The Importance Of Employment Verification Services

Chris looked like the perfect candidate for a Chief Marketing Officer position at a consumer packaged goods (CPG) company. With a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of California-Berkeley, and an MBA from Stanford, Chris also had more than 15 years of experience in progressively more responsible marketing positions for top CPG companies including Nestle and Kraft. Or so Chris indicated.
 

Unfortunately, Chris was lying—one of many job applicants who blatantly lie about or exaggerate their background, education, and work-related experience during the hiring process.

In fact, according to research by ResumeLab, 36% of respondents admitted to outright lying, and 20% to stretching the truth. Seems outrageous, right? After all, won’t their falsehoods be discovered during the background checking process? Maybe, maybe not.

Not all employers conduct background screening of their candidates prior to hiring. In fact, according to SHRM, 8% of companies surveyed do not currently conduct background screening on their candidates. Even those that do conduct some level of background screening of candidates often take a do-it-yourself approach, meaning that their access to key databases and other proprietary information regarding their candidate could be limited—and this can lead them to make some common background screening mistakes. Even something as seemingly simple as verifying a candidate’s employment can be complex and challenging for companies to tackle on their own.

Fortunately, for employers, there are third parties that specialize in background screening, including employment verification services, that are available to help employers navigate the process with confidence.

What’s Involved in Employment Verification?

Conducting background checks on prospective employees is a critical part of the talent acquisition process. These background checks typically include employment verification—ensuring that applicants have worked for the employers they say they have worked for.

Employment verification, as the term suggests, is the process of verifying a job applicant’s past employment. But employment verification services can go beyond the basics and also provide verification of employment dates,  and even reasons for termination.

Accurate Background currently offers two options for verifying the employment history of candidates, providing a solution for different hiring needs. Through a combination of high-tech and high-touch solutions, it ensures transparency for companies and candidates throughout the employment verification process.

In June, Accurate announced the introduction of a new addition to their suite of verification tools—AccurateConfirm. It is an option designed specifically for instances when verification needs are less stringent and require a simple confirmation of employment. For employers, this option removes the need to call, email, follow up with, and repeat attempts to connect multiple times with prior employers, as well as potential high third-party fees when working through traditional employment verification solutions.

Whether your employment verification needs are simple, or complex, though, it can be risky to take a do-it-yourself approach, both in terms of time commitment and the potential to run afoul of rules and regulations related to employment verifications.

The Risks Related to Employment Verification

In some jurisdictions, something as seemingly innocuous as asking a former employer to verify an applicant’s salary history could get employers in trouble. A number of jurisdictions around the country now make it illegal to ask about wage or salary history. Why? Primarily related to concerns that such inquiries, and basing pay decisions on historical earnings, can perpetuate discrimination by employers.

There are also risks related to failing to get accurate and thorough information. Accurate, and other premier background check companies, have years of experience in getting information from employers and know how to get around potential resistance—as well as how to “read between the lines” of not only what is said, but what isn’t. They also have access to third-party databases and other sources of information that most employers do not have on their own.

Companies who specialize in employment verifications know the rules and requirements related not only to what can and can’t be asked, but also to the types of disclosures and information-sharing that must be obtained from applicants throughout the verification process.

Not all employment verification options are created equal, of course. It’s important for companies to think carefully about what they need and then pick a solution or vendor, that can deliver.

What Should Employers Look for in Employment Verification Service Providers?

First and foremost employers should look for experience and evidence of top performance when considering employment verification services. A background screening company that can point to years of experience effectively conducting background checks, as well as satisfied clients, should top your list.

In addition, you’ll want to consider the background screening company’s offerings and levels of service. Will you have the ability to work directly with an assigned representative—a real person—or will your inquiries be relegated to an email inbox or chatbot?

Even though employment verifications can seem relatively simple and straightforward, there are some potential risks, and a continually changing legal and regulatory environment that employers must contend with. Turning to a reliable provider to help navigate the process can save time, money, headaches, and risk for employers.

Author Bio

David Wheeler is Chief Legal Officer at Accurate Background. Visit www.accurate.com Connect David Wheeler