Human Resources teams have had a tough few years—perpetual hiring cycles, shifts to remote and hybrid work, and a whole host of curveballs, pandemic-driven and otherwise, have conspired to keep their plate full for quite some time.
And now, just as things were maybe going to start to even out, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an impending end to the temporary flexibility that allowed HR teams to complete Section 2 of Form I-9 remotely with their New Hires.
For over three years, employers have not been required to complete the I-9s in person with their New Hires, but this will no longer be the case as of July 31.
The ease of remotely onboarding employees is coming to an end, and what’s more, DHS is further requiring employers recomplete Form I-9 in person with all employees who were remotely onboarded during the temporary flexibility.
For HR teams that found efficiency in quickly completing Section 2 over a video chat platform, adjustments will have to be made. Many New Hires are nowhere near company headquarters, and competitively hiring for remote and hybrid work models requires an efficient means for remote onboarding.
It is simply not feasible for HR teams, already overwhelmed, to now complete I-9s in-person, for employees remotely onboarded in the last three years, and for future hires as well.
Fortunately for these HR teams and their companies, TrendSource I-9 Verifications + E-Verify brings that flexibility, fulfilling the in-person requirement and taking employment eligibility verification off HR’s plate.
TrendSource Remote I-9 Verifications Keep Companies in Compliance and Unburdens HR Teams
By relying on its proprietary, nation-wide database, TrendSource can dispatch a local Field Agent to meet with a company’s New Hire to complete Section 2 of Form I-9 in person.
As authorized representatives, these Field Agents additionally photograph relevant documents and identification, and the completed form passes through TrendSource’s Quality Assurance team. The completed I-9 is then available on the client dashboard, reducing the stresses on HR teams while keeping their companies in compliance.
(Check out a handy step-by-step guide if you want a bit more detail).
For New Hires, the process is simple and frictionless, bringing ease and efficiency to what is likely among a New Hire’s earliest impressions of their new company.
DHS was always going to revert to the in-person requirement. Now that it’s happened, HR teams must seriously consider outsourcing I-9s, a significant burden in the remote age. TrendSource Remote I-9 Verifications are the solution.
