Safer hiring

Professional background checks

Hiring the wrong person costs time, money and trust. With a thorough background check from Semac, you get a solid decision-making basis that provides reassurance both for you and the candidate. You decide how extensive the check should be, so you only pay for what you need.

Why a professional background check is important

When you are strengthening your team with new employees, it involves both opportunities and risk. Many candidates appear attractive with strong CVs, but there may be surprises hidden behind them. This is something you want to know about before you sign the contract.

A professional background check:

Uncovers issues such as fake CVs, missing documentation, hidden financial or legal matters
Reduces the risk of bad hires that can damage the work environment, customer relationships or reputation
Provides an objective and documented basis for the hiring decision
Ensures that you make a thorough assessment, without having to rely on gut feeling alone

With Semac as your partner you get a structured and transparent process. We deliver accurate reports you can use internally, and we ensure that your assessments can be verified afterwards.

How we conduct background checks

A background check consists of a structured set of checkpoints tailored to the job type and the level of risk.

With identity verification, the candidate confirms their identity using BankID or by uploading their passport. Open source searches are then conducted across news outlets, social media and other relevant online sources.

Education and previous employment are verified directly with the stated institutions and employers. Assessments can also be made of financial situation, business interests, any bankruptcy disqualifications and other factors that may affect trust and security.

References are collected digitally or through phone interviews, and for positions with higher responsibility, security interviews, awareness conversations or assessments of loyalty and vulnerability may be included. Where relevant, checks of police certificates and residence permits are also carried out.

Findings and uncertainties are handled through contradiction and follow up in dialogue with the client. It is also possible to add customer specific checkpoints as needed. The goal is always to provide a solid and documented foundation for a safe and well informed hiring decision. Contact us today for a no obligation conversation.

What does a background check cost?

The cost depends on how much information needs to be collected and verified, and how high the risk is for the role.

Entry level roles for recent graduates often require only education verification and references, while positions with greater responsibility should be checked more thoroughly for financial factors, business interests and potential security risks. We set the appropriate levels together with you, ensuring you get the right level of assurance without paying for more than you need.

See our pricing here.

Who should use background checks from Semac?

Our background checks are designed for organisations that need documented assurance before hiring, whether you are:

HR manager in an SMB or larger company
Recruitment manager or recruitment agency
Manager responsible for security, compliance, finance or sensitive information
Organisation with high requirements for trust, security and reputation
Public or private entity with requirements for compliance, accountability and due diligence

Whether you are hiring one person or building an entire team, Semac offers a scalable, flexible and reliable solution.

Why should SMBs choose background checks from Semac?

Small and medium sized businesses are particularly vulnerable to bad hires. A single wrong recruitment can affect operations, finances, customer relationships and the work environment, especially when teams are small and every role is important.

We offer tailored background checks developed specifically for SMBs, adapted to limited resources, high pace and the need for a simple and efficient process. The service is tailored to both scope and budget, without unnecessary complexity.

Semac takes responsibility for the entire process, from gathering information to the final report. This means you can spend your time finding and assessing the right candidates, while we handle the time consuming checks.

Our solutions uncover critical risk factors that often do not emerge in interviews or through the CV alone, including:

false or misleading CV information
financial challenges relevant to the role
missing or incorrectly stated education
conflict or reputation issues that may affect the work environment

Why should large companies choose background checks from Semac?

Large organisations face a completely different level of risk, requirements and complexity than smaller organisations. Several departments, many parallel recruitments and roles with high access or major responsibility make it crucial to have a structured, scalable and secure background check process.

We give you insight into risk factors that often are not uncovered in interviews or traditional CV reviews, including:

insider threats and breaches of loyalty
falsified or manipulated documentation
financial vulnerability in roles with access or responsibility
conflicts of interest that may affect integrity
history that may pose a threat to the role, operations or the organisation

Our solution is developed for large organisations and supports high volumes and all types of positions. We offer flexibility and adaptation based on risk, industry and internal requirements, without compromising on quality, security or efficiency.

What our customers say about background checks from Semac

"We are very satisfied with Semac. The system is efficient, easy to navigate and works exactly as we need it to. In addition, customer service is always welcoming and responsive to our needs."

"There has been a positive development in recent years, processing times have gone down, and the system has become more efficient. We highly value the good service and the opportunity to influence improvements."

"As a new user of the system, I am satisfied so far. It is easy to use, and the background check gives us confidence in the recruitment process."

"Switching to Semac was definitely the right choice. We have received close follow up and good service, and we look forward to further collaboration."

