Open Source... Can you afford not to? With the implementation of GDPR in May 2018, there has been some consideration around the use of open source research in pre employment screening. Is it justifiable? Is it useful, or even necessary? Is it legal? The answer to all these questions is an emphatic ‘Yes’, and here’s why you should consider integrating it into your on-boarding process.
Open source research allows you to know more about who you are employing and act as an early warning system for preventable risks associated with their employment check. Your recruitment process will have tested and established the candidate’s ability, however, there are benefits to having a more holistic view of them. Consider the diversity of your current employees, your stakeholders and your customers; and now consider how valuable that diversity is to your success. Employing someone who harbours hateful views based on religion, gender, race or other inappropriate factor could have serious implications for your business. The harm that could be done to your customer relationships, or the internal issues that may ensue through the harassment or bullying of colleagues shows why it is necessary to know who you are employing. This becomes more prevalent if your company requires employees to drive, use machinery or undertake high-risk tasks, or perhaps you trust them to interface with vulnerable people or have access to expensive company assets. In these cases, open source research can give you peace of mind that your new employee isn’t a habitual user of controlled drugs, or dishonest, and won’t abuse any positions of trust bestowed upon them. With all this in mind, the question around open source research is no longer ‘can you justify doing it’? but more pertinently ‘can you justify not doing it’? The above elements, and their associated risks, gives you a legitimate interest in conducting open source research for new or existing employees, and this a specified lawful basis under Article 6 GDPR. At Secure Screening Services, we are committed to using highly trained experts to undertake this work, providing a professional and transparent service to safeguard your business, your employees and your customers. Part of this process is an educational package for employees to protect themselves and their social media accounts from future risk. Original Source: bs7858 clearance