How to Evolve Your Tech Hiring for a New Era

From sourcing high-demand talent for specialized roles to finding ways to integrate the latest technological developments, the tech industry today faces unique hiring challenges. In a recent interview on FA Live, Brian Skinner, Senior Key Accounts Executive at First Advantage, shared his experience and insights from years of working with top companies within this space.

Here are Brian’s answers to some of the top questions we hear from decision-makers and HR professionals in regards to hiring, background screening, and the unique needs and challenges of the technology industry.

What sets technology customers apart in the background check space?

Unlike other regulated industries, such as healthcare and transportation, the technology industry doesn’t necessarily require bespoke background check products. Instead, because they seek to fill specialized, highly compensated positions, technology companies tend to look for “best-in-class” background checks. A technology employer might, for example, require education verifications to check their quantum computing specialists’ advanced degrees or global criminal record checks for their international talent, regardless of the cost.

Being naturally tech-forward, technology companies expect the same of their background screening service providers. They want mobile-first capabilities, automation, and AI to be built in their platforms and solutions. Service providers with outdated technology and manual processes put themselves at a disadvantage.

What are the main elements that technology companies are looking for when planning their background screening process?

While criminal checks remain a staple, tech employers show increased interest in digital identity to confirm whether their candidates truly are who they claim to be, especially when hiring remotely. This is particularly salient given the recent scheme in which a number of North Korean nationals have attempted to infiltrate technology companies by posing as North American IT workers. Social media activities have also received growing scrutiny, with technology employers relying on social media screening to go beyond court records and get an expanded view their candidates beyond basic data from public records or educational institutions.

Other background checks might include education and employment verifications, sex offender registry checks, and various database and sanction searches. Overall, employers in the technology space tend to perform executive-level checks on all their employees, not just their top executives.

Has there been a shift in how background checks are being used in the post-remote work environment and in global hiring?

In addition to the growing importance given to digital identity, employers are placing increased emphasis on global screening. Companies with a large international footprint screen the candidates they hire outside the US using the same standards they would use for their domestic workforce. Typically, this entails criminal, employment, and education checks where permitted under applicable laws. Cost of background check services is less likely to be an issue when employers are looking for the best candidate for the job, regardless of where they may be located.

What other tools and technology are available to streamline the background screening process?

Technology companies expect the tools they use in their daily life to be smooth, simple, and intuitive, and they want the same for their candidates.

This is especially important when it comes to the background check, since it’s one of the first interactions a candidate will have with their new employer. That’s why it’s key for employers to provide a user-friendly, mobile-responsive candidate experience.

Integrating the background check with the employer’s ATS or HRIS platform is another way to streamline background screening for recruiters. Automation and AI can accelerate the screening process and minimize unnecessary human input, leaving HR professionals time to interact with new recruits on a more personal level.

Finally, a customer application matrix can streamline the adjudication process by automatically filtering out certain records or information the customer deems non-relevant (such as driving-related records in a non-driving role), reducing the need for manual review.

A verticalized structure focuses on providing each industry with specialized guidance and resources. How does this approach enhance customer support?

When a customer success partner starts working in a specific industry, they’ll be familiar with the industry but also become intimately familiar with the customer’s business and able to work with them regarding their specific needs and requirements.

For example, in technology, customer success partners learn about the kinds of roles employers are looking to fill, where they might be sourcing candidates from, and what challenges they may be facing. This lets them provide tailored guidance and best practices to their customers.

In First Advantage’s case, we also organize industry-specific events, such as our leadership councils and, in the technology industry, Collaborate. These events allow top industry professionals to meet with our customer success partners in person to talk about their successes and their challenges, all while learning from their peers.

How will the future of hiring and background screening evolve?

I think digital identity will most likely become an industry standard over the next five or ten years, based on the customers we’ve surveyed, with companies running a digital identity check before the traditional background check. The shift is already happening in the technology space.

Post-hire monitoring of the current workforce (every two to five years) is another concept growing in popularity. For employers, it’s important to confirm their criminal record history is not problematic for their job role, but that they maintain that compliance during the course of their employment.

What should technology companies be doing to improve their hiring and screening processes? Is there something companies often overlook that could make a big difference?

Employers should have an annual check-in with their background screening provider, whether that takes the form of a full-blown RFP process or a simple business review. This could involve their screening program to identify what is working and what isn’t, as well as benchmarking with other customers within the same space in terms of price, services, technology, and user experience.

We also advise new customers to keep an open mind instead of asking for an exact match to their former program, since we may be able to recommend more efficient solutions by venturing into new territory. When shopping for a provider, be curious, ask questions, and inquire about software and capabilities. Pay attention to details, such as extra costs for screening aliases or the number of attempts to contact former employers for verification purposes, since small fees and minor delays can quickly add up.

The technology industry moves quickly, and specialized talents are hotly contested. Keeping an open mind, embracing new technologies as they deploy, and working closely with an agile screening partner provides technology employers with a recipe for hiring success.

First Advantage provides you with the expertise and flexibility you need to take your screening program into the future. To inquire about setting up a screening program for your technology company, contact us.