Challenge
Sterling believes that every background check should start with identity verification. They made a decision in 2019 to make identity a strategic pillar and deliver state of the art identity verification to clients - specifically using digital identity approaches.
This was accelerated further due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020; employers still needed to complete background and right to work checks throughout lockdown. But physical identity options were often not feasible. Many countries needed to react quickly and introduce digital options.
In April 2022, the UK government updated legislation to enable safe hiring during the pandemic. Under new legislation, right to work and criminal record checks could be completed digitally using an Identity Service Provider (IDSP).
Yoti became the first certified IDSP under the UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework, to undertake certified right to work and DBS (disclosure & barring) checks. The change in legislation represents a significant shift in policy toward digital identity as a valid form of proof of identity, greatly improving compliance processes in our digital world.
Solution
With the global pandemic and introduction of trust frameworks, Sterling had an opportunity to rapidly evolve its UK right to work offering, with a digital identity solution that could be delivered globally. Sterling also had ambitions to revolutionise the hiring and screening process using the sharing of pre-verified candidate information. In particular, bringing some of the benefits of Yoti’s reusable Digital ID app to a secure web-based experience.
Sterling partnered with Yoti in 2022 to streamline background checks and expand their digital identity solutions. This collaboration brings together Sterling’s 45+ years of expertise in background screening with Yoti’s innovative identity verification technology. The global partnership expands Sterling’s digital identity capabilities in EMEA and APAC globally (excluding US), and accelerates their vision to create privacycentric, portable identities for candidates.
Results
In 2023, Sterling launched the first iteration of its partnership with Yoti, leveraging digital identity verification for UK right to work and DBS criminal record checks. This helped to bring a much improved digital identity option to clients, accelerating the hiring process whilst helping employers create environments of trust and safety for their most important resource - people.
The Sterling and Yoti partnership is:
- Enabling an exclusive digital verification workflow to be integrated directly into the hiring process, allowing employers to take an identityfirst approach, where a candidate’s identity is verified before completing other background checks and before being hired. This ensures that the correct individual is being assessed and presented as a candidate.
- Strengthening pre-employment checks for companies worldwide.
- Reducing the need to use physical documents, creating a simplified hiring and onboarding experience for both employer and candidate.
- Introducing secure reusable digital identities for candidates that can be shared with businesses.
This partnership is providing Sterling’s clients with an exclusive, fully-integrated digital identity solution that streamlines and simplifies identity verification in hiring processes, and improves the accuracy of background checks. Furthermore, candidates who verify their identity through Sterling and Yoti will be able to seamlessly create a secure, reusable digital identity. This allows them to verify their identity once and share their details with businesses in seconds, making the verification process more streamlined and frictionless for employers and candidates.
Individuals will be able to use their digital identity for future job applications and any other process requiring identity or age verification, such as banking, buying age restricted items and even moving house. Yoti is government approved for proof of identity, for right to work, right to rent and criminal record checks, and approved by the Home Office for proof of age. Being able to use a digital ID across different use cases is one of the main benefits of reusable digital IDs, compared to having to show paper documents every time.
Sterling and Yoti are offering companies the most comprehensive, secure, and efficient employment checks.
This partnership is a perfect example of how digital identity solutions can intersect with everyday processes to streamline, simplify, and elevate experiences for users. The collaboration with Yoti has been exciting and created a foundation for ongoing innovation as digital identity driven solutions are adopted globally, and pre- and post- hire use cases unfold.
Steven Smith - President International, Sterling
