Flexibility in the workplace was already on the rise, but it has been accelerated by talent shortages, workforce demands and local crises. While many businesses have adopted a work-from-anywhere policy, there are some significant challenges for HR managers as well.  Hiring remotely and internationally has some serious risk.

Many employers have found themselves managing a foreign remote workforce for the first time in the last couple of years. In the U.K., for example, Brexit-related immigration rules which came into force at the end of 2020 obliged people to return to their home countries, but yet the U.K. employers still needed this foreign talent. In other cases, restrictions of traveling due to the Russia-Ukraine war, or simply financial reasons have driven employers to seek for remote talent instead of attempting to repatriate people from Russia.

Verifying employment candidates in Russia is especially important and verify challenging, and to be done right, requires actual investigators based in Russia.  Remote work poses additional risks for an employer, and Russia is a high risk country. Finding a job in such a competitive world is becoming increasingly difficult, and because this is a basic human need, people are willing to go to any length to find one. Conducting background checks on employment candidates in Russia – or anywhere else- is a must that no company should avoid, and doing it properly is critical.

How can you ensure that you thoroughly vet your Russian candidates? Before hiring someone, you should know if the candidate is who he or she claims to be, not just whether or not the person has a criminal record.  Checking for criminal records in only a very small portion of a proper background check investigation, and in no way verifies a subject’s identity, background or reputation – or ability to perform.

The following are the recommendations of Russia PI investigators.

Identity check is the first and most important of all verifications

Any candidate should be able to provide identification documents (passport or ID) that can be verified locally in Moscow at the issuing government agencies. Identity is commonly overlooked even when it seems so obvious that impersonating someone else is easy for someone working remotely, so don’t miss this important step.

Request your investigation team to verify education and employment claims

This is especially important for those hiring professionals. Some employers require candidates to present copies of their education certificates, but the truth is that recruitment staff may be unable to distinguish a forged document from an original. Forging documents is easier than finding work in a country like Russia. In fact, if the forgery is done correctly, not even a professional will be able to tell the difference. That is why going to the direct sources of the information is crucial.

In regard to employment history, a recruiter should not necessarily disregard the references provided by a candidate, but they should be used with caution. Someone who is willing to lie on a resume or forge a certificate is likely to provide false references. The people you think you’re calling might also be a fraud, and if you don’t speak Russian the chances of miscommunication increase the risks. It is critical to conduct independent reference checks. Having a professional investigate the opinions of previous employers, associates or other people who had to deal with your candidate is a good investment.

Contact us for a professional employment screening in Russia.

C. Wright

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