Pre-employment checks

Once you have completed the initial selection process and chosen a potential new employee, there are some checks that you may want to carry out - or may be required to carry out - before making an unconditional job offer.

Some checks are optional, for example, checking a potential employee's qualifications or checking references however best practice suggests that these checks are advisable. Other checks are a legal requirement - for example, you are required to ensure that all your workers are entitled to be in the UK and take up the job in question.

If someone hasn't got the qualification(s) they claim and their work subsequently damages a client, issues of negligence in law can arise. Certain professions, such as law, medicine, or accountancy, require specific qualifications to practice. For example, a nurse in a care home would need to be suitably qualified.

For other roles - such as those involving work with vulnerable individuals or jobs within the security industry - you may be required by law to obtain an AccessNI check on the potential employee.

This guide covers essential pre-employment checks that must be carried out for both UK and foreign nationals. It also provides links to more detailed guidance elsewhere on this site about pre-employment checking services and the data protection requirements you must comply with.