Bakgrundskontroller i svenskt näringsliv - En studie av kontrollförfarandet vid rekrytering till ledningsgrupper
Changes in the labour market combined with an increased media coverage of managers, have resulted in the rise of a new human due diligence industry. The use of background checks has lately become increasingly popular on the Swedish market and many companies use it as an evaluation tool when recruiting. This study investigates differences in the background screening procedure for recruitment to executive management positions and lower level positions. It also aims to answer why background checks are conducted, using a cultural and a functional perspective. The report takes an abductive approach and data has primarily been gathered through a survey directed to large Swedish companies. The study concludes that applicants to managerial positions are subjected to more extensive background screening due to their higher risk exposure. Background checks are found to beneficial, both from a cultural and a functional aspect. However background checks are sometimes found to be used as a tool for companies to obtain legitimacy, which can result in a drift from their functional purpose. For example it finds that many companies perform background checks that are easily accessible rather than those that they find to be of most value. An overemphasis on finding the "perfect" employee could significantly limit the candidate pool and result in a loss of efficiency for the employer.