How are candidates screened when hiring?

Verification of the applicant: why it is needed and by whom it is carried out

When hiring a candidate, they are checked to comprehensively assess his professionalism and moral qualities. And the higher the vacant position, the more thorough the check.

The law gives employers the right to enter into or not enter into an employment contract. Therefore, before entering into an employment relationship, it is important to understand whether a new person will cope with work responsibilities or not: after all, dismissal of a hired employee is a more complex procedure. But the verification may continue after the conclusion of the employment contract, for example, during the probationary period.

In large companies, HR specialists study the qualities of applicants, and a more thorough check (for example, the authenticity of documents) is carried out by the security service. Smaller firms assign similar responsibilities to the human resources department.

Is there a blacklist of workers - see the material.

Methods for checking a candidate

Depending on what functions are planned to be assigned to the future employee, management has the right to use the following verification methods:

When applying for some positions (teaching and educational activities, aviation personnel, penal system, etc.), the employer requires a certificate of criminal record from the candidate (Article 65 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). If such a certificate is optional, but desirable, it is presented by the citizen if he agrees to it. More details in the material.

Methods

The main methods used to verify a candidate include:

Interview

This is an oral conversation with a potential employee, during which his verbal and nonverbal behavior is analyzed: gestures, facial expressions, speech, clothing, behavior.
In some cases, special interviews are conducted aimed at determining the candidate’s level of stress resistance and analyzing his behavior in critical situations.

Verification of documents

For example, a passport can be checked in a special section of the Federal Migration Service website, a document on education can be checked in the educational institution that issued it. Entries in the work book can be clarified by sending relevant requests to former employers. Information about loans can be obtained from the Credit Bureau.

Testing

It may concern both future activities and the personal characteristics of the candidate. The success of the method largely depends on the quality of the test.

Polygraphic testing

A lie detector allows you to get answers to many questions about a candidate. Taking a polygraph when applying for a job in the Ministry of Internal Affairs is mandatory ; in other areas it can be used by agreement of the parties. However, the written consent of the applicant is mandatory.

The integrated use of these methods allows us to obtain the most accurate idea of ​​the personal and professional qualities of the future employee.

Medical examination before hiring and how to pass it correctly. Read about how to properly fire a manager in this article.

There are different types of awards. Read about the main types of bonuses and the rules for calculating them here.

Online services for checking applicants

Official websites of departments make it possible to conduct legal verification of candidates when applying for a job:

You will learn more about how to check the validity of a foreigner’s patent in the article.

A detective agency tells how to check an employee when hiring

Yesterday and the future

Let's start with the fact that the candidate needs to be checked not only for a dark past. Think immediately about his dark future: how will this person behave in this or that situation? This is a very important verification factor. Anticipating a person’s behavior is almost more important than knowing about criminal records, arrests, and dishonorable dismissal from a previous job. Of course, there is no need to shake the soul out of every cleaner and driver who performs minor mechanical work. The verification must be adequate to the declared position. But at a minimum, it is necessary to verify the authenticity of identity documents. However, let's talk about everything in order.

First stage of employee verification

This is, of course, an interview. As a small business owner, you are probably in a position to host a meeting. It's best that you do this, not your accountant or shift supervisor. Yes, they can also connect at a certain stage. But in this fortress everything is subordinate to you, don’t forget about it. So take the time to talk to the applicant. Listen: what does your intuition tell you? Do you like this person, or do you have doubts?

Carefully review your resume and all documents. Make photocopies of your passport, work permit, driver's license, diploma. There is no need to immediately give the candidate an answer. Say that you will make a decision on a competitive basis. This way you can gain time and check the applicant for dark spots in his biography. When there is no security service, this can be done in three ways.

• “Friend” in uniform

It just so happens that around any business project, be it a 24 Hours stall, a hairdressing salon or a small transport company, people in uniform always appear. Like birds, they land on your eaves in hopes of getting a handful of bread crumbs. Sometimes businessmen feed the birds themselves, without waiting for a knock on the window (or rather, on the door). As a rule, such relationships are built on mutually beneficial conditions, when one turns a blind eye to something, and the other earns money from it. You can try to expand the agreement by using existing connections to verify the authenticity of passports, driver's licenses and other documents, as well as find out about criminal records, fines, etc. For an employee in uniform, this is an elementary, absolutely safe task that can be performed without leaving the heated chair.

• Private detective services

Contacting a private detective is actually equivalent to helping a “friend” in uniform. You get access to a full range of information. The main advantage of this approach is that you risk absolutely nothing. This is no longer a bribe, but an official payment for the service of collecting information about a person. The work will be completed within the agreed time frame and presented in the form of a report. While your “star” friend may be at a meeting, on vacation, or even under investigation. In addition, what number the person in the cap will give after completing the check is known only to him. In such cases, the detective names the cost immediately, and it does not change without objective reasons.

• Independent work. Useful resources

You can check an employee yourself when hiring, using data from open sources. These are social networks, address and telephone databases of residents, resources of government agencies. For example, if you know your full name, you can officially identify a person yourself on the website of the Federal Bailiff Service. If a person has rent arrears, an unpaid fine or alimony, this will be displayed on the screen. In addition, you have every right to call the employee’s previous place of work and inquire about him. This is normal practice, and, believe me, if a person left in a bad way, no one will definitely hide it. To verify the authenticity of a diploma, it is not even necessary to call the university. Moreover, for your sake, it is unlikely that any of the employees of the educational institution will look in the archives for data about this person. To begin with, it is enough to ask the candidate about his thesis work, find out the name of the supervisor, and the group number. An unprepared person will swim immediately, and it will be noticeable.

