'We make it easy for SMBs to hire the right candidate'

BANGALORE, INDIA: Finding and hiring a right employee can be a tedious task for any company. Be it MNCs, big enterprises or Small and Medium business (SMB), employee background verification process can be considered one of the primary and crucial aspects of the hiring process.

In Indian scenario, most of the MNCs do give prominence to employee background screening with the help of an internal team or tying up with external agencies, however, this might not be the same with SMBs, keeping factors such as cost, time and manpower in mind.

In an interaction with CIOL, Naveen Chugh, managing director and senior vice-president, First Advantage, India, shared his views and tips on the recruitment discrepancies in India, how SMBs can find a right candidate and measures that can be taken to overcome fraudulent practices.

Excerpts:

CIOL: Can you enlighten our reader community on recruitment discrepancies in India?

Naveen Chugh: In India, employment checks have the most number of divergence and disagreements, and misinformation of facts is also known as discrepancies. This is so, because the organizations in India do not maintain databases or records of temporary employees, which leads to unavailability of such crucial information.

The overall discrepancy rate in India has increased to 9.9 per cent in Q3-2012 compared to 9.3 per cent in Q2-2012.

To illustrate, out of 100 background screenings conducted in India, about 10 were found to have discrepancies. Out of which, applicants providing incorrect tenures of past employments remain the most common reason for employment-related discrepancies.

CIOL: Having said that, is there any set recruitment process for SMBs that is offered by First Advantage?

NC: No. We do not have a set process for SMBs. We follow a strict background verification procedure and that remains same for all. But, we do offer custom-tailored solutions for each client - the solutions address recruiting, screening and assessment, on-boarding, and re-screening.

As employers tackle the challenges of recruitment and talent management, companies - big or small - turn to First Advantage for integrated solutions.

CIOL: Considering the recruitment discrepancy rate in India, do you think SMBs are finding the right candidates for the right profiles today?

NC: Yes, our SMB clients do find the right candidates for the right profiles. We provide comprehensive screening solutions to all our clients, work according to their requirements and make sure that we meet their expectations. This is what makes it easy for the SMBs to hire the right resources.

Companies around the world are facing the challenge of finding the right employees/ vendors and partners. Association with the wrong party can result in financial, legal, operational and reputation loss and damage. Additionally, the organization incurs the cost of hiring, training, etc. Today, it is the small and medium companies that are more careful on hiring or partnering with the right candidate and vendors, as every investment made by them is vital.

CIOL: So, how exactly does First Advantage go about this job?

NC: Screening acts as insurance and helps protect customers, employees, information, and the workplace. Be it a small and medium business or a large enterprise, we focus on right background, experience, skill set and right fit, and this helps us mitigate the risk companies usually face these days.

Managing Human Capital Risk also helps safeguard the brand of an organization and this is crucial especially when companies are growing. The pre-employment background screening process helps us accomplish our client's requirement, hence helping them overcome the challenge of finding the correct employees/ vendors and partners. First Advantage does not compromise on quality and this is what makes us the market leader in the verification industry.

CIOL: What are the major services offered by you for SMBs?

NC: We provide a comprehensive suite of global talent acquisition solutions designed to reduce time, cost and risk associated with candidate recruiting, applicant tracking, screening, assessments and ongoing retention processes.

In India, First Advantage offers background screening services and assessments to companies of any scale.

CIOL: What are the tips that you would like offer candidates while applying for a job?

NC: The main mantra according to me is to ‘Present the facts as it is', do not fake it to make it.

Fake resumes and CV's with false information are the most common challenges faced by companies at present. This challenge exists across the globe. Candidates lie on their resume about everything from their education, years of experience, previous salary structure to even their expertise.

According to the recent Background Screening Trends Report by First Advantage, out of 100 background screenings cases conducted in India, about 9 were found to have discrepancies.