The background check hasn’t changed much in decades. A criminal record search, a reference call, maybe a credit check – and yet the risks employers actually face have moved somewhere else entirely. Workplace harassment, threats, intolerance and misconduct now leave observable traces online, long before they ever show up in a court record. At the same time, AI has made it trivially easy to fabricate an identity – a polished CV, a deepfake video interview, a candidate who exists only in the aggregate of a language model.
So what does the next generation of screening actually look like when identity, behaviour and personalisation converge?
To find out, we’re sitting down with Ben Mones, founder and CEO of FAMA – the world’s largest online screening company, with over 45 million reports produced. Ben founded FAMA in 2015 after experiencing first-hand a workplace misconduct incident that could have been prevented, and he’s spent the decade since building the case that behaviour – not just records – is the signal employers should be screening for.
Key Themes We’ll Cover:
Beyond the Criminal Record – Why traditional background checks were built for a pre-internet world, and the gap they leave when it comes to workplace-relevant risk
Identity in the Age of AI – Verifying that the person applying is actually who they say they are, as deepfakes, synthetic CVs and AI-generated candidates enter the funnel
Behaviour First, Not Background First – How AI can surface intolerance, harassment, threats and violence in publicly available online content – across 100+ languages – and why Fama deliberately screens behaviour rather than protected characteristics
The Compliance Tightrope – Running screening programs that stand up to FCRA, EEOC, GDPR, EU AI Act, PIPEDA and FCA’s new non-financial misconduct regulations scrutiny: consent, consistency, and what candidates must be allowed to contest
Personalisation vs. Consistency – Tailoring screening depth to role seniority and risk profile without introducing bias or disparate impact into the process
The End of One-Size-Fits-All Screening – What a genuinely personalised screening stack looks like, and where configurability ends and subjectivity begins
Screening Beyond the Offer – Continuous screening of existing employees: legitimate risk management or the thin end of a surveillance wedge?
What to Ask Your Screening Vendor – The hard questions recruiters and TA leaders should be asking about AI accuracy, explainability and bias before they sign anything
Whether you run screening in-house, outsource it to a background check provider, or are simply wondering what AI means for candidate trust and privacy, this session will give you a clear-eyed view of where screening is heading – and what it means for how you hire. Join Hung Lee and Ben Mones for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of background screening.
We’re live on Wednesday 28th October, 10am ET. Follow the Recruiting Brainfood channel here (recommended) and register for the show by saving your spot here. Must attend folks.