part of our foundation for stronger customer partnerships and a better employee experience.

Beth: I’d add that it’s also a signal to candidates, customers, and partners about who we are. If these values resonate with you, you’ll probably enjoy working with us—or at FA.

Q: What’s next?

Beth: Now that we’ve introduced the values, it’s all about living them. We’re embedding them into hiring, onboarding, recognition, and leadership development. And we’ll continue celebrating the real stories that bring our values to life.

Scott: This is just the beginning. Culture is never finished. But I’m incredibly proud of where we are and even more excited for where we’re going.

Learn more about First Advantage and how these values shape our mission on our About Us page and be sure to check out our Careers page to discover how you can be a part of the team that lives them.

Recent high-profile cases highlight that South Korea continues to face a crisis of false academic and professional credentials being used in the job market. The New York Times reported on false credentials in South Korea way back in 2007 when the Shin Jeong-ah scandal hit the headlines. Recently, the concerning examples of Cho Min in 2019 has brought the issue back into the limelight and demonstrates how prolific this fraudulent practice continues to be.

Due to the widespread nature of this issue in South Korea, let’s examine the context of the issue and consider what your company can do to help avoid hiring candidates based on false credentials.

Why is it so important for companies to identify false credentials during the hiring process?

According to the South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance, “120,000 jobs are expected to be created in 2025. While the increase in employment will be smaller compared to 2024 due to a larger decrease in the working-age population, the employment rate is expected to continue rising to 62.8%.” Due to this influx of new jobs and the fact that global companies find South Korea an attractive place for hiring, there is a clear need for companies to effectively filter out false credentials from the recruitment pool. Vetting and disqualifying candidates who use false credentials provides several benefits for the hiring company.

First, it ensures that your company is hiring candidates who genuinely have the experience and qualifications that they claim. This provides significant long-term value to your company, adding an employee able to fulfil the role for which they were hired.

Second, it enables companies to avoid the time and cost of conducting repeat recruitment processes when it’s discovered that the initial selected candidate relied on inaccurate credentials. The end-to-end recruitment process can be lengthy and complex for HR teams; hence it’s important to get the recruitment process right from the outset.

Finally, hiring a person based on false credentials can negatively impact your company’s reputation, particularly when your company is looked upon as a trusted organisation.

What should companies avoid during the hiring process?

By avoiding these three actions during the hiring process, organizations can better their chances to minimise the risk of hiring an applicant with fraudulent credentials.

1. Blind reference checks

A common practice in South Korea is a ‘blind reference check’ – also known as an off-list reference check. These background checks are conducted without the candidate’s knowledge.

Blind reference checks may also generally be unhelpful due to the high value placed on privacy in South Korean culture, which often results in past employers being “noncommittal to say anything negative about a past employee”.

Instead, it’s suggested that companies provide the candidate with information about the reference check and allow them to consent to the enquiries, ideally in written form. This makes for a more transparent and compliant process for all parties involved.

2. Collecting irrelevant candidate information

Another action to avoid is collecting either unnecessary or superfluous information about candidates.

Collecting too much information can cloud the judgment of the hiring team. It may make the recruitment process longer or more complicated than it needs to be, or it may mean that the hiring decision is based on information that’s not central to the role.

What can companies do to mitigate the risk of hiring candidates with false credentials?

Background verification helps to validate candidates’ credentials by checking each candidate’s claims against objective facts such as educational records, or employment records. Depending on the role, the following background checks are considered best practice in South Korea:

• Education checks for any professional roles
• Employment checks for all roles
• Professional qualification checks for any professional roles
• Credit checks for financial or executive roles
• Expanded global sanctions checks for executive or director roles
• Media checks for executive or director roles

Whilst background verification is not historically a common practice in South Korea, the scourge of false credentials in the hiring market has meant that this precaution is now considered a sensible and even integral practice to undertake before hiring new employees.

As a result, many companies are now conducting reference checks as a minimum. A survey conducted by Career, an online job portal, found that almost 50% of the 310 local employers surveyed conducted reference checks before making recruitment decisions.

How can companies ensure they conduct background verification in a legally compliant manner?

Reference checks and background checks are permitted in South Korea but are strictly regulated under the Personal Information Protection Act (‘the Act’) and the guidelines issued by the Personal Information Protection Commission (‘the guidelines’).

