Month: October 2020

Scarcity of qualified candidates

Arguably the most urgent of concerns in the healthcare industry today is the scarcity of qualified applicants. Due to an ageing population of healthcare professionals that are more frequently opting for early retirement, competition is fierce to recruit new graduates.

While the advances of modern technology and medicine have given us the positive that people are now able to live healthier and longer lives than ever before it also means the demand for healthcare is increasing. a

Estimates of the shortfall in healthcare professionals varies according to the source. The UK as an example is typically estimated to have between 40-60K nursing vacancies for a population of circa 66 million. 80% of the world’s nurses work in countries holding half of the world’s population.

Competition to recruit healthcare professionals from overseas will become more fierce going forward and many countries are putting measures in place in an attempt to attract more of their own population into the healthcare industry.

Time to Hire

For many applicants looking to find work in the healthcare sector overseas, the time to hire will be in excess of 9 months from the first point of contact to their start date. Each applicant will most likely have to go through a language, practical and theory test which alone will take months to attend and pass. If the applicant does not have pre verified credentials, they will need to submit their documents for verification to gain their health licence with the regulatory authority. Some countries will require tests to be taken in the destination country, adding a large cost and additional time to what is already a lengthy process.

Verifying an applicant’s credentials early in the recruitment process is one way to cut time from the registration with a regulatory authority as well as the pre-employment screening period. As the most time consuming checks that you would expect to be conducted as part of an applicant’s onboarding; verifying and maintaining your credentials can give applicants a competitive edge in the job market.

The onboarding process and helping applicants settle

For most hospitals it is recognised that diversity of workforce is a good thing. In major cities especially, the population has become more varied and as such it takes a diverse workforce to best provide care to these regions. Helping overseas applicants acclimatise to their new environment is a big part of the recruitment process and is vital to ensuring the applicant can begin to work effectively and feels comfortable to stay and work in their new home country.

The onboarding process is vital to the applicant’s development in their new role and employee engagement and training is a focus for employers. Recruitment agencies will not receive their fee if the applicant does not pass their probationary period and the healthcare facility will need to source a replacement so a lot of time and effort can go to waste if the onboarding of an applicant is not successful.

Recruiters and healthcare facilities partnered with the DataFlow group have cited examples ranging from helping applicants with opening bank accounts, providing initial room and board to helping applicants find social settings compatible with their culture. From an applicant’s perspective this first few months is a daunting period of time in their lives and a certain level of external help could make or break the experience and affect their morale and performance going forward.

Get in touch with us today to learn about how our advanced background screening solutions – Primary Source Verification – can speed up the process of hiring  and improve efficiency in healthcare recruitment!

The recruitment process is a vital part of any business, and ensuring you hire the best candidates for the job is essential. In addition, knowing how to identify fake candidates in recruitment will help protect your organization from potential fraud or other risks.

Unfortunately, fake candidates can sometimes slip through the cracks, posing as qualified applicants with impressive credentials. Hiring unqualified candidates can lead to adverse economic and operational consequences for organizations. For instance, poor job performance due to a lack of skills or low-quality education can lead to poor output quality, which is detrimental to business success. In addition, hiring employees with falsified backgrounds can put organizations at risk of legal and financial liabilities.

This blog explores how to identify fake candidates in recruitment, particularly when hiring candidates overseas or those with international qualifications. By understanding these methods, you can ensure that only qualified applicants make it into your company’s workforce.

What Recruiters Should Know About Fake Candidates

One major issue facing recruiters today is the rise of diploma mills, where unaccredited colleges and universities sell fake degrees. Unfortunately, these mills have become harder to detect after they started to form their accrediting bodies and exploit more lenient law enforcement in their home countries.

When recruiting international workers, there are many hurdles to overcome. Language barriers, different regulations, and the sheer volume of applicants can make it challenging to ensure that everything is legitimate. Governments traditionally used notarization and Apostilles – a special seal to certify that documents from migrant workers are legit. But here’s the thing: that system only guarantees that a record is a copy of the real thing. It doesn’t guarantee the authenticity or whether the person attended the school.

