Do Prospective Employers Really Verify Your Work History?

In today's competitive job market, employers are utilizing more methods to weed out undesirable candidates. These methods include background checks and work history verifications. Confirming a candidate's work history is an important part of the hiring process for employers, as the information gathered can provide useful insight into the candidate's integrity and work ethic.

What Employers Can Confirm

Through employment verifications, employers can confirm your start and end date at a previous company, job title, salary history and job duties. In some states, employers can also find out the reason you were terminated and your eligibility for rehire. Some employers conduct their own checks, while others hire third-party background verification companies. These checks can confirm information as recent as two years ago or as long as 10 years prior to the date of your application.

Verification Process

The employer must first get your permission to conduct a work history verification or background check. You have the right to deny the employer this permission, but you may still be required to provide proof of previous employment, such as a W-2 form or pay stub. Work history verifications, in many cases, only require making a phone call to previous employers. More extensive background checks may research your credit history, social media presence and criminal records.

Falsified Information

Unfortunately, lying about work history is commonplace among job seekers. The 2015 HireRight Benchmarking Report revealed that 86 percent of companies surveyed had applicants who lied on their resumes or applications. Common falsifications include extending the start and end dates of previous jobs to cover gaps in work history and lying about titles and salary information in order to procure higher pay from potential employers.

Other Red Flags

In addition to weeding out dishonest candidates, verifying work history also exposes other issues a company may not want to deal with. A candidate who has held multiple short-term jobs, quit his last job without notice, or jumps from industry to industry appears flaky and unfocused to potential employers. Large gaps in work history also raise questions, as employers may wonder if you were fired from your last job or purposely omitted a specific company from your resume. Lastly, providing only co-workers or friends as references is another shady tactic in the eyes of employers who may wonder why you did not list a former boss.

Why Verifications are Important

Employers don't want to spend money hiring and training the wrong candidate. Conducting a thorough work history verification provides the employer with insight into a candidate's work ethic, attitude and trustworthiness. Candidates who are honest and have a solid work history are more attractive to potential employers.

Not every employer conducts thorough work history checks, but it is still a bad idea to falsify information in your application. Companies are technologically advanced enough to conduct a meticulous review of your profile, and in many instances, all it takes is a phone call to a former employer to verify your work history. Be honest in your resume and cover letter, and also be prepared to explain any possible red flags during your interview.

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