When an employer is fined for hiring someone without the right to work, the assumption is usually negligence. The reality is often different, most businesses did try to get it right but lacked the capacity, confidence, or consistency to do it properly. For many, the decision to outsource becomes clear when they see the efficiency, cost savings, and risk reduction that come from partnering with a specialist provider, something our ROI Calculator helps quantify.
In this piece, Giant Screening CEO Mat Armstrong explores why more employers are turning to specialist providers for background and reference checks, and what HR leaders should consider when making that decision.
The article covers the practical gaps in the UK's right to work framework, including how the digital IDVT route excludes candidates without a current UK or Irish passport, creating a two-tier compliance process that increases rather than reduces risk. It examines why outsourcing isn't about handing responsibility away, but about strengthening processes with specialist expertise, better tooling, and controls that stand up to scrutiny.
Mat Armstrong also addresses what HR teams should look for in a screening partner, highlighting the critical difference between PBSA membership and accreditation, and warning that some providers' weak processes have allowed candidates to respond to their own reference requests; fundamentally undermining screening integrity.
The piece concludes with practical guidance on getting the partnership right, from defining scope and decision rules to protecting the candidate experience and ensuring GDPR compliance in practice, not just on paper.
Want to see the value of outsourcing screening for your organisation? Giant Screening's ROI Calculator quantifies the HR time recovered, time-to-hire improvements, cost implications, and risk reduction gains of a specialist-led approach. Try it here.
