Top 10 Mistakes Companies Make in Background Screening (and How to Avoid Them)
In today’s competitive talent market, a company’s greatest asset is its people. This is true globally—from large multinational organizations to fast-growing companies operating in Central Europe, including Slovakia. However, hiring the wrong person isn’t just a minor setback—it’s a significant financial and operational risk. Industry data consistently shows that the cost of a bad hire can reach tens of thousands of dollars when accounting for recruitment expenses, lost productivity, and potential legal fees.
To mitigate these risks, most organizations have implemented some form of pre-employment vetting. In markets like Slovakia, where talent shortages coexist with increasing regulatory scrutiny, background screening has become even more critical. But simply “doing” a check isn’t enough. Many businesses unknowingly fall into common background check mistakes that lead to compliance errors or the loss of top-tier talent.
At Validato, we specialize in streamlining the vetting process for companies across Europe and beyond, including employers hiring in Slovakia. To help you protect your organization, we’ve compiled the top 10 mistakes companies make in background screening and how to avoid them using HR best practices.
1. Inconsistent Screening Policies
One of the most frequent background check mistakes is inconsistency. If you screen some candidates but not others for the same role, you open the door to discrimination claims—an issue that applies equally under Slovak labor law and EU regulations.
How to avoid it: Establish a formal policy for each job level. Validato’s platform allows you to create standardized screening packages based on roles, ensuring that every candidate for a specific position undergoes the exact same checks, automatically removing bias from the process.
2. Ignoring Local and International Compliance Laws
Employment laws like GDPR, local Slovak labor regulations, or global frameworks such as “Ban the Box” are a moving target. Falling victim to compliance errors can result in heavy fines and reputational damage.
How to avoid it: Don’t try to be a legal expert in every jurisdiction. Validato is built with “compliance by design,” meaning our system stays updated with EU-wide and country-specific regulations, including requirements applicable in Slovakia. We ensure that the correct consent forms and disclosures are automatically presented to candidates based on their location.
3. Relying Solely on “DIY” Social Media Searches
Googling a candidate is a legal minefield. This is especially risky in GDPR-regulated environments like Slovakia, where processing personal data must be strictly justified. You might accidentally see protected information that cannot legally influence a hiring decision.
How to avoid it: Use professional screening instead of “DIY” searches. If social media vetting is required, Validato provides structured reports that filter out protected class information, delivering only relevant, job-related red flags while keeping you legally safe.
4. Failing to Verify Education and Professional Credentials
Many candidates embellish their degrees or certifications. In Slovakia and across Europe, relying on a PDF copy of a diploma provided by the candidate is risky, as forgeries are increasingly common.
How to avoid it: Always verify at the source. Validato connects directly with educational institutions and professional bodies—both internationally and locally—to verify credentials, ensuring the candidate’s qualifications are 100% authentic without your HR team having to make a single phone call.
5. Overlooking International Records
In today’s mobile workforce, a domestic-only check is insufficient. Many professionals in Slovakia have studied or worked abroad within the EU or beyond. If a candidate worked in another country, a purely local criminal check will show nothing.
How to avoid it: Conduct international checks for any candidate with overseas experience. Validato’s global network allows you to run criminal, employment, and education checks in over 200 countries, giving you a complete picture of a candidate’s history, no matter where they’ve lived.
6. Conducting the Background Check Too Late
Waiting until a candidate has already started working to run a check is dangerous. In Slovakia, terminating an employee after onboarding can be legally and administratively complex if a serious issue arises.
How to avoid it: Integrate screening into your early hiring stages. Validato’s rapid turnaround times mean you don’t have to slow down your hiring. You can initiate checks with one click and receive results before the official start date, making conditional offers both safe and practical.
7. Providing a Poor Candidate Experience
Top talent—especially in competitive Slovak tech, engineering, and shared services markets—won’t tolerate clunky, paper-based processes. A bad experience during screening can lead to candidate drop-off or ghosting.
How to avoid it: Use a digital-first approach. Validato provides a seamless, mobile-friendly interface for candidates. They can upload documents and sign consents in minutes from their phones, reinforcing your employer brand as modern and candidate-centric.
8. Misinterpreting Criminal Records
An automatic “no” for any criminal record can lead to discrimination claims and the loss of great talent. This is particularly sensitive in EU countries like Slovakia, where proportionality and relevance are key legal principles.
How to avoid it: Perform individualized assessments. Validato’s reporting tools provide clear, easy-to-read context for any findings, enabling your HR team to apply the Nature–Time–Nature rule and make role-specific, fair decisions.
9. Poor Data Security Practices
Storing sensitive IDs and background reports in emails or unencrypted folders is a massive data breach risk—and a direct GDPR violation in Slovakia.
How to avoid it: Centralize your data in a secure environment. Validato uses enterprise-grade encryption and complies fully with EU data protection standards. Candidate information is stored securely and is accessible only to authorized users within your organization.
10. Failing to Audit Your Process Regularly
Hiring risks, labor laws, and market conditions change. A screening process that worked two years ago may now be outdated—especially as regulations in Slovakia and the EU continue to evolve.
How to avoid it: Review your screening strategy annually. Validato’s analytics dashboard gives you insight into screening volume, turnaround times, and costs, helping you continuously optimize your vetting strategy.
Conclusion
Background screening is a critical component of your risk management strategy—whether you hire locally in Slovakia or across international markets. By avoiding these ten common mistakes, you protect your company’s culture, compliance posture, and reputation.
Validato is more than just a screening provider; we are your partner in building a trustworthy workforce. Our platform is designed to eliminate compliance errors and implement HR best practices through automation and expert insights.