Top employment background checks providers for small businesses in Australia

Do you know that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the largest employer in Australia? That’s right! SMEs employ more than 7 million Australians, make up about 99.8% of all Australian businesses and contribute more than half of the national GDP.

A small enterprise is one with 19 or fewer employees. And with such a small workforce, there are no margins for errors. Hire an employee with theft tendencies, and you’ll see profit margins shrink before your eyes. A violent employee will create an unsafe workplace, enough to tarnish your business’s reputation in the local community. Consequently, small business owners are increasingly cautious when hiring.

Background checks are a valuable tool for assessing the hiring risks associated with applicants. That way, small business owners can make the right hiring decision. There are several background check providers in Australia. However, this post explores the top ones for small businesses.

1. Australian National Character Check (for national police checks).

Australian National Character Check (ANCC) is one of Australia’s leading police check providers. As an accredited Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) agency, ANCC makes it easy for individuals and small businesses to apply for a police check, also called a nationally coordinated criminal history check (NCCHC).

ANCC’s innovative online platform makes it ideal for small businesses to order/manage multiple police check applications within minutes. With a base fee of just $48.90 per check, ANCC offers one of the cost effective police checking services by an accredited body. Moreover, ANCC’s platform integrates cutting-edge technology to prevent identity fraud while upholding customer data security to the highest standard. Consequently, small businesses can delegate all their worries about police checks to a company guaranteed to give them a reliable result. ANCC also has a platform for individuals. If you want to work in a small business, you can order a police check via this platform.

ANCC is also an accredited provider of bankruptcy and VEVO checks, making it seamless for small business owners to conduct comprehensive background checks on potential hires.

2. Work Pro (for right-to-work checks)

Small business owners hire all kinds of people – from locals to foreigners. However, it’s a legal requirement for Australian employers to ensure that all their employees have the legal right to work in the country. This is because illegal workers pose several risks to Australians. For example, if an unlawful migrant commits a crime in the workplace, it may be difficult for law enforcement to track them down and hold them accountable. Illegal workers, therefore, are more likely to engage in crimes, ranging from theft to violence to harassment. Hence, hiring an illegal worker may result in hefty fines and potential loss of business license. That’s why right-to-work checks are an indispensable part of the hiring process.

As one of the top right-to-work check providers in the country, WorkPro is one of the favourites for small businesses. Its innovative and straightforward dashboard makes it seamless for small business owners to instantly confirm an applicant’s visa status and work right from its online platform. This platform is directly connected to the Department of Home Affairs Entitlement Online (VEVO) database, ensuring that the check results are reliable. Moreover, the system is constantly updating itself with new government regulations to ensure you meet all legal requirements, thereby preventing you from receiving compliance fines.

3. Xref (for employment reference checks)

Employment reference checks are insightful for small business owners because they provide insight into how the applicant behaved in previous positions. Job applicants are always biased, trying to present themselves in the best possible light in the recruitment process. However, a small business owner can get a more balanced insight into the applicant’s strengths, weaknesses, and skills through a referee. Small business owners can confirm job titles, roles, responsibilities, training, and more. They can also spot red flags before offering the applicant an employment letter.

Xref is one of the top providers of employment reference checks in Australia. Xref is ideal for small businesses because its simple, convenient and secure platform helps employers efficiently manage the reference-checking process.

You reduce unconscious bias through Xref’s automated system by creating a custom template that gives you compliant references in as little as 30 seconds. This system also notifies you of suspicious activities, making it impossible for applicants to trick the system. The system also quantifies the feedback to give you actionable insights into the core competencies of the applicants so you can objectively compare them.

4. Equifax (for credit checks)

Theft is one of the biggest problems small businesses face. One unfaithful employee is enough to force the company to close down. Hence, employees are usually extra cautious when hiring for a position that involves handling money. Credit checks are a valuable tool for assessing an applicant’s relationship with money. A credit check also shows if an applicant is currently money-stressed and may pose a significant theft risk.

Equifax is Australia’s biggest credit bureau. They provide Australians’ credit history by obtaining relevant information from different credit providers. Aside from personal information like name and account info (like payment history, credit limits and balances, account dates, bankruptcies, and more), the credit report also includes a list of hard inquiries. A hard inquiry is when a lender requests to view your credit report as part of the loan application process.

Small businesses do not receive the applicant’s original credit report during credit checks. Instead, they receive a modified report that doesn’t contain sensitive information like the applicant’s credit score. However, the information they receive is enough to assess any money-related risks the applicant poses.

Wrapping up

Small businesses are the very heart of the Australian economy. However, for small businesses to thrive continually, they must hire the right people. Employment background checks are a crucial part of the hiring process because they help employers make informed hiring decisions. And thanks to top employment background check providers around Australia, small business owners can easily make the best hiring decisions.