Five key things to know about IDSPs and digital Right to Work

Guest blog by TrustID. 

Placing qualified candidates into the right roles, often in large numbers and in a short timeframe can be tough. You don’t want Right to Work (RtW) checks to slow down or derail the hiring process.

If you know what to expect, you can prepare for it. So, here are the five things recruiters need to know about Right to Work checks and Identity Service Providers (IDSPs).

1) Who is responsible?

All UK employers must carry out RtW checks on their employees and there are financial penalties if you know or have ‘reasonable cause to believe’ that someone you employ doesn’t have the right to work in the UK.

If you’re an in-house recruiter or an agency sub-contracting employees to your clients, then you are responsible as the employer for performing Right to Work (RtW) checks. If you’re an agency finding and placing permanent candidates that will not work with vulnerable people, it’s your client’s responsibility but you may choose to run checks as an additional value-add.

2) What options are available?

From 1 October 2022, Right to Work checks can either be digital or physical. You need to check applicants’ physical documents in person or work with an identity service provider (IDSP) to carry out digital checks using their identity document validation technology (IDVT). You can no longer carry out checks over video or email.

The method you choose will likely depend on the demographics of your candidates – the documents they hold - and the roles, industry and environment you’re recruiting into – is it remote or face-to-face and what’s your perceived risk of illegal working?  

3) How long do RtW checks take?

Using an IDSP can help you or your clients to onboard staff quickly. IDVT works within minutes, and IDSPs like TrustID have an SLA of one hour between 8 a.m. and midnight, seven days a week. Candidates upload an image of their eligible document or enter their Sharecode, along with a selfie image, and the identity document validation technology (IDVT) will check and typically return a RtW report within minutes.

4) Why should you use a certified IDSP?

Several companies offer identity verification services, but the government recommends you use a Home Office certified Identity Service Provider (IDSP). By using a certified IDSP, you and your clients are assured that the Right to Work check service meets the required digital standards and will support your Statutory Excuse.

5) How can an IDSP help?

An IDSP offers the easiest route to compliance and brings document expertise to your organisation. Our analysis shows that last year 39% of fake Right to Work documents seen by our customers last year were passports, with most being French and British. Using Identity Document Validation Technology reduces the chance of human error and means your team don’t need to be trained experts on fraudulent documents or Right to Work guidance. Digital Right to Work checks from an IDSP also improve speed and security for recruiters as well as giving your candidates an easy on-boarding option.

Find out more by downloading the Guide to IDSPs and IDVT.

This is a guest blog contribution for the REC website. The views expressed by guest writers reflect the individual's personal opinions.

Written by Tony Machin, CEO, TrustID.