Employment verification is one of the most critical components of background checks conducted for employment purposes. Employers need this information to determine whether someone is lying on their resume about their work experience, which is what matters the most for employers when it comes to pretty much all positions.
To verify someone's employment details, background checks follow a wide range of methods. Some of these happen online, which are often automatic as they cross-check the provided details with what they have on their own or third-party databases, while others are simple actions like contacting previous employers.
If you're wondering how background checks verify employment, you've come to the right article. We will detail how background check service providers and consumer reporting agencies collect and verify employment information. Read on to get our insights into the background check employment verification process.
How Do Background Checks Verify Employment Online
Background check service providers use various online sources for verifying employment. Here are some of the most common ways background checks verify employment online.
Third-Party Employment Verification Services
Background checks use third-party employment verification services that keep employment records. These services, such as Equifax's The Work Number, offer online employment verification that verifies past employment almost instantly. While it is commonly used by consumer reporting agencies and other background check service providers, individuals can also use these services to verify someone's past employment.
Professional Networks and Social Media
Professional networks like LinkedIn are commonly utilized by background check service providers to verify employment. They cross-verify job titles and timelines to confirm employment history and duration. The same also applies to social media accounts. Background check service providers can also use public social media profiles to verify someone's employment history.
Online Databases
Background check service providers use a wide range of online databases to verify employment. While many keep their own records, they might also benefit from online databases for specific industries, particularly finance, healthcare, and education. They can check these online databases to determine whether someone worked at a specific job and held the relevant licenses or credentials throughout their employment.
How Do Background Checks Verify Employment via Other Methods
In addition to the above, background checks might also use other methods to verify employment. Here's an overview of the common ways background check service providers use to verify employment.
Contacting Past Employers
While it might seem like the background check service provider would go above and beyond by contacting past employers, it is actually a common practice. Background check companies often contact employers either by calling them directly or emailing them to verify job titles and dates of employment. This is also a way for background check companies to assess the candidate's work performance and determine the reason for leaving the job.
Checking References
Most resumes include references, which not only help background check service providers verify employment but also confirm details like job performance and job duties beyond what's written on the resume. It is similar to contacting the employer, but reference checks often dive deeper into work performance.
Tax Documents
If all these aren't enough to verify someone's employment history, which isn't likely, the background check service provider might ask for the candidate's tax records, like W-2 forms or tax returns. Although it is often considered to be the last resort if the background check company can't verify employment, it can happen. Note that due to the nature of these documents, the employer must get a written consent from the candidate to show tax documents.
Verifying Your Own Employment History
We've covered the common ways background checks verify employment. If you're wondering how you can verify your employment without undergoing a formal background check, using an online background check service is the best way to do it.
Use a service like UnMask to run a people search on yourself, which verifies employment history, along with other standard components of a pre-employment background check. This includes Social Security Number verification, criminal records, civil records, drug screenings, and more.
Even though this provides a comprehensive check that works the same as any other background check for employment, it is done online, and the best part is that it is completely free to use since it uses public web pages and databases to compile a report. You can think of it as a search engine, but made for searching for people.
