Credential fraud is not a marginal problem in the Indonesian labour market. Fabricated degrees from real universities, genuine degrees from institutions that exist only as a certificate mill, inflated titles at previous employers, and employment dates stretched to conceal a dismissal are all routinely encountered at senior level. The candidates most worth screening are the ones whose references are most impressive.
IndoRisk conducts pre-employment screening for employers in Jakarta and across Indonesia, scoped to the sensitivity of the role and conducted within the constraints of Indonesian employment and data protection law.
Roles that warrant screening
- Country managers, finance directors and anyone with signing authority
- Procurement, supply chain and vendor management roles
- Cash-handling, treasury and payment processing positions
- Government relations and regulatory affairs personnel
- Roles with access to intellectual property, formulations, source code or customer data
- Senior hires being recruited away from a direct competitor
- Security personnel and anyone with unsupervised access to premises or residences
What we verify
Identity
Confirmation that identity documentation is authentic and internally consistent, and that the identity used on the application matches that used in the candidate’s employment and corporate history.
Education and professional credentials
Direct verification with the awarding institution rather than acceptance of a certificate copy. Indonesian universities vary considerably in how they respond to verification requests, and effective verification often requires knowing which office to approach. Foreign qualifications are verified with the issuing institution or its verification agent.
Employment history
Verification of employer, dates, position held and reason for leaving, with the former employer’s HR function and, where the candidate consents, with named referees. Gaps and discrepancies are pursued rather than noted.
Litigation and adverse record
Court record searches covering civil, criminal and labour proceedings, including industrial relations disputes with previous employers — a materially useful check that most screening providers omit.
Directorships and conflicts of interest
Identification of companies in which the candidate holds shares or office, including entities that might transact with your business. Undisclosed vendor interests are one of the most common findings in procurement-role screening.
Regulatory standing and sanctions
Checks against sanctions and enforcement lists, and against regulator action where the role is in financial services or another licensed sector.
Integrity and reputation
For senior appointments, discreet enquiry with industry sources on conduct, management style and the circumstances of previous departures. Conducted with care: the Indonesian executive market in any given sector is small, and clumsy enquiry damages the candidate and the hiring employer alike.
Consent and lawfulness
Indonesia’s Personal Data Protection Law requires a lawful basis for processing personal data, and screening is conducted on the basis of the candidate’s documented, informed consent to the specific checks proposed. We provide clients with a consent form appropriate to the scope.
Two constraints are worth stating plainly. First, criminal history cannot be obtained by an employer from a national database; the police record certificate is applied for by the individual, and the practical approach is to require a current certificate as a condition of offer. Second, financial and credit information is not available to commercial employers. Providers claiming otherwise are either using unlawful sources or overstating what they deliver.
Turnaround and format
Standard screening for a senior hire in Jakarta takes four to seven working days; verification of foreign credentials or employment outside Indonesia can extend this. Reports are delivered as a clear pass, discrepancy or adverse finding against each verified element, with the underlying evidence annexed. Where a discrepancy is capable of innocent explanation, we say so — a screening report that invites the employer to draw the worst inference is a bad product.
Frequently asked questions
Can we screen a candidate before making an offer?
Yes, with consent. Many employers prefer to screen post-offer and pre-commencement, making the offer conditional on satisfactory verification. Either sequence works; the conditionality needs to be documented in the offer letter.
Can you screen expatriate candidates?
Yes, including verification in their home jurisdiction, subject to local law there. This is routine for regional appointments based in Jakarta.
What happens if we find something after the person has started?
That becomes an employment law question, and dismissal for misrepresentation in Indonesia is procedurally demanding. We can support the internal investigation, but the time to screen is before commencement.
Related services
Where a screening finding suggests a live problem inside the organisation, see fraud and internal investigations. For individuals outside an employment context, see background investigations. Return to the Jakarta practice or contact us.