More than a third (40%) of hiring managers feel unprepared for digital Right to Work (RTW) screening, despite the Home Office introducing this method following the success of the emergency measures during Covid.*

Following the positive feedback received about the ability to conduct right to work checks remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Home Office announced the permanent option of digital checks. However, in its webinar, What Employers Need to Know About Digital Identity, Sterling found that 38% of hiring managers were unsure about the process, 9% believed it would be a challenging process, and 1% indicated that they would prefer traditional screening methods.

However, the introduction of digital identity checks supports quicker and more efficient screening, reducing the potential for fraud and providing a more positive experience for candidates. In fact, by the end of the webinar 81% of attendees agreed that the move to Digital Identity would be a positive one, indicating that employers are perhaps unaware of the benefits that this switch will have for businesses.

Steve Smith, Managing Director EMEA at Sterling, commented:
“The results of our webinar poll certainly indicate that employers are apprehensive about the digital identity transition, but our post-poll confirms that a lot of this reticence comes from a lack of understanding around the finer details, rather than a complete reluctance to the move.

The introduction of digital identity should definitely be viewed by employers as a positive change, allowing hiring managers to benefit from technology that can significantly improve the candidate experience, as well as the speed and accuracy of their background checks. Once employers are familiar with how these checks will work, they will truly reap the benefits.

“With skills shortages rife across the UK, businesses simply cannot afford to lose prospective new hires in complex compliance processes. While the pandemic has had a severe impact on the labour market, it has also had a positive effect on the progress made in digital identity checks. This is a clear step in the right direction for the market.”

*Sterling