When a company requests a socio-environmental report, the first practical decision is the format: with a home visit or without one. Both answer the same question — who am I about to hire? — and both are produced under the same working standard. The difference is what each one looks at and how long it takes. Choosing well does not mean choosing "the most thorough" in the abstract: it means choosing the one that matches the risk of the role.
What the home visit adds
The visit is the component that no purely documentary or phone-based verification can replace. A licensed professional in Social Work or Psychology goes to the address declared by the candidate and confirms on site:
- The actual address. That the person really lives where they say they live — something that on paper can only be presumed.
- The home and its surroundings. The characteristics of the neighborhood and the dwelling, assessed with professional judgment and only insofar as they are relevant to the role.
- The household composition. Who makes up the household, based on what the candidate declares and what is observed.
- The in-person interview. A face-to-face exchange that allows the information in the documentation to be expanded and cross-checked.
The licensed professional's signature gives the report evidentiary weight: it is not a form completed remotely, but the on-site confirmation of a qualified professional who was there. That is why the home-visit option is the most in-depth one. The reference turnaround is from 5 business days, counted from the candidate's consent and complete documentation, and the visit schedule is coordinated by area.
What the remote option solves
The report without a visit (remote) verifies documentation and sources, gathers employment references, and interviews the candidate remotely. Its two advantages are concrete:
- Speed. Reference turnaround of 48–72 business hours, counted from the candidate's consent and complete documentation. When the hiring process has a start date, that turnaround is often decisive.
- Immediate nationwide reach. Since it does not depend on a visit schedule, it works the same for a candidate in a major city as for one in a remote town, with no prior coordination by area.
It is the fastest option for most roles, and the usual one for high-volume screening or tight onboarding timelines.
How to choose: the role is the criterion
There is no "better" option in general; there are roles with different risks.
When the home visit makes sense
- Positions of trust, with autonomy or little direct supervision.
- Handling of cash, valuables, merchandise, or company assets.
- Access to third parties' homes: delivery, installations, in-home services, domestic staff.
- Custody, surveillance, and security roles.
When the remote option is enough
- Administrative or operational roles with no handling of valuables.
- Processes with a near start date, where turnaround is the priority.
- High-volume searches or candidates spread across different parts of the country.
The two options can also be combined: many companies screen every hire with the remote report and reserve the visit for sensitive positions, or start with the report without a visit and add the visit when the role warrants it.
The same standard, with or without a visit
What does not change between one option and the other is the working framework: the candidate's informed consent, a defined purpose, and confidentiality under Argentina's Personal Data Protection Law 25,326 — and no inquiry into what the law prohibits investigating (Section 73 of the Employment Contract Law).
In both options, the report contains verified facts, each with its source. No verdicts or scores about the person: the hiring decision always belongs to the employer.
Not sure which option fits the search you have open? Tell us about the role and we will point you in the right direction: contact us.