Background checks are a standard part of the recruitment process, especially for positions involving financial responsibility or vulnerable groups. In the UK, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) conducted over 4 million checks in 2022 alone.
Approximately 75% of UK employers now conduct some form of background check on candidates, according to a 2022 survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Social media screening has rapidly grown as a component of background checks. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in 2021 found that 43% of UK employers now review candidates’ social media profiles during the hiring process.
In 2019, a survey revealed that 34% of employers rejected candidates based on social media content, up from 25% in 2017, reflecting the increasing importance of online behaviour in hiring decisions.
Background checks often have an international dimension, especially for multinational companies. For example, in 2020, over 15% of background checks conducted in the UK involved international records, requiring investigators to navigate various legal systems and languages.
One of the most notable cases was in 2017, when a major UK financial institution was fined for failing to adequately vet an international hire, highlighting the critical importance of thorough global background checks.
Christopher Edwards and his wife Susan were convicted in 2014 for the murder of Susan's parents, whose bodies were discovered buried in their back garden. For over 15 years, the couple had been collecting the pension and benefits of the deceased, amounting to nearly £300,000. The truth unraveled when a background check on the elderly couple revealed they hadn’t been seen in years, prompting an investigation that led to the discovery of the bodies and the couple's arrest.