While notarization intends to add credibility and authenticity to documents, it’s essential to be aware that people can fake them. The DataFlow Group has discovered numerous counterfeit documents, including official-looking stamps, attestations, and endorsements. Organizations like the Hague Conference on Private International Law – the world organization for cross-border cooperation in civil and commercial matters, are concerned about the potential abuse of notarization. For example, an official certificate can be issued for a fake diploma and given an Apostille without anyone verifying the signature or content.

The rise of diploma mills, notarization, and apostille has created a volatile environment where candidates may falsify credentials to improve their job prospects at home or overseas. Organizations, employers, and societies worldwide are now at risk of falling victim to the consequences of document forgery.

How To Verify Candidates’ Credentials

Regarding identifying fake candidates during recruitment, two techniques stand out: conducting an employment background check and obtaining a Primary Source Verification (PSV) report. Both can help recruiters protect their organization from potential fraud or other risks during the recruitment process.

1. Employment background check

An employment background check thoroughly investigates an applicant’s previous work experience, criminal history, educational qualifications, and other relevant details.

Conducting an employment background check ensures the organization hires candidates with relevant professional experience, educational qualifications, and criminal records that are safe to work with. This process can also identify potential red flags during recruitment. For instance, it can uncover a history of poor job performance, unethical behavior, or a criminal record that would make the candidate unqualified for the position.

For an applicant with overseas qualifications, the background check should include verifying the authenticity of their degree or diploma from the international institution. Recruiters should engage an external third-party specialist to conduct the background check to ensure objectivity.

2. Primary Source Verification 

A DataFlow Primary Source Verification (PSV) is a type of background check that verifies the authenticity of an applicant’s educational and professional credentials. Specifically, it proves the legitimacy of a candidate’s overseas qualifications. This verification compares the candidate’s credentials against a global database to ensure that the capabilities are genuine, recognized, and accredited. This method is typically mandatory for professionals seeking employment in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and other countries in the Middle East. The DataFlow report is extensive and includes different details such as university name, degree or diploma, dates of attendance and graduation, and grades, among other information. It validates each candidate’s qualifications and provides valuable insights to recruiters.

There are two techniques that can help recruiters in identifying fake candidates in recruitment. These techniques will also help mitigate the risks of hiring unqualified or potentially fraudulent candidates, and boost your bottom line. Recruiters who fail to check these credentials run the risk of hiring candidates who do not possess the required qualifications. To make things worse, they may also end up hiring someone who has falsified their credentials.

Moreover, these two methods can also help organizations improve their reputation and enhance their brand image. A reputable and established organization will have a workforce of highly skilled and qualified candidates with high ethical and moral standards. A robust recruitment process can help the organization attract the best talent available, which can be a significant competitive advantage.

Identify Candidates Overseas

It is crucial to be vigilant when hiring overseas or candidates with international qualifications. There are potential risks that come with it. For instance, many fraudulent candidates have overseas backgrounds. Additionally, their fraudulent practices can range from falsifying educational and professional qualifications to identity theft. In addition, these candidates can easily evade scrutiny by creating a convincing story about their experience and qualifications.

Furthermore, it is essential to consider the differences in culture and education systems when hiring overseas. Your country may not recognize a candidate’s international qualifications, and their skill and work experience may not be transferable effectively.

Conclusion

In conclusion, recruitment processes should include careful and diligent background checks. The use of employment background-checking services and PSV can help verify candidates’ qualifications, credentials, and professional experience. Conducting a PSV with DataFlow has multiple benefits. It verifies the legitimacy of a candidate’s overseas qualifications through a global database. Also, the database matches the authenticity of the candidate’s qualifications with internationally recognized academic institutions.

These techniques explain how to identify fake candidates in recruitment. They give recruiters confidence that their qualifications are genuine and that they can perform the job duties with the necessary skills and knowledge. It is always better to be safe than sorry in the hiring process. These measures can ensure you only hire the best candidates for the job.