Employee screening firm, US agency look to increase biometric background checks

Firms in the identity and security screening space are looking to biometrics to secure increasingly remote hiring practices, with Yoti notching a customer win and Sterling updating its branding to spur regional growth. Meanwhile, a U.S. government oversight body for emergency medical services (EMS) workers is calling for universal biometric background checks.

Yoti gets the nod from HireRight for face verification with Global ID

HireRight, a company that provides global background screening services and workforce risk management and compliance applications, is using face biometrics from digital ID firm Yoti in its new Global ID identity verification service.

A release says Global ID includes the ability to remotely verify a candidate’s identity and validate identity documents through a digital liveness detection and biometric face matching feature.

“With many businesses continuing to hire remote workers in locations where their company has no physical presence, in-person ID verification can be time consuming and inconvenient for their candidates,” says Jim Daxner, global head of product at HireRight. “HireRight’s Global ID digital identity document verification workflow with optional digital liveness and biometric face match feature streamlines the ID verification process, helping organizations to validate their candidates’ identities quickly and efficiently around the world.”

Global ID is available in more than 200 countries and supports all international passports and many national identity documents.

In July 2023, HireRight acquired a majority share of Digital Trusted Identity Services (DTIS), an FBI-approved channeler specializing in collecting and processing biometric data.

Sterling gets to the point in APAC with name change and global outlook

Sterling Check is ditching RISQ, says a release, as the identity and background services provider rebrands itself from Sterling RISQ to just Sterling in the Asia-Pacific region. The firm already has employees based in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines and China, and says the name change reflects the increasingly global nature of hiring practices.

“We are seeing significant growth in global hiring programs in the APAC region as employers look to attract the best talent from around the world,” says Steve Smith, an executive at Sterling. “We believe this is a new era for background screening and identity, and we’re delighted to align Sterling’s established reputation in APAC with our best-in-class technology to lead the way for employers in this region.” The firm, which has its principal office in Independence, Ohio, currently generates 15 percent of its revenue outside the U.S., and sees opportunities to continue growing its international operations.

To that end, it also announced new regional websites for APAC, for Australia, India and Singapore.

EMS commission wants licensing to be conditional on biometric checks

The Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice is taking a position on biometric background checks in a new paper entitled “Biometric Criminal History Checks for EMS Personnel.” In a release, the Commission argues that EMS practitioners frequently engage with vulnerable populations and as such should be subject to the same public safety and protection measures as other healthcare professionals.

The position paper recommends a uniform national standard for FBI-compliant biometric criminal history record checks on applicants for an EMS license, and says decisions should be based on primary source data securely transferred by the FBI.

Twenty four states currently mandate biometric criminal history checks under the Recognition of EMS Personnel Practice Interstate Compact (REPLICA). The Commission wants to see the practice go nationwide, and concludes with a call to action: “We implore state legislatures to promptly update their laws, ensuring biometric, FBI-compliant checks are fundamental to EMS licensure, thus upholding the highest safety and trust standards.”

“This action is crucial for public health and safety and reflects the rigorous standards of medical professional credentialing.”

Article Topics

background checks  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  identity verification  |  Sterling Check  |  Yoti