Both the Act and the guidelines indicate that it’s crucial for employers to obtain written consent when seeking to conduct any background checks or verification. According to Article 15(1) of the Act, a company “may collect personal information… where consent is obtained from a data subject.” Furthermore, according to Article 23(1) of the Act, separate consent must be obtained whenever any sensitive information is being collected.

Should companies conduct background verifications themselves, or work with a vendor?

Due to the complex regulatory landscape relating to background verification in South Korea, it is always best that companies partner with an experienced and reliable background verification provider.

Third-party providers have specialised expertise in conducting legally compliant background checks in South Korea. Their localized knowledge will help your company mitigate its risk of conducting illegal background checks and/or improper hiring practices.

If you’re hiring in South Korea and want to help avoid hiring candidates using false credentials, partner with First Advantage for quick and accurate background verification. Get started today.

In today’s competitive hiring landscape, making the right recruitment decisions is crucial — especially in highly regulated and talent-driven markets like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia.  

For HR professionals and hiring managers, two essential tools stand out in evaluating candidates: background checks and reference checks. Although often mentioned together, they serve very different purposes and should not be used interchangeably. 

Understanding the distinction and the role each plays in reducing hiring risks is key to your successful recruitment. 

Defining Background Checks

A background check is a formal report of a candidate’s personal, professional, legal, and sometimes financial records. The goal is to independently verify the accuracy of the information a candidate has provided, and to identify any information for other services such as criminal records history that has not been disclosed by the candidate. 

Typical components of a background check include:

• Identity check
• Employment and education verification
• Criminal records check
• Credit checks
• Professional license validation 

In Singapore, background screening is integral to the Ministry of Manpower’s Employment Pass application process, especially under the COMPASS framework. In Hong Kong and Australia, checks are also common in regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and education. 

Defining Reference Checks 

Reference checks like Hong Kong MRC Reference checks, by contrast, are feedback gathered from people who have worked directly with (or supervised) the candidate. This process involves contacting a nominated referee such as a former manager, supervisor, or colleague to understand the candidate’s soft skills, behaviour, performance, and cultural fit. 

 Instead of verifying hard data, Reference checks address questions like: 

• What was the candidate’s leadership style? 
• How did they handle pressure or conflict? 
• Would you hire this person again? 

Reference checks remain a valuable tool in assessing suitability beyond the resume. 

Pros and Cons of Each 

Each method brings distinct advantages and limitations: 

Background Checks

Pros:

• Objective and standardized
• Fast and scalable with technology platforms 

Cons:

• Limited insight into personality, work ethic, or interpersonal dynamics
• May not capture context behind negative records 

Reference Checks

Pros:

• Rich, personalized feedback
• Highlights traits and strengths not on a resume
• Can confirm how someone works in a team 

Cons:

• Subject to bias or vague responses
• Relies on availability and honesty of referees
• Not always consistent across candidates 

How They Complement Each Other in Hiring 

When used together, background and reference checks create a 360-degree view of the candidate: 

• Background checks confirm that the candidate is who they claim to be and that they meet job criteria. 
• Reference checks reveal how the candidate is likely to behave and perform in the role. 

In Singapore and Hong Kong, employers often use both to meet regulatory expectations and mitigate risks. 

Australia’s employment standards also recognize both tools as part of due diligence, particularly for positions involving children or vulnerable persons. 

Best Practices for Conducting Both  

1. Obtain Consent First
   In all Asia Pacific markets, candidate and referee consent is legally required before conducting background or reference checks. Employers should explain the scope and purpose of both.
2. Work With Verified Providers
   Use reputable background screening firms accredited by relevant government agencies (e.g., Ministry of Manpower in Singapore or the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission).
3. Customize to Role Sensitivity
   Background checks may include more products and services for roles with financial, legal, or safety responsibilities.
4. Ask Specific, Consistent and Objective Questions in Reference Checks
   Steer clear from asking questions of personal nature. Develop a structured reference check process to avoid vague or biased feedback. 
5. Maintain Compliance With Privacy Laws
   Each jurisdiction has privacy regulations — such as the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) in Singapore, the Privacy Act in Australia, and the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance in Hong Kong — that must be followed regarding how information is collected, used, and stored.

Conclusion  

While it may be tempting to rely on just one of the two, neither background checks nor reference checks should stand alone in today’s complex hiring environment.  

