Screening Software

Vetting and screening are critical parts of employing staff within the security industry. For businesses working to BS 7858, the challenge is not only collecting the right information, but also tracking progress, identifying gaps, recording decisions and maintaining a clear audit trail throughout the screening process.

GMS Cloud helps security businesses manage staff screening in a structured and visible way. From initial onboarding through to screening completion, the system allows managers to track each candidate’s progress, monitor outstanding actions, store supporting documents and evidence that screening steps have been completed or reviewed.

BS 7858 screening requires a disciplined approach to identity checks, employment history, gap analysis, right to work evidence, licence checks and the wider decision-making process around whether a candidate is suitable for deployment. GMS helps bring these checks together into a single workflow, reducing the risk of screening information being scattered across emails, spreadsheets, paper files and separate HR notes.

Screening records can be built around the individual staff member, allowing the business to maintain a clear view of what has been requested, what has been received, what still needs attention and what has been accepted by management. This helps screening become a managed process rather than a collection of disconnected admin tasks.

Where screening is not yet complete, the system can help record progress, highlight outstanding information and support management review before deployment decisions are made.

GMS gives managers an at-a-glance view of where each candidate or staff member sits within the screening process. Progress tracking and traffic-light style status indicators help identify which files are complete, which are progressing normally, and which require attention.

This is particularly useful where several candidates are being onboarded at once, or where screening activity is shared between managers, administrators and operations staff. Rather than manually checking each file, supervisors can quickly see where delays are developing and what action is needed next.

• Track screening progress for each candidate or staff member
• Use traffic-light status indicators to highlight complete, pending and problem areas
• Identify outstanding references, gaps, documents and management actions
• Generate screening progress reports for review or audit purposes
• Maintain a clearer record of screening decisions and follow-up activity

Employment history is one of the most time-consuming parts of screening. GMS allows employment, education and other history records to be logged against the candidate, helping the business build a clear timeline and identify gaps that require explanation or further evidence.

The system can support gap checking, reference requests and the logging of responses, helping screening teams see which periods have been covered and which still require attention. This makes it easier to evidence that the employment history has been reviewed rather than simply collected.

Where references or evidence are outstanding, the record remains visible as an open action, reducing the risk of incomplete files being overlooked.

GMS can assist with sending reference requests to previous employers, education providers or other relevant contacts, while retaining a record of what was sent and when. This helps create a clearer audit trail around the screening process and reduces reliance on manually searching through email accounts for evidence of contact.

Responses, supporting documents and notes can be stored against the screening file, allowing managers to review the evidence in context. Where a response is delayed or incomplete, the file can continue to show that further action is required.

This creates a more defensible screening record, helping the business show not only the final outcome, but also the steps taken to reach that outcome.

For companies where DBS monitoring is a necessary requirement, GMS can support automated DBS monitoring workflows and ongoing compliance checks. This helps the business keep important screening information under review after the initial onboarding process has been completed.

SIA licence information and other compliance dates can also be monitored, helping managers identify upcoming expiries, outstanding checks or records that need attention. This allows the business to move from reactive compliance administration to a more proactive monitoring process.

By bringing DBS, licence and screening information into the same staff record, GMS helps managers maintain a clearer picture of whether a staff member remains compliant for the duties they are being assigned.

Screening delays are often caused by missing documents, incomplete history, unanswered queries or information that the candidate does not realise is still required. GMS helps reduce this by giving staff visibility of their onboarding and screening progress, so they can see where they are in the process and what may still need to be resolved.

This creates a more transparent onboarding experience for the staff member and reduces the need for repeated manual chasing by the screening team. If there is an issue with employment history, missing evidence, identity documents or other screening requirements, the candidate can be prompted to deal with it earlier.

For the business, this helps speed up onboarding, reduce avoidable delays and improve the quality of information collected before a staff member is deployed.

Screening compliance is easier to manage when the right information is visible. GMS can provide dashboard-style views showing screening progress, outstanding actions, expiring checks, incomplete files and staff who require management review.

Traffic-light indicators help managers quickly identify where attention is needed. Completed files can be distinguished from files in progress, while overdue or higher-risk items can be highlighted for follow-up. This is particularly useful for growing security businesses where screening activity can quickly become difficult to track manually.

The aim is to give managers a practical overview without losing the detail needed for audit, review or individual case management.

GMS allows screening-related documents, notes and evidence to be held alongside the staff record. This can include identity documents, right to work evidence, reference responses, licence details, search records, internal notes and management acceptance decisions.

The system can also record additional screening activity such as social media checks, news searches, Companies House searches or other due diligence steps where these form part of the company’s screening procedure.

Where a risk needs to be reviewed or accepted before screening is complete, management decisions can be recorded against the file, helping preserve the context behind deployment or employment decisions.

GMS can generate screening progress reports to support internal review, management oversight or audit preparation. These reports help show the current position of the screening file, including what has been completed, what remains outstanding and what actions have been taken.

This helps businesses demonstrate that screening is being managed actively and consistently. Rather than producing progress updates manually, managers can draw information from the system record and use it to support review meetings, compliance checks and operational decision-making.

For security businesses working under external audit or client scrutiny, this provides a clearer and more professional way to evidence screening control.

GMS is not simply a document store for screening files. It is designed to help businesses manage the screening journey from recruitment and onboarding through to completion, monitoring and ongoing staff compliance.

By combining BS 7858-focused workflows, progress tracking, staff visibility, automated monitoring, dashboards and retained evidence, GMS helps screening become part of the wider staff management process rather than a separate administrative burden.

This gives managers better visibility, gives staff a clearer onboarding experience, and gives the business a stronger audit trail behind its screening decisions.

Some common questions about vetting and screening in GMS: