FAQs
Are you working with us, or currently being vetted for a role you are applying for, or are working in, and have a burning question? Find the answer to some of the most common questions people ask us about the pre-employment screening and background checking services we offer.
Candidate FAQs
We help employers and employees identify, manage and mitigate risks involved in recruiting for roles that allow access to classified information, systems or sites. Reed Screening facilitates conversations surrounding any ongoing risk and works to manage them for as long as is required.
Reed Screening conducts pre-employment checks on individuals who are successful in the recruitment process. We work on behalf of various businesses (such as your current or prospective employer) to ensure that they are compliant in following government mandated regulations in addition to decreasing the risk associated with recruitment.
The time taken to complete screening differs for everyone as it is dependent upon the complexity in screening requirements for that role. Third party checks such as police checks may take longer, so please ensure that you respond to any queries from us in a timely manner to avoid delays. You can read more about the various checks we perform on our A-Z check directory, and you can identify aspects of your screening are outstanding by logging back into your application.
Any personal information requested by Reed Screening is required for the purpose of processing your pre-employment checks. We gather the minimum amount of data required to process the required checks for your role and all data is processed and held securely in accordance with GDPR. More details regarding this can be found in our privacy policy.
You are entitled to access a copy of the data we capture and hold about you for the purposes of your screening. You can request this either verbally or in writing by contacting your employer (as they are the overall decision maker when it comes to your data), where they will provide instructions on how to submit a Subject Access Request (SAR).
If you are interested in the progress of your screening, there are a few ways you may find more information:
You can log back into your application here. Once logged in, you can view the status of your screening at any time through the 'View Screening Progress' pod on your homepage which will give you a high-level overview, or view more detailed information via the ‘View my screening request’ function.
You can also contact the team responsible for your screening via telephone (our lines are open 24 hours, seven days a week) or email using the contact information for your team within any emails from Reed Screening.
Within certain industries, dependent upon a business’s risk appetite, you may begin working while aspects of your screening are outstanding. Your continuation in role however, is subject to the completion of your screening. You can log back into your application here to check which parts of your screening are outstanding and should we need further information, we will contact you for this. Please respond promptly to any queries to avoid delays with completing your screening.
Once your screening is complete, we will ask for your feedback in the form of a short, anonymous survey where you can provide your feedback.
Once you have received your invitation to log in, you will need to set up your account (if you haven’t previously used the XMS system) and once logged in you need to complete your application, which is accessible from your homepage. You may save and return to the application at any time. If you experience difficulties in accessing your application, please contact the team responsible for your screening. These details can be found on your homepage or your logon invitation.
During the screening process, if the team need further information, they will send a request for this through the system which will notify you via email. Once you follow this you will be brought into your file, where you can provide documents and details securely within the ‘information required’ tab. To respond, select the actions button beside the relevant field and submit your response.
Your start date can only be confirmed by your prospective employer. A representative from Reed Screening cannot confirm this information for you. In the instance where you haven't been provided a start date, it would be best to contact your hiring manager.
What's happening...
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Instances of fraud in recruitment have peaked recently, putting many candidates and employers at risk. It’s therefore important to equip your organisation with the right measures and processes to ensure recruitment is a smooth, beneficial, and legal process for all parties.
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Join us to hear from UK government on the upcoming changes to how we hire and employ staff.
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