Letter From CEO

Looking back on recent years, there is one thing that remains crucial to the success of businesses across South Africa: hiring the right person for the job.

Conducting comprehensive Background Screening checks - pre- and post-employment - assists organisations in making informed choices in terms of the people they on-board, whilst also helping them to avoid financial and reputational harm along the way.

I founded MIE 28 years ago and, during my time as CEO, I have witnessed the massive escalation in appetite for solutions which prioritise hiring the right person for the job. If we look at MIE’s volume alone, the demand for background screening services has risen from 1,615,730 transactions in 2011, to 3,037,273 transactions in 2016. A major trend in this regard is the widespread interest and uptake of qualification verification which is, one of the most requested checks from organisations.

MIE’s commitment to innovation is reflected in the various smart vetting solutions we have introduced and implemented over the years, as well as the headway made to ensure that we remain the preferred background screening partner in South Africa and Africa at large. MIE is a subsidiary of the EOH group of companies and have access to a sophisticated network of information services, adding to the comprehensive offering we are able to provide our clients.

Furthermore, our ownership of the NQR® (National Qualifications Register) means that we have access to the records of over 3.8 million graduates from 25 subscribing tertiary institutions. We are also a proud member of the NAPBS (National Association of Professional Background Screeners), an industry body whose annual conference we attended in Palm Desert (California) in 2016. Through such affiliations, we are able to stay in touch and up-to-date with global industry trends and innovations.

In 2016, we acquired vetting organisation, EMPS (Employers’ Mutual Protection Service), adding a wealth of expertise, experience and knowledge to the MIE stable and solidifying our place as the oldest, largest and most well-established background screening company in Southern Africa. We firmly believe that our holistic and innovative product and service solutions provide valuable insight into the employability of prospective employees. Ultimately, we help companies take the guesswork out of the selection process.

Looking forward, to strengthen the industry as a whole, I believe we need to form a regulatory association in order to maintain the reputation and standards of the background screening sector and enforce legal compliance. I see MIE playing a significant role in the development of such an industry body which will go far in eliminating the entry of disreputable vetting organisations.

MIE’s Annual Background Screening Report highlights our key findings for background checks conducted in 2016. The report also indicates the risks associated with the result of background checks and expands on our global screening capabilities.

I trust that you will find this report and its findings interesting.