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In an ever-changing workplace with new technology becoming available all the time, it is increasingly difficult to keep your security measures up to date when recruiting for new employees.
Our Safer Recruitment Manager, Beth Alberga, shares her insights from the latest APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group Meeting) for modernising employment, and the precautionary measures you can take to protect your recruitment process from the increasing risk of hiring fraud.
The risks of hiring fraud
Hiring fraud incorporates fraudulent activity that could take place during the hiring process. This could involve an applicant presenting false copies of the following during the recruitment process:
- CVs
- application Forms
- references
- identity documentation
- employment history.
Fraudsters are among the first to exploit organisations as we move into a more digital world, placing more demand on employers to ensure they continue to focus on safer recruitment as new threats emerge. With the evolving use of artificial intelligence, it’s becoming easier for fraudsters to create false documentation to pass pre-employment checks.
It’s essential that employers remain both compliant and curious when recruiting for employees and carrying out pre-employment checks.
Hiring fraud case studies
Several case studies were presented by speakers at the APPG meeting to demonstrate the effects that both economic crime and identity fraud can have on your organisation.
Mike Haley, the CEO of Cifas, brought to life an example of a fraudulent employee without a criminal record who was fired from his previous employer for the embezzlement of funds. Using a false reference house to cover the period where they were employed, the employee was able to pass pre-employment checks, including DBS for their new employer. The employee was securely employed until the false reference house blackmailed to share confidential information, informing that they would divulge the references as false to his current employer if demands were not met.
We also heard from Alison McDowell, Director of Beruku, who re-enforced the need to be vigilant around identity and personal data during the recruitment process. From unscrupulous past cases such as Ian Huntley, we can tell that it is possible to leave out information from pre-employment checks that may link that person to a criminal history. In the education sector where child welfare is of the utmost importance, it is vital that the necessary compliance checks are in place so that cases where employees unsuitable to be employed in regulated activity do not arise.
Staying vigilant in your organisation
Think about the culture within our settings. If an employee divulged to another employee that they had forged qualifications to get the job, would the employee have the confidence to whistleblow?
The possible damage in reputation to your organisation, or the damage children could receive to their education because of inadequate safer recruitment measures, is not worth the risk. So how can you avoid issues arising in your workplace?
Here are some points to consider when running pre-employment checks on an applicant:
• Don’t use the pre-employment checks as a tick list. Actively question what you are reviewing from the applicant. Does it feel correct?
• Many applicants in education have a past employment history within schools. Have you actively picked up the phone to check the legitimacy of a past reference?
• During Covid we recruited though video link or other virtual means. How confident are you the person you saw via video is the person who then started to work for you?
How can you get involved with the Better Hiring Institute?
The Better Hiring Institute has commenced work with our partners on the UK’s first free comprehensive guide for businesses on tackling Hiring Fraud, with the Prime Minister’s Anti-Fraud Champion (Simon Fell MP) showing a keen interest in the work alongside other government departments.
To contribute to the guide, and to get involved with the Better Hiring Institute’s initiatives, please get in touch via secretariat@betterhiringinstitute.co.uk, and stay up to date with the Modernising Employment APPG by visiting the website at https://www.modeappg.co.uk/.
How can EPM help you navigate this minefield?
We can support you with your safer recruitment training to help your team better understand how to avoid pitfalls, build a culture of vigilance, achieve compliance, and avoid adverse Ofsted inspections.
Our Safer Recruitment in Schools Service provides training for those in your organisation whose responsibility it is to carry out identity checks and is backed by experts from the Home Office who regularly link in with us to deliver identity fraud workshops.
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