Pre-employment screening is the term used for the checking of an applicants employment history and other relevant information and is instigated by the employer with the candidates permission as part of the recruiting process. Pre-employment screening is also known as background checking, probity checks and security checks. Academic and professional qualifications are checked with the appropriate institutions, dates of employment are checked with payroll departments and reference checks are sought from past line managers. Other checks, which may be performed, include criminal history checks, credits checks, bankruptcy checks, and Directorships and Company affiliations. It is generally used as part of the Pre-employment process, but many companies are now opting to check current employees prior to promotion and even perform regular revues.

In Australia, employment screening has now become a major part of risk management best practice.

The PRM Group and their global partners have found that a staggering 25% of people will commit fraud in order to obtain employment. Once that person is on your company’s payroll, it may be difficult to remove them when their inadequacies become evident. They may also do enormous damage to your company whilst employed. There are many examples of companies that have lost millions, even hundreds of millions of dollars by having one rogue employee who may never have commenced work had they been properly screened. APRA's "fit and proper persons" standards for the financial industry and an increasing risk of "negligent hiring" legal claims reinforce the case for employment screening.

The PRM Group works with a diverse range of organisations ranging from government agencies, large global corporations to smaller, but by no means less important, companies. Our services are utilised across all industry types with the level of screening dependent on the employees responsibilities. The PRM Group understand all sorts of different dynamics - some of our clients operate a blanket screening policy, where others select specific parts of our service.

A Pre-employment screening is mandatory in the financial industry in the United Kingdom, and many financial and insurance companies are now using pre-employment screening in Australia under the new APRA guidelines. The information technology industry is another big user of screening services. In fact, we have customers across a large range of Industry Sectors within Australia and across Asia, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and U.S.A.

There are several points of view in making comparisons between pre employment screening done with the employee’s knowledge and without. Because pre employment screening is relatively new to Australia, many employers are shy about requesting information from the candidate. In our experience, we have never had an employee refuse to complete a pre employment screening form. Quite simply, it will assist you in verifying the prospective employee’s credentials. Furthermore, a pre employment screening report done with the candidates written consent gains much more practical information about the candidate. It may contain details that they may have omitted from their Curriculum Vitae. In Australia, the candidate must authorise us to proceed.

No. Any person can be checked as long as they have signed an authority document allowing the prospective employer company and their agents to complete the pre-employment screening.

There are many web sites on the Internet that provide false documentation. The unscrupulous can obtain a degree from just about any Institution in the world for a fee. False passports, false drivers licence, false academic qualifications, false résumés can all be obtained. See for yourself by typing “fake university degree” into your web browser. Academic and Professional Qualifications need to be checked with the original source to verify that they are genuine. The PRM Group has a vast database of Academic and Professional contacts where these certificates are verified and we know what the institution requirements and protocols are in order for that information to be released to a third party.

Experience with The PRM Group has shown that the most consistent fraud that people commit in their résumés is embellishment or faking their academic qualifications.
We have also found people lying about previous work history in order to hide prior criminal convictions or unsatisfactory work histories. There is almost no limit that people will go to, to obtain employment. We have even had people set up their own company for the purpose of having a partner or friend pretend to be a former employer so that a favourable reference may be given.