Recent high profile employee scandals has prompted UK companies to lift their level of scrutiny when hiring new employees.

Elan, one of Europe’s top IT recruitment consultancies, says that in a world where businesses are increasingly security conscious, the HR function is becoming a tool to shield against damage from staff misconduct.

In a recent study, the company found that 56% of organisations were scrutinising potential employees more thoroughly today than they did one year ago.

These companies did not only rely on references, but also checked a jobseeker’s former position, with more than 56% of them contacting the applicant’s former employers.

The study also found that long gaps in the work history of applicants prompted more than 46% of employers to investigate more deeply the reasons for long periods of unemployment.