Vetting The terms vetting, screening and background check are often used interchangeably. However, they can mean different things to different sectors. In the private sector, pre-employment screening is typically undertaken on new hires, whereas vetting is defined as the ongoing assessment of an existing employee’s suitability to be employed by the organisation or to move into a different function or position of seniority. In the public sector, vetting typically refers to the whole process of pre-employment checks as well as the ongoing monitoring of circumstances which could affect an individual’s fitness to carry out their role.