Cyprus is an island country in the Mediterranean strategically located at the crossroads of three major continents, further serving as a gateway to the Middle East, African, and European markets.
The Republic of Cyprus is touted as the most populous Mediterranean island, with a population of around 1.2 million. The slightly overwhelming population in the small island is well managed in terms of education as the country boasts an excellent literacy rate of 99.86%. Even though Greek is considered the primary language in the quiet Mediterranean island, 73% of Cypriots show high English proficiency.
The strategic geographical position with access to a knowledgeable and affordable applicant base has attracted many international businesses. The government has introduced several business-friendly regulations due to the growing demand for Cypriot citizens in the global market. However, with a whopping 5.7 million worldwide data theft reports in 2021, the Cypriot government introduced several reforms to curb such occurrences, thus including several intermediate processes for background checks.
As an employer looking to hire in foreign lands, Cyprus is a lucrative country. However, a background check in Cyprus allows employers to access sensitive information about a candidate while complying with data protection rules. This article enables employers to understand all the related laws and processes while conducting a pre-employment background check in Cyprus.
What is Employment Background Verification?
An employment background check is an information verification process that confirms an applicant’s details provided during the hiring process. It involves verifying the applicant’s or employee’s educational, employment, credit, and criminal history.
Several provisions regulate an HR background check in Cyprus under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Employing companies should comply with all the laws and acquire specific permissions to obtain sensitive information regarding a candidate.
Benefits of Background Checks in Cyprus
Conducting an HR background check in Cyprus allows employers to make well-informed decisions while allowing them to find the best-suited candidates. Some primary reasons for conducting such reviews are explained below.
Identifying tampered data
- The global and Cypriot job market demand has substantially increased, resulting in cut-throat competition.
- As a result, a candidate might tamper with the employment data to stand out from the rest of the crowd.
- Such attempts can be easily identified by conducting a pre-employment background check in Cyprus.
Improving work culture
- Since work culture plays a vital role, employers must hire employees who can fit in and improve such a culture without disrupting it.
- Checking the social views of an applicant via their social media provides an employer with a holistic understanding of a candidate’s preferences and personality. Therefore, it allows employers to make better decisions when hiring new talents.
Reduced risks
- Foreign companies often face the stigma of crimes their employees commit outside the workplace.
- Such acts might force a suspension of a company’s activity in Cyprus or even lead to termination.
- Conducting a criminal background check in Cyprus allows employers to identify candidates with disturbing records.
- As a result, the employing company can exclude such candidates and decrease the chances of the mentioned implications.
Decreased employee turnover rate
- A strict hiring process backed by employee screening in Cyprus allows an employer to create an efficient team with a positive work environment.
- Employees in such a high-achieving, positive workforce often revel in such a setting. Therefore, the probability of such individuals leaving the company decreases substantially.
Are Background Checks Legal in Cyprus?
A background check in Cyprus is legal, but two significant laws moderate these checks:
- Personal Data Protection Law (Law 125(I)/2018)
- General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation(EU 679/2016), commonly referred to as the GDPR
While conducting a pre-employment background check in Cyprus, employers must acquire an acknowledgment or consent from the candidate. In most cases, the application for an interview can be used as an acknowledgment for conducting an educational and employment background check in Cyprus. However, proper notice is required for specific criminal, medical, or credit records checks.
Things to Know When Performing a Background Check in Cyprus
Most candidate data is treated as sensitive except for the ones submitted in application forms.
Employment history
- A company background check in Cyprus applies to jobs requiring relevant experience.
- Past experiences are often listed within a candidate’s CV or resume.
- Employers can use the listed reference contact information to verify the mentioned details.
Education history
- The education history of a candidate must be verified in every scenario.
- An employer can contact the reference listed in a candidate’s resume and validate the data.
Criminal record
- A criminal background check in Cyprus is moderated.
- Criminal history has been deemed as sensitive data by the Cypriot administration.
- Any such information is acquired per the Data Commissioner’s Guidance regulations.
