Freelancing is gaining popularity increasing the gig economy. Studies from 2018, figured that there has been an increase of 3.7 million freelancers, summing up to 56.7 million freelancers active in the United States.
After the Covid-19 pandemic burst out, the employment landscape in most industries and corporations has changed or demanded new resources. The rate of new employment however reduced and the existing employees were laid off. This increased the scope for people to work from remote locations. Background verification of employees was least carried out only following the basic verification standards.
Studies from HireRight found that 86% of employers had made a habit of running background checks on freelancers.
Let’s talk about how the whole self-background check for employment & freelancers works in India. The process, authenticity, and professional intervention shed some light on these aspects.
In today’s era, there’s a dire necessity for authentication for almost any job or freelance project. The word ‘Due Diligence’ has been habitual in the hiring process and having the background check done adds another ‘valuable’ document to your file.
It is noted that the chances of employment increase when an applicant has their ‘Proper Background Check’ done but the word, ‘Proper’ differs for many.
Even if you do a little Google search about the same, the information that you get is like potato, potato. So, we reached out to our executives from Proquest to give us little ideas about the background check process.
Why have background checks for freelancers become so popular?
Proquest, being an active company associated with different companies, our professionals always will have a keen understanding of the company’s managerial and financial affairs. Many companies, that are freelancing resources, try to skip the background verification. We highly recommend companies conduct the initial level of verification before confirming the candidate’s employment.
The professionals at Proquest have listed a few of the reasons:
1. Though freelancers don’t have a permanent position in the company, during their period of service, you may need to share your company’s confidential information. Assessing the employee’s conduct is thus important to ensure he/she is a trustworthy candidate.
2. Even if the employee is not going the long way with you, he is always associated with your brand! You cannot stop him from adding you to his/her portfolio. Hence the way they conduct themselves in the professional sphere can reflect in any way you can’t guess.
What Background Checks Should be Used for Freelancers?
First and foremost, identify their verification and past work profiles.
Check for the criminal history.
Cross verify the educational traits and skills mentioned in their resume.
Know the former companies or industries they are associated or worked with.
Check if the candidate has any allegations.
Self-Background Check for Employment & Freelancers:
Here are a few of the parameters involved in the self-background check process. It may vary from one agency to another but the below-mentioned points are good for reference.
Just like passport verification for self-background checks for employment, the verification from the police is the primary thing.
Documentation is the key. Make sure you have a permit to work, a national identity, and a medically eligible certificate (in some cases).
Keep a watch on your pictures or the posts you're tagged in on any social media platforms. Ensure they won't add negativity.
Make sure you will have nothing to hide from the public records like the National Archives.
Provide your information on relevant sites like freelancer, Tapchief, and many more so that if someone makes a Google search about you, the details shall speak for themselves. Highly recommended for freelancers.
These may not be the exact parameters of how an agency of background verification service would work, but these parameters are highly recommended for an individual to get their self-background check done with ease.
Is conducting self-background checks needed?
We say yes. Running background checks may cost you your time and effort but the results help you prepare for the possible consequences while a company conducts their employee background checks.
Self-background checks help you know the things that are inaccurate or insufficient for the course of your skills and expected job role or company. Conducting the self-background checks improves the individual’s choice of knowing the details and facts that add weight to the resume or portfolio.
However, we would recommend you to speak with our executives for professional assistance. Click to make a free inquiry.