Any company expanding into a foreign country must hire employees to run the operation. Whether you hire remote workers or in-person employees for your company’s headquarters in the Philippines, you must perform thorough background checks on all potential candidates.
The Philippines has a large pool of young, skilled talent. However, without a proper background check strategy, you may make poor hiring decisions that cost you money and your reputation in the long run. Thus, conducting an employment background check in the Philippines enables you to effectively screen candidates, learn about their backgrounds, and make informed hiring decisions.
In this article, we discuss the benefits and legalities of conducting background checks in the Philippines
Benefits of background checks in the Philippines
The Philippines’ leading industries include the following, making employee background checks essential.
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- IT, BPO, and Business Services
- Healthcare
- Energy Industry
- Banking and financial services
- Transportation
- Tourism
When it comes to employee background checks, the benefits are clear: they help ensure safety, improve hiring quality, maximise productivity and save resources.
Employee background checks are necessary given these industries’ vulnerability and safety concerns. It offers the following benefits:
Ensures safety:
A candidate with a record of criminal or anti-social activities threatens the security and integrity of the company. They also pose a risk to the clients. A background check on criminal records weeds out such candidates. Hiring loyal and credible candidates is crucial for sectors involving data exchanges.
Improves hiring quality:
Only qualified individuals who meet the requirements of the job description will be on the team thanks to a routine background check. The organisation benefits from having qualified personnel in every department as it expands and advances in all directions.
Maximises productivity:
Candidates with the necessary qualifications who are devoted and maintain a professional demeanour are more likely to continue to be productive at work.
Saves resources:
The hiring procedure takes a lot of time, energy, and money. At the first phases of employment, a thorough background check can assist in removing candidates with discrepancies, saving both time and money.
Philippine Background Check: Essential information
Did you know?
make this big and stand out, In the Philippines, an employer must make a list of the items or documents that must be gathered for employee background screening. The Philippine Labor Code includes some requirements for background checks on sensitive information. Employees have the right to privacy when it comes to their data, so you must follow local laws.
What should I know before conducting a background check in the Philippines?
Before you go ahead with a background check, you need to understand the stipulations of the Data Privacy Act. This 2012 law operates on a national level and addresses many sectors of Philippine society, but what it means for us is that employee consent must be secured before a background check can be conducted.
The following details must be on the consent form:
- What data will be collected and by whom
- The objective of the information collected
- For how long will it be stored
- The data collection method
Employees must have access to information about their data subject rights. They have the right to object to the processing of their data and file a complaint with the National Privacy Commission.
Take care with sensitive information: Illegal data processing of sensitive personal information carries penalties.
Here is an example of sensitive personal information:
- Race, ethnicity, marital status, color, and religious or political affiliations of an individual
- Information about an individual’s health, education, sexual life, or criminal proceedings.
- Individuals’ social security numbers, health records, other government licences, and tax returns are all examples of sensitive information.
source: tradingeconomics.com
Process Involved running an employee background check in the Phillipines
Companies must have a consistent method for hiring screening. In the Philippines, there are generally three processes involved in an HR background check:
- Sign a consent form: Employees must sign a consent document before the employer can continue to collect their information. Employees must therefore consent to the use of their data by signing a consent form.
- Check the backgrounds of every employee: Regardless of their job responsibilities, every employee in the Philippines should undergo a pre-employment background check. This guarantees fairness and eliminates discrimination in the hiring process.
- Understand what to look for: Background check laws in the Philippines prohibit the unauthorized processing of sensitive data. Check again the elements you ought to consider and the things you ought to avoid.
- Assemble data to confirm: Start by confirming the applicant’s employment history by getting in touch with any references or prior employers that were given. Additionally, make contact with appropriate academic institutions to look for academic records. Try to obtain their credit history from reputable credit reporting companies if at all possible. When examining criminal histories, the National Bureau of Investigation can be helpful.
- Give comments: Inform the applicant of any irregularities you discover throughout the background investigation. Allow for clarification because errors in data collection and analysis are possible.
AMS Inform Employee Screening Services in the Phillippines
Background checks are not as simple as they appear in the Philippines. Many employees will fabricate documents in order to gain employment. As a result, recruiters must be cautious when verifying their authenticity.
Academic verification is the process of verifying student documents and credentials carried out by the education partners. Cross-check the candidates’ academic records on the school or university database. Verify the transcripts of their degree or diploma certificates with the educational institutions.
It is very essential to verify your potential employee’s work experience and their work ethic. You can get a better idea about their professional behavior by contacting the HR department of the previous company, as well as finding out inconsistencies about salary and date of employment, reasons for leaving
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You can easily find out if a person has a criminal record. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) can help conduct this background check in the Philippines. It provides information regarding any criminal cases tried in a Municipal, Metropolitan, or Regional Trial Court. These records are publicly available, and you can seek the help of NBI to check if there are any criminal cases against a person.
Drug testing and screening can help employers ensure the safety of their work force and ensure that employees have a positive impact on the company’s reputation within the community.
Conclusion
Recruiting in a foreign country might be difficult because there are many stages involved. The situation becomes more problematic when background checks and employee screening are included.
This is why working with the most accurate background screening agency in the industry like AMS Inoform, we can take care of any issues with hiring and managing remote employees. When you hire foreign workers, we can assist you in drafting employee benefits while assuring complete adherence to local legislation.
