PBSA

PBSA Journal PAGE 15 MAY/JUNE 2023 Except where otherwise indicated, articles are copyright © by PBSA 2023. All rights reserved. Continued on page 16 Embracing Technology in Employment Verification for Seamless Background Checks By Justin Stolzenberg V erifying the employment history of prospective job candidates is a critical part of most pre-employment screenings. This is an indisputable fact. However, verifying employment is an expensive, manual and time-consuming process. The historically manual aspect of employment verifications has introduced the possibility of human error into the process, and rising costs have made the verifications unaffordable. Technology is playing an ever- increasing part in making the background checks more objective, reducing cost and speeding up turnaround times. What Is Technology In Employment Verification? What Does It Look Like? Software companies creating the technology for employment verification are making objective tracks to transfer employment data from a payroll system to a background screener. There are two critical components to this technological innovation: 1. The front-end or consumer-facing software development kit (or SDK): this technology interacts with the candidate directly and enables the candidate to initiate data transfer. It can be surfaced to the consumer by either embedding the SDK into an existing candidate portal or sent with lower effort via a no-code email/SMS invitation to the candidate. 2. The back-end API: API, or application programming interface, is a fancy way to say that two computers can talk to each other. APIs are the pipes that take data from one location and transfer it to another. For example, this allows an employee's data to be directly accessible by the background screener. But Is Technology Better Than Traditional Verification Methods? That is up to the employer and applicant to decide. However, there are pros and cons to using technology. Here are a couple of difficulties: Inevitable Learning Curve Even the greatest-designed web applications and APIs take time to get acclimated with. This is a consistent problem with technology across all industries. Anytime there is a change, whether in business processes or new hires, some time will be needed to adapt. Automation of Existing Jobs Efficiencies caused by automating these processes may eventually reduce the workforce currently performing these job functions. Doesn't Fulfill 100% of Verifications If you are required to do a seven-year verification, a candidate may have changed jobs three times throughout the lookback period and no longer has access to their payroll system from that far back in history. Verification Waterfalls This is a problem that background screeners are solving through verification waterfalls. Verification waterfalls can be built in-house or by a third-party, but they allow you to combine multiple methods of employment verification to achieve a 100% fulfillment rate. For example, the first verification provider may fulfill the most recent employment verification, prompting you to "waterfall" to the second provider to complete the remaining verifications. Technology is playing an ever-increasing part in making the background checks more objective, reducing cost and speeding up turnaround times.

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