So, you may have heard on the grape vine that we are here screening 24 hours, seven days a week, and you may be thinking how ridiculous that sounds! Who needs pre-employment screening done at 2am on a Sunday, and why would we bother going to all the trouble?
Well, as absurd as it may seem, there’s a lot that gets done in these weird and whacky hours.
Here’s why we do pre-employment screening 24/7.
Not everyone is in the same time zone.
One of the most common, and most important screening checks, referencing, involves reaching out to a candidate’s previous employers to confirm their past employment record. Although the majority of our clients are based in the UK, a new starter in any company could have worked elsewhere around the world.
Time zones are tricky things. Even in the UK we move back and forth each year, losing an hour in March, gaining an hour in October. Having said that, we are pretty lucky and are one of the countries that depending on the time of year, operate near/at the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is the central standard time used to set all time zones around the world. From there, countries move their time + or – UTC, as they move away from the central line of latitude.
The two most extreme time zones on earth differ by a whopping 26 hours
This means that some countries around the world are up to 13 hours ahead or behind the UK. By operating 24/7, we are able to reach out to international references on their time, during their working weeks, meaning their responses are quicker and more efficient.
Not everyone works the 9-5
Even within the UK, not everyone works the standard 9am-5pm work week. Some industries naturally communicate in what the average company would consider to be out of office hours.
This means that some referees may work shifts, and simply wouldn’t reply during the average working day, which is why it’s important for our team to be available around the clock.
It’s genuinely more efficient
As much as it makes it easier for referees to get back to us, it makes our jobs a lot easier too. Being in someone’s inbox at the right time saves us following up time and time again, and avoids the frustration of missing someone. Sometimes we need to have a few communications with someone, and if the back-and-forth process takes place in one day, as opposed to 4 agonisingly long ones, it’s better all around.
This chain of efficiency also applies to you! If we are able to complete our checks more efficiently, you can get started with your candidate much faster. We often see companies completing an initial onboarding process whilst waiting for the results of pre-employment screening, and with Panopto finding over 50% of corporate onboarding processes lasting a week or less, there really is no time to waste!
In essence, the easier it is to get the required references, the more efficient the process becomes.
Candidate experience
Always at the top of our list, we take great care to ensure your candidate has a great screening experience. By being more efficient, we make certain your candidate feels valued and that their time isn’t wasted.
The flexibility of being here around the clock also means that we are able to fit into a busy candidate’s schedule. Getting a new job is an exciting time in anyone’s life, but it can also be a stressful and busy transition. At Reed Screening, they are able to send over documents at any time, and we are there to pick them up and move the process on, no matter the timing.
Similarly, by increasing the chances of their screening being completed by the end of onboarding, they don’t have to hang about waiting to get started in their new job. This will give them a great impression of your business, by reinforcing the efficiency you aim to achieve, and inspiring them to extend that efficient attitude into their role.
We’re a bit competitive
Many of our competitors claim to have ‘quicker responses’ and ‘faster completion times’, but what does that actually mean? Well for us, that means working 16 more hours a day than our competition.
But how does that actually help, and how long does a pre-employment background check even take?
Well, as a result of our dedication to our screening we are able to achieve industry leading turnaround times, and are proud to provide an average 8-day turnaround across over 500,000 checks.
So to sum it up; we work around the clock so that your new starter can get going faster.
To find out how we can minimise your recruitment risk and keep your business compliant quickly and reliably, check out our services page, or get in touch with a member of our friendly team to start the ball rolling on a bespoke solution to meet your needs.
If you hire 50 or less new starters a year, go and check out our marvellous pay-per-candidate screening packages. Designed with small businesses in mind, our flexible and cost effective pre-employment screening solutions are built to keep your businesses safe and fully compliant.