Verifications and References – What are they?
Last month, we discussed how a criminal background check is commonly run on applicants. Another type of search that employers frequently choose to run are verifications and references. By having Edge perform the following services, you can streamline your process and free up your internal resources. In addition to the criminal background check, there are verifications and references that employers may want to conduct. Edge offers the following products/services rather than drain your internal resources:
Employment Verification
Provides the applicant’s dates of employment and job title with an employer, which is compared to the information the applicant submits. As an example, an applicant may claim to have worked at a previous employer for four and a half years as a Team Lead; however, the employment verification may show they only worked for a total of nine months as a Clerk. Depending on your company’s hiring criteria, finding such a discrepancy could help save you from a potential “bad hire”. Some employers provide information through a third‐party service, which can accrue additional fees.
Employment References
Employment Reference provides the same information as the Employment Verification listed above, as well as information related to the applicant’s job performance. This can include the individual’s job duties, job performance, strengths and weaknesses, eligibility for rehire, reason for resignation, and other detailed information. The information obtained for the reference can be customized to meet the needs of your company.
Education Verification
Provides confirmation of attendance and/or graduation and degree(s) obtained, which is compared to the information the applicant submits. Some schools provide information through a third party service, which could accrue additional fees.
Professional License Verification
Provides information available for various types of professional licenses, which can include information such as to whom the license is issued, the licensing agency, license status, date of expiration and, if available, history of disciplinary action taken on the license.
Personal References
Provides information obtained from a personal contact provided by the applicant, including length of relationship, character traits, personal conduct, and nature of relationship. This information can also be customized at your request.
As you can imagine, finding discrepancies on what the candidate submits compared to actual verified data can be invaluable during the hiring process. While there are many people who are honest and forthcoming with accurate information, there are some that are not. Only you can weigh the value of such information to your organization during the hiring process.
If verifications and references are important to you, take a moment to consider the benefits of having Edge conduct these searches instead of tying up your internal resources. Contact Edge if you have any questions or interest in adding any of these products to your background check package.
