With so many companies nowadays holding personal data, the greatest risk is often employee theft of this asset. Yet many businesses throughout the UK overlook employee screening completely.
In most organizations that PBD visit, screening is seen as a perfunctory activity that addresses the last employer and statutory right to work documents.
However there are robust British Standards available such as BS7858. This requires a full five year checkable work history, together with a financial probity check. If coupled with a CRB check, this gives a good indication of the applicant’s appropriateness for a job.
It is also worth noting, that many people exaggerate academic qualifications and technical skills that they don’t have. These must also be validated.
PBD also advise periodic financial checks on employees where sensitive processing is identified. This is because nobody’s financial circumstances are static and severe financial pressures can lead in extreme cases to cohesion.
For the sake of applying BS7858 within a commercial services arena the small upfront costs are outweighed by the longer term benefits of being assured that a structured vetting programme is operation.
Marcus Allen is an associate management consultant for Parker Business Development. He holds a Master’s degree in management learning and change from one of the top UK universities, and has 17 years’ experience in compliance systems, web-based management systems. He holds a lead auditor qualification in ISO27001 (information security) and has assisted numerous companies to 27001 registration. He is a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. He can be contacted at: ma@parkerbd.co.uk