Remote Workers Checks
The Unseen Threat: Why Extended Background Checks Are Crucial for Remote Workers
In today’s increasingly remote workforce, the traditional hiring playbook needs a serious update. The convenience and flexibility of remote work are undeniable, but they also introduce a critical blind spot: the inability to physically assess candidates and monitor their behavior in person. This “unseen threat” magnifies the importance of comprehensive background checks, pushing us to ask: are we really looking deep enough, or are we leaving our organizations vulnerable?
Many standard background checks for employment focus on criminal records within the past seven to ten years. This might suffice for an in-office position where direct supervision and collegial interaction offer a degree of immediate insight. But when your team is dispersed across states, or even continents, and you only interact through screens, the risks associated with a past criminal record, even one outside that conventional window, escalate dramatically.
The Peril of the Proximate Past: Why 7-10 Years Isn’t Enough for Remote Roles
Imagine this scenario: A candidate, seemingly perfect on paper, with excellent skills and glowing virtual references, is hired for a remote role handling sensitive client data. Their background check comes back clean for the last seven years. What if, 12 years ago, that individual was convicted of embezzlement, identity theft, or a violent crime that profoundly impacts their judgment or trustworthiness? In an office setting, subtle cues, interactions with colleagues, or even office gossip might surface red flags. Remotely, you lose these vital layers of informal oversight. A remote financial analyst with a history of fraud, even a decade old, poses a far greater risk than one working under the watchful eye of a manager and surrounded by colleagues. The opportunity for illicit activity, with less immediate accountability, is amplified in a remote environment.
Beyond the Usual Scope: Real-World Consequences of a Narrow View
Consider the alarming reality that most providers of Connecticut criminal histories, for example, often limit their scope to just the past seven to ten years. This narrow window can be a dangerous oversight, particularly for roles that grant access to proprietary information, financial systems, or vulnerable populations.
Real World Remote Worker Stories
In Connecticut a remote worker was found to have orchestrated a theft scheme taking over 28 million dollars from Mars Wrigley.
A remote worker in the insurance industry was fired after insurance company used Keystroke technology to monitor the worker’s activities.
The Justice Department has cracked down on North Korean cyber scheme involving remote workers in IT industry.
The Solution: Extending Your Reach with Providers Like Research Services
This is where the importance of providers like Research Services, who offer criminal history searches going back 40 years, becomes paramount. For critical remote roles, especially those involving financial transactions, data security, customer interaction, or access to sensitive intellectual property, a deeper dive is not just a best practice – it’s a necessity.
Before you onboard your next remote worker, ask yourself these crucial questions:
- Does your current background check protocol truly reflect the unique risks of remote employment?
- Are you content with a 7-10 year snapshot, or do the responsibilities of the role demand a wider lens?
- Are you leveraging background check providers who can offer the comprehensive historical data necessary to make truly informed decisions?
If the answer to any or all of these questions are no or you’re not sure you should reach out to your provider. If after talking to them you want to see the Research Services difference give us a call or send us an email.
Research Services
124 Simsbury Rd
Avon, CT 06001
- Email: contact@rs4b.net
- Phone: 860-678-0066
