What does the security service check when hiring?

The activities of the security service (SS) of any commercial organization on the territory of the Russian Federation are carried out in accordance with the requirements of regulatory legal acts and internal regulations of the company:

1. Regulations on the security service of an organization conducting commercial activities.
2. Security concept.
3. The rights and obligations of the Security Council, determined by the internal regulations of the company. It is this documentation that determines the main functions of the security service in a particular organization.

What qualification requirements apply to the head of the security service?

The decisive factors in determining the nature of the work of the security system in each specific case are the following:

1. Features of the company's organizational structure.
2. Location of its branches and divisions.
3. Scope of activity of the enterprise.

Taking into account the fact that the security system must not only prevent any damage to the company from the outside, but also guarantee safety within the team, ensure the quiet work of conscientious employees, a thorough check of candidates hired for work is carried out. Naturally, in this case, legal issues arise, since in this case the Security Council is a private structure and a large amount of information is by definition inaccessible to private practice specialists. It is for this reason that the security check of a private company is relatively superficial and allows only the most serious violations in the biographies of applicants to be recognized.

Is it necessary to obtain from the applicant a statement of voluntary consent to take a survey using a polygraph ?

What does the Security Service check?

The security service checks applicants according to several parameters, for which a certain set of measures is used within the framework of the law “on operational investigative activities.” First of all, employees check and control the following points:

1. Screening candidates before hiring.
2. Ensuring the safety of existing employees.
3. Security of information that is a trade secret.
4. Safety of enterprise property.

The purpose of the security service is to suppress possible economic problems and losses of the organization caused by both the actions of employees and the actions of competitors.

How much does the security service check, and is it legal?

These two questions are no less relevant than the candidate screening process itself. The duration and thoroughness of security screening of candidates depends on the type of company and the job responsibilities of the vacancy. A standard inspection takes about one week. If a candidate is being considered for employment in a government agency or large financial organization, the duration of the verification may be more than a month. It all depends on the type of information and resources the prospective employee will have access to.

Getting a job in a commercial company

Large organizations have their own security service, most of whose employees are former officers or employees of law enforcement agencies and similar structures.
Additional responsibilities appear for this department: protection and protection of the interests of the organization, trade secrets, prevention of conflicts within the organization, prevention of thefts or other thefts. The actions of employees here are regulated by local acts adopted in the organization. It is difficult to say what the security service in such organizations is interested in and what it takes into account; it depends on the adopted acts, but there are basic points that always guide this service.

Collecting information about family members

When applying for employment, an individual has the right to refuse to provide personal information, including information about relatives. The exception is when it comes to hiring for jobs in the civil service. In this situation, providing information about all family members is considered a mandatory condition (deputies provide not only information about the family, but also the income of all relatives).

Some information about family composition can be found out by studying official documentation - passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates.

As a rule, employers want to find out the presence and number of minor children, and the frequency of employee sick leave due to illness of children. However, refusing to hire for this reason will be illegal.

Mandatory criminal background check

First of all, the applicant is checked for the absence (presence) of a criminal record by sending a request to the appropriate government department.
This is done in order to understand whether the citizen being hired will have a negative impact on colleagues and the organization as a whole, and what can be expected from him. People who have been previously convicted of any criminal charges are practically not hired for administrative positions. Need to know! An expunged criminal record is not an obstacle to getting a job. It is permitted not to employ citizens with a criminal record only if the law prohibits the employment of people with a criminal record in your organization (Part 1 of Article 65 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

What information is subject to verification?

When applying for employment, the applicant provides personal information to the employer. However, in addition to the presented materials, the security service finds out:

1. Fact of criminal record and administrative offenses . A considerable number of fines issued by traffic police officers indicate the undesirability of hiring a person to work as a driver.
2. Previous places of employment . Attention is drawn not only to the basis for the reduction (possibly by one’s own will). A confidential conversation with the previous manager can reveal any minor misconduct. The type of activity and the presence of connections with rival companies are checked.
3. The applicant's health status , special medical recommendations, alcohol and drug addiction.
4. Credit history . The presence of outstanding loans indicates that such a person cannot be trusted with a financially responsible position.
5. Family information . If nothing suspicious or detrimental to his reputation is found about the applicant, then it is not a fact that the relatives will pass the check. A daughter will not be employed by the police if the father has a criminal record.

