7 Traits of a Resilient Leader

Every successful leader has encountered a challenging scenario at some point in their career. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, however, has forced leaders to face unforeseen new challenges. With the pandemic’s colossal impact on operations, workforces, profits and supply chains across the globe, all eyes are on leadership to guide their businesses through this crisis. Resilient Leader

Resilient leaders are generally seen as more effective, making them an asset to any business; but what is resilience and how can it be applied to your management skills?

What is Resilience?

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; it is a further evolution of stress management. This makes it a “no brainer” as to why resilience is such a popular concept in today’s business environment. Many businesses are pushing the concept of resilience as a way of helping workers better cope with the stresses and strains of the modern-day office and unlock their performance potential.

In this article, we look at seven essential qualities that characterise resilient leaders, and how to increase your resilience. In general, resilient leaders:

1. Show empathy
2. Are adaptable and able to improvise
3. Are self-aware and open to feedback
4. Take calculated risks
5. Keep a positive attitude
6. Develop others
7. Communicate effectively

1. Resilient Leaders Show Empathy

COVID-19 has generated one of the greatest challenges and, simultaneously, one of the greatest opportunities for resilient leaders – at all levels. According to a Gallup U.S poll, six in 10 people are “very” or “somewhat worried” that they or a family member will be exposed to COVID-19 (Gallup, 2020). During this crisis, emotional management is even more crucial than ever. According to studies carried out by Development Dimensions International (DDI), empathy is the most critical leadership skill. Leaders who display compassion, authenticity and vulnerability – and are capable of apologising when they’re wrong and handle criticism without blame – create strong emotional bonds with their teams (DDI, 2020).

The most resilient (and effective) leaders can demonstrate empathy and a high level of emotional intelligence. When your team feels understood, they feel more motivated and more confident to contribute cultivating stronger conversations, ideas and debate. As Mark Cuban shared in a recent interview: “How you treat your employees today will have more impact on your brand in future years than any amount of advertising, any amount of anything you literally could do” (Just Capital, 2020).

2. Resilient Leaders Are Adaptable

With COVID-19 infecting approximately 311,641 people in the UK alone, health officials suggested using hand sanitiser as the easiest way to prevent the spread of the disease. Consequently, these announcements led to panic buying (Euronews, 2020). In this type of situation, a resilient leader should be able to visualise this action as an opportunity – for example, dozens of spirit manufacturers across the UK started to produce hand sanitisers (i.e. BrewDog and Leith Gin). This is a classic example of an instant attitude adjustment – looking at what they can do as opposed to what they can’t (Telegraph, 2020).

When faced with change, resilient leaders can focus on the things within their business that they can still control. Whether impacted by new technologies, environmental challenges or even ethical dilemmas, the modern business landscape is always changing. A resilient leader needs to be flexible and adaptable to succeed. Is flexibility part of your leadership style?

3. Resilient Leaders Are Self-Aware and Coachable

According to Health Care Business Today, self-awareness and coachability are “The Two Most Important Leadership Traits” (Health Care Business Today, 2019). We think so, too. Resilient leaders are self-aware, confident, and most of all, able to recognise their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. Resilient leaders are open to feedback, ask for feedback and are always demonstrating a real effort to improve.

4. Resilient Leaders Take Calculated Risks

Successful leaders earned their success through taking calculated risks. When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos launched AmazonFresh, he was scrutinised by others because he didn’t choose a successful delivery or supermarket executive to run the venture. Instead, Bezos selected a team that had previously run a web-based food delivery service in the ‘90s (which collapsed after two years in business). Why? Bezos knew that the team had learned from their failure, which made them the perfect choice to succeed with a new project.

Resilient leaders like Bezos take calculated risks while accepting that failure is a by-product of innovation and success. They learn to become comfortable with being uncomfortable, and flourish as the world changes around them.

5. Resilient Leaders Can Keep a Positive Mindset

The impact of COVID-19 is tough to manage. It is vital to have a positive mindset that can influence fellow professionals and raise team morale while maintaining business momentum.

Under the challenging circumstances posed by the COVID-19 crisis, a resilient leader needs to be enthusiastic, offer praise for success, and give credit when it’s due. American psychologist Carol Dweck has stated in her book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” that “a change of mindset must happen before other positive transformation can occur.”

Resiliency is needed when we encounter failure. As a resilient leader, you shouldn’t view failure as final, but as a necessary step to move further along your journey.

6. Resilient Leaders Develop Others

The most resilient leaders are concerned about the development of their teams. Developing others helps everyone to learn from their mistakes. We continue to find that leaders who want and accept honest feedback for themselves are more likely to give productive feedback and coaching to others.

7. Resilient Leaders Communicate Effectively

Effective communication helps teams understand changes, expectations and new directions. This understanding is the key to the success of any team. The most resilient and best leaders always communicate their intentions effectively to others and are willing to help their teams understand a new strategy or direction.

The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be the ultimate test for business leadership. In times of crisis, only certain individuals can adapt and stand tall amongst the crowd. When it comes to leaders, being able to implement resilience tools and strategies will not only make you a better leader but help the company overall.

Who is CRI Group?

