The four ‘R’s of background screening: regulation, reputation, risk management and reassurance

While most people are honest about their background and credentials, it’s critical that you check. To protect against legal, reputational and even financial risk to your business, you need to carry out thorough vetting during recruitment and then on an ongoing basis.

Here are FeMan Consulting’s four ‘R’s of background screening – and insight into how we remove worry from the process.

1.   Regulation

In regulated industries, it’s not enough to treat background checks as a tick-box exercise. Ensuring candidates are fit and proper for their roles includes verifying identity and professional qualifications, confirming right to work, checking financial and criminal history – and more.  

FeMan Consulting’s background screening services are built around the requirements of the financial services industry, bringing you compliant, proportionate and secure screening that meets and exceeds both UK and international standards. And we don’t stop at the recruitment stage: read on to learn more about our tailored re-screening and ongoing compliance services.

2. Reputation

Reputation is a precious asset in business – and one that can be easily damaged by hiring the wrong person. Inconsistencies in a candidate’s stated qualifications or omissions from their profile may be viewed as small slip-ups. But they can also undermine investor trust and lead to serious PR disasters – as several high-profile resignations have shown. External reputation is what everyone considers first. But it's also important to consider the perceptions and experiences of candidates within your recruitment process. Clunky vetting procedures give a poor impression for the person joining your business. They – and you – deserve a smooth process that engenders confidence on both sides. That’s why FeMan Consulting has developed outsourced screening services that are both rigorous and efficient, mitigating risk while smoothing every step of the hiring journey.

3. Risk management

As well as helping you stay compliant, screening is a vital part of managing business risk. Likewise, social media screening is increasingly valuable for identifying potential reputational risks or behavioural concerns that might not appear elsewhere. By combining automated technology with expert human review, FeMan Consulting gives you clear, fair and contextual insights on an ongoing basis.

With robust screening we help you spot discrepancies or red flags early, giving you peace of mind that everyone representing your business is qualified, trustworthy, and aligned with your company values.

4.   Reassurance (through a bonus ‘R’: re-screening)

Importantly, screening shouldn’t end once a candidate joins your team. For best practice, we recommend ongoing or periodic re-screening of employees in regulated roles and senior positions (as well as others in positions that may carry risk), ensuring you demonstrate continued compliance and integrity.

We will tailor a re-screening programme to match your firm’s risk profile, ensuring the right level of verification at various levels within your business.

So whether you’re onboarding new employees or maintaining ongoing compliance, FeMan Consulting manages every aspect of the process for you. We are delighted to be not only a screening provider for our clients, but a trusted partner who safeguards their reputation and enables confident hiring decisions. Talk to us today about your screening strategy.