The shifting background checking landscape

Since founding 321gocheck.com, I've witnessed a significant shift in the background checking industry. The landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with established competitors closing their doors due to their inability to keep pace with technological advancements and changing regulatory requirements. Equally there are emerging background checking companies like 321Gocheck that's positioning their offering so to optimise data, technoligy, security and regulation.

Background checking old vs new

Old SaaS built under the "Web 2" umbrella are software solutions consumed over the internet. These solutions hosted on cloud servers have been all the rage for the better part of two decades. Key cloud storage providers AWS, GCP, and Microsoft Azure controlled our data under a centralised security model funded by monthly subscriptions. AI under Web 2 was limited and expensive. I still clearly remember us training a model using Google Colab to automate the extraction of passport data but the costs being prohibitive. The majority of current background checking solutions were built using old Web 2 technology. These solutions are now prohibitive.

Are you still doing background checking using the old way?

Queue COVID for rapid digital adoption, the release of ChatGPT and new SaaS under the Web "3 & 4" umbrella. Decentralisation commonly associated with blockchain technology marks the shift from centralised data. This shift is associated with user control data ownership, security and transparency. In background checking terms, the use of blockchain removes the need to rely on third-party middlemen to complete checks which would in principal lower operational expenses.

The future of background checking will settle under the Web 4 umbrella of intelligence and interconnectedness. As the use of AI, machine learning and blockchain continues to evolve the new SaaS companies will also have to manage security and regulation. Ultimately clients should expect increase in checking speed, greater accuracy and superior candidate experience without any compromise on security.

Benefits of background checking done the new way

The use of AI to drive business outcomes

Effective use of AI in background checking will help organisations with improved accuracy and speed of checks. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a game-changing technology for businesses across industries. Organisations should expect their background supplier to deliver tangible benefits. The 4 key areas in which clients should expect AI benefits centre on customer experience, top and bottom lines improvement and compliance.

Improved Customer Experience

AI is already being used to enhance customer satisfaction. The use of Chatbots for example are ideal for personalising interactions and addressing customer needs more efficiently.

Cost reduction via efficiency and automation

Quicker onboarding with better employee retention will drive growth for organisations that choose companies that have already adopted the use of AI as part of their business model. 321GoCheck for example use OpenAI to help supply real time updates to both employers and their candidates. This simple use case alone is transformative because all parties have symmetric information about the checking process. Through checking automation we are helping to reduce checking errors and improved checking speeds. 321GoCheck's rapid adoption of AI and Web 4 solutions will help its clients lower their operational costs while maintaining or improving productivity.

Compliant with regulations

321GoCheck's use of Microsoft's instalment of OpenAI in the Azure ecosystem help to ensure our checking solution is meeting industry standards. Key to our ongoing success will be to ensure compliance with the UK's AI rules and guidelines:

1. Understanding of the UK's regulatory Landscape
2. Focus on transparency
3. Conduct bias and risk assessments
4. Collaborate with regulators
5. Adoption of best practices

Achieving AI benefits with background checking companies

Nurup Naimji "AI for checking is here to stay"

The 321GoCheck advantage

321GoCheck's adoption of AI offers several key advantages for UK employers:

• Days to hours and seconds: The old way of completing background checks required massive "human" intervention. This is reflected in high costs and extended onboarding time. By introducing automation in the background checking process, 321-GoCheck is trending towards significant reduction in the time required to complete checks. What used to take weeks can now be completed in minutes.
• Improved accuracy: AI helps 321-GoCheck interrogate vast amounts of data, ensuring consistency and accuracy across various checks. By stacking and cross-referencing multiple data points, our solution provides a more comprehensive and reliable profile of candidates
• Compliance and data security: 321GoCheck follows best practices and regulations set by Microsoft and local AI authorities to ensure the highest level of data security and compliance. This is particularly crucial in the UK market, where data protection regulations are stringent
• Contextual analysis: By 2025, 321GoCheck's use of AI for background checks will be able to distinguish between harmless past behaviour and concerning patterns, providing more nuanced insights into candidates' characters.

Out with the old

You are at risk if you have not changed your current background checking supplier for the following reasons:

Limited Efficiency and Automation

• Old background check companies often rely on manual processes or basic automation, which can lead to delays and inefficiencies

Lack of Real-Time Insights

• Old systems often struggle with real-time data integration and analysis.

Inability to Scale

• Legacy systems using old tech are not designed to handle the scalability required by global, fast-growing companies.

Outdated User Experience

• Older platforms often offer clunky interfaces and poor user experiences, which will leave both HR teams and candidates frustrated

What are your background checking goals?

Conclusion

As we move dive into 2025, switching to modern background checking providers that use advanced technologies like AI, blockchain, and Web 3 and 4 tools should be a strong consideration. Sticking with outdated Web 2 systems will hinder growth, efficiency, and competitiveness. Embracing companies like 321GoCheck for innovation is the key to staying ahead in the talent acquisition game.