Frequently asked questions
Are you working with us, or currently being vetted for a role you are applying for, or are working in, and have a burning question? Find the answer to some of the most common questions people ask us about the pre-employment screening and background checking services we offer.
If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for in our FAQs, please feel free to reach out to us on screening.support@reed.com for further assistance.
Client FAQs
Shortly after you’ve purchased your screening product, you'll receive a confirmation email. This email will include a link via which you can submit your candidate(s) details to start the screening process. So, you supply the candidate details after receiving this confirmation email.
When conducting employee screening, you need to provide the candidate's full name, email address, phone number, and job title. However, the required details can vary depending on the type of check. For instance, DBS checks require more detailed information, such as the work environment and whether the candidate will be working with vulnerable adults or children, to ensure a thorough screening process.
The screening process is typically very swift, a candidate will be issued the screening application link within 24 hours.
You will be given a login to CX3 where you can monitor the status of your live checks. The platform will indicate when checks are complete, and a notification will be sent to you when a report is available for download.
Candidate FAQs
We help employers and employees identify, manage and mitigate risks involved in recruiting for roles that allow access to classified information, systems or sites. Reed Screening facilitates conversations surrounding any ongoing risk and works to manage them for as long as is required.
Reed Screening conducts pre-employment checks on individuals who are successful in the recruitment process. We work on behalf of various businesses (such as your current or prospective employer) to ensure that they are compliant in following government mandated regulations in addition to decreasing the risk associated with recruitment.
The time taken to complete screening differs for everyone as it is dependent upon the complexity in screening requirements for that role. Third party checks such as police checks may take longer, so please ensure that you respond to any queries from us in a timely manner to avoid delays. You can read more about the various checks we perform on our all products page, and you can identify aspects of your screening are outstanding by logging back into your application.
Any personal information requested by Reed Screening is required for the purpose of processing your pre-employment checks. We gather the minimum amount of data required to process the required checks for your role and all data is processed and held securely in accordance with GDPR. More details regarding this can be found in our privacy policy.
You are entitled to access a copy of the data we capture and hold about you for the purposes of your screening. You can request this either verbally or in writing by contacting your employer (as they are the overall decision maker when it comes to your data), where they will provide instructions on how to submit a Subject Access Request (SAR).
If you are interested in the progress of your screening, there are a few ways you may find more information:
You can log back into your application here. Once logged in, you can view the status of your screening at any time through the 'View Screening Progress' pod on your homepage which will give you a high-level overview, or view more detailed information via the ‘View my screening request’ function.
You can also contact the team responsible for your screening via telephone (our lines are open 24 hours, seven days a week) or email using the contact information for your team within any emails from Reed Screening.
Within certain industries, dependent upon a business’s risk appetite, you may begin working while aspects of your screening are outstanding. Your continuation in role however, is subject to the completion of your screening. You can log back into your application here to check which parts of your screening are outstanding and should we need further information, we will contact you for this. Please respond promptly to any queries to avoid delays with completing your screening.
Once you have received your invitation to log in, you will need to set up your account (if you haven’t previously used the XMS system) and once logged in you need to complete your application, which is accessible from your homepage. You may save and return to the application at any time. If you experience difficulties in accessing your application, please contact the team responsible for your screening. These details can be found on your homepage or your logon invitation.
During the screening process, if the team need further information, they will send a request for this through the system which will notify you via email. Once you follow this you will be brought into your file, where you can provide documents and details securely within the ‘information required’ tab. To respond, select the actions button beside the relevant field and submit your response.
If you do not wish for your current employer to be contacted, then ensure to let us know on your application by leaving the consent to contact box for that reference unticked. If you have submitted your application and think you may have missed this, then please call the team responsible for your screening (details can be found in communication from us or on your homepage when logged into your account). Our phone lines are open 24 hours, seven days a week.
There are several documents you can use to provide your identity and your address, the most common types are: passport, driving licence and bank statement. If your role requires a police check, then you are required to provide identity documentation before we can apply for this. The number and types of documents will be requested during your application. If you are struggling to provide enough documentation, then please contact the relevant screening team who will be able to offer further guidance.
The type of police check you require is dependent upon the country you will be working in. If you will be working in England and Wales, you will require a police check from the DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) and what is revealed to us is dependent upon the type of role you have applied for. For example, the DBS offer Basic, Standard and Enhanced levels of disclosure which would reveal unspent, spent and spent plus relevant barred list information respectively. Scotland (Disclosure Scotland) and Northern Ireland (AccessNI) have similar disclosure levels that are also dependent upon the role you've applied for.
The financial checks we conduct will not impact your credit score. They leave soft footprints, which allows you to identify any checks conducted against you by creating a record on your personal credit report. This isn't visible to others, meaning your credit score won't be impacted. Financial checks reveal information such as whether you maintain payments on any money you owe, in addition to looking at public records to show bankruptcy information or county court judgments (CCJs) against you.
Most of our clients require all contact details provided to be linked to the employer before we request any information from them. Once we have verified this information or found a verified alternative, we will contact them for a reference. We are required to obtain all references so we will contact all employers provided unless you mark them as in confidence. If you have chosen to mark your reference(s) in confidence, then we will request consent from yourself to chase your references prior to doing so. We will chase your references until we receive a response and if we struggle to hear back from that company then we may request your assistance with this.
If it is identified later in the screening process that there are additional employment periods in the specified timeframe, then we are required to chase them as mentioned above, which can cause delays in the process. Therefore, please provide details of all employers in the specified timeframe in your application or contact the relevant screening team to provide further details as soon as possible.
Once your screening has begun, the team responsible for your file will contact you and provide the relevant contact information, should you need further assistance. You can also find their contact details on your homepage when you log into your account. Alternatively, call our general helpdesk on 0161 200 1086. Our phone lines are open 24 hours, seven days a week, so please don't hesitate to contact us.
If your screening uncovers negative information, it's important to be honest and transparent about it. Employers usually value openness, and hiding negative details can be more harmful if they come to light later. The final decision on your employment will be made by the employer, who will take into account the context and seriousness of the information.
If you're worried about possible negative findings, it's wise to talk to your employer about them in advance. This demonstrates integrity and can help address any potential concerns.
The duration a company background check covers depends on the type of check being conducted, as different checks correspond to different time frames.
For instance, employment history checks might go back ten years, while education verification typically covers the entire academic history. Criminal background checks generally cover seven years but may extend further based on compliance laws and the specifics of the search.
What's happening...
When we ask employers about their recruitment processes, referencing is time and time again stated as the most significant pain point. It’s the slowest part of an already slow process (the UK is one of the slowest to hire developed countries globally), and often do not return the required information.
Learn more
Instances of fraud in recruitment have peaked recently, putting many candidates and employers at risk. It’s therefore important to equip your organisation with the right measures and processes to ensure recruitment is a smooth, beneficial, and legal process for all parties.
Learn more
Join us to hear from UK government on the upcoming changes to how we hire and employ staff.
Learn more