Category Archives: Employment and Education Verification

Employment verification takes the padding out of résumés

Posted on by
Reply

When we think of pre-employment screening, employers often think of conducting background checks to turn up any criminal record a job applicant has or running a credit report to see if the potential hire is financially trustworthy. But the pre-employment screening process actually should start with something much simpler — verifying the information contained in the applicant’s résumé.

A lot has changed about the hiring process, but a résumé is still often the first thing you see regarding a potential employee. Yet would-be employees continue to pad their résumé with half-truths and outright lies, which makes employment verification a critical step in the hiring process.

As an employer, you need to do your homework on each and every applicant you are seriously considering, to make sure you’re getting someone with the depth of experience and education they purportedly have. The most common details on a résumé that are “enhanced” include: 

  1. Education. Doublecheck the fact that the applicant received the degree listed from the university listed. Also check to make sure the educational institution is an accredited college or university, not one of the many “diploma mills” out there.
  2. Length they’ve held a title. Sometimes an applicant will list an ending title beside the dates of their employment with a particular company, making it seem like they’ve been in a managerial or executive position for far longer than they have. Find out how long they held the most recent title and what responsibilities they had.
  3. Singular responsibility for group success. Applicants often enhance the contributions they made to a company’s bottom line or new initiative, regardless of how personally involved or responsible they were for that success.
  4. Salary. Make sure the current salary they list is what they’re actually earning, not what they think they’re worth.
  5. Computer skills. Employees know how critical it is to have certain computer-related skills, but listing a bunch of programs and applications in which they’re “proficient,” or saying that they’re “social media savvy” isn’t necessarily the case. Find out whether those specific programs and skills were used at their last job(s), or whether they just think you want them to be knowledgeable in those areas.

 

www.VerifyProtect.com

Know what to ask — and what not to ask — during employment verification

Posted on by
Reply

Checking an applicant’s professional references is a critical step in the pre-employment screening process. But do you know what you can and can’t ask? While performing employment verification, any human resources executive or hiring pro can make the innocent error of asking questions that infringe on an applicant’s privacy or open up the employer to discrimination claims by someone who is not ultimately offered the job. 

The easiest way to remember what is off limits is to remember you can’t ask a reference any questions you are prohibited from asking an applicant. You must keep the conversation on job-related issues. Here are some sample questions to help get you in the right frame of mind:

  • What was the employee’s starting salary? Ending salary?
  • What was the employee’s starting position? Ending position?
  • Please describe your reporting relationship with the candidate?
  • Please describe the key responsibilities of the candidate in his/her current position.
  • How many reporting staff did the candidate manage?
  • Tell me about the candidate’s most important contributions to the company?
  • Describe the candidate’s productivity, commitment to quality and customer orientation.
  • What are the candidate’s most significant strengths?
  • What are the candidate’s most significant weaknesses?
  • Would you rehire this person? Why or why not?

 

Follow VerifyProtect.com on Twitter!

www.VerifyProtect.com

VerifyProtect.com services go above and beyond usual background check

Posted on by
Reply

There are plenty of employment screening services out there that can run a simple credit check and criminal background search. But what if you are an employer with special circumstances, someone who needs a certain type of background check or credentials certified? At Verify Protect, we offer all the basics of the typical pre-employment screening service, along with a host of other screening options and verification services, to meet your company’s unique needs. A few of these include:

  • Healthcare Sanctions Lists: A multi-level search of healthcare industry databases from the OIG, GSA, FACIS and 800 other state and federal healthcare databases.
  • Professional / Occupational State License Verification: Information obtained includes license status, and, if available, expiration date, adverse information and specialization.
  • Government Foreign Nationals Watch List: Find out whether certain groups and/or individuals are identified as threats to U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security by The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of The U.S. Department of the Treasury.
  • Education Verification: VerifyProtect.com will contact any college, university, trade school or high school to verify your applicant’s stated degree obtained and attendance dates. Verifications including transcripts also are available.
  • National Bankruptcy Search: VerifyProtect.com has access to more than 9.5 million records compiled of bankruptcy filings from January 1992 to present.
  • International Employment Verification: We will contact previous international employers to verify your applicant’s employment.
  • Workers Compensation Record Search: This state-requested report generally contains case numbers, date of injury, injury type and employer at the time of the injury. Access to this information and rules for obtaining this report will vary state to state. Not all states allow this search.
  • MVR – Standard Driver’s License Record Search: A report on the applicant’s driving record for the state where they are licensed. Includes license status, moving violations, and accident history.