Based in London, CRI Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening,

In 2016, CRI Group launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

Filed under: Automotive, Aviation, Background Investigation, Compliance Solution, COVID-19 Insights,

Challenges for Background Screening Service APAC Providers

According to Investor’s Globe – a unified hub for information and ideas relating to investment – Asia Pacific (APAC) is the fastest growing economic region of the world and investors’ top choice. Further, in a list of top five economies until 2023 published by FocusEconomics, three including China, Japan and India belong to the APAC region. It is also a fact that the workforce from APAC is employed around the globe and has a cheap labour market. In addition, a 2017 Asia Pacific Occupier Survey by U.S. real estate group CBRE found that multinational companies showed a strong desire to expand business in APAC emerging markets including China, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. Further, according to the Employment Screening Services Market Research Report of 2020, Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing market from 2019-2025 for employment screening services. Aren’t these attractive indicators for background screening service providers to explore the APAC market? Yes, they are, as growing economies and multinational companies in the region mean more business and job vacancies, thus creating an opportunity for background screening service providers to­ enter the market. Moreover, findings from Transparency International show that the APAC region scored an average of 45 on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of 2019, thus signalling that APAC is not only an attractive market, but the need for background screening services as a solution to reduce corruption also exists.

However, despite all of the attractiveness and existence of opportunity created by this need, penetrating the APAC market is not easy for background screening service providers. The market is huge, comprising of 40-plus countries with a number of organisations in each. Moreover, each country has its own laws, economic conditions, culture, background screening needs and accessible resources, and from a business perspective, familiarity with market is the utmost requirement and the basis upon which companies choose their target customers, formulate strategies, acquire sources and design services. Therefore, the challenge begins with understanding and analysing the huge APAC market.

Another challenge is to create awareness in the APAC region regarding the need for background screening services because need exists, but awareness of the need and its solution lacks. It has been observed that the background screening concept is less familiar and not practised in small organisations and underdeveloped economies of the APAC region. Therefore, making business leaders in the region realise the need and importance of background screening is a crucial and difficult task considering the APAC region’s market size and variation in languages, economies, laws, and companies. Therefore, background screening service providers need to come up with promotional campaigns in the APAC region that highlight increasing corruption figures, and forms of corruption, and explain the need, importance, and benefits of background screening services in overcoming corruption. In this regard, The Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) and its APAC council is an appropriate forum for spreading awareness.

By understanding the market of the APAC region and running awareness campaigns, background screening service providers can capture the market; but to survive, create and maintain a positive image they are required to offer quality background screening services, which largely depend on retrieving and verifying information from sources. However, these sources are beyond the control of the background screening industry and have their own data maintenance style, data checking methodologies, languages and restrictions on the provision of date that not only vary from country to country, but even from district to district in the same country. It is easy to retrieve or verify information where the record is computerized and well-maintained. However, is time-consuming in cases where a record is held manually and is not well organized.

The countries’ laws also impact the provision of background screening services in the region by restricting the collection, processing, accessing, and sharing of data. The developed countries in the APAC region have laws related to personal data protection like Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, etc. However, there are many countries where personal data protection laws are not yet specified or are under development.

The above are just some broadly categorized challenges faced by nearly all background screening service providers in APAC region. However, there are others, either short-term or long-term, including the one we are facing nowadays in form of COVID-19 that have negatively impacted the economic activities around the globe, including the APAC region, and background screening industry is no exception. However, the scenario is yet to be analyzed – and no matter what the outcome, the importance of the APAC region and the opportunity for background screening services cannot be denied.

Author

Sidra Aziz, Senior Investigations Officer

Source list:

1. https://www.investorsglobe.com/apac/
2. https://www.focus-economics.com/blog/the-largest-economies-in-the-world
3. https://www.theglobaltreasurer.com/2017/04/24/multinationals-show-appetite-for-asia-pacific-expansion 
4. https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/employment-screening-services-market-6024
5. https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2019-asia-pacific#

Filed under: Background Investigation, Employee Background Check, Resources by admin
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COVID-19’s impact on Cyber security: is your team safe?

When you download an app and it asks to access your contacts, location, and other information, it seems harmless enough, right? Surely the app will only use your data for its stated purpose, and only when needed? We all know that is not the whole truth. However, with COVID-19 forcing your workforce to embrace new practices of remote working you need to ensure your team’s business data is safe and your cyber security is too. Cybercriminals around the world are capitalising on this crisis, and your employees may not be aware. WHO reports fivefold increase in cyber attacks, urges vigilance, according to the article some 450 active WHO email addresses and passwords were leaked online along with thousands belonging to others working on the novel COVID-19 response.

According to a ScienceDaily article, “7 in 10 smartphone apps share your data with third-party services.” As the article warns:  “More than 70 percent of smartphone apps are reporting personal data to third-party tracking companies like Google Analytics, the Facebook Graph API or Crashlytics. When people install a new Android or iOS app, it asks the user’s permission before accessing personal information. Generally speaking, this is positive. And some of the information these apps are collecting are necessary for them to work properly: A map app wouldn’t be nearly as useful if it couldn’t use GPS data to get a location. But once an app has permission to collect that information, it can share your data with anyone the app’s developer wants to – letting third-party companies track where you are, how fast you’re moving and what you’re doing.”

The article also finds that the problem is not just limited to cell phones and tablets:

“Tracking users on their mobile devices is just part of a larger problem. More than half of the app-trackers we identified also track users through websites. Thanks to this technique, called “cross-device” tracking, these services can build a much more complete profile of your online persona.”

