Singapore

To conduct a Singapore background check for employment purposes, eeCheck always operates with consent for the Singapore background check. While many may argue the other way especially for some checks that are accessing public data, it is very vital to always operate with the best practices and industry standards so not to surprise your candidates and harm the candidate experience as well as leading to potential legal issues. Do note that background check is a complicated process that involves different laws and regulations across countries thus it’s best that we ensure we deal with it carefully for our desire results.

1. Keep it in simple languages. Avoid legalistic languages that are not hard to understand. 
2. Keep it clear, transparent and unambiguous.  
3. Make sure the consent is informed. Make sure how the data will be handled is stated clearly in the consent forms. Ensure the Data Subject’s human rights and interest are protected.
4. Ensure the Data Subject may withdraw consent anytime.
5. Ensure the purpose of processing is clearly stated.
6. Ensure the types of data processing is specific. 
7. Ensure the consent is voluntary and  freely given.
8. Ensure it works for the Singapore data privacy laws (The Personal Data Protection Act – PDPA),  as well as other data privacy laws and regulations that may apply across territories (e.g., the EU data privacy law: General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR).
9. Make sure the consent will be valid for your processing. 
10. Make sure different consent forms are available for different purposes (e.g., pre-employment screening, re-screening).

In Singapore, the certificate of no criminal conviction is called Certificate of Clearance (COC).  This certificate is issued by the Singapore Police Force and similar to many countries, it is only to be obtained for immigration or overseas employment purposes. For employment purposes, a replacement of a Singapore criminal record check would be a local adverse dataset search for any potential crime data found in Singapore.

As answered previously that the Certificate of Clearance can only be obtained for immigration and overseas employment purposes, employers often proceed with a Singapore criminal record check with local adverse dataset search for any potential crime data found in the country.

A total of 2 to 4 employment references are often being processed for Singapore reference checks as part of the Singapore background check solution package. The number of references to be processed would depend on the position rank, industry type and sensitivity of the role itself.

Depending on the roles, industry and position rank, it is most common to be proceeding with verification for 5 years or 7 years employment records when conducting Singapore employment verification as part of the Singapore background check solutions. Do note that the more recent the data, the more relevant it is for the hiring decisions. The decision to determine how many years to access would be based on the legitimate interests and importance of accessing the amount of data for the specific hiring needs.

Depending on which Singapore background check package you choose which includes different background check service items, the service turnaround time varies. A typical background check within Singapore would take an average of 7 – 10 business days. If the Singapore background check includes international items, the service turnaround time varies across countries.

A typical Singapore background check package would normally include 3 – 4 key service items charged at approximately SGD250. A Singapore background check with one single service item can start as low as SGD50.

The data sources being utilized for Singapore background check solutions are official sources from such as government authorities and courts as well as trusted information from public sources and regulatory databases.

Yes. This can be a hybrid or full-service approach for Singapore background check depending on the industries and the company’s decision. There are currently still some employers that prefer to conduct Singapore background checks on their own due to various reasons. Indeed, many have now made the decision to utilize third-party background check vendors to assist as this can be a full compliance cost-effective solution delivered at industry standards.

The entire background check process can be complicated involving laws and regulations of different types as well as search scope of multiple global countries. Third-party background check vendors can indeed provide effective, efficient and cost-effective solutions due to economy of scale and service efficiency.  Furthermore, compliance and industry standard solutions can be ensured when working with the leading employment screening firms like eeCheck.

Below is a summarized list of running a successful Singapore pre-employment screening program in Singapore:

• Make sure the background check program is fully integrated with the talent acquisition process
• First-class candidate experience
• First-class experience for recruiters and different stakeholders
• Speed and responsiveness
• Transparency and progress tracking
• Highest level in global compliance
• Complying local regulatory needs
• Screening process with compliance in design
• Screening process with HR in design
• Customization tailored for the specific employer

Connect with our consultants at eeCheck Singapore Headquarters now to understand more about tips and tricks in running effective Singapore pre-employment screening programs.

Unlike pre-employment screening for Singapore background check, re-screening involves working with the current stakeholders of the firm. It needs to be taken good care of to ensure the current stakeholders will not go against the background check campaign. A successful re-screening Singapore background check program would be recommended to be led by experienced consultants to do the followings:

• Clear reasons and purposes for the re-screening campaign: Employees need to feel the importance and fairness in getting involved and contributing to the success of the program.
• Clear communication and expectations: Unlike pre-employment screening, these Data Subjects are always working the firm with busy schedule, there needs to be clear communication and expectation setting in place to ensure a successful campaign
• Clear information for data handling: Let the Data Subject understands how the data will be handled, very important as always.
• Minimal involvement from Data Subject: As mentioned earlier, the Data Subject is an existing employee and very often has a busy schedule. Make sure the data collection is smooth and requires less back and forth with them.
• Work closely with the Human Resources department: If this is going to be a re-screening program solely run by a third-party employment background check vendor, it’s going to be a failure. Collaboration with the HR team is key to make sure all internal communications and protocols are being taken well.
• Buy-in from senior management: The re-screening program shall have the buy-in from the senior management team. If the senior management team members are acting against the campaign, how would any other talent be co-operating for it?

Work with eeCheck today to learn from our experienced consultant for the best practices and tips in running an effective Singapore re-screening background check program.

Depending on the recruitment cycle, industry and talent acquisition needs, below are the 4 most common period of time to kick-start the pre-employment screening process of Singapore background check:

• Selection for final candidates
• Prior to job offer
• After job offer but prior to work start date
• After getting onboard

Connect with us to conduct an analysis or benchmark against industry best practices as to when would be the best time for your firm to start the pre-employment screening process for your new hires.

For Singapore background check practice, employment verification usually involves collecting employment related data directly from the HR department or person-in-charge. The data to be collected can range from basic employment history details such as employment period, position title, reasons for leaving to potential adverse data or relevant data for the position role or industry needs.

Unlike employment verification, Singapore reference check usually involves connecting directly with the previous direct supervisors or superiors. The focus is more on performance related information such as job performance, achievements and various job related competencies.

Yes. Operate with the principle of legitimate interest, inquire for data that is relevant to your needs. At the same time, for hiring decisions, you should focus on the areas that provide your team with the most insights.

Yes.

This depends on the position role and your hiring needs to manage the corresponding risk involved. For example, some industries would require to conduct background checks for all countries where the candidate has resided in the past 7 years.

There are authorization and consent forms plus the required data to be collected from the candidate. The involvement can be very minimal to be completed at the beginning of the Singapore background check process. For cases that may require additional information or if there is a need for additional investigation or clarification for discrepancies found, there is a potential opportunity that the candidate would need to provide additional information to complete the Singapore background check.