How to Conduct Background Checks in Belarus: A Comprehensive Guide

The Republic of Belarus is strategically located between the trade routes connecting the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Europe. The country has gained massive traction in the international sphere by leveraging trade partnerships with neighbors such as Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and Italy. Other big manufacturing countries, such as China and Germany, also fall under the Belarusian trade partners list. 

The country has also maintained an extremely high literacy rate of 99.87%, even with a population exceeding the 9 million mark. With an abundance of vetted professionals paired with strategic positioning, Belarus has gained massive attention from businesses in a brief period. 

Owing to the extensive growth, the Belarusian government has introduced several laws to ensure a favorable business atmosphere for residents and non-residents. A pre-employment background check in Belarus is one such process every company must follow. Employers must be aware of certain rules and processes that come into play during background checks. A brief outline on employee screening in Belarus is provided below. 

What is Employment Background Verification? 

Employment background verification is the process of verifying an applicant’s information for a specific job listing. Employment history, educational background checks, criminal records, and social life are some of the common elements in background checks. 

An employer looking to acquire recruits can conduct a pre-employment background check in Belarus while collaborating with two central authorities. ‘Centre’ and ‘Ministry’ are typical accolades from the Operational and Analytical Centre, along with the Ministry of Communication and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus. These authorities aid in the HR background check in Belarus. 

Benefits of Background Checks in Belarus

A pre-employment background check in Belarus encompasses several benefits, which are ideal for businesses of every size looking to hire talent in Belarus. These benefits have been listed and explained below. 

Determining credibility

• By conducting an HR background check in Belarus, an employer can validate and establish a candidate’s credibility. 
• Many candidates tamper with the data to get the role. A well-oiled employee screening process in Belarus allows an employer to identify such attempts and reduce the possibility of hiring fraudulent candidates. 

Reducing risk probability

• Hiring unsuitable candidates cause legal and financial liability for a company.  
• A criminal background check in Belarus allows an employer to avoid such unforeseen situations in the future. 

Improving work environment

• Employers always prefer to hire positive-minded individuals who can motivate and improve the overall work atmosphere.
• An employment background check helps employers to weed out the potential chances of workplace violence.

Less employee turnover

• By using effective background screening in Belarus, companies can improve their hiring process. 
• It assists in creating a strong workforce with fewer employees leaving the organization. 

Are Background Checks Legal in Belarus?

A background check in Belarus is legal and follows a systematic approach. The Information Protection Law, 2008 and the Population Register Law, 2008 regulate the verification process. 

An employer can carry out certain kinds of background checks, like education and employment background checks in Belarus. However, to obtain a criminal or similar record, employers must follow a set of protocols. The list below records the documents required to conduct said checks. 

• Purpose letter 
• Application form filled in with all the necessary information 
• Passport-size photograph 
• Applicant’s fingerprints, the one initiating the check  
• A notarized passport copy 
• Legal proof of any sort which highlights the current address 

Things to Know When Performing a Background Check in Belarus

The center and the ministry regulate an HR background check in Belarus, and employers must establish contact with them in case of any hiccups or support for conducting certain checks.  

Employment history

• Conducting an employment background check in Belarus only applies to jobs requiring a certain work experience. 
• Employers can use the information given by the applicant on their previous work experiences. 
• A company can contact an applicant’s previous employer or the listed reference to verify the provided information. 

Education History

• Verifying education history is a must, irrespective of job experience. 
• Employers can speak with the listed references in the given educational organizations and confirm an applicant’s education history. 

Criminal record

• Employers can acquire criminal records, if any, through the police clearance certificate (PCC). 
• The PCC certifies whether a person has partaken in any criminal activity in the past. It also lists the disclosable convictions any applicant might have. 
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues the PCC under the Republic of Belarus. 
• It usually takes around 20 working days to acquire a PCC, given that an employer has fulfilled all the prerequisites. 

Credit report

• The credit report reflects an applicant’s ability to manage finances on a personal level. 
• It provides a sound knowledge of an applicant’s finance management skills, which might be very important for job listings that require asset or cash management. 

Social life

• Social life is considered a reflection of an applicant’s personality. 
• Conducting social media checks allows an employer to understand how adding a particular individual will affect the company’s work culture. 
• An applicant’s consent is not mandatory when conducting a background check in Belarus. 

Information Essential for a Background Check in Belarus

According to the Information Protection Law, 2008, employers must acquire an acknowledgment for the applicant before a pre-employment background check in Belarus. In most cases, the CV or resume acts as an acknowledgment. However, an employer must acquire the information mentioned to conduct a background check. 

• The legal name of the applicant
• Registered date of birth 
• The registered address of the residence 
• School name, degree, attendance dates, release form, reference name, and contact details for educational verification 
• Company name, employer name, employment date, position held, approved resignation letter, reference name, rank, and contact details for employment verification 

If the mentioned information is missing, the employer must obtain the same from the applicant. 

Process Involved in Background Checks in Belarus

A step-by-step process has been provided below to allow employers to negate the huge learning curve while conducting a pre-employment background check in Belarus. 

Listing out the requirements

• A background check in Belarus requires only the necessary information related to the job post. 

Information gathering

• According to the listed information, the references from the concerned authorities are contacted. 
• The employer procures the information from the reference’s end. 
• Requests are made by the employer while gathering information such as an applicant’s criminal record, credit history, or any other form of similar education. It is requested by the concerned authorities by following their protocol. 

Verification

• Once the employer has gathered the information from references and concerned authorities in Belarus, the data is verified according to the information the applicant provides. 
• Any mismatch might lead to the dismissal of an applicant from the listed job position. 

Adding to the records

• After completing a successful employee screening in Belarus, one or more candidates are hired for a specific position. 
• The employer must update the employment records for these hired candidates for the future.

Industries and Situations That are Most Suitable for Background Checks in Belarus 

Irrespective of the industry, an educational background check in Belarus is a must for every company. It allows one to determine an applicant’s knowledge in a specific sector. Apart from the requirement for educational verification, specific industries require more than the mentioned verification. 

Transportation

• Transportation jobs require a candidate to drive a particular vehicle. 
• Conducting a criminal background check in Belarus with the help of a PCC allows an employer to understand the likelihood of an employee committing malpractice. 
• Driving records can also highlight the applicant’s ability to follow traffic rules. 

Education and childcare

• Education and childcare are two professions where background checks are required. 
• Applicants with a criminal record might not be the best fit for such a role.

Nursing

• In nursing, the employees must look after patients suffering from different ailments.
• Medical records allow an employer to identify whether an applicant has a weak immune system or carries a contagious disease. 
• An educational background check is also very important, as sound knowledge about various treatments, their corresponding ailments, and vaccinations is vital.  
• It allows an employer to negate the addition of such applicants, thus decreasing the chances of future threats to the life of the applicant or a patient. 

Vaccine RnD

• Vaccines are developed in a very controlled environment by physically healthy professionals. 
• Applicants with a high affinity towards certain diseases can be identified and scrutinized by verifying their medical records.

How Multiplier Helps With Background Checks

An employer can freely conduct a background check in Belarus, but the process can be lengthy as specific governmental organizations look after the records. However, an employer can always transfer these processes to an Employer of record (EOR) platform like Multiplier. 

Multiplier is a SaaS-based EOR platform that can speed up a background check in Belarus for a fraction of the required cost with the help of its partners. During a self-initiated background check in Belarus, employers must reach out to every listed reference and manually verify all the required information. While on the other hand, through the partners of Multiplier, employers can transfer all the hassles of background checks and focus on hiring the most suited candidate.