First Advantage Releases 2026 Global HR Trends Report
5 min read
First Advantage Corporation (NASDAQ: FA), a global software and data company, has released its 2026 Global Background Screening Trends Report in partnership with ClearlyRated. Drawing on insights from more than 5,000 CHROs, HR leaders, and job seekers across nine industries and five global regions, the study captures the most up-to-date realities and priorities shaping hiring, onboarding, and workforce verification in today's fast-changing employment environment.
As one of the largest background screening and identity verification providers globally, First Advantage serves more than 80,000 customers worldwide — a scale that gives the company a uniquely broad view of the structural shifts reshaping employer practices across industries and geographies.
Four Forces Reshaping HR in 2026
The report identifies four defining trends that are fundamentally restructuring how organisations approach talent acquisition, screening, and workforce management at scale.
1. Rising Identity Fraud Is Driving Lifecycle Screening Expansion
Escalating identity fraud — including job-related scams and widespread candidate misrepresentation — is pushing employers to move beyond point-in-time hiring checks toward continuous screening across the entire employee lifecycle. The data is stark: 89% of HR hiring managers plan to add additional background screening and identity verification solutions within the next two years to keep pace with rising risk. As fraud tactics grow more sophisticated — particularly with the proliferation of AI-generated fake identities and deepfake-assisted interviews — the traditional pre-hire check is no longer sufficient on its own.
2. Risk and Speed Are Now Dual Mandates — Not Trade-offs
Risk mitigation has emerged as the top screening priority — but slow hiring processes continue to cause significant candidate drop-off, creating pressure on organisations to deliver both rigour and speed simultaneously. Employers are accelerating investment in automation and system integrations to deliver faster, more efficient screening workflows without compromising accuracy. The days of treating speed and compliance as opposing forces are over — the market now demands both, simultaneously, at scale.
3. Global and Flexible Workforces Are Reshaping Screening Strategies
More than 60% of global employers report growth in candidates with multi-country or multi-location work histories — a trend driven by the sustained normalisation of remote and hybrid work, the rise of gig and contingent workforce models, and the increasing willingness of companies to hire across borders. This geographic complexity is adding significant friction to verification requirements, as employers must navigate varying legal frameworks, data privacy regulations, and document standards across jurisdictions. Organisations are responding by consolidating vendors and streamlining screening processes to reduce operational complexity without sacrificing coverage.
4. AI Is Transforming Hiring — and Creating New Vectors for Fraud
AI is now widely used by both employers and job candidates — introducing significant efficiencies in candidate sourcing, screening, and matching while simultaneously opening new avenues for fraudulent misrepresentation. From AI-generated CVs that fabricate employment histories to synthetic identities designed to pass automated verification checks, the threat landscape has grown substantially more complex. Organisations are responding by adopting advanced identity verification and AI-driven fraud detection tools specifically designed to stay ahead of these emerging threats — recognising that fighting AI-enabled fraud increasingly requires AI-powered defences.
"The hiring landscape is undergoing significant change, driving employers to prioritize risk mitigation as AI becomes a major catalyst for both innovation and emerging vulnerabilities. Our 2026 Global Trends Report makes it clear that organizations need smarter, simpler, and more secure screening and identity verification processes across the entire employee lifecycle. At First Advantage, we're committed to delivering the technology, automation, and insights employers need to stay ahead of risk and build trust at every step."
— Joelle Smith, President, First Advantage
What the Findings Mean for HR Leaders
The 2026 report lands at a pivotal moment for HR technology investment. The convergence of rising fraud, increasingly global and flexible workforces, regulatory complexity, and the dual-edged impact of AI is creating a new set of requirements for screening and verification platforms — ones that are faster, smarter, more globally capable, and better integrated with the broader HR technology ecosystem.
For HR analytics and talent management leaders, the mandate is clear: build screening and identity verification into every stage of the employee lifecycle — not just at the point of hire — and invest in the automation, integrations, and AI-driven capabilities needed to do so without slowing down the hiring process that candidates increasingly expect to be fast and frictionless.
As AI reshapes both the opportunity and the risk landscape of HR, the organisations that move earliest to build robust, technology-enabled verification frameworks across the full employee lifecycle will be best positioned to attract talent, manage risk, and build the workforce trust that underpins long-term organisational resilience.
Key Takeaways
- The 2026 Global Background Screening Trends Report surveyed 5,000+ CHROs, HR leaders, and job seekers across nine industries and five global regions.
- 89% of HR hiring managers plan to add additional background screening and identity verification solutions within the next two years.
- 60%+ of global employers report growth in candidates with multi-country or multi-location work histories, increasing verification complexity.
- AI is now a dual-edged force in hiring — driving efficiencies while simultaneously creating new, sophisticated fraud vectors that require AI-powered defences.
- Risk mitigation and hiring speed are now simultaneous mandates — organisations are investing in automation and integrations to deliver both without compromise.