June 29th, 2017 | Sterling

Clients Benefit from Sterling Talent Solutions Partnership with Canadian Police Agencies

The means by which criminal record and police information is accessed in Canada requires background screening companies use processes established through agreements with one or more Category I CPIC Agencies. These CPIC Agencies are police services with jurisdiction somewhere within Canada. Referred to as our Police Partner Agencies (PPA), Sterling Talent Solutions conducts business through such partnerships which are subject to federal policies and are based on RCMP approvals.

PPAs have the ability to access the National Police Services (NPS) systems. These systems are used to search the National Repository of criminal records as well as uncover relevant information that may exist at the local police jurisdiction level. Sterling Talent Solutions prepares the request packages ensuring that federal policy requirements are met as they pertain to applicant consent and identity verification. The results that we provide to clients also conform to federally approved wordings that are permissible for the type of search conducted. In these respects, the process that Sterling Talent Solutions employs may be similar to that of any company operating in the Canadian space that is doing so in a compliant manner.

Exclusive PPA Partnerships for Criminal Record Checks

One important area where Sterling Talent Solutions is different from our competitors is our exclusive PPA partnerships. Why is this important? What makes Police Partner exclusivity a key differentiator belonging to Sterling Talent Solutions that organizations should care about?

Here is what exclusivity ensures for our clients:

• Sterling is able to provide our PPAs with secure software to receive search request packages. Since our PPAs are only managing our requests, they are not juggling multiple and different intake queues avoiding the inherent risk of error associated with a one to many PPA/Company scenario.
• Similarly, our PPAs use our proprietary technology platform to return to our clients secure results. Results can only be retrieved by applicants and authorized client users. Unlike some competitors who may use email to support their processes, our solution ensures that applicant information is properly safeguarded and not at risk of misdirection or breach.
• We are able to work with our PPAs to implement and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that ensure consistent processes and superior quality assurance. This is only possible because our PPAs are working solely with Sterling.
• Working with one set of SOPs enables Sterling to collaborate closely with its PPAs to manage and continuously refine our processes.
• Our SOPs are developed and maintained through a process of evaluation that includes both our clients and our Police Partners.
• Our PPAs are not servicing the needs of multiple companies that may have differing standards or requirements for their products. Sterling Talent Solutions’ needs and priorities are the only ones that our PPAs need to consider.

Exclusive Partnerships Creates Better Background Screening Processes

Processes require review from time to time, and this equates to opportunities for continuous improvement that represents an important value-add for our clients. Sterling, through its exclusive relationships with its Police Partner Agencies, is better positioned to ensure consistently high standards and quality assurance.

Organizations are focused on the screening results and this is understandable. The processes used by background screening companies when they fulfill searches for clients is something that is often taken for granted. After all, the point to outsourcing such requirements is to leave the details and the specialized expertise to others so that the organization can focus on its core business. Certainly though, if one recognizes that successful applicant onboarding is central to achieving an organization’s mission, a deeper dive into how such processes are fulfilled can be instructive. To that end, this article is intended to draw attention to an aspect of our service delivery of which most clients would not necessarily have any awareness.

Sterling Talent Solutions’ processes are built on one to one relationships with each of our Police Partners. This approach, unique to Sterling among Canadian companies, provides us with the right span of control over an important component of the background screening services our clients require. Exclusivity of our Police Partner Agency relationships means our clients’ interests remain foremost. Just another way that Sterling Talent Solutions delivers added value that differentiates us from the others.

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