by Jenny Reid
As we approach December in Southern Africa, we are reminded of the vast difference in how annual holidays are celebrated in the different hemispheres of the world. Here in South Africa, we are preparing for our “long” annual holiday and much celebration over Christmas.
For many, this time of the year brings joy by spending hours in shopping centres and buying gifts for loved ones. Sadly, the financial position of many will not create this opportunity this year, but traditionally the retail and hospitality sector does gear up for casual staff during this time as they anticipate higher sales and service demands. This has now expanded to all the sectors that deal with online shopping as well.
Hiring temporary staff at this time of the year should not be done without regular, or even increased, background checks and screening. Scamsters are waiting to pounce as they know everyone’s guard drops dramatically at this time of the year. If the Human Resources department has not planned for this temporary recruitment phase, it can be a race against the clock to meet the demands of the business which leads to the screening being done away with.
The typical background screening checks that should not be done away with for temporary workers are:
ID verification
Criminal record checks
Employment verification and reference checks
Job-specific checks; e.g., driver’s license verification
If the employee proves himself and there is potential for long-term employment, deeper and more position related risk assessment must be conducted.
“What damage can an employee do in a few short weeks?”
Jenny Reid is a Human Risk Expert and Professional Speaker, and the owner of iFacts based in South Africa, a specialist employee screening and vetting service. She is constantly assessing new and innovative ways to remove the people risk in any organisation. Since 2009 when she took over iFacts completely, she has seen the company double in size and hopes to continue this growth. iFacts specializes in employee Screening, risk assessments, employee wellness, investigations, and truth verification. Jenny is a past President of the Security Association of South Africa. Contact Jenni via email jenny@ifacts.co.za
Read more articles by Jenny
