Frequently Asked Questions
How long does PVL take to complete a background check?
About a week, usually. But with one significant exception – New Zealand criminal records checks.
The Ministry of Justice undertakes criminal records checks and although they aim to process requests within 20 working days (i.e. about a calendar month) as allowed for under the Official Information Act, their current processing time is outside this and criminal checks as at August 2010 are taking up to six weeks to be returned from the Ministry.
Because of this delay, and provided our other checks come back OK, some employers chose to hire a candidate contingent on the return of a satisfactory criminal check. We don’t entirely support this practice as it has the potential to expose an employer to litigation if the employee reneges on their agreement and decides to lodge a personal grievance.
However, since 1 March 2009 (under the Employment Relations Amendment Act 2008), if a business employs fewer than 20 people, new employees may be put on trial for up to 90 days. This means that in the circumstances outlined above, it would be possible to employ someone pending a satisfactory final background check , without running the risk of a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal. The trial period must be agreed to by both parties before employment commences, and be recorded in writing.
In August 2010 the Government announced it proposed extending the scheme to all employers, not just those employing fewer than 20 staff.
Incidentally, some employment screening companies claim to be able to offer a quicker return on criminal records checks. This is simply untrue. The Ministry of Justice has a longstanding policy of processing requests strictly in the order it receives them. If a screening company makes such a claim to you, what else are they not being truthful about?
Why should I choose PVL ?
PVL is significantly different from other companies who offer employment screening services.
1. Craig Gubbins
PVL was founded and is operated by a former Manager of the New Zealand Government’s own Security Vetting programme. In choosing PVL for your CV verification requirements you benefit from the wealth of security experience that Craig has developed in his 26 year career in intelligence and analysis with the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service. This makes PVL the most experienced background screening company in New Zealand.
2. PVL also offers Integrity Assessments
PVL is the only pre-employment screening service in New Zealand able to offer this test to assess personal integrity. In a unique process, the system “learns” about the candidate in real time and tailors the computer-based questions to individually generated responses. It also weighs the responses depending on the applicant’s individual work experience. This means that the more work experience, the more weight is given to past behaviour, the less work experience, the more weight given to implicative questioning.
This test has reached an extremely high level of validity in predicting an applicant's propensity toward dishonesty - 0.92 in comparative testing with a polygraph test on each of the individual constructs examined – theft, bribery, gambling, substance abuse, loyalty and accountability.
This 20 minute test is in use around the world with more 12,000 administered every month for pre employment screening purposes. In New Zealand, this test is only available from PVL.
3. PVL utilises SCAN (Scientific Content Analysis).
Craig is the only certified analyst in New Zealand. By using PVL you gain access to a level of forensic analysis that is not available anywhere else in the country. Since 1999, Craig has been using SCAN to assess the truthfulness of statements made in relation to murder, blackmail, corruption, extortion and employment investigations.
4. PVL conducts face to face interviews
Reference checking has become commonplace. But invariably in-house HR departments, employment agencies and all other New Zealand employment screening providers fulfil this requirement by telephone because it involves little time, effort, cost or skill.
Anyone can be given a set of prepared questions and told to telephone a referee and write down their responses.
Based on our lengthy experience, the only way to obtain useful, meaningful information is to conduct personal interviews of referees, and for it to be undertaken by a trained and skilled professional interviewer, able to elicit information specifically relevant to the candidate and the position under consideration.
PVL’s founder has undertaken more than 900 face-to-face interviews of the public. This type of reference checking does cost more, naturally; but it represents a very considerable enhancement on the perfunctory and generic questioning associated with faceless telephone interviews.
Personal interviews are definitely value for money as referees are inclined to give more considered and thoughtful responses, and this in turn provides employers with more significant information on which to base a hiring decision.
Also, a professionally conducted personal interview by PVL will enhance your company’s reputation and status with the public.
5. Our Experience
PVL’s founder has been continuously involved in employee screening assessments since 1996.
Why settle for anything less?
Are you licensed Private Investigators?
No. Most companies in New Zealand that offer pre-employment screening are licensed Private Investigators because their core business is private enquiry work (e.g. insurance, theft and fraud claims). This work is to some extent clandestine which is why a licence is required.
There is nothing surreptitious about what we do. There is no need to undertake that type of enquiry (and it is unlawful anyway) because what we are interested in is whether the subject is telling us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Job applicants feel unfairly treated when a screening provider (like a Private Investigator) goes behind their back to obtain information about them, and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner continues to receive and uphold complaints about such behaviour.
We examine and assess public records, what the candidate tells us, and what their nominated referees and past employers tell us. The subject is fully informed about what we are going to do, knows that what they tell us will be investigated to ascertain its veracity, and must sign a written consent. Should they not wish to engage in the process, we can draw an inference from that decision.
If your question is still left un-answered, please get in contact with us