When you are looking for a job, it's important to be aware that most employers will complete a pre employment work history verification as part of the applicant screening process.
About Pre Employment Work History Verification
When you fill out a job application, you'll be asked to provide details about your employment history. Employers use this information for several reasons. First, they'll review a candidate's work history to determine if the individual's work history includes the type of experience necessary to perform the job he or she is applying for. Additionally, hiring managers typically contact past employers to request references and to verify the information provided.
Employers take pre employment work history verification very seriously. It's very important for you to do the same. Any time you apply for a job, you should expect that the hiring manager will use the information provided about your former places of employment to verify your work history. This is why accuracy and truthfulness are essential when filling out employment application forms. If you're tempted to embellish your background to make yourself look better in the hiring process, you need to realize that doing so is likely to backfire and keep you from being considered for employment.
If a prospective employer discovers that the information provided on a job application is false, that fact alone can be sufficient to disqualify you from being considered for a position with the company. To the employer, it may not matter if the misinformation provided was a deliberate falsification or a reporting error. It is your responsibility to provide correct information on every job application that you complete.
Employment Verification Checklist
When verifying an applicant's work history, employers will ask a number of questions. Items they are likely to inquire about include:
- Employment Held -- When conducting a background check on an applicant, the hiring manager will seek verification that the candidate was actually employed with the companies listed in his or her employment history.
- Time Frame - Once an employer has determined that an applicant did hold a position with the company, the hiring manager will then attempt to match the employer's records of the candidate's dates of employment with the information provided on the job application.
- Position Held - When verifying a candidate's prior work history, hiring managers will also ask for former employers to verify the position(s) held by the person they are considering hiring, including both job title(s) and duties.
- Salary - Most employment applications have a spot for candidates to include their beginning and ending rate of pay with each previous employer. Verification of this information is often a part of pre employment work history verification inquiries.
- Reason for Leaving - Employers are also likely to determine if the reason you listed on your application for leaving your past employment is accurate. If your prior employers won't provide information about the circumstances surrounding your departure, they are likely to ask the company to respond to the question of whether or not you would be considered eligible for rehire.
The Next Step
If an employer determines that your work history is accurate and decides that you may be a good fit for employment with the organization, the hiring process will likely proceed to the next step. Depending on the particular employer's practices, this could include scheduling a second interview, checking additional references provided, skill assessment testing, or other pre-employment procedures.
If it is discovered that information provided about your work history is false, however, it's up to the employer how to handle it. If the only discrepancy has to do with exact dates of previous employment, you may be given the benefit of the doubt and given an opportunity to correct the information provided. However, employers are under no obligation to do so. In most cases, employers will simply move on to another candidate who provided accurate information from the beginning.