 

Follow VerifyProtect.com on Twitter!

Is That Jobseeker’s Previous Employer Real or Fake?

Posted on by
Reply

One of the most important tools an employer uses as part of the pre-employment screening process is to speak to an applicant’s former employer, to check professional references and find out from former bosses and colleagues whether the applicant has the experience, knowledge, leadership skills and other assets listed on their resumé.

Now there’s at least one company sabotaging this effort by offering fake job references, complete with job titles, salary details, and start and end dates. Jobseekers pay a fee and a monthly subscription to get a complete stranger to pose as a previous employer and offer glowing reviews of the applicant’s performance and skills.

The fees range, with more expensive plans promising three different “references” to act as a phony human resources manager, a fake immediate supervisor, and a phony secondary supervisor. Those giving the fake references also are paid subscribers to the service.

The job market is tough for many industries right now, but using deceitful means to land a job hurts both the employee and the employer in the end. The best way to wade through the increasingly murky waters of employee verification is to hire a reputable employment screening service trained to weed out the scammers, con artists and thiefs and find those deserving of a job at your place of business.

Follow VerifyProtect.com on Twitter!

More Jobs Require Background Checks

Posted on by
Reply

You may be surprised to learn that more and more employers are requiring background checks of their employees, even if those workers are in consultant, temporary or part-time positions.

What are some of these jobs that, years ago, wouldn’t have required a background check?  Take a gander:

  • Piano and voice teachers (part-time, as needed)
  • Dishwashers
  • Call center workers (outbound and inbound)
  • Cooks
  • Servers and bartenders
  • Welders
  • Dog groomers
  • Plumbers and electricians
  • Janitors
  • Recycling center employees
  • Chaplains
  • Computer technicians
  • And more

What does this tell us?  First of all, more employers are getting the picture that background checks are an important part of doing business in the 21st century.  And secondly, workers need to be prepared to undergo background screening for practically any job they apply.

We’d like to hear more from you…  What jobs have required you to undergo a background check?  Were you surprised that you had to be screened in this manner?

Background Checks Make Sense!

Posted on by
Reply

Whether your business is large or small, you know how important good employees are, both to your bottom line and to team morale. So it’s important to make the right choice for the business, and good, hard information can make it easier to choose among a field of prospective employees. And that means employee background checks.

Carefully consider the position you’re trying to fill. What will the employee’s responsibilities be? Will they handle sensitive information? Might they be required to operate a company vehicle? Will they be privy to company secrets? What kind of contact will they have with clients or customers?

It pays to have the facts in front of you before you make a decision about who is best to fill your vacancy. Most businesses don’t have the necessary HR to properly screen employees, and many smaller businesses only hire one or two employees sporadically. Employee background checks can help fill in the gaps left by employment records and personal references.

You could be protecting your business from something far more serious than hiring someone who can’t do the job well. The number of negligent hiring lawsuits is on the rise, and so is the size of the financial settlements awarded in such suits. In fact, the average settlement is now $1.6 million, according to one reliable source.

It just doesn’t make sense for a business of any size to take such a risk these days, when employee background checks are so affordable and accessible. It’s the easiest way to protect yourself, your business, and your other employees.

Importance of Employment Verification — “But He Said That Was Where He Worked!”

Posted on by
Reply

“But the resume said she worked at ABC Company!”

It’s amazing how often employers are shocked when they find out (after the fact , of course) that someone didn’t work where he or she claimed to have worked.  But whose fault is it that the person was hired?  Noneother than the employer!  After all, the discrepancy could have easily been ferreted out with a simple employment verification.

