A background check is the need of the hour, more so because the people who are recruited into a company or into one’s household are individuals we know nothing about. Most families have become nuclear these days and they have no other option but to depend on help or nannies to take care of their kids. Making sure that a trustworthy individual does the job of looking after the kids is something one can’t ignore.
Chauffeurs or drivers too need to be screened before they are hired by an employer. One needs to be certain about their previous criminal antecedents such as theft, driving under the influence of alcohol, vandalism, improper/rash driving, and the like.

A recent incident took place some days ago in which a driver who was hired by a Professor in Kolkata, burgled his house while he was away in another city. His whereabouts are still unknown as he has managed to abscond successfully. Imagine that you employ the same driver without any knowledge of this incident! In another heinous incident, a physically-challenged woman was molested inside a taxi booked from an app while she was returning from work. Although the app’s cab driver has been kept in police custody, the damage done is irreparable. Such an occurrence scars an individual for life and has psychological repercussions. The driver’s criminal record needs to be gleaned by his/her next employer. It is extremely important to conduct a comprehensive background check on anyone who is being hired by a firm, no matter the size.
As per a Times of India article, cases of theft by house helps in Bengaluru rose almost 33 per cent in 2021. A maid who was employed at the house of a senior IPS officer in the city went missing with gold ornaments that belonged to the officer’s wife. The worth was estimated to be close to one lakh rupees. Intermittent lockdowns have compelled the not so privileged to resort to thievery. Although this cannot be used as a justification for any wrongdoing, the trend of such cases is only going upwards. The need to mitigate fraud and nip it in the bud has only gained more momentum.

An entrepreneur in Mysore, who had hired a nanny for his child without conducting a proper background check on her, was left in a predicament when she fled with cash and jewelry after having sedated his four-year-old son. They learned about the nanny via social media. The only document that they had checked was her Aadhar card after which they had entrusted their son to her care. After about three months, the couple returned from work one day and found their son heavily sedated. The nanny was nowhere to be seen. On admitting their son to the hospital, they discovered that the nanny had fed 15 ml of fever syrup to their son when the recommended allowance was 5 ml.
This again highlights the need for a stringent background check on all domestic helpers or servants. They spend a major fraction of their time indoors especially when the owners are away at work or for some other business. One will never be at ease unless one is completely sure about the background that these house helps come from. Trust is an important element when it comes to onboarding people.

The ideal method of screening a domestic help’s background is via outsourcing the work of background verification to a third-party vendor that professionally does the work of fraud mitigation. An accurate report of an applicant can only be prepared by these agencies as they utilize automated technologies, skilled verification officers, and proprietary platforms to do the work. Anyone who works in close proximity to your family members should be initially viewed with suspicion. Knowing their credentials is not enough as one must always verify them.
Authentic background verification firms send the Identity proofs (Voter’s ID card, PAN, Aadhar) of these domestic helpers along with a letter to the District Superintendant of Police. The police then check their files and produces a report known as a Police Clearance Certificate post even visiting the house of the concerned candidate. Another method of verifying criminal antecedents is through a Pan-India court record database that a reputed background check firm has access to and the know-how to apply the relevant search queries. A reference check with the past employers also assists one in taking a call about the hire as word of mouth is highly valued in our country. The verifier ascertains the integrity of the gig worker or domestic helper.
Eliminating deceitful candidates demands end to end criminal background verification as well as employee checks. At Millow, we know that authenticity is the only way forward. Shorter turnaround time and stringent screening policies in place make sure that only the most trustworthy people are chosen.
Millow is India’s bankable background verification company. We leverage our proprietary technology & stringent processes and provide you BGV reports in the shortest amount of time. If you need to get your employees, vendors, business partners, loan applicants, or even yourself/profile verified, do reach out on:
Email: info@millow.io
Contact: 011 41219183