Pine Pienaar, Managing Director of Afiswitch, has called for both job seekers and employers to ensure they know who they are dealing with.
In a statement released recently by Afiswitch – the national provider of automated electronic previous conviction enquiries against the police database of previously convicted and case awaiting trial fingerprints – Pienaar said times are tough, and the local job market continues to have a rather bleak outlook.
“Stats SA recently reported that the official unemployment rate increased by 0,5 of a percentage point, sitting at 27,2 percent. A relatively high unemployment rate, like that in South Africa, is something that can be seen by opportunists as a chance to exploit those either seeking work or those hiring, especially part-time help.”
• Be alert – don’t fall victim
Pienaar said when times are tough and job opportunities are few and far between, job seekers can often find themselves desperate to find any sort of work that will see them earn an income.
“With the growth of the internet and online job placements, citizens today have many options available to them when seeking work. But how do these job seekers know who they are dealing with and whether the job post/ listing is in fact real and not a scam?”
He added that fake job listings are a reality that citizens seeking work must be cognisant of, and take measures to ensure they don’t fall victim to them.
“It is always advisable to use an accredited recruitment agency when seeking work, to avoid such a scenario. However, if this route is not possible, then undertaking thorough research on the organisation one is applying to for a job becomes key.”
Pienaar continued, saying, “On the other side of the spectrum, those seeking support and offering jobs should also practise caution – looking out for fake candidate applications or false employee information – especially in a tougher economic environment with many people competing for the same limited number of available jobs.
“Nearly 20 per cent of all job seekers represent a degree of risk. And in our experience, small businesses are particularly vulnerable. Those responsible for employing people in their home or business must make sure they do the due diligence, or risk making a bad hiring decision,” stated Pienaar.
• The importance of previous conviction enquiry checks
Pienaar emphasised that background screening and very importantly, previous conviction enquiries, should be considered as prominent tools for anyone hiring today.
“With a large unemployment rate comes the risk of false information being provided or ‘sold’, in an effort to secure a much-needed job. While there may be times where the applicant may not be malicious or intend any harm to their potential employer, there are of course deliberate cases of non-disclosure, which could pose high risk to the employer,” added Pienaar.
A Police Clearance Certificate can be obtained from the South African Police Service, while other methods of certification, namely Fingerprint Search Clearance Certificates, are issued by Afiswitch and their recognised service providers. Undertaking such checks can ensure that accurate and up to date previous conviction or case awaiting trial information is received timeously, which in turn can support making a more informed and less risky decision.
“Using such preventative measures supports the process of enhancing safety and security while verifying the individual. In tougher economic times, where jobs are not readily available, job seekers as well as employers must be careful and undertake the required research or invest in available processes to ensure they know exactly who they are dealing with,” concluded Pienaar.
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