Know Your Candidate aim to make the screening process straightforward for our customers and their candidates. We have therefore answered some of the most commonly asked questions we receive surrounding the employment screening process and particular background checks such as Credit Checks and Criminal Record Checks.

• Help for employers
• Help for candidates

Help for Employers

Do I need the consent of my candidates to carry out checks via the Know Your Candidate Service?
Yes. All of the checks offered by Know Your Candidate require consent from the individual. Employers must confirm they have the consent of their candidates by ticking the consent clause prior to submitting your check request to us.

Do we need to send copies of the consent declaration a candidate has signed to KYC?
For most checks the online confirmation of consent is sufficient to proceed. The only exception is Qualification Checks where we do need a written consent declaration to pass on the education establishment. Additionally, from time to time we will request that our customer's send a signed consent from a particular candidate as a spot check to ensure that employers are fulfilling their obligations under our contract and the Data Protection Act. Therefore, we advise our customers to always obtain written consent from their candidates and keep this for at least 6 months.

Do KYC have a template consent declaration that my company could use?
Yes, it is part of our sample application form which can be downloaded from the 'My Account' section of our website once you've successfully registered.

Is Know Your Candidate registered under the Data Protection Act?
Yes. Our registration number is Z1860832

My organisation isn't registered under the Data Protection Act - how do I go about doing this?
You can find more information regarding the notification process and register online via the Office of the Information Commissioners website at www.ico.gov.uk - the process typically takes around 10 working days and it costs £35 to register.

How will I know how to use your online system and the data I need to submit for each type of check?
The Know Your Candidate online system is very easy to use. To ensure that both our customers have the best possible experience when using our service we have produced a user guide that explains our online system, what data you'll require from your candidates for each check, how we return the data to you and how to manage your account with us. You can download the user-guide once you've successfully registered.

Can we send paper application forms to KYC rather than enter the details via the online system?
No, you must submit your candidate details online. KYC stick rigidly to this model as it means we can continue to offer our customers competitive pricing and very fast turnaround times.

Can Know Your Candidate handle our referencing requirements too?
No. We specialise in data checks and have no plans currently to offer referencing as a service. By concentrating on data checks we can offer very fast response times to deliver results back to you, 24 to 48 hours for the majority of our checks. With referencing we have no control over when referees will respond and any delays incurred (which are common in referencing) would ultimately lead to longer lead times for all types of check.

Is it possible to do similar data checks on non-UK residents?
Is it possible depending on the legislation within each particular country, however, Know Your Candidate has chosen only to provide a service for UK residents (although the individual doesn't necessarily have to be a UK national). Concentrating solely on our core service of UK only data checks means we can continue to offer excellent service and fast turnaround times.

Is it possible to set up a credit account with Know Your Customer?
Not normally, however for large volume requirements we may consider it. We would typically request a minimum spend commitment in return which would form part of the contract between KYC and your organisation. Please contact us to discuss your requirements in more detail.

Help for Candidates

Does an employer have to have my consent to carry out checks using the Know Your Candidate service?
Yes. Employers have to confirm they have obtained your consent prior to submitting checks to us. If they don't confirm they have your obtained your consent our system will not allow the check request to be submitted. We advise employers to get a written consent declaration from their candidates which we can request to see at any time during or up to 6 months after the check as taken place to ensure employers are abiding by our contract and the Data Protection Act.

Why is my employer conducting these employment screening checks?
Employers conduct checks for a variety of reasons, some of the most common are:

• Your employer is looking to protect their existing business, employees and customers by ensuring that any new employee is who they claim to be and have the necessary skills and background to do their job successfully
• An industry body / regulator has advised or told them to
• One of their customers has requested they do checks to certain levels in order to win or continue working on one of their contracts

Why is my employer using Know Your Candidate to do these checks?
Implementing and administering a robust employment screening process is time consuming so many organisations outsource the task to us to simply ease the administrative burden. Additionally, many employers like the fact that they can call on the skills and experience of a specialist provider rather than having to maintain multiple relationships with suppliers themselves.

Does Know Your Candidate advise employers whether or not to employ me?
No, recruitment decisions are the sole responsibility of employers. Know Your Candidate simply conduct the checks requested by our customers and return the results of those checks. We do not make any comments on the suitability of any candidate for any job role.

Will I receive a copy of the report you produce?
No, however you could ask your employer / prospective employer to see the report or make a copy for you. Alternatively, you can make a Data Subject Access Request by writing to us to request a copy of the report. We charge a £10 administration fee for this.

Where does the information you use to put together your report come from?
Know Your Candidate use a variety of data providers who in turn may also collect their data from multiple sources. You can learn more about our checks and our data sources in the check types and pricing section of the website.

I have a criminal record does this mean I won't get the job?
Employers should not disqualify a candidate from the selection process because of a conviction. Your potential employer should take into consideration the nature of the offence, the relevance to the job you're applying for, how long ago it took place, your age at the time and whether it was a one off incident or part of a pattern of persistent re-offending together with all the other information they have gained from the selection process before making a decision.

Where can I learn more about the criminal disclosure process?
Know Your Candidate currently only processes basic criminal disclosures for which Disclosure Scotland is the only provider for the whole of UK. They have an excellent FAQ's section on their website www.disclosurescotland.co.uk

I have County Court Judgements / Scottish Decrees does this mean I won't get the job?
This is down to each employer's policy, the job you're applying for and the circumstances surrounding the judgements / decrees. It may help your application if you can demonstrate to employers any positive steps you've taken to pay back any money outstanding / rectify the situation. Again, employers should use this information in conjunction with all the other information they have gained from the selection process in making their recruitment decision.

The financial information held on me by the credit reference agencies is not correct - what can I do to change it?
You can contact the 3 Credit Reference Agencies that operate in the UK by writing to them:

Call Credit: Customer Care, Call Credit Check, PO Box 734, Leeds, LS1 9GX www.callcredit.co.uk
Equifax: Equifax Credit File Advice Centre, PO Box 1140, Bradford, BD1 5US www.equifax.co.uk
Experian: Consumer Help Service, Experian Ltd, PO Box 8000, Nottingham, NG80 7WF www.experian.co.uk

Do any of the searches Know Your Candidate make leave a footprint on my credit file?
Yes we have to leave a footprint by law, however the footprint that is left is only one that can be seen by you and will not be seen by any other organisation. Searches with Know Your Candidate will therefore not adversely affect your ability to gain access to credit.