Manufacturers Navigate Evolving Background Screening Landscape
As the demand for skilled labor in manufacturing continues to grow, employers are facing increasingly complex background screening challenges. New technologies, changing regulations, and shifting workforce expectations are transforming the hiring landscape, making it essential for manufacturers to adapt their screening practices to ensure safety, quality, and compliance.
The need to bring more workers into manufacturing roles continues to grow, while background screening is becoming increasingly complex for employers. Despite the U.S. economy losing 23,000 jobs last month, employment in manufacturing didn’t see much change according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, underscoring the sector's persistent demand for talent.
Manufacturers competing for skilled labor face the challenge of filling critical production roles quickly while ensuring candidates are who they claim to be before entering facilities where safety, quality, and intellectual property may be at risk. Artificial intelligence is transforming recruiting but also creating new opportunities for hiring fraud.
According to a recent Checkr report, resume fabrication now accounts for 41% of detected hiring fraud and AI-assisted interview impersonation represents nearly one-quarter of reported cases. This means technology alone is not enough; verification practices must evolve alongside the threats.
**Screening Criteria Need Regular Review**
One of the biggest challenges is ensuring screening programs evolve as quickly as the hiring landscape itself. Many employers continue relying on policies developed years, or even decades, ago without reassessing whether those standards remain relevant.
Todd Simo, managing director of logistics and manufacturing at screening company HireRight, notes that when is the last time you looked at your criteria, because the world has changed. He emphasizes that screening programs should reflect current regulations, business risks, and workforce realities rather than outdated assumptions.
Manufacturers may benefit from periodically reviewing their screening programs to ensure they reflect current regulations, business risks, and workforce realities rather than outdated assumptions. This can also help manage costs.
| Screening Requirement | Description | | --- | --- | | Identity Verification | Verifying applicant identities earlier in the hiring process | | Credential Verification | Verifying applicant credentials, such as education and work history | | Criminal Background Checks | Conducting background checks to assess an applicant's criminal history | | Drug Testing | Conducting tests to detect the presence of illicit substances | | Occupational Health Screenings | Conducting medical screenings to assess an applicant's fitness for a particular job | | Regulatory Compliance Checks | Ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations |
**Building a More Effective Screening Strategy**
As hiring risks continue to evolve, experts say manufacturers should continue to assess their own risk tolerance. Organizations should recognize risk and regulatory requirements that cannot be compromised before establishing measurable goals for their screening programs.
Those metrics may include speed-to-hire, candidate quality, or other operational measures that align with business priorities. Employers should also focus on improving the candidate experience while strengthening fraud prevention.
She also stressed that technology alone cannot solve today's hiring challenges. "Technology can identify identity discrepancies, credential fraud, and other verification concerns, but people still need to know what to do when something doesn't look right,” said Lindsey Scrase, chief operating officer at background check technology company Checkr.
Maintaining consistency across multiple facilities, business units, or states presents another challenge. Screening programs must remain consistent enough to support enterprise-wide hiring while also accommodating changing legal requirements across jurisdictions.
Employers should also focus on building trust with prospective employees. This includes verifying applicant identities earlier in the hiring process, maintaining consistency throughout screening, and providing clear ownership and escalation procedures.
Ultimately, manufacturers must adapt their screening practices to ensure safety, quality, and compliance in an evolving hiring landscape.
