Employee Monitoring and Post-Hire Screening: Anticipating and preventing unethical behavior in the workplace

This publication is authored by and reflected the views and opinion of PT Integrity Indonesia. More information about PT Integrity Indonesia is available on www.integrity-indonesia.com

Immoral behavior in the workforce can have dire consequences, for the individuals involved and the organization as a whole, like one case of sexual harassment allegation against a manager in a cosmetics company that recently went viral in the Jakarta Metropolitan Area.

When recruiting employees, companies often conduct pre-employment background screening to ensure safe and suitable hiring. But can this really guarantee constant and consistent accountability from employees? While pre-employment background screening can help companies make informed hiring decisions, it is important to remember that employees are human—their behavior and performance can, and most likely will, change over time. To keep up with these changes and make sure they are going in the right direction, employee monitoring and post-hire screening are required.

Employee monitoring refers to the practice of monitoring employees' behavior, actions, and communications on an ongoing basis. This can include monitoring emails, phone calls, and device usage. While some may view this practice as invasive or intrusive, it can be a valuable tool in preventing legal liability and addressing security concerns.

Post-hire screening, on the other hand, is the process of conducting background checks on employees after they have been hired—most often performed when an employee is due for a promotion. This can include criminal history checks, credit checks, education verification if an employee claims to have gained a higher level of education during their tenure, and even social media checks.

 Objectives

Employee monitoring and background screening of existing employees are important practices for a number of reasons.

• Identifying potential ethical issues before they escalate. Suppose an employee is communicating with a supplier in a way that suggests a conflict of interest. By implementing these practices, this behavior can be identified and addressed before it results in any negative consequences. Similarly, if an employee is engaging in discriminatory behavior or harassment, the behavior can be identified and addressed before it causes significant harm to others.
• Protecting confidential information. The practices can aid in safeguarding confidential company information from unauthorized individuals. In fact, most of a company's key access is held by employees who have worked there for many years. As a result, a core employee with extensive experience who occupies vital work posts and has access to company secrets in finance, IT, purchasing, or personnel, has the potential and opportunity to cause enormous losses to the company.
• Improving productivity.
• Identifying red flags. Anticipating and recognizing warning signs in existing employees’ histories can help organizations discover potential risks to the company. This can include criminal history, previous incidents of workplace violence, or issues related to substance abuse or mental health. By identifying these risks early on, organizations can take steps to mitigate them and prevent potential harm to the company, its employees, and its customers.

Methodology

Methods of conducting post-hire screening are not vastly different from those used in pre-employment background screening. The examination includes media, criminal, credit score, and residential address checks.

An aspect of monitoring that is surprisingly no less important is employee social media checks. Andrew Selepak, a professor of social media at the University of Florida, believes that “social listening” to employees’ social media activities is an effective way to conduct continuous employee monitoring. In today's digital world, a person's digital footprint is vital in determining the overall picture of one's lifestyle.

That being said, it is essential to note that employee monitoring and post-hire screening should be conducted in a transparent and ethical manner. Employees should be informed of the practices and the reasons behind them to avoid uneasiness and discomfort in the workplace. Furthermore, organizations must ensure that the checks comply with the relevant laws and regulations, including data privacy laws, and signed consent from employees is vital.

People change. Indeed, human beings change—even the most virtuous employees. This is why preventive action by implementing continuous employee monitoring is the right step for companies to sustain an ideal work environment.

To implement this system, organizations must invest time and money, but in the long run, this effort can prevent substantial losses due to fraud.

This publication is authored by and reflected the views and opinion of PT Integrity Indonesia. More information about PT Integrity Indonesia is available on www.integrity-indonesia.com