- Heather McGee
In-house vs. Outsourced Background Checks: Which is best for your business?
Pre-employment background checks are a vital element of the hiring process, with the need for both speed and accuracy of equal importance. The hiring environment is more competitive than ever, so a streamlined process that enables informed hiring decisions whilst providing a great candidate experience, is crucial.
Businesses can either choose to outsource their background checks to a third party provider, or handle it themselves in-house. The conventional view is that by outsourcing the checks, it alleviates the administrative burden on the business and onboards your employees faster.
But is this still true in today’s market, where automation and advances in software are challenging the status quo? And where in-house background checks no longer mean paperwork and spreadsheets, but a slick and simple online platform that turns weeks of manual checks in to a quick and automated process?
Suddenly, carrying out in-house background checks becomes a more attractive proposition than ever before.
But which is best suited to your business? Read on as we explore the key deliverables required from the process, and whether in-house or outsourcing will provide it for you.
1. Cost
Nearly always the first consideration for any new process or supplier, is cost. Outsourcing background checks to a third party vendor can be a very expensive option, whereas bringing the process in-house can provide a far more cost-effective solution, particularly when staff resource is so significantly reduced with the use of an online background checking platform.
2. Speed
A long and drawn out process is a deterrent to potential applicants, which is a key consideration in a candidate-led market. By completing your background checks in-house, there is no need to wait for a third party to finish the process for you. This gives you greater control and oversight as to what stage each applicant has reached in the process.
3. Candidate Experience
It’s the buzzword that encircles almost every industry at the moment, delivering a great candidate experience is critical to finding and retaining the top talent your business needs. Shifting them to an outsourced provider midway through the hiring process may not deliver the experience they’re expecting. So, by keeping your background checks in-house, you may help to instill trust with your applicant market as you’ll be delivering a consistent experience for them.
4. Quality of hires
Whether you outsource or keep it in-house, knowing who you’re hiring and making an informed decision about your new employees is crucial. In-house checks provide you with the peace of mind you need, given that you have complete control of the process. For some businesses, this level of control is non-negotiable, and its why we see such an increase in companies moving their checks in-house.
5. Compliance
There are many complexities to ensuring compliance with your hiring process, and it’s one of the key reasons a company chooses to outsource its checks. But this can be achieved in-house too, by ensuring you use a reputable platform that meets the highest compliance standards.
Ultimately, there are many considerations when deciding whether to outsource your background checks, or complete them in-house. The size of the company, budget, internal resources and capabilities, and the volume of checks required are all significant influencing factors.
We can help you determine the best approach for your business by introducing you to VettingGateway, the simple and easy-to-use online platform for completing your pre-employment background checks. Simply book in a time below with one of our vetting experts.
