Security Clearance Should Not Be Used as a Selection Criterion
Many employers are increasingly looking for employees with pre-existing security clearance because they do not want to wait for fresh inspection of the candidates. According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), workers are being asked to show their existing security clearance before being offered placement in certain jobs.
This increasing demand from employers, requesting potential employees to produce security clearances up front, raises a question whether such security clearances have become a selection criterion in itself. This will prove detrimental for freelancers who may not possess existing security clearances. According to the Cabinet Office guidelines, asking for clearance levels in advance of a posting is only permitted for a short-term placement or when a posting is required at very short notice. But for other jobs employers must reconsider their decision of asking employees to produce security clearances and thereby denying opportunities to able candidates who may not possess such clearances.
Tom Hadley, the REC’s Director of External Relations, stated that clearances should be demanded by employers offering jobs only in sensitive areas, or when they cannot wait for the candidates to be cleared. Such jobs should be open to as many contractors as possible.
John Brazier, Managing Director of the Professional Contractors Group (PCG), a freelancers and contractors association, also agrees with the Cabinet Office guidelines. According to him deserving candidates will be badly hit by recruiters asking for clearances up front. Such a scenario, in turn, will also be disadvantageous to the contractors and the end-users owing to the small talent pool that will remain if applicants must have existing clearances.
The Certificate in HR Practice (CHRP) provides a firm foundation in all the areas of personnel and imparts training to managers to successfully manage appropriate policies and procedures and improve upon management skills to implement best practice in recruitment and selection
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