Another article, “Your Apps May Be Selling You Out” by Mondaq, sounds the alarm as well. The authors write that many of us likely aren’t aware of the degree to which our information is shared with advertisers and other third parties when we sign up for various apps. The principle is simple enough:

“If you have ever downloaded a ‘free’ app, you may have pondered how the app’s creator can maintain a financially viable company by giving away its product. The answer soon becomes evident when an advertisement pops up, interrupting your interaction with the app. The less obvious answer may come to you when you uncomfortably wonder how the ad that just popped up somehow relates to the items you browsed on Amazon a few days ago. Coincidence? Probably not. This happens because, in addition to selling advertisements, app creators may also access and sell information collected from your phone to allow advertisers to customize the ads they send to your device.”

How can people reasonably expect to solve this dilemma, and protect their privacy? How can organisations help their teams protect themselves? Short of changing laws, the answer is to be more vigilant in monitoring downloaded apps and our security settings. Follow this advice:

• Don’t give apps permission to access your personable information. Most app stores require apps to gain permission before using your location, camera or using other information. If you deny the apps these permissions, your personal information should be safe from their grasps.
• Check the permissions you have granted your existing apps. You may be letting them access personal information without even realizing it (even for apps you don’t use!).
• Don’t sign up for apps on websites, especially ones you don’t know or trust. You have more protection when they are downloaded through a popular app store.
• Delete apps that you don’t remember downloading or no longer need/use.
• Consider adding security and privacy apps that scan your phone to help you find security risks. In other words, apps that police your other apps!

Unfortunately for those of us who frequently use mobile devices and are now working-from-home because of COVID-19 the odds are stacked against us when it comes to controlling and protecting our personal information. The best we can do is be aware of the risk and try to minimize it as best as possible. And to support new laws and regulations that aim to protect consumers and their privacy in all aspects of our “online lives.”

It is important to remember that the same principles that apply to protecting yourself on mobile devices and elsewhere also apply to protecting your business. Just as you must vet your apps, websites and other content to make sure they come from trusted sources, it is also critical to thoroughly check third party partners and perform background checks on potential and existing employees to ensure that your organization doesn’t face unseen risks from fraud and corruption.

CRI Group offers an entire suite of expert services focused on protecting your organization through proper pre-employment screening and background checks. These protections include:

• Employee Integrity Due Diligence
• Personnel Vetting & Pre-Employment Background Screening
• Vendor & 3rd Party Screening

Staying one step ahead of any critical risk to your organisation is part of being an effective business leader. Contact us today to get started on implementing a robust program that will serve you well for years to come. Get your FREE QUOTE now!

Filed under: Background Investigation, Compliance Solution, COVID-19 Insights,

5 Tips for Preventing & Detecting Expense Fraud

It’s one of the most common forms of occupational fraud: employees fudging on their expense accounts. In June, 2020, Lookers (London-listed company) warned investors they might be unable to buy and sell its shares from the beginning of July because of potential fraud on its books – confirming £19m charge to correct books after fraud inquiry. Whether through fictitious charges, fake receipts or invoices, or other improper use of expense funds, an expense account is sometimes seen as a low-risk, high-reward area for committing fraud. It shouldn’t be. If your company takes the proper steps to review expense activity and protect itself from fraud, expense accounts will no longer be a vulnerable area of your finances.

The experts at CRI® Group offer the following tips for bolstering your protection against expense account fraud:

1. Provide strict guidelines for credit card use

Often, expense account fraud is committed with the use of a credit card, with the employee seeking illegitimate reimbursement for various expenses. Detail how personal cards are allowed to be used, and require and review all receipts for claimed expenses. Also require supporting documentation (such as an airline boarding pass, for example) to ensure the purchase was used as intended.

2. Check company credit card statements carefully

In some cases, employees will use a company credit card to make a purchase, but then claim similar or duplicate expenses for reimbursement on their expense report. This is easy to catch if you carefully review company card statements and check them against reimbursements.

3. Ask questions

If a purchase seems odd or unrelated to business use, catching it early is the best way to resolve the issue. After too much time has passed, an employee might claim to have a difficult time remembering exactly what the questionable expense was for. If in doubt about a claim, ask for supporting documentation and a clear explanation of how the expense was used for a business purpose.

4. Implement a Code of Ethics for all employees

By including anti-fraud language in your Code of Ethics, which should communicate a strong anti-fraud stance and be signed by all employees, it will be clear that expense account fraud is not tolerated. Reinforce this with regular communications to employees reminding them that the company does not tolerate fraud in any form and offenders will be prosecuted.

5. Set a Tone at the Top

If the company has rules in place but senior staff aren’t following them, lower-level employees will follow by example and flout the rules, as well. All staff should follow the rules to the letter. Especially while on business trips with lower level employees, senior staff should set a positive example and make a point to follow the rules for business expenses.

Expense account fraud is a persistent problem in business, but it doesn’t have to be a crisis at your company. By using a common sense approach and some key prevention strategies, you can help ensure that your employees know the rules and are less likely to try to take advantage of company expense funds. For assistance in developing and implementing a fraud prevention strategy, contact us today or get a FREE QUOTE now!

Let’s Talk!