The downside of all of the above is that collecting information takes time and the data itself will be quite limited. Below we publish a detailed list of useful sites that will help you check an employee for free when applying for a job. Just click on the name of the government agency and follow the link. Even your secretary can do this job. — You can check the validity of your Russian passport, INN, and work permit through the resources of the online service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Federal Tax Service — You can find out about the debt through the database of enforcement proceedings on the website of the Federal Bailiff Service — You can find out about criminal records and court proceedings through the official resources of the judicial system systems. This is a more labor-intensive process, since information about sentences and decisions made is stored in the database of territorial judicial bodies. - You can find out whether a person is wanted as a particularly dangerous criminal through the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and the official resource of Interpol - You can check the authenticity of a driver's license through the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, knowing the car number, driver's license details and vehicle registration certificates

Second stage of employee verification

Many entrepreneurs mistakenly think that after hiring, there is no longer any need to check the employee, because the documents are in order and the interview was successful. It's a delusion. An unpleasant feature of human relationships is that you can know a person for many years and not expect a trick from him - and one day you will be very unpleasantly surprised. Therefore, you should never lose your vigilance. This is a sacred rule.

The second stage of the test should reveal the hidden qualities of a person: greed, cunning, envy, a tendency to betrayal, deceit. Unfortunately, such information is not available in any existing database. Everything is checked only experimentally. And you are able to organize such a check yourself. To do this, you can simulate a situation that will reveal certain qualities of a person. For example, if your employee is a sales representative in stores, give him bonus money, which he can voluntarily give to one or another store owner at the end of the month. Then, after some time, conduct a survey: did any of the ten sellers receive a cash bonus? You can simulate a situation with a check, where the role of a policeman will be played by your very “friend” in uniform. A new employee can be “interrogated” and, under pressure from “evidence,” asked to testify against his manager. This verification option is especially relevant for those whose way of earning money goes beyond the current legislation.

Polygraph

Let's say briefly about the polygraph (lie detector): it is just an auxiliary tool for checking employees. When checking for a job, relying entirely on it does not make sense. When deciding on surgery, you will not rely on the results of one single ultrasound. You will undergo at least a dozen different examinations, take tests, and listen to different doctors. The situation is the same with the polygraph. In addition, it is more suitable for people of a nervous type, whose pulse jumps and their eyes darken at the sight of their superiors. When taking a polygraph test, the placebo effect often occurs when the subject of the study perceives the lie detector as a kind of all-seeing eye. But this is far from true.

Finally

Imagine that your enterprise is a fortress. A small, proud fort, always in a state of siege. You are the commandant of the fortress, and the reality is that every soldier, every bayonet and cartridge counts. “These are those who rose up with hostility as one…” - remember the words of this song? So, looking at the recruit, think: will this person stand for you to the last, or will he go over to the side of the enemy at the first sounds of cannonade? In your case, the enemy is competitors, checking authorities, and simply any difficulties that your business may encounter. And even if there are no bullets whistling over your head, the price of human betrayal can still be exorbitant.

Need help vetting staff? Contact Legion - we know how to help you.

Does the applicant have the right to demand payment for a completed test task?

When performing tasks in the interests of the employer that are actually related to the labor function of the vacant position, management is obliged to pay for the candidate’s work.

In the considered case No. 2-3971/2018, the applicant completed trial tasks for 2 days, but was not hired. Since actual admission to work has not been proven in court, the plaintiff’s demands:

• the conclusion of an employment contract was rejected;
• payment for 2 days of work satisfied.

Read about the specifics of an employment contract with a foreign worker here.

Let's sum it up

• Pre-employment screening provides an opportunity to comprehensively evaluate candidates before entering into an employment relationship.
• The most commonly used verification methods: review of questionnaires and resumes, interviews, test tasks, request for information from a previous employer.
• Successful completion of the checks by the applicant does not oblige the employer to enter into an employment contract with him.
• When performing practical tasks that constitute the job function of the vacancy, the candidate has the right to demand payment for the work done.
• Former employees who wish to return to their previous position are required, at the employer’s suggestion, to undergo a background check on a general basis. Refusal to check may result in denial of employment.

How to pass a security check

Successful completion of the test primarily depends on the candidate himself. To obtain employment, do not falsify documents under any circumstances. If you bought a diploma or medical record, information about this will most likely become known, and the security service will show you the door.

Also, try to pay off any debts before applying for a job, as companies do not want to deal with applicants who have financial problems. Another important aspect is a person’s behavior during an interview: recruiters pay attention to how a potential employee looks, constructs his speech and reacts to the words of the interlocutor. In addition, the relationship between the applicant and the previous employer is important for HR specialists. Therefore, when leaving, try to leave a good impression of yourself.

If you receive a refusal based on the results of the audit, be sure to find out the reason for it. Perhaps you made a stupid mistake before filing that can be quickly corrected. And if not, then you will be able to use this knowledge when applying for a job in another company.

You're perfect for the job, but you've been rejected. Why?