Employment Verification
Employment verification confirms a candidate’s job titles and dates of employment directly with their former employers. It’s included in the Deep Dive package or available on its own, and most verifications are done in 1–2 business days.
What we confirm
- Employer name and location
- Start and end dates
- Job title or titles
- Reason for leaving and rehire eligibility, when the employer will share them
We contact the employer’s HR or payroll team, or the automated verification service the employer uses. For self-employment, we confirm the business through state registrations or documents the candidate provides.
What employment verification can and can’t tell you
It confirms the facts of a job: where, when and in what role. It doesn’t measure how well someone did the work. Most employers will only confirm dates and titles, because of company policy or legal caution. To learn about performance, add Professional Reference Checks.
How employment verification works
- The candidate lists their past employers and authorizes the check online.
- We check automated databases first. Many large employers use services such as The Work Number, which can confirm records in minutes.
- We contact the employer directly if no automated record exists.
- We report what was confirmed, and flag anything that doesn’t match what the candidate gave us.
When an employer doesn’t respond
We make 3 attempts over 3 business days. If we can’t reach the employer, we ask the candidate for a W-2 or pay stub and note every attempt on the report, so you know exactly what was and wasn’t confirmed.
What can delay a verification?
- Employers that respond slowly or only by fax or mail
- Companies that have closed, merged or been acquired, which means tracking down who holds the old records
- Missing details, such as an employer’s full legal name or location
- Automated services that charge a fee, which we pass through at cost
Discrepancies are common
Mismatched dates and inflated titles show up often on résumés. Not every discrepancy is dishonest: people forget exact dates, and companies rename job titles. Give the candidate a chance to explain before you decide, and if the report affects your decision, follow the FCRA adverse action steps.
State and local rules to know
Many states and cities ban employers from asking about a candidate’s salary history, and that can include asking past employers. Check the rules where the job is located before requesting pay information.
Who uses employment verification?
Staffing and recruiting firms, finance and accounting teams, healthcare employers, and any company hiring for roles where past experience is a job requirement.
Often ordered with
- Education Verification to confirm degrees
- Professional Reference Checks for insight into performance
- Criminal Background Checks for every hire
Frequently asked questions
How long does employment verification take?
Most verifications finish in 1–2 business days. Employers that respond slowly can take longer.
How many employers does Deep Dive include?
The 3 most recent employers.
Can you verify the candidate’s current employer?
Yes, but only with the candidate’s permission, so we don’t tip off their employer. Many candidates ask that we wait until after an offer.
What if a former employer has closed?
We search for whoever holds its records. If no records exist, the report says so.
Can you verify jobs outside the U.S.?
Yes. See our International Background Checks page.
