5 Tips for Conducting International Background Checks

There are many benefits when hiring someone from another country, as you gain access to new experiences and skills that people from your country might lack. However, hiring internationally does come with its own headaches and logistical issues. Luckily, you can use these five tips for conducting international background checks for a basic guideline on what you must do.

Learn the Different Regulations

The first step for international background checks is familiarizing yourself with the different regulations and laws that affect your check. Every country has different laws and protections for workers in regard to background checks. Learn more about these differences in background check laws before you get yourself in a lot of trouble for running an inappropriate or illegal background check.

Account for Cultural Differences

Outside of the legal regulations, you should account for the unwritten differences between your country and the one you’re running the check in. Understanding the political scene is important, as it may affect the background check’s completion. Whether the country’s government is changing leadership or facing political upheaval or a national tragedy, there are many things that might impact your background check results.

Expect a Longer Turn-Around

Another big tip for conducting international background checks is to expect a longer wait time. Because of the different rules and regulations, there’s often more paperwork required, and communication takes longer. As such, don’t expect quick background check results unless you really understand the country.

Stick To Your Original Procedures

One big mistake a lot of companies make when running international background checks is changing up their internal policies and procedures or skipping types of employment verification forms. You should keep your procedures as normal as possible, as this helps avoid discrimination lawsuits and claims. It’s also a better way to protect yourself from bad hires, as background checks help keep your company safe.

Outsource the Process

As you can see, international background checks require a lot of planning and deep knowledge for success. This is very frustrating as a business, but there’s another option you can try: outsourcing background checks to a third-party. Hire background investigation services that understand these regulations and differences without massive research beforehand. This will relieve a lot of the burden on you and your company when hiring someone from another country.

These are the major things you must consider when running an international background check. Without taking each of these points into account, you’ll eventually run into some problems during your check.