A background check is a thorough vetting of a potential or existing employee’s background. Depending on the specified criteria determined by the employer, a background check can include but is not necessarily limited to financial, criminal, educational, employment history checks and other open source information. It can also check your legal right to work and may require you to prove your identity and address.
If you are being screened it means you have been offered a role and they wish to confirm your credentials and ensure you are whom you say you are, whilst safeguarding their business, existing staff and clients. Also, it might be a legal requirement by the government or any of its affiliates to fully screen individuals going to work in specific industries or doing specific roles.
In addition, some clients may either through regulatory requirement or business need periodically recheck existing staff.
Yes, our screening system is fully mobile enabled and should work with any mobile device and mobile enabled browser. This includes uploading any documents, photos or using e-signatures.
If the link doesn’t work, please make sure that your computer security settings allow for the opening of hyperlinks. Please ensure that the email you are trying to use is not in the junk or spam folder
Here is a step by step guide through your screening application
Step 1. The Welcome Email
On behalf of your prospective or current employer, giant will send you a welcome email. The contents of this email will include instructions on how to start your screening form and what will be required to complete it.
Step 2. GDPR & Privacy Agreement
When you open the link from the email, it will open your browser and take you to your screening form, where you will see our data protection and privacy agreement. Please read this thoroughly so you are aware of how we handle and retain your data. As we are registered with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) we follow all appropriate regulations with regards to how we use and store your data. Any data you provide us will be used strictly for screening. We do not sell information or use it for any form of marketing.
To proceed with the screening process, you must accept our policy by clicking ‘I agree’. If you click to disagree that is within your rights but we cannot proceed without your permission and this will delay completion of your screening.
Step 3. The Welcome Page
After you have accepted our privacy agreement you will be presented with a welcome page. Please read this carefully as it provides you with information should you need to contact us. Once you are ready please click ‘Let’s get Started’
Step 4. Personal Information
On this page, you will be prompted to input your details into the system. Please ensure any information already on the form is correct before continuing. Until this page is complete you will not be able to proceed with the application.
Once these details have been completed, continue to the next page.
Step 5. Address History
Please provide your full address history for the period required. This can be one singular address or multiple. Please avoid overlapping dates or any gaps in your address history.
You will not be able to proceed with your application unless all the requirements for this page have been met.
Once the timeline is satisfied please click ‘save and proceed'
Step 6. Employment References
On this page, you will be prompted to provide your employment history for the period required. Please ensure that you read the instructions carefully. Now proceed to add your employment references.
You will first be prompted to enter the details of your employment.
Once those have been entered you will then be prompted for your employment dates.
Once those have been entered and you will proceed to the next stage where you will be asked to provide referee details so we can confirm your employment. You have the option when inputting your references to mark any of your references as do not contact, we will not contact any reference marked as such however this should be used appropriately for example if you are still working and haven’t left your job yet or a previous employer is no longer in business. Reasons such as “left on bad terms” or “manager no longer works there” are not acceptable.
Please be aware as per the screening process, we will need to contact all previous employers including your current employer and we will be in touch to ask when you can give permission for us to contact them.
Once you have entered all of your employment history, you can save and proceed to the next page. If you have held multiple positions or worked in multiple departments at one organisation, please only enter your final job title. Once you have completed that section and save it, your reference will now display the number of positions held within this reference and shows the details of both positions.
You can also at this stage upload supporting documentation for that reference which will be seen by the referee. You can use this to help your referee locate and confirm your previous employment with them. Typical documents supplied at this stage include exit letters, employee ID numbers or copies of your contract with the employer.
Step 7. Gap History
If there are gaps present in your employment history, you will be asked what you were doing in that period. Choose from the list of options the reason for your gap. You can also leave notes if you feel you need to expand the reasoning behind your gap. To prove your activity during this gap you can upload supporting documents which we can use as proof. For a list of acceptable documents please click here. Please be aware if you do not provide evidence at this stage, we may contact you later for supporting evidence if warranted by the screening process.
Step 8. Additional Questions
Depending on the hiring requirements for your employer, you may be asked additional questions. Please answer all these questions.
Step 9. Documents
At this stage, your employer may need you to download and upload some documents. These will be provided in two pages. Documents Supplied - where you will be prompted to download and read documents from your employer and Documents Required which may require you to upload certain documents or download template documents then complete them before uploading those documents back into the application.
Document supplied
Documents Required
Step 10. Not complete
If there are any outstanding parts to the form, the system will not let you submit, and you will see a page showing the outstanding requirements.
Step 11. Review and Submit
When you have completed this part of the application in its entirety, the application will allow you the opportunity to review what you have entered and gives you the option to edit any information you have provided.
Once you are satisfied please read our terms and conditions and then click ‘I have read and agree to these terms and conditions’
Step 12. Third Party Checks
If your employer’s hiring requirement requires a criminal disclosure check, you will then be prompted to complete a third-party check. Please click ‘Proceed to first check’ and follow the given instructions and provide the necessary information and submit.
If your employer’s hiring requirements only require a basic or standard DBS, then you will be greeted with the below screen. However, if your employer requires an in-depth report then you will have an enhanced DBS done. Standard and Enhanced DBS checks are regulated and only available for specific roles in specific workplaces, we will ensure that the most appropriate level of check is conducted.
Follow the instructions on screen until you are met by two options as pictured below.
Difference between these two options is whether or not you are on the DBS enhanced update service. The DBS update service is a yearly paid subscription to the DBS, so if you pay the subscription then proceed with option 1 if you do not proceed to option 2.
