Finding, Developing and Retaining Talent the Most Significant Business Challenge of 2019, According to Hiring Managers in APAC

October 29, 20192:20 pm945 views

More than 4 in 5 (83 percent) APAC organisations are expecting an increase in employees in the coming 12 months, according to the 2019 APAC Employment Screening Benchmark Report by HireRight, a leading provider of global employment background checks.

The annual report polled more than 4,000 Human Resources professionals worldwide, including over 600 in the APAC region. Over a third of APAC respondents (34 percent) deemed finding, developing and retaining talent as one of their top 3 business challenges of 2019, ahead of maintaining a competitive edge (21 percent) and growing revenues (19 percent).

Changes in background screening processes

The pressure to fill the talent pipeline is leading to changes in screening processes across the region. Three quarters (76 percent) of organisations in Asia Pacific conduct checks on all job candidates, with a massive 72 percent of respondents reporting that screening helps them assure better quality candidates and half (48 percent) grateful for the more consistent safety and security it affords.

Compared to last year, there has been a 13 percent increase in education checks (78 percent). Other common checks include employment (86 percent) and criminal (59 percent) – a trend consistent with previous years as awareness around background screening grows in the region.

Potential risks APAC organisations face

However, the report also identified big drops in professional license (-29 percent) and credit (-31 percent) checks – potentially exposing organisations to significant risks. The number of criminal (35 percent) and identity checks (27 percent) conducted in the region for international candidates was significantly lower than the global numbers of 56 percent and 34 percent respectively.

In addition, candidate discrepancies continue to cause headaches in HR, with over three in five (61 percent) of respondents revealing that they had uncovered issues through screening candidates that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Ko Hui Yen, General Manager, APAC at HireRight, comments:

“With the positive hiring outlook for the year ahead, it is more important than ever for HR professionals to employ and retain talent. A majority of organisations in Asia Pacific are recognising the benefits background screening provides, but there still exists room for improvement.

“By leveraging a robust and consistent background screening process, organisations can be assured of their quality of hires, improve company reputation, and ensure all candidates are treated fairly in the recruitment process.”

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