Business expansion in the Peruvian market demands the hiring of local talents. And background screening is a great way to select the right talent for your business.
It helps you boost the quality of hire and reduce negligent hiring. It enhances workspace safety and regulatory compliance for your business.
Especially when you are hiring for a risk-sensitive position that can cause punitive damages, it becomes mandatory.
Here we will explain everything about the employee screening process in Peru.
What is Employment Background Verification?
Employee screening is a process of verifying the information provided by job applicants. It also reveals the information not shared by applicants. This is a crucial step in the hiring process aiming to select the most suitable candidates.
An employment background check is a risk management tool for businesses and helps create a safe workplace by reducing bad hires. It takes 5-10 days to complete.
Based on the job position, you can simplify the employee background screening. Primary employee screening in Peru involves verifying education, employment history, and identity checks.
Benefits of Background Checks in Peru
53% of resumes contain at least one wrong piece of information. Incorrect information can lead to bad decisions. According to research, only 60% of employers conduct pre-employee background checks, and 84% of employers benefit from this process.
Here is a list of benefits you get from background checks:
- Improved quality of new hire
- Elimination of the risk of negligent hiring
- Data security
- Better productivity
- Better workplace safety
- Less involuntary employee turnover
- Reduction in employer’s costs
- Less financial frauds
Are Background Checks legal in Peru?
There is no explicit law against or favoring employment background checks in Peru. But Peru has protective laws against employment discrimination. The constitutional court has stated that it is discrimination if the employer refuses to hire the candidate after employee screening.
But, the law does not restrict medical checkups and drug and alcohol tests.
The Peruvian Personal Data Protection Law and its regulations protect Peruvian citizens against processing personal data without consent.
As the law describes, to process personal data, employers require prior consent from the employee. In case of sensitive data such as trade union affiliation, income, religion, race, etc., you need written permission.
A candidate has total freedom to say no to this. Any background check without the candidate’s knowledge can bring legal trouble for the employer.
Non-compliance with the Peruvian Personal Data Protection Law can attract penalties. The penalty amount can vary between 0.5 UITs to 100 UITs.
Things to Know When Performing a Background Check in Peru
Screening candidates is not simple, like running a google search. It demands time and money. Identity verification is one of the most common employee screenings in Peru.
Other necessary background screening checks in Peru are:
Employment history
An employment history check helps you understand a candidate’s behavior and performance with previous employers. You verify the candidate’s claim regarding the last job position, company, designation, salary, tenure, etc.
You can ask candidates to submit previous employers’ contact information and call them directly to verify the information.
Education history
If the job position you are hiring for demands a certain level of education, you can conduct education history verification. You can cross-check your degree, college, certificate, and score to verify the candidate’s claim.
Most colleges’ contact details are available on the internet; you can call them and ask for more information.
Criminal record
If workspace and employee safety is your first concern, you must conduct a criminal background check in Peru. To do this, you can request the applicant to submit a police clearance certificate. This certification should mention that the applicant has no criminal record.
Credit report
A credit report is mandatory when you are hiring a candidate for a higher position in the financial department. It helps you understand a candidate’s way of dealing with their personal financial obligations.
Social life
Social life checks you can conduct by checking the applicant’s social media. But, again, you cannot collect or review information on social media without consent.
Medical record
If a job position where the medical fitness of a candidate is mandatory, a medical record check is essential. Employers can ask for medical test reports from candidates for this check.
Process Involved in Background Checks in Peru
The Peruvian Personal Data Protection Law and its regulations make it mandatory for employers to take permission from candidates before processing their personal data.
After a background check, if a company refuses to hire a candidate, it counts as discrimination. So, it is necessary to take permission from the candidates.
The basic information you can collect from a resume involves name, age, educational qualification, past job experience, marital status, location, and gender.
You can ask for scan copy of the below documents for a pre-employment background check in Peru:
- National Id card
- Address proof
- Driving license
- Educational certificates
- Certificate of good conduct
- Medical records
- Drug testing report
- Payslip
Once you collect these documents, you can start verifying it using respective procedures.
Industries That are Most Suitable for Background Checks in Peru
Background check is one of the mandatory hiring steps. It should be conducted by every industry. An identity check is the most basic employee screening. Rest, depending on the industry type, the type of checks can vary. Some of the industries which should consider conducting background checks in Peru.
- Legal firms
- Government organizations
- Healthcare
- Financial services
- Cybersecurity services
- Manufacturing industry
- Industries hiring foreign talents
- Industries need licenses to work
How does Multiplier Help with Background Checks in Peru?
Employee background checks are an essential risk management tool. It helps you to select the best talents and reduce the turnover rate.
If you feel employee background screening in Peru will take a lot of time, you can outsource to experienced professionals in the country.
When you collaborate with Multiplier, we help you find the best background screening service providers to outsource this service. Our EOR solution makes onboarding, payroll, and benefits management easy for you.
Learn more about Multiplier’s EOR solution with our experts