The world is still going through the COVID-19 pandemic, and some countries are getting through better than others. The UK, much like the US, was hit by the pandemic a lot harder than many other countries and are still reeling from the devastation. A lot of people within the country were losing their jobs and a lot of companies were shutting down since the country went through a national lockdown and people were staying indoors to protect themselves from the pandemic.
The number of unemployed people in the UK has almost reached a shocking high of three million, and the Government realised that they had to solve this issue by finding the safest way of opening up their markets. In July, they slowly began opening them up and allowing people to start frequenting restaurants and other places so encourage them to spend on the economy, which they could only do if they were planning on following the rules laid out. They were hoping that people who were indoors for the longest part of the pandemic would come out and begin spending, but they did not receive the response they wanted. Although people were stepping out and there was some positivity within the economy, it was not enough to make a significant difference.
All companies were not sure about how they were going to adapt to the new changes pushed since they were quite significant, and companies could not change their protocols in a heartbeat. Companies were getting their staff to work remotely, which was not something done on such a large scale in the past.While all companies could not adapt to the change, the many that could do, starting with the smaller businesses and startups. Furthermore, there was a large chunk of companies who could not work remotely since their work did not allow it. Companies within the hospitality industry, construction and other companies found that they had to do the work that they were good at, in person.
Some changes were taking place within companies in terms of the way that they were hiring people as well. With remote working, employers and people, in general, were not meeting the teams that they were working with in-person and coordinating with them online. To create a system where employers were sure they could trust the people they were hiring, and that their picks would be a good match for the company, they started running background checks.
In 2012, the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) and the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) merged to become the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), which is why the CRB check is now called DBS checks. They merged the two to aid employers in making safer recruitment decisions and ensuring that unsuitable people do not work with vulnerable groups. A DBS check is mandatory where volunteers or employees are working in care, with children or vulnerable people. The process is now online to make it easier and convenient for a thorough review. Furthermore, if applicants need more information, they can apply for an enhanced DBS check and get additional details to make sure they have enough information before getting a new person on the team.
Apply for a DBS check to make the job application process in the UK easy
With the rising interest by employers to carry out background checks on the people they are planning on hiring or already working for them, it makes sense for people to start keeping this information ready. Applicants can apply for a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to get a copy of their criminal record called ‘basic disclosure’.Visit for dbs check crbdirect.org.uk. However, there are instances where employers need more information than the standard information that they are getting through the Standard DBS check. In such instances, they can use the enhanced DBS check, which provides a lot more information, including misdemeanours from the past. They receive information about their behaviour around specific groups of people and whether it makes sense to hire them if the job they are filling puts them in situations where they have to interact with them, like working at an aged-home or daycare centre. The enhanced test can only be applied for by employers when they are looking to gather information about prospective hires or people already working for them.
The reason that issues relating to whether the people they were working with could be trusted or not were becoming more prominent were the recession that the Uk was going through. The UK was looking at more than three million people being jobless throughout the pandemic. The Government stepped in to assist with the job loss and were working on helping companies by paying them through the furlough scheme that was powering the UK. While the scheme was benefiting businesses across the country in the initial months of the pandemic, it did not have the positive results the UK was hoping for. They could not use it to power the economy forever, and they decided that they would call it off in October. The chancellor recently announced a new job support scheme to replace the furlough scheme, but subsidies and wages are lower and employer contributions higher.
People were looking for work, and the interview process was not as trustworthy as it should have been. Employers were not meeting the people they were hiring in person since the interviews were taking place remotely through video conferencing platforms.
There was too much uncertainty about whether the person coming on board would be a good fit for the team and there were multiple challenges if they were a nightmare to work with, especially since most companies were already talking about decreasing productivity during the pandemic.
The subscription to the DBS system lasts a year, and the applicant would receive an account that they can use during the year. If applicants do not renew their subscription before it ends, they need to apply for a new DBS check and register for the Update Service again.
If applicants have any questions about the process, they can get in touch with the authorities and get the answers they are looking for. To smoothen the process, they can get through it, from beginning to end, online, which saves them the time and the money.
