With remote work taking a firm foothold in 2020 and expected to continue in 2021, Equifax has continued to focus on specialized software solutions for HR teams.
Its I-9 Anywhere product uses guided experiences and a network of trained I-9 completers to help employers get Forms I-9 done more accurately, on time and in person. The company is increasing its trained Form I-9 completer network and Section 2 and 3 capabilities to help accommodate more remote new hires and re-hires nationwide.
In late 2020, using a combination of hiring trend insights from The Work Number database and indicator data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, trained completer capabilities were expanded with a focus on locations where unemployment is trending down and hiring is trending up, including California, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
With a recent Conference Board survey showing a robust 36 percent of companies are willing to hire workers who are 100 percent remote, the need for innovative remote hiring processes, like I-9 Anywhere, will be a critical part of the new HR environment.
The growing network of trained completers that are part of the I-9 Anywhere service from Equifax Workforce Solutions helps fulfill the United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) requirements that employers or their authorized representatives must physically examine the documentation presented by the employee and sign Section 2 of the Form I-9.
The proprietary service provides meeting time and place options, as well as guidance to the employee presenting the documents and the trained agents examining the documents presented, helping facilitate the completion of the required Form I-9 from almost anywhere convenient to the new hire.
The I-9 Anywhere technology is the service of choice for thousands of large and small employers nationwide who place a premium on the new hire onboarding experience. The suite of I-9 Management solutions from Equifax Workforce Solutions allows for a more accurate, quicker and easier upload of the employee’s I-9 documents, all while keeping a detailed audit trail.
As the economy recovers and organizations move to re-hire, a new module for I-9 Anywhere will also offer digital Section 3 options through the completer network to help employers manage Form I-9 requirements more seamlessly for employees who are re-hired within 3 years of the date that Form I-9 was originally completed and when employment authorization documentation has expired.