Q: Mat, for those who may not know, can you start by telling us a bit about Giant Screening and the services you provide
Mat Armstrong: Giant Screening sits within the wider Giant Group, which has been focused on workforce management and compliance for over 30 years. Our role is to help organisations make safe, confident hiring decisions through global background checks and compliance solutions. That covers the full spectrum, verifying identity and right-to-work, running criminal and credit checks, through to employment history, education, and international vetting.
We support clients in two main ways. For those who want us to manage the process end to end, we deliver a fully managed screening service with dedicated account management and expertise. For those who prefer more control, our iCHEX platform gives them the ability to run and track checks themselves, with the same technology and reliability we use internally.
What I find most interesting is the breadth of clients we serve. We’re working with everything from small businesses making a handful of hires a year to global organisations onboarding thousands across multiple jurisdictions. What ties it all together is the principle that screening should be reliable, compliant, and built around people
Q: Background screening has become a crucial part of the hiring process. How has the market evolved in the past few years?
MA: The evolution has been striking. Not long ago, screening was treated as an administrative hurdle, something that happened after the hiring decision had been made. Today, it sits at the heart of how organisations manage workforce risk and protect their reputation. Remote working, tighter regulation, and global hiring have all contributed to that shift.
Employers now expect both speed and depth. Technology has enabled that, we’ve moved from slow, paper-heavy methods to automated checks, seamless integrations, and near real-time verification. But the other big change is the recognition that candidates aren’t just participants in the process they’re at the centre of it. A clear, respectful, and efficient screening journey doesn’t just keep employers compliant, it builds trust with candidates at a critical moment in their relationship with an organisation.
The mindset has moved from “is this necessary?” to “how can we do this well enough that it strengthens our brand and becomes a genuine competitive advantage?”
Q: What do you think are the biggest misconceptions employers still have about background checks?
MA: The biggest misconception is that checks are slow and candidates dislike them. The reality is almost the opposite when done properly, they improve trust and move things faster. Candidates want to feel the employer is professional and takes safeguarding seriously. Another misconception is that one size fits all. In truth, screening requirements vary hugely depending on sector, geography, and role, so it’s never about ticking boxes. The key is tailoring the checks to what’s relevant, lawful, and proportionate. Employers sometimes underestimate the reputational risk of getting this wrong or the opportunity to stand out by doing it right.
Q: Compliance and candidate experience can sometimes clash — how does Giant Screening strike the right balance between the two?
MA: There is always a natural tension between making a process rigorous enough to satisfy regulatory standards and simple enough for candidates to feel respected. Our philosophy is to design from the candidate’s perspective first and then build the compliance framework around that.
That means mobile-first interfaces, clear explanations of why information is needed, and visible consent steps so candidates feel in control. It also means minimising duplication, nobody should be uploading the same document twice or filling in the same details multiple times. We build our processes around the principle of “right first time,” which reduces the risk of errors and avoids the back-and-forth that creates unnecessary post-submission admin for candidates.
Compliance is, of course, non-negotiable. But the way it’s achieved makes all the difference. If candidates feel informed, supported, and only have to engage once to get it right, then compliance becomes almost invisible to them and that’s the ideal outcome.
Q: You work across multiple sectors. Are there particular industries where you’ve seen a rise in screening demand recently?
MA: We’ve seen particularly strong growth in healthcare, social care, and education, where safeguarding is critical. Financial services and fintech continue to drive high levels of demand as regulators tighten expectations. What’s interesting, though, is the rise in sectors like logistics, retail, and construction, industries that traditionally didn’t have extensive screening in place but now recognise the risks of not knowing who’s joining their workforce. The labour market has become more fluid and more international, so organisations across the board are raising their standards. It’s no longer just highly regulated sectors; it’s becoming a baseline expectation for all.
Q: How is technology changing the speed and accuracy of background screening — and what innovations are you most excited about?
MA: Technology has reshaped screening in ways that go far beyond efficiency. Automation now underpins much of the process, reducing manual intervention and making checks faster, more consistent, and less prone to error. AI and machine learning are playing a growing role in detecting anomalies and potential fraud, spotting patterns that would be impossible for a human reviewer to see. For example document verification and identity matching can now be done almost instantly and with far greater accuracy.
Just as importantly, technology is improving the candidate journey. Mobile-first design means people can complete checks quickly, wherever they are, and self-service dashboards give them visibility of progress so they’re not left in the dark. Digital consent flows and smarter data capture reduce duplication and rework, helping us get things “right first time” and minimising the back-and-forth that often frustrates candidates.
For me, one of the most exciting areas is how technology is tackling the challenges of global screening. Historically, those checks were messy and slow, involving a lot of back-and-forth with local agencies. We’re now in a position where automation and smart workflows can streamline much of that complexity, giving employers clear, reliable answers more quickly, while at the same time giving candidates a smoother, more transparent experience.
Q: What challenges do organisations face when managing global background checks, and how does Giant Screening help navigate those complexities?
MA: One of the toughest challenges for organisations hiring internationally is achieving consistency. Each country has its own legal framework, data sources, and cultural expectations, so processes that work smoothly in one region may be completely different in another. That makes it difficult for HR teams to create a single standard while still respecting local requirements.
Another challenge is the candidate experience. People expect clarity and speed, and when they’re faced with unfamiliar documentation requests or language barriers, it can create confusion and slow down onboarding. For global employers, this isn’t just an operational headache it can directly impact their ability to attract and retain talent.