Based in London, CRI® Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, 

In 2016, CRI® Group launched the Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI® Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organizations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

MEET THE CEO

Zafar I. Anjum is Group Chief Executive Officer of CRI® Group (www.crigroup.com), a global supplier of investigative, forensic accounting, business due to diligence and employee background screening services for some of the world’s leading business organizations. Headquartered in London (with a significant presence throughout the region) and licensed by the Dubai International Financial Centre-DIFC, the Qatar Financial Center – QFC, and the Abu Dhabi Global Market-ADGM, CRI® Group safeguard businesses by establishing the legal compliance, financial viability, and integrity levels of outside partners, suppliers and customers seeking to affiliate with your business. CRI® Group maintains offices in UAE, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, China, the USA, and the United Kingdom.

Contact CRI® Group to learn more about its 3PRM-Certified™ third-party risk management strategy program and discover an effective and proactive approach to mitigating the risks associated with corruption, bribery, financial crimes and other dangerous risks posed by third-party partnerships.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Zafar Anjum, MSc, MS, CFE, CII, MICA, Int. Dip. (Fin. Crime) | CRI® Group Chief Executive Officer

37th Floor, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AA United Kingdom

t: +44 207 8681415 | m: +44 7588 454959 | e: zanjum@crigroup.com

Filed under: Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Solution, Background Investigation,

Ethical code of conduct: What should be covered?

Business leaders are usually quick to communicate their expectations to employees, especially when it comes to financial goals or tasks that they want to be accomplished. However, what is often lacking is a clear, concise explanation of what the organisation expects in terms of ethical behaviour. The recent article “Puffery or Not? Courts Examine Corporate Codes of Conduct” explains that although a number of federal courts have found code of conduct statements to be non-actionable puffery, given the uncertainty in the face of the novel CODIV19 pandemic, public companies are ought to review their codes of conduct and revise them if necessary to mitigate litigation risk. Ethical code of conduct:

Does your organisation have an ethical code of conduct? If not, you might be making assumptions that your employees know to conduct themselves in an ethical manner, when, in fact, this expectation only exists in a grey area in their minds – if at all. In fact, some employees who have engaged in fraud, corruption or other unethical situations have claimed that while they knew their behaviour was wrong, they thought it was implicitly accepted by their bosses and, in some cases, their company overall.

Rather than assume that ethical rules “go without saying,” every organisation should spell out what they expect of their employees when it comes to ethical behaviour. At CRI Group, we counsel business leaders on the principle that every organisation should have a written, carefully considered ethical code of conduct as part of their fraud prevention strategy. CRI’s Certification program through the ABAC Center of Excellence includes developing an ethical code of conduct as part of the training and development phase for clients.

What should be covered?

An ethical code of conduct should be tailored to your company and your organisation – no two will be the same. What are the risks inherent in your organisation? What about in your industry? A pharmaceutical company will have some different risk areas than a retail store, for example. A nonprofit organisation might have concerns that relate to fundraising, a government agency might be focused on preventing bribery or collusion.

The goal of an ethical code of conduct is to help all employees understand the expectation that they always behave in a legal and ethical manner, and that the organisation has zero tolerance for unethical behaviour. It should include the following focal points:

1. Business values

This can include your organisation’s mission and vision and should help set the tone for how the organisation relates to its clients, partners, its own employees and the public at large.

2. Guiding principles

The principles that guide your company include customer satisfaction, financial success and profitability, improvement and growth. Your company might also follow policies of corporate responsibility, such as respect for social and environmental issues, and support of the community and/or nonprofit efforts.

3. Role of leadership

This section of the code of conduct should state that management has clearly endorsed the code and that employees can approach any manager or executive with ethical concerns or complaints.

4. Regulatory and compliance

This section should communicate the organisation’s commitment to meeting all compliance requirements, from OSHA and EPA to Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank. This reinforces leadership’s expectation that employees must act diligently and ethically to uphold those standards, as well.

5. Employee responsibility

Every employee, from top to bottom, shares the responsibility toward upholding the ethical standard defined in the code. Contractors and volunteers are also expected to follow the standard of behaviour.  Furthermore, the code should make clear that if the unethical behaviour is detected, turning a blind eye or deciding “it’s not my problem” is unacceptable. That is a breach of the ethical code.

CRI Group can help your organisation with the finer points of drafting and implementing an ethical code of conduct. ABAC Center of Excellence includes this critical piece as a part of any robust fraud, bribery and corruption prevention program.

After the ethical code of conduct is approved by company leadership, it should be read and signed by all employees (with the signed copies kept on file by the organisation). And it should be displayed prominently in the office. Unethical behaviour, including fraud and other corruption, is everyone’s problem, and it must be prevented, detected and reduced. Staying one step ahead of any critical risk to your organisation is part of being an effective business leader.

ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System certification is offered under CRI Group’s ABAC® Centre of Excellence, an independent certification body established for Anti-Bribery Management System training and certification, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and Risk Management System certification. The program will be tailored to your organisation’s needs and requirements. For assistance in developing and implementing a fraud prevention strategy, contact ABAC today or get a FREE QUOTE now!

Who is CRI® Group?

