Do you ever wish that you could wave a magic wand and get rid of all the annoying admin bits of your job?
Yeah, us too.
Using a background checking provider can help make one of the most tedious processes in HR and Talent a breeze. But it can come with trade-offs, and it’s important to make sure you’re making the right decision for your business.
Let’s dive into:
- The difference between third-party and in-house background checks
- How to make the right decision for your team
- What to look for in a background checking provider
Want to know more about background checks, including which ones to run and how to interpret results? Check out our ultimate guide to background checks here.
Should I use a third-party background check provider or keep it in house?
First off, let us be honest — at Zinc, we’re a little biased. After all, we spend all day, every day, thinking about how to make background checks easier.
But we’re also here to help you save time so you can focus on the parts of your job you actually enjoy.
So let’s break down the differences between using a third-party provider or keeping it in house.
In-house background checks
There’s a certain level of comfort that comes with staying close to every part of the background checking process. After all, it’s an important job with big ramifications if something goes wrong.
HR teams who keep background checks in house typically do so for a few reasons:
- They stay in control. When it comes to what checks to run, they can tailor their systems exactly the way they want, with no extra bells and whistles.
- The information stays with you. In-house background checks allow for teams to keep a closer eye on candidate information and feel more in control of where information is stored.
- It’s not a big enough job. Some HR teams simply don’t have enough background checks to justify outsourcing to a provider that charges high monthly fees or a fixed contract.
Background check providers
For all the teams that choose not to use background check providers, there are many more that outsource their background checking process to third parties. Here’s why you’d want to outsource your background check experience:
- You can access a wider range of checks. Especially if you need to run complicated social media or Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) checks, an experienced third party provider can make the process a lot smoother.
- It removes bias from the process. An objective third party can make sure that you’re not letting assumptions cloud your judgement and creep into the process.
- It saves time. This is the big one — background checks are time-consuming and take you away from bigger projects, no matter how few you’re running each month.
- You need help with complicated industry requirements. If you’ve ever tried to puzzle out the requirements for getting an enhanced DBS check, you know that regulations and industry nuances don’t make it easier. A third party can help provide guidance and clear up any questions you might have.
Plus, most background check providers have extremely high standards for security, and many (like Zinc!) offer flexible pricing that makes it cost-effective even for one-person HR teams.
How do I choose a background check provider?
So you’ve decided to go for a background check provider to take some of the admin off your plate (great decision). Here’s what to look for:
Compliance and security
Keeping your candidate data secure is top of the list when it comes to providers. Make sure:
- The provider is GDPR compliant
- They have a comprehensive security policy
- Make sure they’re ISO 27001 certified, which is an internationally recognised level of data security
Turnaround time
How long is it going to take you to get checks back? Ask for concrete data on the average return time of the checks you need, compared to industry standards.
For reference, here are Zinc’s turnaround times — we believe in transparency in the usually opaque background checking industry.
Does it do everything you need?
There’s no sense in signing up with a provider that only offers some of the checks you need. Look for an all-in-one solution that offers global checks in line with your business and industry requirements.
Plus, keep an eye out for custom reports, hiring data, candidate support, and integrations with your HRIS or ATS.
Reputation and experience
Be sure to research the background checking provider’s reputation and track record. Some of our favourite ways to get all the facts are:
- Capterra
- G2
- Case studies
- Asking your peers if they have any recommendations
- Reddit threads (yes, really)
Comparing background check provider costs with in-house teams
What’s the initial investment?
In house: How much will it cost to hire and train new team members? What software do you need, and what costs will you have to absorb?
Provider: Does your provider charge based on a subscription model, or do they charge per check? And do they help you complete company-wide re-checks when required?
Ongoing expenses?
In-house: How much will it cost to keep up with salary rises, benefits and tech maintenance for the in-house team?
Provider: Compare the pricing packages and subscription plans offered by different providers for long-term cost projections. Plus, ask about any hidden fees for a provider, like training, service costs, or costs of setting up integrations.
What support will you have?
In-house: Once your team is trained up, they’re expected to know everything. If issues arise, they’re put on the spot for troubleshooting and may have to take time away from other priorities.
Provider: Most third party providers will have some sort of customer support. The best ones, though, offer clear ways to instantly get in touch with a real human and resolve issues quickly. Plus, make sure your provider’s knowledge base is top-notch so you can get answers yourself.
Candidate experience
In-house: Using an in-house team means you can control every aspect of the candidate experience yourself. Unfortunately, it also means actually controlling every aspect of the candidate experience yourself.
How will teams prioritise candidate experience amongst their other duties?
Provider: A good background checking provider will make the experience seamless for candidates, leaving them with a great impression of your company and getting them excited for their first day.
It doesn’t turn your company into a faceless corporation — it just leaves you with more time to focus on the touchpoints that matter, and lets you personalise your automation.
Opportunity cost
In-house: Consider the opportunity cost of diverting your HR team's time and resources from core tasks to handle background checks.
Provider: What can you accomplish when you free up your HR team to focus on strategic initiatives?
Accuracy and efficiency
In-house: If something goes wrong with your in-house process, how are you going to fix it? What’s the cost to the business?
Provider: Do they have a proven track record of accurate, fast results? Ultimately, you need a tool that helps reduce the risk of human error and keeps your business secure.
Turnaround time
In-house: If your team is busy with other priorities or needs to upskill on certain tasks, how much will the background checking process (and the candidate experience) suffer?
Provider: Choose a provider with quick turnaround times globally, reducing time-to-hire and associated costs.
Scalability
In-house: Factor in the cost of scaling your in-house team to handle a growing number of background checks as your business expands globally.
Provider: Opt for a provider that can easily scale its services to accommodate your evolving hiring needs. One that can complete background checks in Australia just as easily as background checks in France.
Three reasons to choose Zinc as your background check provider
When it comes to background checks, you’ve got a lot of options — so we’ll keep this fast. At Zinc, we’re all about making the process of background checking easier and more efficient for time-strapped teams.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Zinc is fast. Like, really fast. Thanks to our direct integration with HMRC, we can turn around employment verification checks in minutes. Plus, we’ve automated the referencing process and can chase references for you. Check out our average turnaround times here.
- You can tailor it however you want. Just hiring a handful of new starters a year? Only pay for the checks you run. Hiring 100+ candidates a year? You can make custom check packages and re-use them across roles, sending exactly what you need to the right candidates and saving time.
- Zinc makes the experience great for candidates, too. Putting your best foot forward is important during a hiring process. With an easy-to-use platform and customisable branding, it’s a great way to showcase your company’s commitment to candidate experience.
If you’d like to know more, book a call with our team here.
To find out the total ROI of conducting background checks for your company, try our free ROI calculator and see the time and monetary value running automated checks could offer.
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