The problem for many companies is that true employment verification takes time and energy… and organizations (especially small businesses) don’t always turn their manpower over to the task.  Instead, they assume that all resumes that come across their desks are on the up-and-up.

In the end, they are often surprised when they find out from a screening company like VerifyProtect that their “perfect” job candidate lied about where he or she previously worked -or- at least fibbed about the job he or she held there. 

Believe us — we’ve seen and heard it all, from flat-out lies to half-truths that would make Pinnochio blush.  In the end, it’s why we always recommend employment verification if you’re serious about hiring someone for all the right reasons!

Education Verification – Anyone Can Write “Harvard” on a Resume

Posted on by
Reply

Guess what?  Anyone can write “Harvard” on a resume… or “Yale” or “Princeton” or “Penn State” for that matter.  But that doesn’t mean that he or she ever really attended the institute of higher education.

This is the reason that education verification is so critical, especially for upper management level positions.  If you want someone on the job who has a certain degree from a particular type of college (e.g., medical school, law school, liberal arts school, trade school), you need to make sure that you’re getting what you think you’re getting!

Case in point — even if someone can “talk the talk” about your alma mater (as if he or she went there), it’s still important to conduct education verification.  We at VerifyProtect routinely uncover lies and half-truths (“Well, I attended for a semester before dropping out… so I’ll say I ’went to Georgetown’!”) that absolutely bowl our clients over.  And they are always grateful that they didn’t hire the persons trying to dupe them.

Even if you’ve never had a problem before, it’s time to start implementing education verification as a standard part of your background screening process.  You will absolutely never regret it.

A Dubious Award for the United States – Diploma Mill Capital of the World

Posted on by
Reply

According to the numbers, the United States leads the world in offering something that’s rather embarrassing.  It seems that America — most notably the states of California, Hawaii and Washington — tops all other countries in the number of ”diploma mills”.  Ouch.

What are “diploma mills”?  Well, to put it simply, they are entities whose sole purpose is to issue fake diplomas and certificates to men and women.  These diplomas look authentic, but the institutes from which they come are about as real as gnomes and fairies.

So what is an employer to do?  Obviously, we recommend that every potential new hire be screened thoroughly — and that includes education verification.  If you haven’t heard of a school, there might be good reason.  It might not exist except on a website and piece of worthless paper.

  • VerifyProtect: Fast, Secure, Affordable Background Checks.
  • Join VerifyProtect on Twitter.

    • 10 Reasons Your Employees Aren’t Up to Par

    Posted on by
    Reply

    Ever wonder why your employees don’t last?  Check out these possibilities:

    1. You’re hiring for the wrong reasons.  Maybe you think you need to hire individuals with a master’s degree when a high school education mingled with experience could work just as well.
    2. You’re not background screening your new hires.  Are you checking your new hires thoroughly?  Or are you just choosing people you “like”?
    3. Your employees don’t know what to do.  Have you outlined what your employees’ job descriptions and responsibilities are?  Though they may be clear to you, they might not be as clear to your employees.
    4. Your employees aren’t trained.  If you don’t offer any kind of training programs, you might be missing the boat.
    5. Your employees are under- or over-qualified for their positions.  Make sure the right people with the right credentials are in the right jobs.
    6. Your managerial skills need to be honed.  If you’re the manager, you may be sending the wrong messages to your subordinates.  More training for you could actually increase your employees’ performances.
    7. Your pay rate doesn’t match what you expect your employees to do.  Are you known as a “low payer” in your industry?  You may need to do some budget analysis to see if you can change that reputation.
    8. Your company atmosphere is negative.  Are your walls chipped and graying?  Do your carpets need to be cleaned?  Is the artwork on the walls reminiscent of a cheap hotel room?  Believe it or not, the ambiance of a workplace directly contributes to the productivity of workers.
    9. Employees can get away with anything.  If you have rules that are never enforced, you’re likely to find yourself with employees who continuously overstep their boundaries.
    10. Employees don’t feel “heard”.  Do you listen to what your employees say?  Obviously, you’ll have to make decisions that are unpopular, but if you never consult your workforce at all, you may be sending the message that you don’t actually care about your employees.

    Any that we’ve missed?