Rob Wallace, Makesure, a sponsor company at the marcus evans HR Summit 2014, on pre-employment background checks.

1. Interview with: Rob Wallace,
Managing Director, Makesure
“Pre-employment background checking
protects organisations from the
potentially „bad egg‟ joining the
company at the executive level. A
company could be exposed to massive
levels of risk if the relevant checks are
not performed on people in high-risk
areas or senior positions,” Rob Wallace,
Managing Director, Makesure pointed
out. Background checking is an
inexpensive addition to a recruitment
process, yet many Human Resources
(HR) departments choose to have it
done internally by low-level administra-
tors, who do not necessary do all the
appropriate checks, he adds.
Makesure is a sponsor company at the
marcus evans HR Summit 2014, in
the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia,
31 March - 2 April.
What background checks should be
conducted at the pre-employment
stage? Why?
Depending on the position, a candi-
date‟s police record, education,
qualifications, previous employment
and/or driving license should be
checked or confirmed. All checks need
to be appropriate to the level of the job.
From a compliance and risk perspective,
it is important to know that a potential
executive has a good credit record or
has not spoken poorly in the media in
the past. People in healthcare, transport
or other high-risk areas can cost their
organisation through inappropriate
behaviour or ability. A logistics company
should know the background of its
employees driving 5 million dollars
worth of equipment across the country.
The market is moving to large-scale
checking, focused mostly on police
checks, yet we still hear of incidents
where references or visa have not been
checked. Recently, a disability care
provider found itself in trouble when one
of its carers was found to be behaving
inappropriately.
A recent study suggests that over 67
per cent of people lie on their resume,
mostly around their employment titles
and length of tenure. A simple
employment confirmation check helps
reduce the risks this poses.
Why can’t this be done in-house?
What gaps would outsourcing
cover?
Many of these checks require a long
process of accreditation and are not
conducted in a single place. There may
be different institutions and jurisdictions
involved. A company that specialises in
this would better handle the variations
and follow-up work required for each of
them.
In general, when companies do
background checking internally, they
assign the task to a low-level adminis-
trator, who is not qualified to decide
what tests are best for each position or
situation.
Many background checks are clear-
cut and can be conducted when the
person is applying for a new
position. How can companies
predict how that person will behave
in the future or what he will post on
social media?
Past behaviours often indicate future
behaviours. Retrospective media
checking can give an indication of what
might happen and what type of person
they are looking to employ, outside of
the usual preparations and pre-
employment interviews HR conducts.
Also, for audit purposes, credit and
background checking being carried out
on a regular basis (every one or two
years) can lead to a better picture of
what employees get up to outside their
working hours and what they are saying
about the company online.
A logistics
company
should
know the
background
of its
employee
driving
5 million
dollars worth
of equipment
across the
country
Why Completing Pre-Employment
Checks the Right Way Can Minimise Risk

2. T h e H R N e t w o r k –
marcus evans Summits group
delivers peer-to-peer information
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innovations.
Please note that the Summit is a
closed business event and the
number of participants strictly
limited.
About the HR Summit 2014
This unique forum will take place at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa, Gold
Coast, Queensland, Australia, 31 March - 2 April 2014. Offering much more than any
conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together
esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and
interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on winning HR
strategies, the HR leader of the future, fostering a high-performance culture, and
achieving long-term success.
www.hranzsummit.com
Contact
Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com
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inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com
About Makesure
Makesure is a background checking service that encompasses all pre-employment checking and ongoing maintenance of personnel.
Accredited in Police History Checking we can return some checks in seconds. In today‟s climate leaving your business open to risk
and non compliance is one of the most significant legal matters. By completing thorough independent background checks you can
protect your business from disaster and should questions be asked you know you have rigorously investigated employee
backgrounds. Makesure with Makesure.
www.makesure.com.au
About marcus evans Summits
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strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to
individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, case studies, roundtables and one-to-one business meetings.
For more information, please visit: www.marcusevans.com
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To view the web version of this interview, please click here: www.hranzsummit.com/RobWallace