The Hindu Business Line : Mandatory checks — Pre-job screening catches on in non-IT sectors

Everybody is now actively looking for employees who come with a clean chit. It's not just IT/ITeS and BFSI companies that have made pre-employment screening mandatory. Retail, FMCG, oil and petroleum companies too have become sensitive to the issue, say industry observers.

CRP Technologies India is already working with two retail giants in the area.

"Though the risk profile of candidates change with the industry and the positions, Indian companies are increasingly becoming aware of the need to do this," said Mr Sanjay Arora, Vice-President of CRP Technologies.

In large hypermarkets, for instance, cashiers handle large cash transactions and have to necessarily go through these checks.

In a recent check for a retail client, 18 out of 27 candidates failed in the police verification check, said Ms Nirupama V.G., Associate Director of TeamLease Services.

With the number of contract employees increasing, the pre-employment screening service has assumed more width and depth.

CRP Technologies does about 10,000 screenings in a month and this number is growing at 70-80 per cent a year.

One area for concern for companies now is the increasing number of frauds in University certificates: about 13-15 per cent of negative reports come from this area, said Mr Arora, with several mid- and senior-level employees guilty of this crime.

Ms Nirupama said: "Most of our clients are now bringing educational qualifications under the radar now."

Background screening companies are tying up with Universities to get lists of candidates who have passed out in a particular year for verification.

At the senior level too, background screening is becoming a serious exercise.

But this would largely be in the areas of man management skills and peer-level interaction and candidates' attitude, according to Mr G.C. Jayaprakash, Principal Consultant of Stanton Chase International.

This assessment is done at three levels: peers, superiors and juniors.

The Indian market background screening industry, valued at Rs 450 crore, is expanding rapidly.

"All employers are concerned about previous history, though things like fingerprint screening and physical capabilities checks are yet to catch up here," said Mr Bart K. Valdez, Division President of First Advantage, which does 10,000-12,000 pre-employment screenings a month in the country.