Based in London, CRI® Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, 

In 2016, CRI® Group launched the Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI® Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

Filed under: Automotive, Aviation, Background Investigation, Compliance Solution, COVID-19 Insights,

Education and Employment Verification Trends in the APAC Region

Background screening is an essential process for achieving hiring success – finding the right person for the right job at the right time. The biggest investment today that a business can make is in their new employees, as with each new hiring, they invest time, training, and resources. Background screening is important because it protects the company’s reputation, brand, and biggest asset – its people. The trend of background screening is rising over the last few years in the APAC region, with an increased number of check types and a subsequent increase in discrepancy rates. Generally, there are six fundamental checks conducted by an employer for their employees, and according to ASD reports on Asia Pacific Employment Screening Services Market Forecast 2019-2027, the employment screening services market is promulgating at a CAGR- Compound Annual Growth Rate of 9.37% from 2019-2027.

Among many other background check types, education and employment checks continue to be preferred and are increasingly gaining importance.

Education Verification

Education Verification can be defined as verification, through authorized agents at educational institutes, of the stated education program(s) and educational history of the subject. Verification incudes:

• Name of candidate while enrolled
• Registration number
• Level of degree/ program/ diploma attained
• Major courses/ subject
• Dates of attendance and degree awarded

The check may also confirm whether the candidate did not complete a course, if the qualification was obtained from an unaccredited institution, or if the degree is bogus/fake.

Employment Verification

Employment Verification can be defined as verification of the candidate’s stated employment history. Verification incudes:

• Dates of employment
• Position held
• Employment type (permanent/ contractual)
• Reason for leaving
• Whether a subject could be rehired
• Authentic experience letter
• Any remarks

The reason for not rehiring reveals whether there is any misappropriation or fraud conducted by the subject. According to First Advantage Employment Screening Trends Report: Asia Pacific, one in 11 employment verifications uncover a discrepancy in the subject’s last job designation, and one in 14 has revealed that the subject mentioned an incorrect reason for leaving their previous job.

According to HR.com, among 10 shocking HR statistics is that 53% of job applications contain inaccurate information. Resumes include exaggerated salaries, job titles, misrepresentation of dates and incorrect education credentials. Moreover, Brad Smart mentions in book Topgrading 201 – How to Avoid Costly Mis-Hiresthat the average cost of a mis-hire is higher than 15 times the annual salary of vice presidents. Therefore, employers run background checks on the candidates to avoid such risks associated with incompetent hiring.

In the First Advantage Background Screening Trends Report, the Asia Pacific graphs show results for overall and search-by-type discrepancies:

• Overall discrepancy: 17.93%
• Criminal: 3.01%
• Education: 21.36%
• Employment: 53.65%
• Database: 19.33%
• Financial Related: 2.64%

The data shows that the highest level of discrepancies found in the APAC region involve employment checks, and the second highest involve education checks.

APAC region Challenges of Education and Employment Verification

Despite the increasing trend of education and employment checks in the APAC region, there are many challenges faced by employment screening service providers in the region.

Some of the common challenges are mentioned as follows:

• Difficulty in locating institutes attended by the candidates, or the organizations where candidates worked.
• Difficulty in establishing contact with previous employers.
• Employers are reluctant to share their previous employee’s information with third parties.
• The complicated education verification processes of the institutes/ universities, as sometimes it takes several months to verify one degree.

Sometimes, the employers are reluctant to run background checks on their employees due to the lengthy and time-consuming process of verifications, which may lead to non-competent hiring. Education institutes and employers must cooperate with background screening service providers to verify education and employment credentials in order to make it easy for employers to make the right hiring decisions at the right time.

More importantly, background screening is not just a one-time process. If an employee passed the pre-employment screening test and has been hired, that does not mean that risk for the employer from employee has been eradicated. An employee’s criminal record, for example, could change at any time during their employment. Therefore, background screening should be conducted periodically, mitigating internal risks.

Let’s talk!

Staying one step ahead of any critical risk to your organisation is part of being an effective business leader. Contact us today to get started on implementing a robust program that will serve you well for years to come. Get your FREE QUOTE now!

Learn more about how EmploySmart™ can help your company stay protected during these strange and uncertain times. Contact CRI Group today.

Source list:

1. Asdreports
2. First Advantage Employment Screening Trends Report
3. Who Are You Really Hiring? 10 Shocking HR Statistics
4. Topgrading 201 – How To Avoid Costly Mis-Hires by Brad Smart 
5. First Advantage Background Screening Trends Report 2015: Asia Pacific

Filed under: Background Investigation, Employee Background Check, Resources by admin
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Your company’s security begins at the hiring process

Your company’s security begins at the hiring process

It’s an exciting time for a company when business is growing and there is a need add more employees and start a hiring process. One organisation that was in such a position sought to make sure they were being diligent while hiring new staff. To that end, they engaged CRI® Group’s EmploySmart^TM services, providing thorough and extensive pre-employment background screening in verifying prospective candidates’ experience and credentials. What happened next is eye-opening for any business leader.

CRI® Group’s agents uncovered disturbing details regarding one of the applicants. When CRI® Group contacted this individual’s former employers, one of them reported that the applicant had been hired without any prior experience, was trained for a couple of months, and then terminated due to committing cash embezzlement as well as participating in harassment and workplace violence. In other words, he was an employer’s nightmare!

Further checks revealed more problems at other organisations – CRI® Group discovered that the individual had been terminated from a second position after causing a financial loss at the company. By using EmploySmart^TM, the client dodged a major bullet and avoided hiring someone who could have done serious damage, both financially and to the company culture.

