A shifting landscape
Historically, many technology companies have considered employment background screening to be quite transactional, focusing on metrics such as turnaround times and adjudication rates. Additionally, there has not been much variation in the components of their screening programmes. For example, roles of all levels were often screened in the same way, despite certain positions being more senior or involving access to sensitive data and therefore carrying a greater degree of risk.
Technology companies in the GCC are entering a period of rapid transformation. Ambitious national agendas, such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE Strategy For Artificial Intelligence, are fuelling investment in digital infrastructure, innovation, and talent. With this growth, however, comes a new level of risk that is shaping how organisations approach hiring and workforce management.
Over the past year we have seen more businesses in the GCC acknowledging evolving threats to their organisations, such as fake identity documents, entirely fictitious identities, and increasing concerns around protecting personal information. Many are adapting their screening programmes to help mitigate these risks. But for those in the region’s technology sector, it may be difficult to know how best to strengthen a screening programme in line with these changing risks.
The rising risk of identity fraud
Up until recently, many businesses have relied upon basic identity document checks, often undertaken in person, to verify that a candidate has a valid ID. However, thanks to the latest developments in advanced ID verification technology, digital solutions may now offer significant benefits, including rapid document authentication, biometric-driven verification, and cross-referencing against global databases to help detect fraudulent identities.
The GCC region’s rapid digital transformation has attracted the attention of cybercriminals, leading to a surge in sophisticated fraud schemes targeting its burgeoning fintech sector. A 2024 report by McKinsey found that while many organisations in the GCC have been quick to adopt generative AI (GenAI), only 13% of respondents’ HR functions were using it, and just 11% of risk teams were leveraging GenAI.
In the region, where digital identity platforms like the UAE Pass and Saudi Arabia’s Absher are central to both daily life and corporate governance, ensuring that candidate identities are authentic is vital. Advanced verification tools that combine biometric checks with cross-referencing against global data sources are becoming essential defences against fraudulent hires.
Employee misconduct
Enterprise technology companies in the GCC may face heightened exposure to reputational damage from employee misconduct, given their high public visibility and often diverse, multinational workforces. Incidents involving discrimination, harassment, or inappropriate behaviour can escalate quickly and affect customer trust, employee morale, and retention.
Traditional pre-employment checks, such as criminal record checks, employment and education verifications, and ID checks, provide a solid foundation. However, they may not identify behavioural patterns that could undermine organisational culture. Conduct and social media searches, which analyse public records and digital footprints, are increasingly being used to help uncover risks. This is especially relevant in the Gulf, where cultural sensitivity and alignment with national values are central to business success.
The current workforce
Employment screening should not just be a one-time process completed at the point of hire. Circumstances change, and new information can emerge that affects an employee’s suitability for their role. Periodic rescreening can provide companies with ongoing visibility into their workforce risk profile.
Best practice, where local laws allow, includes conducting post-hire checks at regular intervals, for example, every two to three years for standard roles and annually for high-risk positions, as well as prior to promotions into roles with greater responsibilities. For organisations in the GCC undergoing rapid expansion or merger activity, rescreening may also help close any screening gaps between different parts of the workforce.
While these risks are not new, they can sometimes go unmonitored until it is too late. By bolstering background screening programmes to cover these areas, GCC technology companies can hire with greater confidence and focus on what they do best.
The evolving threat landscape requires businesses in the region to move beyond traditional, transactional approaches to employment screening. A comprehensive programme that includes advanced identity verification, behavioural checks, and periodic rescreening can help create multiple layers of protection. This proactive approach not only supports risk mitigation efforts but also demonstrates due diligence to stakeholders, customers, and regulators.
Companies that invest in robust screening programmes may be able to position themselves to attract top talent whilst maintaining security and compliance standards. The cost of implementing comprehensive screening can in many cases be minimal compared with the potential impact of a security breach. As the technology sector in the GCC continues to evolve, those organisations that prioritise employment risk mitigation may be best positioned to thrive in an increasingly complex threat environment.
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