These are the elements of a background check:

Identity verification

We confirm the candidate's identity, usually with BankID or passport. This is the very foundation of a background check, you must be certain that all subsequent checks refer to the right person. Identity verification reduces the risk of fraud and misinformation, and ensures that the process is secure and verifiable.

Address check

We verify the stated address against reliable registers to confirm previous and current residential information. This helps uncover discrepancies that may indicate identity risk, misleading history or issues that should be followed up.

Residence permit

For foreign candidates we verify legal residence and work permits. This provides predictability, prevents legal challenges and ensures that the organisation complies with current regulations from day one.

High risk countries

If the candidate has ties to countries with elevated security or corruption risk, we assess this against open sources, the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) and Transparency International. This is particularly important for roles with access to assets, information or critical infrastructure.

Credit check

Through an approved subcontractor we assess financial circumstances such as income, debt, payment remarks and credit score. This is particularly relevant for roles with financial responsibility, access to assets or positions that require a high level of trust.

Announcements and business interests

We check, among other things, bankruptcies, board positions, remarks and business interests. Such information provides insight into the candidate's professional history and can uncover circumstances that affect integrity, impartiality and financial risk.

Bankruptcy disqualification

We identify whether the candidate is subject to bankruptcy disqualification, which may affect their ability to hold management or finance related positions.

Open source searches

We conduct extensive searches in editorial media, social media, blogs, image banks and open sources. The goal is to uncover relevant information that may affect reputation, work environment or risk, such as extreme statements, patterns of conflict or other public information of significance.

Specific source and register searches (Global Watchlist)

We search global watch and sanctions lists, as well as other registers that uncover reprehensible conduct, legal violations or lack of compliance with international standards. The check reveals whether the candidate is linked to businesses or activities that require closer assessment.

Specific source and register searches (Global Watchlist) with PEP

For roles with increased responsibility or risk we include a check of whether the candidate is registered as a Politically Exposed Person (PEP). This helps identify potential risk factors related to impartiality, influence or exposure.

Reference validation

We verify that the references are genuine and available, you conduct the actual conversation. This allows you to ask the questions that matter most to you, while having confidence that the reference has been validated.

Digital reference checks

Our digital reference solution provides a high response rate, fast processing and structured feedback. References answer standardised or customised questions digitally, which improves quality and provides more honest, consistent responses.

Employment verification

We contact previous employers directly to confirm job title, responsibilities and employment period. This ensures that the experience the candidate refers to is accurate, and reduces the risk of bad hires.

Security related reference checks

For positions with particular risk we perform an extended reference check that includes an assessment of integrity, judgement and security related behaviour. This helps uncover issues that do not emerge in standard reference processes.

Verification of gaps in the CV

We verify the stated periods in the CV to identify gaps, discrepancies or unresolved time periods. This provides a more complete understanding of the candidate's history and reduces uncertainty.

Education verification

We contact the educational institution directly to confirm completed education, degrees and credits. This uncovers incorrect information and ensures that the candidate has the qualifications required for the role.

Security declaration

The candidate fills out a digital, structured questionnaire that is carefully reviewed by Semac. If anything is unclear or unusual, we follow up directly with the candidate for precise clarifications. This provides a holistic picture of factors that may be relevant for the role.

Vulnerability interview

The conversation follows the principles from authorisation processes under the Norwegian Security Act. Here we assess loyalty, judgement and potential risk factors based on information the candidate has shared and findings from the background check. The vulnerability interview provides important insight for roles with particular responsibility.

Awareness interview

This conversation strengthens the candidate's understanding of the organisation's risks and vulnerabilities. By discussing concrete scenarios and areas of responsibility, we create a clear understanding of what needs to be protected and what expectations are tied to the role. This helps prevent insider risk and increases security awareness.

Increased awareness of the company's risk is an important step in building resilience against insider threats, and helps the candidate understand what must be protected and what consequences disloyalty may have.

Contradiction and follow up

We assist in assessing any discrepancies or remarks in the report, and ensure that the candidate has an opportunity to explain the circumstances before a decision is made. Not all discrepancies are necessarily proven, and the candidate should be given the chance to explain them. This provides a fair process and ensures that the decision making basis is precise, complete and documented. If needed, we conduct further investigations and document the results.

If Semac considers it necessary for the purpose of the assignment, a thorough investigation is carried out, and the results are documented in the report.

Obtaining a police certificate

When relevant and lawful, we assist with obtaining a police certificate in cooperation with the candidate. This is particularly important for roles involving work with vulnerable groups or a high degree of trust.

Customer specific checkpoints

Do you have your own needs? We develop tailored checkpoints together with you, based on industry, areas of responsibility or regulatory requirements.