With all its niches and nuances, it’s well understood that the vocation of law is demanding – of energy, of time, of expertise. One of the most important steps to take in legal onboarding is thorough background checks.
After all, the last thing you want is a phoney lawyer in a courtroom, right? Or a paralegal selling secrets, or a compromised employee stealing intellectual property?
Everyone working in the legal sector should undergo checks before starting their position – lawyers, administrators, consultants, messengers, judges etc.
Now that we know who we’re screening, let’s dig into why.
Here are four huge reasons to run background checks in law:
1. Verify your candidate’s qualifications
It’s never been easier to falsify a document or obtain a fake degree. In fact, just ask Alex Pinnock. He ordered a legal qualification online from Charleston Stuart University in South Carolina, a website that provides ‘degrees’ based on ‘recognition of prior learning1.
He passed as a lawyer by walking confidently into courtrooms, taking on clients, and issuing subpoenas2 – but you know who he couldn’t have fooled?
VETTING.com. Our Qualification Checks verify certifications from hundreds of institutions globally, and would have flagged his phoney degree right away!
2. Mitigate risk to your organisation
When we think of corporate risk, many people think of financial threats, however physical safety and reputational risks are also important factors.
Criminal history checks are recommended so employers can make informed hiring decisions. While a criminal history may not disqualify your candidate from the running (by law, the offence must be relevant to the role to preclude them), organisations have a responsibility to run these checks and maintain a safe working environment for employees.
Having flashbacks to drawn-out, hassle filled checks of the past? Don’t worry, VETTING.com prioritises a user-friendly experience. Our forms are designed to make it as easy and simple as possible, with the fastest possible turnaround.
From DBS Checks in the UK, to Police Checks in Australia, to International Criminal History Checks, VETTING.com has you covered.
3. Ensure your candidate’s experience is genuine and positive
Another thing you want to be sure of when hiring in the legal sector is your candidate’s professional experience. Their qualifications may be legitimate, but how do they conduct themself at work? Were they fired from a previous position? Will they be an asset or a liability?
These questions can be answered in a Digital Reference Check. In a VETTING.com Reference check, the candidate submits their referees’ information in a simple form, then their referee is contacted by email. The referee confirms the information relating to the position is correct or advises of discrepancies, and answers relevant questions.
With VETTING.com, the average turnaround time is just 27hrs from request to result! Additionally, our fraud algorithm is primed to alert you to any suspicious activity.
4. Simplify the onboarding process
Did you know you can design Custom Checks with VETTING.com? That’s right, you can create a check entirely tailored to you, capturing exactly the information you need.
These are a fantastic way to streamline onboarding, gather important information and reduce paperwork. The data will be kept right alongside your candidates’ other onboarding background checks!
Let’s wrap it up
Facts are facts. Background checks are an effective means of risk mitigation, whether the risk be financial, reputational or physical.
Want to simplify your background checking process? Request a demo with VETTING.com today.
Written by Mary Snowden.
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