What is a Pre-Employment Background Check?
The Pre-Employment Background Check is a verification process carried out by an employer prior to hiring a candidate, aimed at validating the accuracy of the information provided by the candidate (academic, professional or personal background) and/or collecting information relating to their skills and good character.
The aim of the Pre-Employment Background Check is to ensure that candidates are reliable and comply with the legal and ethical requirements of the position they have applied for.
From a legal standpoint, this practice is mainly governed in France by the Code du Travail and the Loi Informatique et Libertés, aligned with the GDPR, and must comply with several key principles:
- Proportionality of data collected
Collected information must be adequate and relevant, and have a direct and necessary link with the job offered or with the assessment of professional skills (e.g. identification, professional experience, training, aptitudes and competencies). In addition, checks shall not be based on discriminatory criteria (origin, sex, religion, etc.) - Informing the applicant
The applicant must be informed in advance of the methods and techniques used to assist in the recruitment process.
Why should you carry out a Pre-employment Background Check?
When recruiting, every company is exposed to a wide spectrum of risks (influence peddling, misuse of corporate assets, corruption, fraud, data leakage, industrial hacking…) that may come from potential candidates.
In fact, the integrity, reputation and skills of candidates could present shortcomings or weaknesses with the potential to expose the company:
- Inconsistencies in the candidate’s skills/background (falsification of diplomas/CV, etc.);
- Potential access to strategic information or functions by a candidate whose reliability is not guaranteed (e.g.: links with companies targeted by sanctions, ownership of share capital in competitor firms, etc.);
- Reputational issues as a result of an association with an individual whose reputation is questionable from a media or legal point of view (e.g.: candidate’s involvement in a previous controversy , mention of the candidate in legal proceedings, etc.).
As a result, it may be necessary to assess the profile of a potential candidate, in order to minimize the aforementioned risks and identify their main qualities and shortcomings (reputation and management style, professional or institutional network, existence of potentially damaging elements, whether skills match the information provided by the candidate, etc.
In practice, ADIT can mobilize a hybrid approach combining the use of open sources (OSINT) and the gathering of field information (HUMINT). The latter can be carried out via direct reference-taking by our consultants, experienced in conducting targeted interviews and skilled in investigative techniques, and/or via our network of local correspondents to gather information from a wide range of informal sources, in strict compliance with relevant regulations.
Please note that this approach is based on a combination of open-source intelligence (OSINT) and field information gathering (HUMINT).
Our objectives
- Improving the quality of recruitment through reliable information
- Protecting and strengthening our client’s reputation and brand
- Promoting a culture of integrity
- Enhancing security through qualitative reference checks
- Managing risks
