A worryingly number of recent shocking high-profile events have thrown into sharp reality the dangers of employers not carrying out thorough background checks when recruiting staff. From the Metropolitan Police in the Sarah Everard case to the Prison Service where a journalist was employed by HMP Bedford, each case raises the question: just how well do we know our people?

Quite simply, failure to screen thoroughly is putting your staff, clients and your reputation at serious risk. Thankfully more organisations are realising that there is professional help out there to address the problem, and are taking steps to remedy the issue. But what many have yet to appreciate is that screening doesn’t stop when a starter joins your business.

We all change. Life takes us on different paths, and often we frequently shift direction. We meet new people, discover new interests. Our social and financial situations fluctuate. The pressures and stress of modern living are increasing. Some of us are more easily influenced than others. And the

internet and social media only serve to amplify the problems this can cause and the extremes people can be pushed to.

That’s why regular rescreening keeps employers in touch with their workforce, so they can spot potential issues before they become a problem. This enables you not only to protect your people, clients and organisation, but also come to the aid of the individuals concerned. Helping key employees through a crisis can prove vital in retaining their talent and driving loyalty. But you can only do this by carrying out regularly checks. So where do you start?

Kicking off with frequency, ideally this should be carried out every one to two years – certainly every three years at the very least. Recommended checks should start with screening for criminal activity as a priority, along with uncovering whether an individual has any County Court Judgements (CCJs) against their name. From a safeguarding perspective, it’s essential to know if any of your team have fallen foul of the law. It’s also important from a corporate governance perspective, following the passing of the crime and transparency bill, which makes it an employer’s responsibility to know this information.

An employee’s online presence is also worth investigating, to ensure their views and activity, such as joining extreme groups, will not compromise your company’s reputation, or potentially threaten staff or trigger litigation. So, it’s no surprise professional social media checks are becoming increasingly popular, and they should be added to your regular rescreening strategy.

You may also want to check whether any of your people are working for someone else without your knowledge, and if so, who is their second and may be even third employer. They could be moonlighting for a competitor, for example, or the type and amount of additional work could be affecting the performance of the individual, through tiredness. This cannot only affect your service levels, but also present a danger to other staff if they are operating machinery or involved in industrial processes, for example.

DVLA verification is also a good idea if any employees are required to drive a vehicle for work, to ensure they are legally entitled to do so, or whether they have accrued points on their licence, which could contravene your driver policy.

If you’ve instigated an employee screening programme, you’re on the right track to safeguarding your people, your clients and your business. But make sure you finish the journey by including regular rescreening in your strategy or all your investment in background checks could go up in smoke.