When thoughtfully integrated into the hiring process, both tools help employers make informed, fair, and compliant decisions — ultimately improving the quality of hire and reducing long-term risks for organizations across Asia Pacific. Looking to elevate your enterprise hiring? Contact our experts to learn more. 

In August 2023, Singapore witnessed its largest-ever money laundering case: ten foreigners arrested and over $3 billion SGD in property and assets seized. The case, among others, spurred the launch of a national strategy to counter the rising threat of money laundering.

What is the National Anti-Money Laundering Strategy?

Singapore’s National Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Strategy, released in October 2024, outlines the government’s risk-based approach to combating money laundering. It is designed to respond to evolving threats and guide actions across the public and private sectors.

At the heart of the strategy are three key pillars:

• Prevent: to prevent proceeds of crime from entering Singapore’s system, and deter the misuse of Singapore’s system by criminals
• Detect: to ensure that illicit flows and activities are identified for appropriate disruption and enforcement actions, and effective risk mitigation
• Enforce: to ensure that firm, proportionate and dissuasive actions are taken against persons conducting money laundering activities to protect the system

Among these, the Prevention pillar is especially critical for businesses, as it requires active risk mitigation and due diligence to keep financial systems clean.

Why the Prevention Pillar Matters to Your Business

Preventing money laundering starts well before any suspicious activity occurs. Companies—particularly financial institutions, corporate service providers (CSPs), and real estate agents—play a key role in stopping illicit funds at the door.

This means having effective controls in place at critical points in your operations, such as:

• Employee onboarding
• Client onboarding (KYC and KYB checks)
• Supplier engagement
• Ongoing transaction monitoring

By incorporating AML checks into these processes, businesses can reduce exposure to risk and remain compliant with Singapore’s regulations. For example, when onboarding new employees, Anti-Money Laundering screening can help identify individuals who may pose a risk based on their financial or criminal background.

Employee Onboarding as a Preventive Tool

Employee onboarding is an often-overlooked area of Anti-Money Laundering compliance. However, the risk posed by internal actors—whether through negligence or malicious intent—can be significant.

Using background screening tools, such as those offered by First Advantage, organisations can ensure that all hires undergo necessary due diligence, including AML checks. This is particularly important for roles with access to financial systems, sensitive data, or decision-making authority.

Keeping Your Business Compliant

To align with the Prevention pillar of the national Anti-Money Laundering strategy, businesses should:

• Review existing policies and procedures regularly
• Train employees to recognise and report suspicious behaviour
• Leverage trusted partners for background screening and risk assessments

With enhanced legal frameworks now in place, the cost of non-compliance has grown—ranging from hefty fines to reputational damage. Early, preventive action is the most effective way to avoid this.

How can First Advantage help?

We understand that adding new procedures and protocols can be disruptive to a company’s operations. We therefore aim to provide our services in a manner that minimises friction.

First Advantage has over 45 years of experience in the screening industry, and we conduct over 103 million Anti-Money Laundering checks per year. We also offer related services such as anti-corruption screening and screening for potential terrorism links.

First Advantage can tailor a fit-for-purpose suite of KYC, KYB, and due diligence checks for organisations looking to strengthen their AML policies considering the new legislation and enhanced strategy in Singapore.

We also work with organisations to integrate our API into existing native platforms to provide a seamless solution that empowers companies to access global, scalable screening and due diligence solutions.

Speak to us today to discuss a suitable package for your business.

Did you know that over 57% of Australians are likely to lose interest in their application within 10 days of no response from companies?  

This is a significant number, especially when we consider the ever-growing labour market in Australia. Employers are not only tasked with attracting new talent to fill vacant positions; they are also agents of change, frontliners to the evolving needs of both the business and their candidates. 

So, how do employers stay responsive to the needs of everyone involved in the hiring process?  

Employers should be mindful of application retention, as it affects the company’s long-term hiring strategy. The experience a candidate receives during the interview, screening, and onboarding process can make or break a hire. Let’s detail how employers can help secure top talent by optimizing the hiring process — that is, by being more considerate of candidates’ time. 

What exactly is the candidate experience? 

There are many discussions and articles about creating the best possible employee experience, but far fewer address the journey of candidates who are still in the hiring process. Australian organisations should consider how to deliver the same high standards and care to candidates as they do to their own employees. 

At First Advantage, we pride ourselves on putting candidates front and centre in the screening process, wherever they are in the world. We elevate the hiring journey by ensuring that the key elements of candidate experience are as seamless and responsive as possible. 

