Did you know that approximately 78% job applicants lie during the recruitment process? It is not an exaggeration but a fact, as per a CNBC article. That’s why, it is always important to make sure that your candidates are a fit (not just for the job role!) for your company’s brand ethics, values, culture, and morals. As an HR professional, it should be one of your top priorities to conduct a thorough background verification and screening on the candidate’s past. Here, criminal record checks can be imperative to spot potentially risky hires and safeguard a company’s reputation against damages or setbacks.
What Is Criminal Background Verification?
Criminal verification is the process of checking an individual’s criminal records or verifying the criminal history of a job applicant as per government databases.
The purpose of a criminal record check is to determine whether an applicant has been convicted of any crimes, and if so, what type of offences they have committed and the length of time they have been convicted for.
Also Read: Questions related to criminal record checks
Criminal background checks are important in the hiring process because they help employers to make:
- Informed hiring decisions
- Avoid legal liabilities and discrimination
- Protect data and sensitive information
- Create healthy work environment
- Determine whether an applicant’s past will affect their ability to do the job
How Digital Adoption Has Enabled Faster Criminal Record Checks
The Digital India initiative has led to the quick emergence of tech-enabled platforms across industries, especially in the HR world of work.
Earlier, criminal record checks used to be a costly, tedious, and time-consuming affair. But, with innovative, AI-backed technology, conducting criminal record checks online has revolutionised the whole recruiting scenario. Companies are now turning to automated checks for enhanced efficacy and quicker verification results. As enhanced tools for background verification of new hires centralised criminal record repositories have been built with advanced search.
Where To Find Court Records Online In India?
Nowadays, we often stumble upon news articles which talk about different state initiatives to build a centralised repository of criminal records. In 2020, the Haryana Police launched software to digitise the criminal records of 6.5 lakh people. Now, Maharashtra will soon be launching their first biometric crime database, as per a TOI article. Different technologies like digital fingerprints, and iris scanning systems are being used to further substantiate databases.
In India, criminal record databases are maintained by public courts (district, state, and supreme court), tribunals, National Crime Research Bureau, CBI, SEBI, RBI, Police Research and development, and company registrars. However, accessing these criminal records and litigation databases to verify individual employee criminal backgrounds can be extremely overwhelming and equally confusing.
That’s where reliable, technology-backed background verification companies like AuthBridge, have become an absolute necessity in 2022.
Challenges faced by HR teams while conducting criminal verification online:
- Higher costs
- The time-consuming process resulting in delayed hiring
- No direct link or central website to access criminal databases
AuthBridge’s Technology Is Revolutionising Online Criminal Record Checks In India
We are way past the time of relying only on Police Record Verifications. A mix of court record checks and police verification has become a vital step in the modern hiring process to mitigate potential risks where police verification and criminal record join hands to provide complete vigilance.
Technology advancements like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and various tech-driven APIs have changed the way criminal checks were earlier conducted. With such digitisation in place, it is much easier to verify your candidates in near real-time. It’s a better way to carry out comprehensive court records checks – without any hassle of paperwork at all. Contrary to how cumbersome criminal court records check was earlier perceived.
Here at AuthBridge, we have collected and organised millions of litigation records in India so that they can be instantly searched in an efficient manner. As icing on the cake, our panel of subject experts assess each result so that a final report, which is error-free and in a consumable format for our clients.
- Artificial Intelligence-driven APIs
- Pan-India court records verification
- Comprehensive and detailed combined police verification and court records check – No hassle of paperwork
- Automated screening with the help of negative databases
- Time-efficient solutions due to the availability of real-time reports
- Cost-effective
- Reliable information from our comprehensive verified database
- Enhanced Privacy
- No room for manual errors
- Increased efficiency and accuracy
- Comprehensive databases of criminal and negative record checks
- Access to extensive litigation records
- Deep search against 200+ million records from state police FIRs, tribunals, and records from 3500+ courts across India; by leveraging AI-backed algorithms, and data mining technology
To know more, schedule an appointment with one of our experts today, write to us at sales@authbridge.com.
FAQs on Online Criminal Records Checks
An online criminal records check is a process of verifying an individual’s criminal history through digital databases and records. This helps organizations ensure that potential employees or associates do not have a criminal background.
Online criminal records checks are crucial for employers to maintain a safe and secure workplace. They help in identifying individuals with a criminal past, thereby reducing the risk of theft, fraud, or violence within the organization.
In India, online criminal records checks involve searching through various national and state databases, police records, court records, and other sources of criminal information. Companies like AuthBridge offer comprehensive checks by aggregating data from these sources.
Typically, basic personal information such as the full name, date of birth, and address of the individual is required to conduct a criminal records check. In some cases, additional details like identification numbers may also be needed.
Yes, online criminal records checks are generally accurate as they aggregate data from multiple reliable sources, including national and state databases, police records, and court documents. However, the accuracy also depends on the quality and currency of the databases used.
Companies like AuthBridge ensure that all personal information is handled with strict confidentiality and security measures. They use encrypted systems and comply with data protection regulations to safeguard your information.
If a criminal record is found, the details of the offense will be reported to the requesting organization. It is then up to the organization to decide on the appropriate course of action based on their policies and the nature of the offense.
Yes, obtaining consent from the individual is a legal requirement before conducting a criminal records check. This ensures that the process is transparent and respects the privacy of the individual.
Organizations should conduct criminal records checks during the hiring process and periodically thereafter, especially for roles that involve high security or trust. The frequency can vary based on industry standards and company policies.
Yes, online criminal records checks conducted by AuthBridge are compliant with Indian laws and regulations, including data protection and privacy laws. They ensure that all checks are conducted legally and ethically.