infoTECH Feature

August 15, 2016

IT Departments and the Future of Employee Screening

Information technology teams can hold a wide variety of roles within an organization, from troubleshooting PCs to software training to maintaining network security. However, as tech has become more integral to the way employees work each day, IT roles have expanded. In some cases, businesses bring their IT workers in on business decisions in an analyst role. They also ask them to help with technology-related purchasing decisions.

However, over the years, many businesses have employed IT professionals to help with human resources issues. Traditionally this has meant simply locking down systems after a termination or setting up key card access to various building areas. Over the years, however, HR departments have found innovative ways to use technology to hire, manage, and fire employees, which has further expanded the role of IT departments. Here are a few ways IT professionals will be used to screen and monitor employees.

Applicant Tracking Solutions

Employers are growing more sophisticated with their hiring processes, using automation to make it easier to recruit and sort applicants. Often IT departments are asked to recommend and set up these solutions, even though they lack expertise in the hiring process. LinkedIn’s Recruiter feature is ideal for businesses whose candidates are most likely to maintain an account on the platform and fortunately, many solutions now integrate with the tool. This will make HR teams happy because it gives them a wider pool of applicants.

It’s important to choose a tool that takes hiring managers beyond the process of accepting and sorting resumes, however. IT teams should look for a full-service solution that helps HR professionals create interview kits, score candidates, make employment offers and pull reports. Solutions like Greenhouse and SmartRecruiters are two options that are popular with smaller businesses.

Pre-Employment Checks

Before making a final commitment to hire, businesses often want to conduct some type of research. This could be as simple as a Google (News - Alert) search where they browse social media photos and LinkedIn profiles. In those instances, HR likely won’t be involved. However, more advanced checks sometimes require tech intervention, especially if the business wants to conduct official background checks using online resources. This type of screening can often prevent a costly bad hire, especially if a candidate has a criminal background that wasn’t disclosed during the interview process.

When asked for recommendations, IT departments have two options. Many HR departments want immediate results and should therefore rely on a DIY service, such as Checkthem, that searches available public records for information. However, for a more comprehensive option, some businesses choose to go with a full-service background check company that provides investigative-style services. This option can be much more costly and require a wait, so it’s important to let staff members know what to expect.

Disciplinary Decisions

Anyone who has ever worked in IT is familiar with the request to monitor a specific employee’s online activities. Often this is done as part of a disciplinary process, where a supervisor needs documentation on a team member’s daily activities. While businesses have the right to monitor employees’ use of their equipment during work hours, some experts discourage it. However, in an instance where an employee is being terminated, this type of documentation can be the very thing a business needs to protect themselves against an unemployment claim or, worse, legal action.

In the coming years, businesses are expected to increasingly rely on data to power every decision they make. Reports on online activity could very easily be a part of this, if only to give business owners insight into productivity in the workplace. A business could pull a report and determine that too many work-related emails are to blame for poor performance levels. It could also contradict employees’ claims that too many meetings are keeping them from getting their work done. After pulling a report, employers could demonstrate that personal social media use or online shopping were, in fact, taking up the majority of their team members’ days.

IT departments constantly see their roles changing to meet evolving demands. By finding ways to help HR bring in the right team members, IT teams can become even more valuable to the businesses they serve. This is especially true of the data they can pull from a business’s system, which can help companies be more productive and effective.




Edited by Alicia Young
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