Accelerating Contractor Recruitment without Sacrificing Trust in the Gig Industry

It’s a fast-paced world out there. Based on First Advantage’s internal data, 55% of US companies prioritize speed when it comes to background screening, ranking above even risk and cost considerations.  

For gig companies, screening speed has wide-reaching effects over other aspects of the recruitment process. If the background check takes too long, contractors can get discouraged and drop off, projects can linger in development limbo due to lack of resources, and customers can seek out competing services. 

Since speed is so crucial, you may be tempted to make cuts to your background screening program, if not skip the background check altogether. However, in an industry that thrives on trust-based relationships, risks should not be underestimated. Contractor misconduct can tarnish your reputation and undermine the faith your customers have in your services. 

With the right provider, you can accelerate hiring while protecting your reputation. Here are a few of the services and skills gig companies should look for in a background screening provider in order to optimize hiring speed. 

Trust-Based Hiring

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Leveraging AI and Automation  

Artificial intelligence has taken the global market by storm, and the gig industry is no exception. Whether AI is used to reduce headcounts or automate repetitive tasks so that managers can focus on strategic priorities, the new technology appears to be here to stay.  

To help you optimize the speed of your recruitment program, your background screening provider should be able to use automation to streamline key components of your screening and onboarding program, including some aspects of digital identity, background checks, and I-9 management, while preserving human review for decision-making and maintaining experts’ involvement in the workflow. 

Safeguarding against Fraud with Digital Identity

Identity fraud is a major business risk in the gig industry, with advisory firm Gartner predicting that 1 in 4 applicants will be fake by 2027. Empowered by the increased sophistication of deepfake technology and synthetic fraud methods, fraudulent applicants infiltrate companies to gain access to assets and confidential data or to funnel funds to foreign governments. The gig industry is particularly at risk due to its reliance on remote recruitment.

In response, more sophisticated digital identity solutions have arrived on the market to help companies address identity-fraud. These solutions may combine telecom and device data, biographic data, ID document review, and liveness detection with facial recognition to flag signs that deepfake technology or fraudulent data may have been used to manipulate a candidate’s identity during the hiring process.

One of the little-known benefits of digital identity solutions is that they can save companies time and money by flagging potentially fraudulent candidates early, before the applicant gets far in the screening process. Some companies rely on I-9 and E-Verify to detect signs of identity fraud and data discrepancies, but this step is only completed once a worker has been onboarded, which means that the person who shows up for the job may be completely different from the one who underwent the background check.

It only takes a short time to assess identity. By confirming candidates’ data up front and reducing delays caused by data entry errors, you can streamline the screening process. You can then decide whether they want to proceed with an application before devoting additional money and effort into the background check.

Consolidating Background Screening Providers for Centralized Management

The screening and onboarding process is made up of many moving parts, from identity to I-9, passing through the background check and drug screening. Companies that outsource these key tasks to multiple providers may benefit from setting up a single partner as a one-stop shop.

Consolidating all providers into one allows you to speed up and streamline the hiring and background screening processes by letting both recruiters and applicants log onto a single platform to complete all required steps. As an added benefit, you may also get discounts by increasing your order volume and bundling key services.

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Providing a User-Friendly Applicant Experience

The gig economy skews young – globally, 64% of contractors are between 18-34 years old, and 87% below 45. While applicant experience remains an essential aspect of the hiring process regardless of applicants’ age, special considerations apply to younger workers. Gen Z workers, for example, may be more comfortable completing their background check and onboarding forms using their phone instead of a computer, or prefer receiving communications via text messages instead of emails or phone calls.

The background screening process will shape the first impressions applicants have of your company. Early bottlenecks caused by technological or cultural incompatibility can significantly delay onboarding or even discourage applicants. Look for a flexible background screening provider who can customize the process based on your applicants’ technological proficiencies and communication needs.

Offering Multichannel Customer Support

Ideally, nothing should go wrong during the background check. On the rare occasion that an issue comes up, the response from support should be fast and effective. This is where non-traditional support models can shine.

Phone support is the least efficient support channel, since it only enables one-on-one communication. Speed-conscious organizations should look for a background check provider who can also provide alternative support solutions, such as self-service and live chat. As an additional benefit, self-service options remain available outside standard business hours, which is particularly valuable for international companies recruiting contractors across multiple time zones.

To succeed in the gig industry, companies like yours must source high volumes of contractors quickly while strengthening their customers’ trust. Through judicious use of AI, digital identity solutions, user-friendly applicant experiences, and smart multichannel support, First Advantage can help you bring your mission to life.

To inquire about setting up a screening program for your gig company, contact our experts.