Fingerprints now required for reference checking

Ensuring that potential staff members have a clean criminal record requires more than a simple answer on a questionnaire. According to Lee Botti & Associates director Jill Morris, the South African Police Services discontinued the ‘Name & ID Clearance Checks for criminal records’ on July 1 due to inaccurate data and the potential for identity fraud. The only means of now checking a potential employee’s criminal record status is via the Police Services AFIS system (Automated Fingerprint Identification System), says Morris. “As all criminal records are accompanied by a set of fingerprints, this AFIS system will allow searches for matches directly on the database.” As a consequence, LB&A has trained all its staff to become Certified Biometric Officers (CBOs), allowing them to capture the electronic fingerprints of all candidates who register with the company as job seekers. “We have specific staff trained in each of our four branches who are now accredited with Ideco (the owners of the AFISwitch software), allowing us access to the Police Services AFIS system. We will now be processing our candidates’ fingerprints via electronic fingerprint readers placed in each of our offices, and will therefore be well positioned to continue to offer the criminal check as an added service to our clients.”