Freightways has delivered a new company that enables businesses to protect employees’ private information.
MyChecks offers efficient background checks that are kept safely at arm’s length, helping business compliance with privacy laws, and minimising the impact of a data security breach.
It is the first product to come to market from Freightways’ dedicated research and development arm, The Startery.
The Startery is responsible for developing complementary revenue streams for the NZX-listed business while furthering its offering to Kiwi customers in the pick-up, processing and delivery space.
“This is a crucial first step for The Startery, protecting data is a pressing concern for businesses and we know that many out there are falling short,” Freightways chief executive Mark Troughear says.
“MyChecks is a simple solution for those that just don’t want this level of risk.”
Using MyChecks, a business can check all the usual types of information they normally would when assessing potential employees – criminal backgrounds, driver’s licenses, credit checks, online references and more.
It carries out checks through the Ministry of Justice, NZTA, ACC and other authorities, providing employers with a simple ‘acceptable’ or ‘not acceptable’ response based on customised requirements for the role they are hiring for.
This ensures that employers aren’t holding any unnecessary information in the event of external attacks, or if another staff member goes looking.
“Cybersecurity is an increasing threat to businesses and organisations all over the world, and we’ve seen that already in the last year with high profile disruptions to NZ organisations,” MyChecks founder Josephine McGillivray says.
“Private information about individuals is highly sought after on the dark web, and the best way businesses can protect both themselves and their employees is by never actually having that information in the first place.
“Currently businesses are caught between a rock and a hard place, because they need to conduct thorough background checks, but they then have the burden of responsibility for protecting that information. Our technology bridges that gap for them,” McGillivray says.
Currently, MyChecks is focussed on businesses in need of employment background checks, but the technology is in constant development and has the potential to be utilised for other purposes, such as tenancy applications.
Several businesses have already signed up to MyChecks including Briscoes, Comvita, The Icehouse, Hydraulink and Popstars Productions.
