Gig Company Tackles Compliance Challenges While Improving Candidate and User Experiences

Our client is a world-leading online platform that connects customers with independent contractors to provide services requiring a high degree of trust and reliability. All candidates are required to undergo a background check before they can start providing services. Background screening helps ensure safety for users on the platform, which is key to our client’s strategy to build trust and brand recognition in the global online community.

Navigating compliance requirements has, at times, proven complex for this client. One ongoing challenge comes from Fair Chance regulations in places like New York City and Los Angeles, where the US government forms require respondents to declare employment details. Implementing this requirement has been difficult, since the client, like most gig companies, does not formally “employ” anyone on its platform. The client also required a user-friendly and engaging candidate experience, as well as integration solutions that would streamline the screening process for their users.

Solution

The client began partnering with Sterling in the first quarter of 2020. Sterling’s availability and dedication to being engaged made the onboarding and implementation experience stand out in comparison with other vendors. Sterling led well-organized training and feedback collection, and client challenges, needs, and questions were understood accurately and promptly addressed. Client feedback during the onboarding process was used to further develop the program, such as enhancing the user interface or adding features to make candidate engagement easier.

Sterling’s compliance experts have also been partnering with the client’s legal team to provide ongoing screening compliance guidance. This has helped them navigate their compliance obligations, which are always evolving.

The gig company has also been able to make use of Sterling’s flexible integration solutions to truly incorporate background screening into its core business processes. By configuring connections to the company’s CRM provider, tickets appear when background checks are created, streamlining frontline client success operations and background screening adjudication processes while enabling more efficient workflows. When new candidates sign up with the platform, they submit profiles, undergo background checks, and are assigned badges and online profiles before going live. All of these steps trigger automatically, and since program inception, the integrated processes have worked as intended, without significant service disruption.

From the start of this partnership, Sterling’s team has acknowledged the client’s pain points, and has been dedicated to providing thought leadership, best practice guidance, and solutions. Together we have built an efficient, effective, and trustworthy screening experience.

Key Highlights

• User-friendly experience: integration with CRM software creates a ticket for the gig company’s team to review whenever a background check is initiated, facilitating the screening and adjudication processes.
• Proactive and thorough: Sterling not only answers questions, but also anticipates and proactively addresses relevant concerns or updates.
• Compliance support: Sterling’s team of legal and compliance experts provides thought leadership and helps the client’s team navigate a complex and ever-evolving regulatory landscape.

Learn more about Sterling’s integration options here. For insightful compliance resources, check out our Compliance Hub.