What is in an Employment Verification?

Employers may verify your employment history as part of the background check to confirm the work experience you have conveyed to them and to be sure you have the professional background and appropriate work experience required for the position. An employer will typically verify job titles, start and end dates for each job, and will sometimes check on salary and job duties. An employer may also ask for the reason for leaving and whether the candidate is eligible for rehire.

Employers become very concerned when a candidate claims he or she has years of experience, when in fact, they do not, or when a candidate misrepresents their past titles, achievements, or responsibilities. These are examples of the kinds of discrepancies that could come up in the background check which may indicate to employers that a candidate is being dishonest. Discrepancies between the information provided by the candidate and returned by HireRight generally will be noted on the background report. Therefore, during the hiring process, it’s best to provide employers with the most accurate information possible regarding your employment history to avoid any potential inconsistencies and to avoid a delay in processing the report and ultimately, your employment.

To verify your employment history, HireRight generally contacts your previous employers (or their representatives) directly to confirm the information you provided. If HireRight is not able to verify your information via the previous employer, then HireRight may ask you to provide documentation as proof of your work history. It’s a good idea to have these documents readily available as you go through a background check in case this situation arises, particularly if you know, for example, that your former employer is out of business.