Employ: This vetting solution provides users with better insight into who they employ or contracting

By WSAM Business Writer

Do you exactly know the person you are employing or an individual that you are doing business with?

Conducting background checks on service providers and employees has always been restricted to large organisations and government departments. Now, anyone in South Africa can do so, thanks to an innovative new online platform called iKNOWyou.

Targeted at property owners, parents and small businesses, this newly launched online personal vetting solution by Managed Integrity Evaluation (MIE), provides users with better insight into who they are employing or contracting. The platform first runs identity verification to assess whether individuals are indeed who they say they are and provides further information by means of a criminal check.

“With criminal activity and identity theft on the rise, coupled with the increasing difficulty in tracking people in a fast-growing population, hiring and giving access to your premises is riskier than ever,” says Jennifer Barkhuizen, Head of Communications at MIE.

 “Often, desperation to find employment can increase the risk of candidates misrepresenting their professional, criminal and academic histories, to secure a job opportunity. There is also the threat of criminals posing as employees for the purposes of committing a crime. All employers – whether large organisations or individuals employing household – should be able to perform the necessary due diligence to make an informed decision.”

Barkhuizen says while large organisations have more easily been able to access such background checking platforms, this game-changing online platform now gives added peace of mind to those allowing employees or contractors into their homes, from helpers, gardeners, tenants and renovators, to care workers, coaches, health care providers and more.

According to her, MIE is currently the leading background screening company in Southern Africa, conducting over 50 000 credit checks, criminal checks, identity verifications, drivers licence validations, qualification checks and many more, per month.

MIE’s 10th annual Background Screening Index showed that close to two million background checks were requested in 2020. While there was a 700% increase in social media requests as part of candidate screening over the previous year, criminal checks remain the most requested check year-on-year. Although risk levels dropped in 2020, these are expected to increase in the coming years, due to increased unemployment and economic strain.

Initially, iKNOWyou will offer identity and criminal checks and will later expand its service offering to include other forms of screening such as credit and qualification checks. Tapping into the South African Police Services database, the system runs fingerprint scans and provides detailed criminal reports, while confirming people’s identities, says Barkhuizen.

 Currently, corporates are required to instal their own dedicated fingerprint scanning devices and adhere to strict protocols to conduct background screening. However, on iKNOWyou, Barkhuizen says users simply create an account on the website and complete the request, including the details of the person under review.

The individual being vetted is then sent a link to set up an appointment for biometric screening at a designated site of their choice. “MIE has a wide network of fingerprint capturing sites nationwide, which is rapidly being expanded to meet the demand These include selected Net1 and Standard bank branches.

“Our launch will initially focus on offering this vetting service in the main commercial metros, but we will respond to demand over time and also establish a presence in more remote areas. We envisage iKNOWyou as soon being an essential part of doing business, running a household and keeping South African families safe.”

SA YOUTH CARRY NATION’S FLAG AT BRICS OLYMPIAD

CYBER: Team South Africa participate in Financial Security Olympiad in Sochi, Russia

By  WSAM Reporter

A team of the country’s smartest youth have been representing Mzansi at the International Financial Security Olympiad in Sochi, Russia, since last Sunday until October 8.

The prestigious team comprises of youth who selected following a stringent process in the past months. They are Karabo Masenyadiloana, Thokozani Simelani, Bafokeng Mofokeng, Kenan Kasongo, Mamello Mofokeng, Siyamthanda Mtoba, Ayabulela Baai, Nkululeko Nkosi, Sinazo Mona, Yvonne Memani and Zandile Ngcobo.

The Financial Security Olympiad is an annual competition hosted by Rosfin monitoring for BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and other nations. The competition tests students’ knowledge of financial security planning, risk management, cyber-security, investment planning, financial intelligence and investigations.

This year’s intake marks South Africa’s 2nd consecutive time participating in the third International Financial Security Olympiad, where 19 countries are participating. The team was selected through a rigorous process that included writing a monitored online examination to be scored for qualifying to compete on this international platform. The highly motivated and passionate team are all students, with the majority coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“We are excited, honoured and proud to be representing South Africa and Africa at large on such an impactful matter of global substance, for the betterment of societal financial security issues,” said Sinazo Mona (former 2022 finalist and 2023 team leader) before the team jetted out of this country.

“We have been preparing hard and are confident that we will perform well, gain interesting experiences and actionable insights. This is equivalent to the Intellectual Olympics! We would be highly grateful and appreciative for support in such a prestigious engagement where we get to represent our country on a global stage, and in putting into action the learnings we will have made afterwards. Your support will help represent Africa to the best of our ability and make this trip a impactful memorable reality – even for future editions.”

The Financial Security Olympiad is designed to promote financial literacy among young people and to encourage them to pursue careers in the financial services sector. The competition also provides an opportunity for students from different countries to network and learn from each other.

In a week before departure, the team sought sponsorship to help cover the cost of travel amenities (consumables, non-consumables), media equipment to document the trip, apparel and goods to proudly showcase SA goods and culture to overseas platforms exposed to, and financial support in the form of stipends for each team member. It was not clear by the time of going to press whether the team had received such assistance.