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Firms run background checks before hiring(Times of India, The (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Feb. 13--CHANDIGARH, India -- If you are a top notch executive looking for a job in the corporate sector, don't be surprised in case you find a private detective stalking you. With the corporate world sharpening its focus on recruiting the right people, more and more companies based in the region are turning to detective bureaus to get the antecedents of potential employees verified. And if people in the business are to be believed, top grade companies don't mind shelling out a few lakhs to ensure that they are making the right recruitment, especially higher up in the heirarchy. Vijay Singh Bhardwaj, who runs Brownshield Detective Company in Sector 46, said, "Firms of repute are hiring investigation firms as routinely as they engage public relations specialists. Background checks for senior level appointees has become somewhat of a routine affair, judging by the growth in our client base. They use our services to verify a potential employee's reputation at his workplace, his lifestyle and how he made a difference there."... ...Bhardwaj claimed that companies are ready to fork out as much as Rs 2-5 lakh for obtaining a complete dossier of the potential employee. Detective agencies usually take about two months to conduct a thorough background check and present an exhaustive report. They, however, supply information to their clients on a weekly basis, depending on its importance. A senior functionary of a leading telecom company in the region said while many firms stop at reference checking for junior level employees, as far as top-level appointments are concerned, people usually don't like to take chances as they have to maintain high standards of accountability. KK Singh, a former UT police senior inspector, who runs Special Detective Services, said a growing number of firms were counting on private investigators while making recruitments... ..."When the stakes are high, it's better to be sure. And the trend is going to be more pronounced as more companies move into the region," added Singh, who retired in 2003. Parul Pandey, director, People Factor Pvt Ltd, a headhunting company, said, "Background checks are critical, especially in the context of IT product companies. You don't want to hire someone who might quit and expose your work practices before your rivals. That's why employers want to be sure that they are appointing people of high integrity." Many firms are also hiring detectives to make sure that phoney companies are not misusing their brand or selling counterfeit products in their name. Bhardwaj said his agency had been hired for such work by firms like Bombay Dyeing, Castrol India and Surya Tubes. A large number of banks are also hiring private investigators to find the truth about clients who fraudulently declare themselves as insolvent to circumvent liability. A private investigator said, "We often help banks identify the assets of such customers, with documentary evidence." Detective bureaus also help them track down guarantors and assist in executing court warrants. Maj (retd) AS Lally, a former Territorial Army officer who runs a detective bureau in Sector 35, said his firm had helped many banks in carrying out recovery proceedings. |