Common steps in the hiring process typically include: 

• job discovery 
• application 
• communication 
• interviews 
• assessments 
• background screening 
• support 
• feedback  

These are essential for employers to execute effectively, as it may not only increase the number of applications but also has the power to boost a company’s brand reputation by delivering a great experience. Of course, the opposite is also true; a poor experience may damage a brand and lead talent to pull out and look for roles elsewhere. 

We’ve created a checklist to help enterprises seeking to hire top talent boost their candidate screening journeys. 

Deliver prompt support at scale

Employers may think that questions about applications are a minor detail, but they can be a deal-breaker for some applicants. Unanswered questions can lead to candidate drop-offs. How do we ensure real-time responsiveness in an environment where recruiters are juggling a high volume of applications, each at different stages of the process? 

With new candidates entering the pipeline daily and others moving forward or dropping off, it’s easy for communication gaps to appear. To avoid this, employers need scalable support tools that can keep up with the dynamic nature of recruitment. 

First Advantage offers both candidates and recruiters instant access to live agents through “Click. Chat. Call”: 

• Click is a dedicated button leading to a portal dashboard.  
• Chat is a chatbot that interacts with candidates to understand their needs and then guides them to the right support, whether that’s connecting them to a live agent or directing them to helpful information. 
• Call lets your candidates talk to an agent via voice call.  

Using “Click. Chat. Call,” candidates receive real-time updates on their background check status, submitted consent forms, and any outstanding actions they need to complete, such as uploading documents or verifying information. During the onboarding phase, candidates are also guided through key steps like completing digital forms, reviewing compliance documents, and accessing welcome materials or training links.  

For employers, the platform reduces reliance on ticket-based support systems by enabling faster resolution through direct, live interactions, streamlining the hiring process for both candidates and hiring teams. 

Strategically Automate Tasks

Repetitive tasks can prolong the application process. Manual emails, form filings, and document chasing are time-killers, especially when employers are dealing with hundreds to thousands of applications on a day-to-day basis. 

First Advantage offers an array of solutions for companies wanting to automate repetitive tasks from digital forms to ATS automation. This kind of technology can significantly improve the candidate experience, enabling them to focus on the important things, like preparing for Day One in the job.  

Communicate with your candidates throughout the hiring process 

Work with your hiring team to map out a series of milestones such as application review, interview scheduling, and background check completion to ensure a smooth and consistent candidate experience. With every milestone, don’t forget to update your candidates on the progress of their application. Automation can be a big help in ensuring that milestones are met, while also supporting status updates and alerts. 

Remember the 3 Rs 

The three Rs refer to Role, Region, and Risk level. Take note, as each of these can impact your background screening checks! 

Roles refer to the positions your company is offering, and each applicant comes with their own history about the position they’re applying for. An applicant’s history, including possible criminal records, employment, education, financial integrity, and credential verification, is then matched with the roles to see if there’s a good fit. 

Region refers to your location. Geography can heavily influence the hiring process, as rules and regulations may vary from one place to another.   For example, in Australia, mandates such as VEVO checks are important. 

Risk level examples include roles working with vulnerable groups or having access to sensitive data. 

First Advantage is able to assist with integrating the three Rs — Role, Region, and Risk into every background check process to help ensure compliance and informed hiring decisions. 

Globalise 

With so many people working from home, and many businesses having globalised infrastructure in place, Australian employers are increasingly hiring top talent from around the world, across the Asia-Pacific and beyond. Candidates coming from different regions may need language support or help navigating local hiring processes.  

To create an inclusive process, First Advantage offers region-specific, localised configurations via our online background screening experience for non-native users. 

Make help easy to find 

Don’t let your candidates run into issues like missing documents, confusing instructions, or stalled background checks, as this can delay support and frustrate candidates.  

“Click. Chat. Call.” is one of the avenues where information can be found easily. It’s user-friendly and decreases the chance of information being buried deep in emails or third-party links. Through this automation, candidates can expect instant and intuitive support, especially in background checks. 

Transparency builds trust 

Always remember that background checks are never just a minor issue for your candidates. Be prepared for audit reviews, provide consistent communication, and try to have procedures in place to make your candidates feel supported. Transparency elevates an enterprise’s hiring process. 

Looking to elevate your enterprise hiring? Start with smart screening. Contact our experts to learn more.