Background check in Belarus

With a thriving e-commerce sector, a highly skilled workforce, and a regionally-leading digital economy, Belarus was recently a front-runner for many international employers looking to expand their marketplace.

However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has left the Belarussian economy severely impacted. Many individuals, including those who work in the tech sector, have emigrated from the country.

Belarus represents an IT hub with a qualified workforce. If you're planning to hire employees living in Belarus, you will need to be familiar with its employment laws. In addition, you should be prepared to run a background check on prospective employees to ensure they have the qualifications you're looking for.

Continue reading to learn what you should know about the different types of background checks in Belarus and how to conduct them.

What you need to know when performing a background check in Belarus

International background checks are one of many risky aspects of international employment. Every country has unique background check regulations, and you will need to comply with the local regulations when hiring employees based in Belarus.

Below is a list of the types of background checks available to employers in Belarus.

Employment history

One of the most common types of background checks is an employment history check. This screening process involves contacting the prospective employee's previous employers and verifying the information the employee provided. This includes:

• When and for how long the prospective employee worked there
• What was their job title
• What their job duties included

Educational background

An educational background screening is another essential type of background check in Belarus. This pre-employment screening aims to ensure the prospective employee has received the educational accolades they claim to have like a Bachelor's, Master's Degree, or Ph.D.

This type of background check is especially important when hiring employees to fill roles requiring a minimum education level.

Medical screening

A medical screening is a less common, and often less essential, type of background screening done by employers. However, employers will sometimes opt to perform a medical screening for employees whose jobs necessitate it like pilots and doctors.

In Belarus, employers can request pre-employment medical screenings from prospective employees. However, they may only be able to obtain certain information. In addition, they may be subject to regional restrictions and will need to receive written consent from the prospective employee before moving forward with medical screening.

Criminal history

Many employers perform criminal history checks on prospective employees to ensure they have a clean criminal record. This can be especially important if an employee is being hired to fill a role where they will have access to company funds or other employees' personal information.

It's legal to request a criminal history check for a candidate in Belarus. But you will need to obtain the candidate's written signature stating they're granting you access to their records.

Credit history

A credit history check is conducted when an employer wants to know about a prospective employee's financial history. This is typically requested when an employer is hiring a candidate to be in charge of specific aspects of their company finances.

Employee credit history reports are legal in Belarus, but are significantly restricted by the country's data protection laws. They also require written consent from the candidate to be conducted.

Requirements for background check in Belarus

The legal requirements you will need to fulfill to conduct a background check in Belarus will vary based on the type of pre-employment screening you plan to do. It also depends on the role the employee will be filling.

However, you should be prepared to request some or all of the following information from prospective employees if you plan to run a background check in Belarus:

• Personal information about the prospective employee, including their full name, their date of birth, and their address.
• Information about any educational institutions the prospective employee has attended, including the name of the institution and the dates the employee attended.
• Information about any previous employers the prospective employee was hired by, including their name when the employee worked there, and what work they performed.
• A written release from the prospective employee stating you are entitled to access their records.

If you use a third-party screening company, they will alert you to the specific requirements needed to conduct the background checks you're interested in.

Steps in conducting background checks in Belarus

You should be prepared to take slightly different steps to conduct your background check depending on the type of screening you plan to perform.

However, most free background checks in Belarus require you to take the following steps:

1. Assess which tests you need (educational background check, employment verification check)
2. Ensure your background check is compliant. Collect any necessary release forms and documents, and hire a third-party screening company (recommended).
3. Run your background check. The time it takes to process a background check varies, so allow time to wait for the results before moving forward with your candidate.

Benefits of background checks

International hiring can present many challenges for employers who have to navigate long-distance employment relationships and compliance in multiple countries.

One challenge that global employers face is navigating how to verify information about candidates that live halfway across the world. However, employment background checks in Belarus present many benefits for international employers, including:

• Candidates who do not have the requested qualifications or entitlements might be discouraged from embellishing their employment or educational history if you indicate you'll perform a background check.
• You can have confidence in your future hires because you'll be aware of any history of criminal activity or workplace misconduct during the pre-employment screening. This is especially important when hiring candidates to fill roles that deal with finances and private information. This can also help prevent ghost employees.
• Because you'll be able to confirm that candidates have the necessary skills, qualifications, and educational background, you may experience less employee turnover. This can result in less money spent on onboarding and training, and a more stable team.
• Background checks help your company remain compliant with local legislation by ensuring candidates are legally entitled to perform the job you're hiring them for.

Are employee background checks legal in Belarus?

Employee background checks are legal in Belarus, with certain restrictions. Belarus, like most countries, has laws protecting an individual's privacy. This means you will need to obtain written consent from any prospective employee before you have access to their credit or medical information.

Planning to hire in Belarus? Here's how Skuad can help

Global employers benefit from having a diverse, international team. However, this also means they face unique challenges when it comes to complying with international employment laws.

If you're planning to hire candidates in Belarus or other foreign countries, you should be prepared to vet employees using background checks. These inform you of their criminal, professional, and financial histories.

When you partner with Skuad, we can help you manage all aspects of hiring employees in Belarus and beyond, including localized onboarding, multi-currency payments and navigating pre-employment screenings.

Book a demo today to get started!

FAQs

How to get a background check in Belarus?

The easiest way to get a background check is to consider partnering with a third-party screening company. Using these professional services will ensure that the necessary release forms are obtained and that the screening is performed compliantly.

What can be asked in a background check?

There are numerous types of background checks that aim to obtain different information about a prospective employee's history. This can include everything from their educational and employment history to their credit history.

Depending on the type of role an employee is being hired for, you may only be able to run specific pre-employment screening. In addition, you will typically need written permission from a candidate to obtain any personal information.

Do all countries do background checks?

The laws regulating background checks vary widely by country. For example, some countries don't allow pre-employment screenings of any kind, while others only allow some types of background checks.

How do they check employment background checks?

How an employment history check in Belarus is conducted will depend on the third-party organization you use to conduct it. However, it may involve getting general information about the candidate's previous employers from them so their HR teams can be contacted.

How do I get a criminal record check from Belarus?

If you plan to get a criminal record check on a prospective employee in Belarus, you should go through a third-party company. This will ensure the check is completed in a manner compliant with Belarussian law.