When ordering a full employee background check with an accredited employment screening company (Consumer Reporting Agency), most often the search that is holding up the final report is the employment verification.
Why is that? Delays in these searches are caused by a number of different reasons. Here are three helpful tips for employers and job applicants to keep in mind when requesting employment verifications.
- If the Applicant used a temp/staffing agency and did not list it on the application; but instead listed the company they were sent to work at, the background screening company will contact the employer listed. This may delay the report for days before the employment screening company finds out the applicant was actually employed through a temp agency.
- If the Applicant doesn’t supply the correct name used while employed, Human Resource Departments may not be able to locate accurate information regarding that particular employee. Not all employers maintain files by Social Security Numbers. Not providing this crucial data will cause a delay, discrepancy, or even result in a No Record response.
- If the Applicant leaves important fields blank regarding previous employer information such as address, city, and state, a delay will also occur. The background check company is left to search the internet for the contact information of the company in question, which is sometimes impossible without knowing the city and state. This means the verifications department analyst has to reach out to the Recruiter or to the Applicant. That additional process usually results in additional delays.
It is very important to make sure applicants are supplying as much precise information about themselves and their previous employers as possible to ensure an accurate, painless, and quick background check report.
Remember, in most cases the employment background check company does not see the applicant’s resume, so the information listed on the application is crucial to completing a full, accurate background screening report.
The tips above will help an employer receive background checks quicker, and expedite the background check process so an applicant can begin work in a more timely manner.
Kimberly Cox
Verifications Manager
MBI Worldwide, Inc.
