UK Recruitment Glossary
Pre-Employment Screening
In recruiter context
Standard for UK roles above £40k and most regulated industries (finance, healthcare, legal, public sector). Typical scope: identity verification, right-to-work check, employment dates and titles for last 5-10 years, qualification verification, reference calls. Some industries add: basic DBS or financial-services FCA check, social media screening, credit check. Run by third parties: HireRight, Sterling, Onfido. Lying about employment dates is the #1 reason offers get withdrawn at this stage — much more common than candidates think. Be precise across CV, LinkedIn, application form. Discrepancies under 30 days are usually overlooked; longer ones get queried.
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