- The report can be obtained from any local-level court commissioned by the Cypriot government.
Credit report
- A credit score or relevant report determines a candidate’s finance management capability.
- This report should be acquired after a candidate provides their consent.
- These reports can be obtained for job listings that require asset or finance management.
Social life
- The social life of a candidate allows employers to understand a candidate’s preferences.
- Conducting such a check provides an employer with a relevant understanding of an applicant’s personality.
- Checks on social life can be done with or without a candidate’s consent.
Information Essential for a Background Check in Cyprus
Employers can conduct a background check once they acquire the applicant’s acknowledgment.
The required documents to conduct different background checks have been listed. If some of the mentioned information is missing, an employer can request the same from the applicant.
- Written consent from the applicant
- The full legal name of the candidate
- Registered date of birth
- Residential address of the applicant
- Identification card
- Degree name, school name, attendance date, soft copy of degree, and reference name for educational verification.
- Employing company, employment date, employer contact information, employer name, held designation, and release form for employment background check in Cyprus.
Process Involved in Background Checks in Cyprus
An employer can manually conduct a background check in Cyprus or transfer the responsibility to a third-party organization. While working with a third-party organization, an employer must forward all the available candidate information for manual employee screening in Cyprus.
Requirement identification
- Conducting a background check in Cyprus is moderated by several laws. Therefore, employers must identify the information required for running a background check.
- The use of any personal data is considered to be sensitive information. Records such as criminal records, credit reports, medical records, and so on should only be requested if there is a criterion for the same.
Gathering the listed data
- Employers can conduct an educational and employment background check within a few days. They can contact the listed references and request information on a specific candidate.
- An employer must reach out to the concerned government agencies for sensitive data like criminal records. You can contact any local court with just reasons to conduct a criminal background check in Cyprus.
Verification
- The gathered data is verified per the ones received from the reference and candidate’s end.
- An employer can dismiss a candidate if the data verification fails.
- For the hired employees, the hiring company must update their records accordingly.
Industries and Situations That are Most Suitable for Background Checks in Cyprus
Verifying a candidate’s education and employment records is a good practice before further consideration. However, specific industries and job listings require more than the mentioned verification. Some industries and jobs which require more checks have been listed and explained below.
Healthcare
- Job listings for nurses and doctors require a candidate to monitor, manage and administer medical care to several patients.
- Educational verification is a must, as these jobs demand zero scopes for mistakes.
- Employers must conduct a criminal background check in Cyprus to negate the chances of illegal medical practices.
- A check on the candidate’s medical history must also be carried out for specific job listings where a healthcare practitioner must treat contagious diseases.
Childcare and teaching
- In childcare and teaching, employees must educate batches on specialized topics encompassing culture, philosophy, critical thinking, and more.
- A criminal record can be considered a red flag for the mentioned industry.
- Verifying educational background is also crucial for the teaching field.
Vaccine development
- Vaccines are developed after constant trial and error, using several elements that might be prohibited for general use.
- Verifying the medical records allows an employer to screen and differentiate candidates with weak immune systems or other diseases.
- In special situations, an employer can request its candidates to undertake medical tests accordingly.
Transportation
- When hiring for a driving job in the transport sector, employers must review a candidate’s driving and criminal records.
- Driving records allow an employer to understand the applicant’s driving capability.
- In many cases, criminal records often keep track of traffic rule violations or any violent accident caused by the applicant. Therefore, conducting a criminal background check in Cyprus is equally essential.
How Multiplier Helps With Background Checks
Employers can carry out a background check in Cyprus, but they must follow the individual protocols of the concerned government agencies to accomplish their tasks. While taking the manual route, the initial screening process is completed, but the turnaround time increases substantially.
Multiplier is a SaaS-based Employer of Record (EOR) platform which allows an employer to decrease the mentioned turnaround time. A background check in Cyprus can be completed within record time with the help of Multiplier’s partner companies. Furthermore, adding a subsidiary infrastructure and compliant payroll system for a fraction of its cost makes Multiplier a must-have for businesses of every size.