How Verifications Stop Application Fraud | Certn

Verifications play an important role in helping HR teams stop application fraud. By adding employment, education, and credential verifications to your background screening process, you can make more informed hiring decisions and filter out unqualified candidates. Overall, this helps stop application fraud.

In addition to helping you stop application fraud, verifying employment, academic qualifications, and credentials helps build trust. Thorough verifications help organizations maintain their reputation and integrity by ensuring that their hiring decisions are based on accurate and reliable information.

In this blog post I outline the differences between employment, education, and credential verification, and cover why it’s important as part of your standard background screening process. Keep reading to learn how verifications stop application fraud!

What is Employment Verification

Employment verification is a component of background screening that involves verifying a candidate’s employment history and details such as their job title and duration of tenure. It’s a process you can use to stop application fraud that involves a background screening vendor contacting the candidate’s past employers to gather and validate information. It’s pretty standard in the background screening industry.

The employment verification process includes verifying the following details:

  1. Dates of Employment: We confirm the dates of employment for each of the employers listed. This information helps you validate the candidate’s work experience timeline.
  2. Job Title: My team verifies the positions held by the candidate during their tenure at each previous employer listed. This helps you validate the candidate’s claims regarding their past roles and responsibilities.

The employment verification process is an important step in the background screening process because it helps you minimize the risk of hiring individuals who may misrepresent their history or qualifications. It’s also a way to stop application fraud because it ensures that your hiring process is fair and based on accurate information.

Employment Verification vs. Professional Reference Check

Employment verification is different from a reference check. In a reference check, brief interviews are conducted with former colleagues and supervisors (provided by the candidate) to find out what it was like to work with the candidate. This can provide insight about the candidate’s performance and conduct.

Certn can help you conduct professional reference checks.

Education Verification

Education verification is another standard component of background screening that involves confirming the educational history of a candidate. Verifying educational credentials demonstrates due diligence and helps maintain the credibility and integrity of the hiring process.

Education verification includes the following steps:

  1. Verification of Educational Institution: We verify the authenticity of the educational institution mentioned by the candidate.
  2. Degree, Diploma, and/or Certificate Verification: We confirm the completion of a degree, diploma, and/or certificate at the educational institutions named by the candidate.
  3. Dates of Enrollment or Completion Date: We verify the date when the candidate began their course of study or completed their education.

By verifying education, you can assess whether candidates meet the minimum educational requirements for the position. In some industries, educational requirements are regulated by law or professional bodies, so verification ensures compliance with these regulations.

What is Credential Verification

Credential verification helps employers establish the credibility and trustworthiness of candidates or employees. It ensures that individuals possess the required qualifications and meet the standards set by their profession or industry.

Here are key aspects of credential verification:

  1. Certification Validation: You can hire our team to verify the certifications or licences held by the candidate.
  2. Licence Verification: For positions that require professional licences, the verification process involves confirming the validity and current status of the licences held by the candidate.
  3. Regulatory Compliance: In regulated industries, employers must ensure that their employees possess the necessary licences or credentials to perform specific duties.
  4. Professional Association Membership: Credential verification may also include confirming the candidate’s membership in professional associations or organizations relevant to their field.

Mitigating Risks and Liabilities with Credential Verification

Verifying these credentials is a way to stop application fraud because it ensures that individuals are qualified to perform the job duties safely and effectively. Additionally, in regulated industries, compliance with legal and industry-specific standards is crucial.

How Verifications Stop Application Fraud

On the most basic level, verifications stop application fraud because they help confirm the accuracy and authenticity of the information provided by candidates.

Here are more specific ways verifications help stop application fraud:

  1. Ensuring Qualification and Suitability: Verifications help you ensure that candidates possess the necessary qualifications required for a specific role.
  2. Mitigating Legal and Financial Risks: Verifications help protect employers from potential consequences arising from hiring individuals with fraudulent backgrounds.
  3. Enhancing Trust and Reliability: By thoroughly verifying applicant information, you can establish a higher level of trust and confidence in the hiring process.

By employing qualified and trustworthy individuals, you can safeguard your brand, build credibility, and foster a positive work environment.

Verify Faster with Certn

In summary, verifications serve as an important part of the background screening process by helping to identify and stop application fraud. By confirming the authenticity of candidate information, verifying employment, qualifications, and credentials, you can make more informed and reliable hiring decisions.

Written by:
Tarah Kalman, Operations Manager - Verifications, Certn

Tarah has worked in verifications at Certn for over four years. She has a knack for organization and process and her team ensures Certn clients have the information they need to make safe, informed hiring decisions.