Are you prepared for pre-employment screening?

With existing and upcoming regulatory pressures meaning that banks are under increasing scrutiny, banks are hiring more and more projects and change management professionals.

Pre-employment screening in the banking and financial services jobs market is stringent – especially for contract roles. If you make sure you’re prepared for what’s involved by reading what employers typically look for, you may be able to minimise the delays and speed up the process.

"Increasing numbers of banking and financial services organisations carry out pre-employment screening on new hires, whether on a permanent or contract basis," says Sam Walters, Associate Director at Robert Walters.

"This ensures that they meet the legislative requirements enforced upon them and are sure that those who have access to their databases are qualified for the job," he adds.

Why should I prepare for pre-employment screening?

Increasing numbers of banking and financial services organisations carry out pre-employment screening on new hires, whether on a permanent or contract basis. 

The majority of firms require a full screening to be completed prior to a contract’s start date so you will not be able to start the job until it’s been finalised. Some of the documentation you’ll need might take time to get hold of, so we recommend that you pull all the information required together as soon as you can.

Key documentation required

The documentation you’ll need to provide does vary from one employer to another. To give an example of documentation that can be prepared beforehand, common requirements may include (but are not limited to):

• Proof of right to work: for example, a passport or national identity document showing that you are a citizen of a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, residence permit or permanent residence card
• Proof of address (up to five years); such as an original bank statement or utility bill. This information may be cross-checked with the Electoral Register so make sure you register to vote if you’re eligible to do so
• UK and international credit checks (up to six years): this is designed to find out if you have any county court judgments (CCJs) registered against you, if you’ve been declared bankrupt or entered into an individual voluntary arrangement, in the last six years. It can also be used to verify your past addresses for up to six years
• Employment and education references (up to five years)
• Proof of activity for gaps in employment (six weeks or more)
• UK and international criminal record check

Be prepared so you can start your job quicker

Successful applicants will usually be informed of exact requirements at the time of hire, if not before. But if you address these issues before you are even asked, you’ll be able to start your job as normal.