What you don’t know can hurt you

A dishonest employee could be unqualified for the position, possibly endangering others on the job. Or they might be a fraud risk, willing to bend the truth in other ways in order to enrich or advance themselves on your dime.

At CRI® Group, our EmploySmart^TM pre-employment background screening process analyses a job candidate’s claims and credentials, and digs beyond the surface to make sure the facts match up. Our experts conduct extensive checks that examine all of the following details of a potential employee:

• Verification of address
• Verify name and date-of-birth
• National ID number
• Credit checks
• Previous employment verification
• Credentials verification
• Bankruptcy checks
• Civil litigation checks
• Criminal history
• Record checks
• Professional qualifications and memberships
• Criminal background checks
• … and more.

Resume fraud: More common than you think

In another case study, CRI® Group’s investigators conducted background screenings of employees who were working for a multinational organisation operating in Pakistan. While verifying education credentials is just one of the aspects of the EmploySmart^TM process, the investigators immediately noticed red flags and initiated detailed checks of the education degrees claimed by the subjects.

In this case, CRI® Group screened 18 degrees claimed from a single university. By contacting the university and conducting an examination of documents and records, CRI® Group found an astounding 5 of them (27.7 percent) to be fake and/or forged. As it turns out, the following are some of the most common areas of resume fraud:

• Stretching dates of employment
• Inflating past accomplishments & skills
• Enhancing job titles & responsibilities
• Education exaggeration & fabricating degrees
• Unexplained gaps & periods of “self employment”
• Omitting past employment
• Faking credentials
• Fabricating reasons for leaving previous job
• Providing fraudulent references
• Misrepresenting military record

Resume fraud is a widespread problem for employers in every industry, and at any size company. It’s persistent and sometimes even careful examination of a resume won’t immediately reveal red flags or problems. The only way to properly vet job candidates is to screen them with a thorough pre-employment background screening process.

 Hiring process is Trusting, but verifying

No organisation can afford to have employees on staff who aren’t what they claim to be. Even a seemingly innocent embellishment can indicate more background problems under the surface, and the potential for future problems down the road.

Every business leader should embrace the need to EmploySmart^TM. Your greatest resource is your employees. Make sure they are who they say they are, and that you only hire the best.

Take a proactive stance with the highest level of Employee Background Screening as a part of your essential business strategy.  Contact us today to learn more about our full range of services to help your organisation stay protected. Get a FREE QUOTE

CRI® Group has safeguarded businesses from any risks, providing investigations (i.e. insurance fraud), employee background screening, investigative due diligence, business intelligence,  third-party risk management, forensic accounting, compliance and other professional investigative research services.

Filed under: Background Investigation,

BS 7858:2019 playbook: everything you need to know and more!

Times are changing, and the resources required to conduct background searches and investigations have strained businesses worldwide. With a dramatic rise in business liability associated with hiring the wrong individuals and the increase in penalties imposed on companies that extend from C-suites to Boards of Directors, businesses are taking a closer look at the systems, procedures and resources utilised to screen potential job candidates. It is important to know that the BS7858:2012 standard has been replaced with the new BS7858:2019 standard. The British Standards Institutions have released a new edition that has brought the standard up to date and features many changes. BS 7858:2019 employee screening offers you the complete solution now.

In balancing the effectiveness and accuracy of a background screening investigation with the limited time normally allowed to conduct such a search, the onus falls chiefly on the screening firm and its ability to acquire timely information. The Global Community has become one collective hiring pool. Thanks to technology, a top candidate for a high-level position in one corner of the world might hail from a remote province on the opposite side of the globe. This poses a significant problem for organisations looking to acquire the best talent:

• How can you be confident your candidate truly has the skills, credentials, knowledge and experience they claim to possess?
• How can you be certain of that candidate’s integrity, background, and personal history?

BS 7858:2019 Playbook

The premise behind the standard is to safeguard employers from bad or fraudulent hires. The price of a bad hire has far-reaching consequences for any business, including productivity loss, decreased employee morale, risks to employee safety, increased exposure to costly negligent hiring claims, and potentially devastating litigation. Cases of organisations that forego conducting due diligence on a new hire – especially a hire with high-risk exposure – often end badly for those organisations. Due to COVID-19, times are changing, and the resources required to conduct background searches and investigations have strained businesses worldwide. 

At CRI®, we know how important is your background screening to your company’s success and to give you an idea of what is new, we have produced this playbook detailing the differences between the BS7858:2012 standard and the new BS7858:2019 standard.

Let’s Talk!

BS 7858:2019 accredited companies (such as CRI®) highlight to their clients that their security personnel are staff that can be trusted and relied upon to complete a high-quality job. The screening process highlights the level of conduct they have presented in the past. This reassures the safety of the people, goods, and property they have been hired to protect. If you have any further questions or are interested in implementing compliance solutions, please contact us.

Contact CRI® Group to learn more about its 3PRM-Certified™ third-party risk management strategy program and discover an effective and proactive approach to mitigating the risks associated with corruption, bribery, financial crimes and other dangerous risks posed by third-party partnerships.