Filling out the form

To simplify the verification procedures, the applicant for the declared vacancy fills out special questionnaires provided by the organization’s HR department, where he indicates the required information about himself. A prerequisite for admission is the citizen's written consent to the processing of personal data , after which the security service can begin checking the information received. If consent was not given, the organization will receive a fine in accordance with the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

When applying for a job, security is not limited to a formal check of the submitted resume. Department specialists additionally check information about the status registered in psychoneurological and narcological dispensaries . Applicants of conscription age are checked for evasion of military service . The list of information to be verified depends on the direction of the organization’s activities.

Find out also how to pass a medical examination when applying for a job and what threatens the employer and employee in the event of unofficial employment.

Security service questionnaire sample:

How long does the check take?

The duration depends on the level of responsibility of the candidate’s position and the efficiency of the Security Service staff.

The verification period for an ordinary employee is from one day. If there are doubts about the authenticity of the documents and information provided, verification takes up to two weeks.

When applying to banks, verification takes in different situations from 1 to 3 days (if the candidate has good recommendations from reputable employees). It takes from one to two weeks to check ordinary applicants. More than two weeks are checked if:

• a large number of applicants apply for the vacancy;
• the person is kept “in reserve” if other, more professionally attractive candidates do not pass the test.

How to verify the validity of the submitted documents

The employer may require documents based on Art. 65 Labor Code of the Russian Federation. The authenticity of the documents provided (passport, diploma, certificate, registration) will be examined by the security service. You can check the validity of the submitted documents on the websites of government agencies, for example:

• passport (civilian Russian Federation) is checked on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
• TIN is checked through the tax office website;
• a diploma or certificate of a specialist is verified by calling (or a written request) to the applicant’s educational institution;
• a person’s criminal record is checked through the court website;
• Judicial debt is checked through the FSSP website. You can also check there for the presence of administrative debts and open organizations in the name of the candidate;
• work experience is checked using the work book. Letters of recommendation from a previous place of work are also welcome, but today this is an exception to the rule rather than a general practice.

If there are doubts or for a more detailed check, the security service can call the place of previous employment, as well as ask questions to former colleagues and management. This is done in order to clarify the reason for dismissal and explain the relationship with the team. Sometimes they can tell about the character and morals of the employee, his resistance to stress, and draw up a psychological portrait.

Depending on the direction and scope of the company’s work, the candidate’s personal qualities can either prevent him from performing job functions or improve his performance. Some organizations also check the credit history of the future employee, as well as connections with competitors.

Decisive vote, or How to pass an interview with security company employees

Behind the interview with the personnel officer, psychologist and future boss. Now the last and, as a rule, decisive stage separates you from the coveted vacancy - an interview with security service (SS) officers.

The upcoming conversation with corporate guards can confuse even a seasoned applicant. Unsmiling and, due to their profession, suspicious people in black are able to close the doors of a company that you have already begun to perceive as your employer. The negative verdict of the security chief most often outweighs not only the positive conclusion of the recruiter, but also the approving review of the immediate supervisor. And an interview with the Praetorians will least of all resemble a confidential conversation between two professionals. In many cases, the SB deliberately conducts the interview in a psychologically uncomfortable stressful environment.

However, in fairness, it is worth noting that only an applicant for a leadership position will be able to fully feel like the hero of a second-rate detective during interrogation by an investigator; An interview with a candidate for a line position will most likely be of a formal nature, and the SSB officers will not meticulously study all his ins and outs.

Greeted by clothes

Security guard employees are no less susceptible to stereotypes than representatives of other professions. Being, as a rule, from law enforcement agencies, they tend to prioritize conservatism in external style, impeccable neatness and pedantic adherence to both written and unwritten norms of the corporate dress code. Therefore, when going to a rendezvous with the guards, try to match their image of the ideal candidate as much as possible. Even if you came to an interview with an HR manager or psychologist in a casual style, for the sake of a positive review from the Security Service, regardless of gender, you will have to dress according to the regulations: a formal suit, a snow-white blouse or shirt, a neat hairstyle.

Restraint, laconicism and polite correctness should be the main principles of your communication with the Security Service officer. If you have a great tongue and are able to charm anyone in a conversation, you should not give free rein to your oratorical abilities in an interview with an SSB officer. He will perceive lengthy reasoning as an attempt to evade the answer, and you will only provoke a hail of additional questions. Surely the interlocutor is serious, so do not try to defuse the situation with a joke: in this situation it is inappropriate.

