Lawful Background
Checks
As with interviewing, strict laws exist in most so-called
developed countries about what is acceptable when checking
references. The laws are said to
have become so draconian in some countries that many companies
now refuse to provide assessment information and will only
confirm basic
employment data such as date started and
ended for fear of
lawsuits.
In most emerging countries the situation is much looser.
Employers regularly speak to former employers about all manner
of subjects. The majority of Asian managers feel that age,
family circumstances, church involvement and similar issues are important in determining the viability of candidates.
That is probably fine when Asian managers working for Asian
companies are recruiting
Asian candidates. But hiring managers and recruiters
leave themselves open to legal jeopardy when they are employed
by international companies or recruiting international
candidates.
Anti-discrimination laws in place in most developed countries
already prevent questions related to any of the following
subjects: age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital
status and pregnancy. In addition, further laws specifically
address what is acceptable for background checks.
With my
permission, if you please
The first important point is that employers are required to
inform job seekers that background checks will be conducted and
receive written permission.
The information that can be checked usually includes credit
checks, criminal and civil suit history, driving records and
interviews with neighbours, friends and colleagues. The
intelligence gathered should not extend back beyond 7 years. The
exception is for anything in the public domain such as criminal
convictions and media reports.
In the United States and other countries, if an employer decides
against hiring a candidate because of negative information
garnered from a background check, the employer must notify the
candidate. The candidate is also entitled to receive a copy of
the report from the organization that created it.
Only a
Matter of Time
On hearing this, many Asian hiring managers can be incredulous
that such burdens and legal risk could be placed upon them. They
should not be. Multinational organizations are already required
to follow demanding cross-border legislation related to
corruption, environmental control and health & safety in their
far flung locations where such laws are either not in place or
weakly enforced. It should seem logical that
anti-discrimination and background checking laws will become
part of this list within a short time span. All it will take is
a couple of scandals to be reported widely in the media and standards
will change.
In the meantime, it is important that hiring managers working in
Asia understand the essentials of what is considered lawful in
so-called developed countries when performing background checks.
It does not mean they should change what they do within their
own countries but it should keep them out of legal jeopardy when
recruiting senior candidates internationally.
Hiring
Leaders
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region with specific focus on Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos.
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Asia
CEO Forum
Asia
CEO Forum presented by PLDT ALPHA Enterprise is the largest
regular business event in Philippines and considered one of the
most important in the Southeast Asia region. The forum serves as a
hub for the spreading of ideas that help executive managers
overseeing enterprises across the Asia Pacific region.
Attendees are both expatriate and Asian management personnel
overseeing multinational and regional organizations. Held in
Philippines, presenters are leaders in their industries and
engaged in momentous pursuits of significance to the entire
region.
Asia
CEO Forum is operated as a CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility) activity of Chalre Associates, one of Southeast
Asia's most prominent senior management executive search firms, to
promote Philippines as a premier business destination in the Asia
region.
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Asia
CEO Awards
Asia
CEO Awards presented by Aseana City represents the
grandest alliance of local and international business people ever
created to promote Philippines on the world stage. As one of the
largest events of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, it is
considered a must-attend occasion for business leaders active in
Southeast Asia.
The star-studded Board of Judges of Asia CEO Awards give
away 10 awards to many of the most accomplished leadership teams
and individuals currently operating in Philippines and the region.
The awards recognize extraordinary leaders who have demonstrated
outstanding achievement for their organizations and contributions
to others.
As one of the fastest growing nations on the planet, the world's
business leaders have their eyes on Philippines like never before.
The annual gala was established as a natural outgrowth of Asia
CEO Forum, the largest regular networking event for the
business community in Philippines.
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SPECIAL DOWNLOADS:
Media organizations
throughout the world call upon the Principals of Chalre Associates for thought leadership.
Below are some examples of published material written by our
consultants or international journalists who refer to them. For a complete list of published work,
Click Here.
Getting Ready For The
Deluge: Outsourcing in Philippines
by
Chalre Associates senior staff
Download
[PDF
file, 62KB]
The
Economist Intelligence Unit of the Economist magazine
asked Chalre Associates' Chairman, Richard Mills,
to write a chapter about the Philippine outsourcing sector
in its annual Business Guide Book. The material
provides a Executive Briefing on the progress and major
issues facing this industry that is certainly one of most
significant growth stories in the world.
more
Asia Pacific Mining
Conference 2007 - Report
by
Chalre Associates senior staff
Download
[PDF
file, 28KB]
The 7th Asia Pacific Mining Conference put on by the Asean
Federation of Mining Associations was perhaps the largest
such event in the region. Richard Mills, Chairman of Chalre Associates
gave this report on what was said by the prominent mining
people who presented.
more
The
State of BPO in Philippines: Dan Reyes Speaks
by
Chalre Associates senior staff
Download
[PDF
file, 31KB]
Richard
Mills, Chairman of Chalre Associates,
interviewed Dan Reyes of Sitel for ComputerWorld (US) recently to get
his views on the state of the BPO industry in Philippines. Dan
presented US readers with compelling information to support his view
that Philippines is currently seen as the "Number 1" option by global
companies sending BPO work to offshore destinations.
Dan Reyes is easily one of most experienced Business Process
Outsourcing (BPO) managers in the Asia Pacific region and the world. He
is head of the extremely successful Philippine operations of Sitel, the
world's largest call center organization. Among other things, he is a
founder and former president of the Business Processing Association of
the Philippines. more