About CRI® Group

Based in London, CRI® works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, 

In 2016, CRI® launched the Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI® Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

Meet our CEO

Zafar I. Anjum is Group Chief Executive Officer of CRI®, a global supplier of investigative, forensic accounting, business due diligence and employee background screening services for some of the world’s leading business organisations. Headquartered in London (with a significant presence throughout the region) and licensed by the Dubai International Financial Centre-DIFC, the Qatar Financial Center-QFC, and the Abu Dhabi Global Market-ADGM, CRI® safeguards businesses by establishing the legal compliance, financial viability, and integrity levels of outside partners, suppliers and customers seeking to affiliate with your business. CRI® maintains offices in UAE, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, China, the USA, and the United Kingdom.

Zafar Anjum, MSc, MS, CFE, CII, MICA, Int. Dip. (Fin. Crime)

CRI® Group Chief Executive Officer

t: +44 207 8681415 | m: +44 7588 454959 | e: zanjum@crigroup.com

Filed under: All Industries, All Regions, Background Investigation, Compliance Solution, Employee Background Check, Publication, Resources by admin
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COVID-19: Fraudsters are preying on fear and confusion

In a time of crisis, we often see the best in people. Even before COVID-19 was officially classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic, citizens and government leaders were praising the selfless sacrifice of doctors, nurses, first responders and others putting themselves in harm’s way to help treat and limit the spread of the disease. Unfortunately, a crisis can also bring out the worst in some people. Fraudsters who prey on people’s fear and confusion tend to waste no time when a global disaster strikes. COVID-19 is relatively new and still spreading, yet fraud schemes are multiplying like the virus itself as criminals look for vulnerabilities among a fearful population.

Interpol issued a warning on March 13 that fraudsters are “exploiting the fear and uncertainty” around COVID-19 through several different schemes utilizing different approaches. These include telephone fraud, through which “victims receive calls from criminals pretending to be medical officials, claiming a relative has fallen sick with the virus and then requesting payment for their treatment;” and phishing, in which “victims receive emails from criminals pretending to be from health authorities, or legitimate companies, using similar looking websites or email addresses” (Euronews, 2020).

While the public might be surprised to see an uptick in shameless fraud schemes during such a time, investigators are not. Disaster fraud is a common scourge of law enforcement and regulatory bodies everywhere. For example, in 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated the Caribbean and eventually wreaked havoc upon the U.S. eastern seaboard. More than a hundred individuals in New Jersey alone were prosecuted for filing fraudulent applications for relief funding. Investigators in the southern U.S. launched similar actions after Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Fraud that preys on the fearful or vulnerable is even more insidious. That’s what investigators are seeing right now as COVID-19 continues to spread. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently issued warning letters to seven companies for selling fraudulent COVID-19 products. “These products are unapproved drugs that pose significant risks to patient health and violate federal law. The warning letters are the first to be issued by the FDA for unapproved products intended to prevent or treat “Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019″ (COVID-19)” (FDA, 2020). The FDA and FTC are taking this action as part of their response to protecting Americans during the global COVID-19 outbreak.

The FDA and FTC issued warning letters to Vital Silver, Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd., Xephyr, LLC (doing business as N-Ergetics), GuruNanda, LLC Vivify Holistic Clinic, Herbal Amy LLC, and The Jim Bakker Show. In some cases, colloidal silver was being fraudulently peddled as a successful treatment for preventing and/or curing COVID-19.

An article in New York Magazine provides an insightful look at various herbal and homeopathic “cures” that become a hot commodity at times of widespread illness. As the article points out, useless treatments aren’t simply harmless. They can have a seriously detrimental effect when they replace actual science: “Even without the looming threat of a pandemic, pseudoscientific cures can pose a real threat to the public. No scientific evidence supports the claim that homeopathy has curative properties, for example, and relying on unproven treatments without the assistance of conventional medicine can put a person’s health at risk. Some popular treatments, like colloidal silver, can actually be dangerous if consumed in enough quantities. Nevertheless, alternative medicine is a big market in the U.S. Americans spent $30 billion on alternative medicine in 2012; by the time COVID-19 appeared, people were already primed to trust dubious cures” (New York Magazine, 2020).

So how can the general public avoid frauds and phishing schemes during a crisis? Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Be suspicious of emails that are peddling cures or medical devices. Don’t click links or open attachments.
• When searching for information online, be aware of fake websites impersonating legitimate organisations. Check the web address carefully and don’t provide any personal information.
• Follow the same rule for unsolicited phone calls – under no circumstances should you reveal any personal or financial information.
• If you believe you have fallen for a scheme, contact your bank or credit card provider immediately.

Remember, fraudsters take advantage of a sense of panic among their victims that they have to take action immediately. Anyone (other than a legitimate government or medical official) who tries to pressure you to make a decision, especially a financial one, may try to scam you. Keep a cool head, do your research, and don’t panic. Businesses are not immune to such frauds, either. If you think your business has fallen prey to a scam, contact CRI® Group immediately. Our investigators are standing by to help prevent and detect such schemes.

Let us know if you would like to learn more

If you have any further questions or are interested in implementing compliance solutions, please contact us.

About us…

Based in London, CRI® Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, 

In 2016, CRI® Group launched the Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI® Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organizations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

MEET THE CEO

Zafar I. Anjum is Group Chief Executive Officer of CRI® Group (www.crigroup.com), a global supplier of investigative, forensic accounting, business due to diligence and employee background screening services for some of the world’s leading business organizations. Headquartered in London (with a significant presence throughout the region) and licensed by the Dubai International Financial Centre-DIFC, the Qatar Financial Center – QFC, and the Abu Dhabi Global Market-ADGM, CRI® Group safeguard businesses by establishing the legal compliance, financial viability, and integrity levels of outside partners, suppliers and customers seeking to affiliate with your business. CRI® Group maintains offices in UAE, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, China, the USA, and the United Kingdom.