If you are on the update service and have selected option 1 then you will be asked to enter your certificate number into the box.
If you are unsure if you are on the update service, the select option 2.
If you are not on the update service and you have selected option 2 then you will be asked to enter your personal details
After you have entered your details into the form you will be asked whether or not to receive a paper certificate at your current address. We recommend you send it to your current address for record keeping purposes.
If, however you do not want it to be sent to your current address, we recommend that you send it to your employer so they can verify your DBS content for themselves.
If your employer requires you to sign certain documents during the screening process, you can do so inside the portal via DocuSign, an e-signature service. When asked to sign certain document/s within the portal you will be present with the below screen.
Under Signing Document please click the box marked “sign Now”, this will generate the web page where you can sign the document. Once it has finished generating, click “start signing”. This will bring you to the DocuSign page, where you can accept their terms and conditions before you start signing the document.
Once you have accepted their terms and condition you will have the opportunity to review the document your employer wishes you to sign. Once you have read the document please click the yellow box marked sign here on the candidate signature line.
You will then be asked to adopt your signature where it will automatically generate a signature based of your initials and name. you can select the style of signature you want, or you can draw your signature using your mouse or touch screen if available.
Once you have adopted a signature it will be added to the areas requiring a signature. Once all the areas which require a signature have been signed, you will be able to click the bright yellow box marked “Finish” at the bottom of the page or in the top right hand corner. This will automatically complete the document and upload it to the screening application, where you can complete the rest of the application.
If you are unable to complete your screening application in one go that is perfectly ok, not everyone has all the necessary documents or information to hand. To ensure any progress you have made has been saved make sure that the section you are currently on has been completed to the best of your ability with any sections marked mandatory completed, then click button marked “Save & Proceed” this will mark the section complete and will save your progress in the form so you are able to close the form without losing your progress. To return to the form simply click the original link from the introduction email and this will bring you back to where you left off. You can go back to previously completed sections and amend or supply any information you may have put if you need to.
Once you have successfully completed and submitted your screening form via the link, the link will become inactive meaning that you cannot go back to your screening form to either view it or change it. If you believe you have made an error in your screening application or wish to provide an additional piece of documentation please contact Screeningsupport@giantgroup.com where the screening advisor assigned to your case will happily assist with any questions or issues you may have.
The update service is a payable yearly subscription alongside the enhanced DBS check, it will allow employers to check that the status of your check is still current. It isn’t automatically included when you have a DBS check done. If you DO NOT pay a yearly fee to the DBS then you are not on the update service. For further details please visit the UK government information page here.
The most common documents we can use to prove your identity are:
Please be aware that all ID documents must be current and in date, as well as show your full current name and date of birth.
The most common documents we can use to prove your address are:
For further information regarding acceptable documents we are able to accept please visit https://www.gov.uk/criminal-record-check-documents
If there are gaps in your employment timeline, you may need to provide supporting evidence to prove your activity during this period. Depending on what you were doing during this period we can accept different documents.
If you were unemployed and claiming benefits, we can accept:
If you were unemployed and not claiming benefits/travelling, we can accept:
If you were caring for others (including parental childcare and maternity leave) we can accept
To prove your right to work in the UK you may be asked to provide certain documentation. This includes
If you do not wish for us to contact your current employer, then in your candidate application form simply label your current employment as “Do Not Contact” and provide the reason. We will still need a reference from your employer so we will contact you at a later date to ask for your permission to contact your employer usually after you have handed in your notice.
If you are not sure of your own employment history for whatever reason, you can get an HMRC employment history confirmation. You will be required to fill out an application form and send it to HMRC who will provide a list of your previous employments. Full details can be found here.
If you have been contracting for a long period of time, please enter the agency you were contracting for as the referee for your period of employment. You can also enter the details of your accountant as a referee to prove a period of employment.
No, we are fully equipped to screen internationally, and we work with numerous international organisations to acquire the relevant information to complete your background checks. Please note, some countries may require specific information or a specific consent form to enable them to verify your identity. We will inform you in due course if any additional information is required.
Employers use the disclosure results to evaluate you as a potential employer. Each employer has their own policy when it comes to convictions, we merely supply the employer with the information in order to make a decision and as such we are not involved in the decision-making process beyond that.
An employee credit check is a “soft check” and does not impact your credit score. The search is only visible to yourself. Although often referred to as a credit check it is in fact not a credit check, it only checks publicly available information, including: CCJs, bankruptcies, voluntary arrangements, decrees in Scotland and administration orders.
The screening process should on average take 15 working days, depending on what we are required to check on behalf of your employer as certain checks can take longer than others complete.
NOTE - Please be aware that background checks which require an enhanced DBS or FCA check can take up to 8 weeks due to the level of detail they provide.
Your data will be used purely to conduct screening checks for your potential or current employer as per our consent form. We will not use it for any other purposes, nor we will resale or release your data to a 3rd party for marketing or analytical purposes.
giant Screening is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) for data protection purposes and so are fully compliant with UK data protection laws when handling other people’s data across the EU. Our ICO registration number is ZA242124. You can view our data protection policy here. All our Information is stored securely in encrypted servers hosted locally in the UK.
We cannot conduct any checks against your name without your given consent. If you provide this consent as the data subject you have full access to your data and the associated rights that come with it through subject access requests. You also have the right to correct any inaccurate personal data as well as the right to data erasure. As we are the data processor and your current or potential employer is the controller any request we receive will be forwarded to the controller.
