Elliot Taylor is a Senior Account Executive at Zinc with over five years of experience in SaaS, specifically focused on the background screening space.
In most industries, better tech and higher client expectations has forced companies to innovate and grow. But not background checking.
If you’ve ever worked with traditional background checking providers, you’ll know that they’re slow. The common view in the industry is that manual checks are best, and providers have hired huge workforces to deal with the volume.
I used to think this was the best way — until I came across Zinc, and quickly realised how inefficient traditional background checking processes are.
The problem with traditional background checking providers
For over a decade, the lack of automation in screening was understandable: technology simply hadn’t caught up. But now it has, and a manual approach continues to bring challenges for both organisations and candidates:
1. Lengthy turnaround times
It can take several weeks to complete manual background checks, especially if companies are verbally collecting references. This can significantly delay hiring for companies.
2. Poor candidate experience
Candidates are often burdened with submitting multiple forms of documentation, such as proof of address or identity, which makes the process tedious and repetitive.
Plus, the platforms they’re submitting on aren’t optimised for candidate experience.
3. Lack of transparency
Without real-time updates or clear communication, candidates are left in the dark about the status of their background check.
HR administrators then need to chase down the status of checks and can’t easily see where in the process candidates are, or when checks are projected to be complete.
4. Lack of integrations
Many organisations want to consolidate their tech stack and ensure their tools communicate seamlessly — and background checking providers are no different.
However, building integrations with other modern HR systems hasn’t always been a priority. When integrations do get built, it’s not always easy to implement them. Partners I worked with saw implementation times of two to four weeks, and were often charged for the implementation.
5. No self-service options
It should be easy to update your notifications, create check packages, and get in touch with support when you need it.
But traditional providers make all these difficult, and often require users to get in touch with outsourced support teams — causing unnecessary delays. When teams do have to get in touch with customer support, there often isn’t a good way to get a quick response.
The solution? Zinc.
Before I started at Zinc, I completed my screening checks on a Friday. By Monday morning, they were all done. I couldn’t believe how quickly they’d gone through.
They were processed faster than anything I’ve previously experienced, thanks to automation that reduces manual touchpoints to a minimum.
I had full visibility of the progress of the checks throughout, so I hadn’t needed to speak with the team to see how they were progressing — not that I would have had time to, given the speed.
I knew at that moment that I was joining a company with an amazing platform behind it, and as a sales person, I was super excited.
The candidate experience was just as impressive. I completed everything from my phone in a matter of minutes. I didn’t need to dig up old documents or jump through hoops to submit my checks and while live chat support was available, the process was so simple I didn’t even need it.
Final thoughts: Why Zinc is different
Humans get things wrong quite often: Manual processes can introduce a higher risk of errors, inconsistencies, and mistakes that don’t have oversight. Typos, misinterpretation, or forgetting critical steps can all slow the process down and impact the results.
Unlike automated systems like Zinc, manual processes lack built-in checks and balances that help catch anomalies or flag inconsistencies.
Having spent years in the industry struggling to meet client expectations with outdated tools, I didn’t even know there was a better way. When I heard about Zinc from a prospective client, I was worried at first. Would this competition make my job harder?
The more I learned, the more I realised: If you can’t beat them, join them. I made it my goal to become part of the team.
Why? Because it’s essential to be part of something innovative, that’s actively reshaping an industry and creating the best experience for their clients and their candidates.
To talk to Elliot and the rest of our team about how Zinc can help you transform your background-checking process, book a time today.