Contact CRI® Group to learn more about its 3PRM-Certified™ third-party risk management strategy program and discover an effective and proactive approach to mitigating the risks associated with corruption, bribery, financial crimes and other dangerous risks posed by third-party partnerships.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Zafar Anjum, MSc, MS, CFE, CII, MICA, Int. Dip. (Fin. Crime) | CRI® Group Chief Executive Officer

37th Floor, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AA United Kingdom

t: +44 207 8681415 | m: +44 7588 454959 | e: zanjum@crigroup.com

Filed under: Background Investigation, COVID-19 Insights,

Middle East Background Screening: Compliance With Privacy Laws

It’s a fact that some of the most talented and promising job candidates possess the most disturbing pasts. Such deception can lead to a perilous future for an employer. This is the primary reason businesses are strongly advised to conduct background screening investigations before hiring seemingly well-qualified managerial candidates. background screening Privacy Laws Compliance

In every region and jurisdiction in the world, there are different regulations that govern what background screeners can and can’t do in regards to providing pre- and post-employment screening services. The laws in the United States, for example, are not the same as those that affect investigations in the Middle East. The concern over individual privacy and data protection are hot discussion items globally. Companies that engage background screening firms for the Middle East need to make sure those investigators are following all rules and regulations in regards to privacy – or else they might face liability along with the screening provider.

Examples of Privacy Laws in the Middle East

While reputable screening firms in the U.S. comply closely with the Fair Credit Reporting Act to conduct domestic background investigations, foreign investigations are much more complex.

Middle East countries have no prohibitive legislation that governs the employment screening process. At the same time, there is no cooperative legislation and regulation to support background screening services for employee due diligence. However, background screening industry professionals must adhere to strict data protection requirements (such as the GDPR, local Data Protection regimes specifically DIFC Data Protection, ADGM Data Protection and QFC Data Protection regulations) to process consensually based personal information.

In UAE, local police departments provide “Good Conduct Certificates” for employees for immigration purposes, while Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Data Protection standards allow for the processing of sensitive personal information, such as criminal history, with signed consent from the data subject for employee due diligence requirements.

In the United Arab Emirates, data protection laws permit investigators to process sensitive personal information such as criminal history data. As a DIFC-licensed entity, the Corporate Research and Investigations Limited “CRI Group” (as well as other reputable background screening firms) must maintain strict adherence to the region’s Data Protection Law in order to fulfil our ongoing DIFC licensed status. As in the United States, the procurement of personal data in this region – and any subsequent transfer of data outside of the DIFC – may only be attained with the written consent of the individual being investigated.

Reputable screening firms in the Middle East will also comply with regional privacy laws (such as the GDPR) by appointing an internal Data Protection Officer (DPO) whose primary responsibility is to conduct independent audits of the firm’s various information processing operations which handle customer and employee data.  The DPO ensures that personal data is handled in accordance with all relevant data protection provisions covering online and offline data procurement while complying with local and regional regulations pertaining to individual privacy standards.

The Urgent Need for Background Checks

While all guidelines and regulations must be followed, the absolute need for comprehensive background screening in the Middle East cannot be disputed. The region has a labor force of over 150 million individuals serving in all capacities and industries (World Bank, 2019). Those statistics can be quickly put into context when considering that deception in the employment process, such as résumé fraud, is believed to be rampant and widespread: One report estimates that 80 percent of all job applicants intentionally mislead potential employers on their résumé or application (Security, 2017).

Case Study

To help understand the problem, consider this case study: An international company was hiring to fill a position in the Middle East. When they engaged a firm that specialises in pre- and post-employment background screening, the firm’s investigators uncovered disturbing details about an applicant. One of the individual’s previous employers reported that the applicant was hired without any prior experience, was trained for a couple of months, and then terminated due to committing cash embezzlement as well as participating in harassment and workplace violence. A second employment verification revealed his termination, as he caused a financial loss to the company.

In the above example, the background checking company uncovered the deception through comprehensive background screening that went beyond basic database checks and reviews of public records. In the Middle East, background investigations – both for pre- and post-employment screening – often require a “boots on the ground” approach. This can mean conducting much of an investigation literally on foot, travelling to remote regions to interview sources and check documents in person. And, the entire investigation was conducted within all privacy laws and regulations.

Some job candidates will seek an advantage through fraudulent means. The hidden truth might even include criminal behavior. It is important for any organisation to verify information provided by individuals they seek to hire. In the Middle East, this process will often look different than it would in the U.S. By following all local laws and regulations, however, a reputable background check firm will be helping to protect your company – while also safeguarding your future.

Let’s Talk!

If you have any further questions or interest in implementing compliance solutions, please contact us.

About the Author

Zafar Anjum | Group Chief Executive, CRI Group

Anjum is founder and CEO of CRI Group and ABAC Center of Excellence. Having dedicated three decades to the areas of fraud prevention, protective integrity, security, compliance, anti-bribery and anti-corruption, Zafar Anjum is a highly respected professional in his field.

Filed under: Background Investigation, Employee Background Check, Industry Insights, Middle East, Resources by admin
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