What will the security ask?

The questions you are about to hear can be divided into three groups. First of all, the Security Service officer will ask how clean you are before the law, whether you have any addictions or other deviations. Have you or your loved ones been brought to criminal or administrative liability, do you have any outstanding convictions, are you evading taxes - employers today include this standard set of questions even in a regular application form for applicants. By the way, remember: if you are applying for a position in a large corporation, then they are unlikely to take your word for it.

Secondly, the Security Council will pay close attention to your previous employers. Moreover, the matter will not be limited to studying recommendations and one formal call: in reputable structures, inspection employees contact the candidate’s immediate superior, his colleagues and subordinates to get a complete picture. If you doubt that your former colleagues will give you a flattering review (for example, you quit because of a loud scandal), notify the Security Service in advance, explaining the reasons for the conflict.

Finally, the third group of questions is designed to create a comprehensive psychological portrait of the future employee. It is these questions related to the personal and even intimate side of life that most often cause dissatisfaction and even indignation among applicants. For example, you may be asked whether you are satisfied with your family life, whether you have extramarital affairs, etc. Of course, few people will like such corrosiveness and excessive curiosity. However, the most important thing in such a situation is not to take such issues too seriously and not to demonstrate offended pride by refusing to discuss this topic on principle. In this case, you can give the correct answer with a clear conscience.

Stress style interview

Often, it is the Security Service that is tasked with conducting a stressful interview with the applicant, the main task of which is to test the candidate’s reaction to a potential conflict situation, his self-control and endurance. There is a certain reason for this scenario: strong men from the law enforcement department will create a more realistic atmosphere of psychological pressure than a pretty girl from the personnel department. The arsenal of methods is very wide: from a dismissive tone, provocative questions and deliberately ignoring the interlocutor to bluff and intimidation. For example, an SSB officer may tell you that through his own channels he has received information that is compromising and discrediting you, which calls into question your successful employment. The purpose of this trick is to check whether you have real skeletons in your closet; if you start to get nervous, it means you really have something to hide.

The main principle of passing a stressful interview is calm and again calm. Do not forget for a moment that this is all just a psychological game, where your opponent seeks to throw you off balance at any cost.

Cardboard tigers

Maintaining a full-fledged security system, staffed by highly qualified specialists, is an expensive pleasure that only large corporations, banks, oil companies and other business sharks can afford. Therefore, in medium-sized and especially small companies, security officers are often typical wedding generals: despite the impressive surroundings, the service does not have even a tenth of the capabilities that it claims. To run a candidate through every imaginable basis, check his credit history and the authenticity of documents - in many cases, such promises are a bluff.

So, when going for an interview with Security Service employees, you should not prepare yourself for the worst in advance, preparing for a meeting with corporate James Bonds. It is possible that reality will turn out to be much more prosaic than your expectations.

Vadim Sumin Based on materials from “Work & Salary”

When does the Security Service not let you through?

A negative response to the questionnaire can be due to objective reasons prescribed by law, or for personal reasons. In the second case, such refusal is considered illegal. There are often cases when the Security Council checks the personal pages of candidates on social networks, but this is not a reason for refusal. They cannot refuse because of the candidate’s qualities that are not related to the position held, as stated in Article 64 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. In fact, the security service can use the results of the check to identify the most suitable one from several candidates.

If a person does not agree with the decision of the security service, he has the right to challenge it in court, but in practice the employer will not lose anything; the court will only be able to satisfy compensation for moral damage. Often, the employer in such trials refers to “lack of business communication skills,” which is an unprovable argument, but a sufficient basis for refusing to hire. According to the law, this point is not regulated in any way.

How to check yourself

Not all organizations consider it advisable to keep a specialist on staff or only test candidates for top positions. If necessary, contact a specialized organization. The easiest way to check yourself at the security service is to do the same. But the service is paid.

You can try to do what the security team does, but chances are you won't be able to get some information for free or without outside help. Make inquiries to:

• Pension Fund;
• tax office;
• police;
• Credit history bureau (once a year they provide a free statement);
• former places of work;
• Universities where they studied.

Request extracts from the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs and the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, and, if possible, from Rosreestr. Be sure to Google yourself by your full name and analyze the results. If you run social networks, look at them through the eyes of an outsider: what your account looks like, what you write about, what posts you like and repost, who you follow.