Our role is to simplify that complexity. Our iCHEX platform is available in over 200 languages, which helps candidates engage with the process in a way that feels natural and accessible to them. That reduces friction, improves accuracy, and cuts down on back-and-forth. Combined with our international network, it means employers get clearer expectations around what can be achieved in each country, while candidates experience a smoother, more consistent journey.
In short, we can’t erase the fact that global screening is complex but we can make it easier to manage, scale, and communicate, so organisations can focus on hiring the right people rather than wrestling with the process.
Q: What do you think makes a great partnership between a screening provider and a recruitment agency or employer?
MA: The best partnerships are built on the idea that a screening provider isn’t just a supplier delivering results, but a partner embedded in the hiring process. That means openness, speed of communication, and a shared sense of responsibility for both compliance and candidate care.
Screening works best when it doesn’t feel like a bolt-on but an integral part of the recruitment flow. To achieve that, we need to understand not just the technical compliance requirements, but also the organisation’s culture, values, and expectations of how candidates should be treated. For many candidates, screening is the first direct experience they have of an employer, so the way it’s managed reflects strongly on that brand.
A great partnership is one where we work side by side with recruitment teams and hiring managers to create a process that feels natural, respectful, and efficient. When that happens, the employer gets more than a service, they get a partner who helps protect their reputation and strengthen their candidate relationships at the same time.
Q: Giant has built a reputation for service and reliability — what do you think sets your approach apart from competitors?
MA: In our industry, many providers tend to fall into one of two camps. Some are almost entirely technology-led. They can move quickly, but often struggle to deliver fully compliant processes, even in relatively straightforward cases. When complexities arise, and they always do in background screening, there’s rarely the human expertise available to step in and resolve them. On the other side, you have providers who rely heavily on people and manual processes. They bring a personal touch, but it usually comes at the cost of speed, scalability, and consistency.
What makes Giant different is that we don’t see this as a choice. We deliberately blend the best of both worlds. Our technology provides automation, accuracy, and reach at scale with checks available across more than 220 countries. But we balance that with experienced compliance professionals, operational delivery teams, and dedicated customer success managers who bring the judgement, oversight, and communication that no system alone can deliver.
That combination means our clients get the speed and efficiency of a modern platform, while still knowing the process is compliant, defensible, and handled with care. For us, reliability comes from that balance: technology makes us fast, but people make us trusted. It’s why clients see us not just as a provider, but as a long-term partner.
Q: Finally, what’s next for Giant Screening? Any developments, partnerships or new services we should look out for?
MA: We’re at a really exciting stage. Our platform is evolving from a focus purely on pre-hire checks to supporting compliance across the full employee lifecycle. That includes structured rechecks, ongoing monitoring, and stronger evidence of regulatory responsibilities, helping clients stay compliant not just at the point of hire, but throughout employment.
We’re also making screening more accessible. Traditionally, advanced technology platforms have been seen as something only large enterprises could benefit from. With iCHEX, we’re changing that. Preconfigured compliance packages, flexible pricing, and lighter onboarding will make it easier for smaller organisations to get the same reliability and capability that our enterprise clients already rely on.
Of course, not every client wants to run the process themselves. That’s why our managed service continues to be a core part of what we do. Many organisations choose us because we can combine iCHEX technology with our operational expertise, taking the pressure off their HR or compliance teams while still giving them full transparency and control. It’s that blend, a powerful platform with a highly experienced delivery team behind it, that makes Giant unique.
On the technology side, we’re investing significantly to ensure our platform remains industry-leading. That means expanding global coverage, further enhancing the candidate experience, and applying automation in responsible, carefully designed ways. Where we use AI, it’s always with human oversight, transparency, and fairness at the core. Clients can move faster and with more confidence, without compromising compliance.
Globally, our reach continues to grow. With checks across more than 220 countries and the platform available in over 200 languages, we’re giving employers a consistent experience wherever they’re hiring, and candidates a process that feels clear and accessible.
The vision is simple: a single, dependable place to manage trust, compliance, and workforce risk throughout the employee lifecycle, supported by either our platform, our managed service, or both. And we’re investing significantly to make sure that what is already industry-leading continues to set the pace for the industry.
Quickfire Round
- Early bird or night owl? Definitely an early bird, partly by necessity, partly by habit. I like the quiet of the morning for clear thinking before the day kicks off. By 10 o’clock at night I’m usually fast asleep, so there’s no danger of me ever being called a night owl.
- Coffee, tea, or something stronger after a long week? Coffee gets me through the week, but I won’t say no to something stronger on a Saturday night (as long as its before 10 o’clock).
- One word that sums up Giant’s company culture? Integrity, our culture is built around doing the right thing, for clients, for candidates, and for each other. Growth and ambition matter, but they only mean something if they’re underpinned by fairness, responsibility, and trust.
- The best business advice you’ve ever received? Surround yourself with people who challenge you and are better than you in their fields, it’s the fastest way to grow as a leader.
- If you weren’t in screening, what industry would you be in? Probably something at the intersection of technology and people. I’ve always been drawn to areas where innovation directly improves lives, like HR tech or education. I’m very much an ideas person, never short of concepts, so I’d want to be in an industry where that energy can be channelled into building solutions that actually make a difference.
