How Do Employment History Checks Work?

There is a reason that work history makes up the bulk of a resume. When considering a candidate for a vacant position, most employers will look for people who have held similar jobs in the past.  Professional  experience offers some evidence that a person can do a job and do it well. For hiring managers to put stock in the information provided on a resume, some level of verification is important. Such is the purpose of employment history background checks.

An employment history background check is essentially the verification of one or more entries on a candidate’s work history resume. When discussing previous jobs on a resume, an applicant will typically provide information such as job titles, employment dates, work responsibilities, and accomplishments. A work history verification check will verify these details with past employers.

A past boss or Human Resources Manager can confirm or deny the information provided by the candidate on his or her resume, including employment dates, job titles, job responsibilities, and reasons for leaving. If the person was fired from his previous job, in other words, an employment history check could reveal that information.

Why are employment history background checks important? Simply put, many job applicants have a bad habit of embellishing their resumes. They assume that by tweaking job titles or stretching the truth about job responsibilities, they will be able to obtain an advantage in the hiring process. If a candidate has gaps in her resume, changing employment dates can help hide those gaps and avoid awkward questions about them.

Even small resume fibs can distort the truth enough to make hiring the right person difficult. No employer wants to hire a person with an exaggerated resume, only to learn later that the hire is significantly less qualified than he said he was.

Every employer wants to hire people they can trust. Someone who lies about their work history to get a job may lie about other things in the future. Add the weight that previous work experience gets in the hiring process and it is pivotal for employers to verify the work history information their candidates provide.

At backgroundchecks.com, we provide thorough employment history background checks designed to help businesses hire with more confidence. To order a work history check for your next hire, get in touch with us today.