Accurate Account Manager Grace Aitchison discusses how employment checks for energy companies are necessary to make sure the people they employ are always up to the job.
Why Do Energy Companies Need to Screen?
With employees making house calls and others at the frontline of call centres dealing with sometimes vulnerable and upset customers, energy companies need to make sure their employees are capable of their roles. Even if someone isn’t in a frontline role, the nature of the service provided means energy companies need to be certain of who is working in the sector, and that they pose no risk to the ongoing work of the company or to those around them.
However, carrying out background checks when a new member of staff is employed is by no means easy. Parts of the industry experience high staff turnover, making screening a near constant activity that needs to be done as quickly but as possible, but without compromising quality or reach. Background checks are vital, but they cannot be allowed to slow down the hiring process in any significant way.
This is why the industry can benefit from using a dedicated screening company that understands what is required and can deliver on time and at scale.
What Employment Checks Do Energy Companies Need to Carry Out?
The government recommends that background checks for energy companies should meet the BS7858 standard. This standard includes UK and international credit and criminal checks, employment history, verifying the Candidate’s ID and right to work, their qualification history, and checking their past five years of employment. At Accurate, these checks will be carried out based on the information individuals provide within a questionnaire.
UK Basic criminal record searches processed on behalf of the DBS focus only on unspent convictions, but there still may be circumstances where employees are subjected to an enhanced search, for example should that person be working somewhere with children or vulnerable adults.
A lighter touch background check is also possible, but while this may cut time it may not meet the standard required. Businesses should always take advice on this and ensure the background check is suitable for the role they’re filling. Working with a background screening provider will enable businesses to ensure that they are following the correct guidance from the DBS and processing the relevant searches where required.
Given the high turnover within the sector, speed is of the essence. A well-designed background checking process should be aligned to the business, ensuring efficiency as well as offering candidates a great onboarding experience. Completing a BS7858 screening can take time and requires specific documentation. A specialist background check provider will understand what is required as well as where to find that evidence.
The Employment Check Process
The advent of Digital ID has made completing background checks easier and more environmentally friendly. Introduced in 2022, this facility has helped to remove some of the more arduous parts of administrative work around background checks, notably removing the need for a face-to-face meeting. Consequently, Digital ID has reduced the need to travel in order to prove identity and curbed the amount of paperwork required. In these cases, energy companies can also point to Digital ID use as a positive part of their record for a more environmentally friendly workplace.
Recent years have seen an increase in social media checks for employees at energy companies. While not strictly necessary – they’re not included in BS7858 for example – these types of checks can be very important when recruiting into customer facing roles.
Social media checks can identify ‘red flags’ for employers – strong views held, activities outside work and so on. While not a reason for denying employment in themselves, they may give the employer the chance to consider these aspects of an individual’s life and how they might impact on the role for which they are recruiting. Is there a possible reputational risk, and could that person pose a potential problem if they’re working alongside others?
Despite the challenges, background checks on employees in energy companies are vital to creating an efficient, safe, and productive working environment. Energy companies may sometimes feel such checks can hold their business back – particularly in the face of high turnover and challenges to find candidates in the first place – but sourced in the right way the checks can be an efficient and useful part of the employment process.
If you’d like to discuss your approach to background checks, please get in touch with one of our consultants at UKenquiries@accurate.com. They’d love to talk to you about your screening needs.
