Employers need to place more emphasis on ensuring that candidates have a positive experience in the screening process, or risk hindering talent attraction and retention. That’s according to specialist background screening firm, Sterling.

In a survey during Sterling’s recent webinar, Identity-First: A Key Component of Successful Global Hiring Strategies, it was revealed that just 25 per cent of businesses felt that the candidate experience was a priority when it comes to identity checks. Accuracy was cited as the most critical by 44 per cent of respondents, though just 13 per cent said fraud protection was key.

According to Sterling, failure to consider how the process resonates with individuals could lead to higher dropout rates, particularly at a time when its data also revealed that more than a third of businesses plan to add digital identity to all background checks.

“The candidate experience should be at the heart of all screening processes, no matter what these involve. While the reason for using checks from an employer’s perspective is often compliance-led, success is largely going to be dictated by how well individuals feel the process was handled. It’s important to remember that these applicants are not being paid for their time completing screening information. If there are errors in your systems that require duplication of activities or leave users with a poor experience, then dropout rates are likely to increase”, comments Steve Smith, President of International at Sterling.

“With more employers introducing digital identity into their screening plans, the ability to improve the candidate experience is elevated. Digital ID has been designed to simplify everything for the user without reducing accuracy or compliance. It should be noted, though, that for some applicants, navigating digital checks is also challenging. Ensuring that your screening process accounts for all users will be the best way to boost the candidate experience and ensure completion rates remain high” Smith concludes.