If you’re looking for employment verification Pinellas County, FL for your prospective employees, you’re likely looking to protect your business and make a wise investment in your new hires at the same time. The process of employment verification can include contacting the employee’s previous employers, checking education records, and reviewing social media profiles. Employment verification is often used by businesses to confirm an employee’s qualifications for a job, as well as to confirm that the employee is actually employed by the company. In this article, we will discuss the basics of employment verification and how it can be beneficial for businesses.
What Is Employment Verification?
Employment verification is just what it sounds like—it is the process of confirming a prospective new hire’s previous work history and current employment status. The reasoning behind this is to ensure that a candidate is in fact qualified to do the job in question and was honest and forthcoming with their resume. This helps to eliminate candidates who might not be a good fit due to falsification of their resume and helps employers save time during the hiring process.
How ar Back Can an Employment Verification Check Go?
While the average number of years back a background screening will go is seven, there are different rules when it comes to employment verification. Because the process of verifying an applicant’s information as true or false is considered neutral by the Federal Trade Commission, employers can dig as far back as they like.
How Many Years of Employment Should a Company Verify?
Of course, the number of years back an employer will want to dig to verify a candidate’s employment history and status is largely dependent upon the job. For example, for professions associated with higher risks or liabilities like doctors, lawyers, and teachers, a potential employer will likely want to look at their employment history since the candidate obtained their license or degree in that field.
If you are looking to hire an employee for a slightly more relaxed position, such as a barista, you may only want to go back through the past two or three employers.
How Long Does Employment Verification Take?
While some companies will tout that they can complete an applicant’s employment verification in 48 hours, generally the process takes a bit longer than that—and can even take weeks to complete. There are a number of factors that influence the amount of time it will take to verify a candidate’s income, including:
· The number of prospective employees the company in question is verifying
· The ease (or subsequent lack) with which information from past jobs is gathered
· The number of previous jobs an applicant has had
· The timeliness with which previous employers respond to queries
Which Kinds of Businesses Should Practice Employment Verification?
Employment Verification may seem like a headache in that it can add days or even weeks to your hiring process, but this relatively simple step can not only protect the best interests of your company and its bottom line by saving time and resources on training new employees, but it can also help ensure you hire people that will be a good fit for your company culture. This not only protects profits but protects your employees as well, by bringing on honest, qualified candidates.
For this reason, employment verification is a good idea in any line of work that requires customer service, collaboration, or skilled labor or services. Of course, you would want to make sure that the brain surgeon you’re interviewing actually has a history of working in neurosurgery at a real hospital!
In this vein, there are a few different types of businesses that should practice employment verification. First, businesses that are required to verify an employee’s employment history and current employment status by law should do so. Second, businesses that are hiring for positions that require a high level of qualifications or experience should consider employment verification. Finally, businesses that have had issues in the past with employees lying about their qualifications or employment status should also practice employment verification.
What Kinds of Information Can an Employer Share During Employment Verification?
The dates that an employee worked for a previous employer aren’t the only pieces of information that can be communicated during the employment verification process. Companies can use this opportunity to get a better feel for the kind of impact the candidate in question left on the company, as well as the paper trail they left behind. Other information that can be shared during employment verification includes:
· Any disciplinary action that may have taken place
· The nature of the employee’s termination or exit from the company
· Their job performance
· Certifications or skills
· Wage history and prior pay
· Professional attitude
· And other “work related” information
It is important to note that there can be repercussions for gathering information that is not strictly relevant to your hiring decision. As such, it is generally best to either seek legal counsel before inquiring about a candidate’s employment history or stick to questions that will directly impact your decision to hire a candidate or pass on to the next applicant.
Employment Verification Pinellas County, FL
While at a first glance, the employment verification process might seem like an unnecessary step when it comes to onboarding prospective new hires, validating the information on an applicant’s resume can not only build trust and confidence during the hiring decision, but also protect the company from liabilities, and even strengthen the work culture by contributing qualified, professional applicants to the workforce. Employment verification can be a valuable tool for businesses in confirming an employee’s qualifications and employment status. By verifying an employee’s employment history, businesses can ensure that the employee is qualified for the position they are applying for.
Are you looking for professionals to help your business with employment verification Pinellas County, FL? Contact Alpha & Omega Background Screening Solutions today!