In the hiring process, checking the employment history of an applicant is essential to corroborate the claim made on the applicant’s resume and to ascertain whether he/she is overstating the responsibilities with previous employers. Additionally, it can also reveal deceptive techniques such as fabricating job titles, unexplained gaps in employment, and false claims of employment.
Before you perform an employment verification background check, it helps to know how employment verification works.
Identifying Fraudulent Candidates
Instances are there where 50% of the candidates who apply for a position fake their resume. Hence, verification of employment during hiring process plays a much more vital role, now than ever before. Even the slightest variation in the work experience dates, inconsistency in current and previous job titles or false claims about the formal education or certifications, can be traced out through employment verifications. This helps the employer to avoid the risk of hiring a fraudulent candidate and also stay away from any legal hazards.
This includes preparing to verify employment, getting consent and respecting privacy and data security, knowing local laws and industry standards, and thinking about the ethical considerations at play. Fake candidates might try to duck video calls and interviews because of ‘technical issues’ (not really good enough internet) or safety concerns (might not want to be seen on camera – ‘I’m sick’). Employment checks offer you much more than basic information. Schedule a call or a video interview with previous employers to get the scoop This way, you can learn about their work history and what they were like as an employee.
Identifying Wrong Fit Candidates
Employment verification bespeaks the thoroughness of a hiring process when the hiring manager assures you that your candidate’s résumé matches the responses that he or she received from the applicant’s previous employers that were contacted to confirm job titles, dates of employment, and role responsibilities, and to fill any employment gaps requiring reasonable explanation. Employment verification is a necessary step in other kinds of background searches – all those ‘checks’ that become necessary when you seek visibility into aspects of a candidate’s past, such as a criminal record check, an identity check (using the Social Security trace), and even drivers’ licence status. In some circumstances, it is required by law or company policy.
