Verifying employment history is an important step to ensure that your new hire has the skills and experience to handle the open position. It is strongly recommended that you contact past employers to confirm past dates of employment and titles. In some cases it is difficult to contact past employers to verify employment, or they have outsourced this service to a third-party paid service, like Work Number. This can be a fast and effective method. But, what can you do to verify past employment if you cannot contact their past employer (out of business, won’t respond to your calls, or the candidate asks you not to contact their current employer)? Here are some tactics to verify employment without calling past employers.

• Complete a background check. These checks can confirm previous employment details such as job titles, dates of employment, and reasons for leaving. Background check services often access databases that compile employment records from various sources, ensuring the information is accurate and up-to-date. This approach not only respects the candidate’s privacy but also provides a reliable verification method. (example, Work Number).
• Request that the candidate provide alternative documentation to verify their employment history. Documents such as pay stubs, W-2 forms, old offer letter, etc… You should also explain why you need the pay stub and how you will use it.
• Employers can ask candidates to provide professional references from previous jobs. These references can include former colleagues, supervisors, or clients who can vouch for the candidate’s work experience and performance. By speaking with these references, employers can gain insights into the candidate’s job responsibilities, skills, and work ethic without needing to contact the current or past employers directly.
• Social media review: Employers can review a candidate’s profile on professional networking sites like LinkedIn. The profile often includes detailed employment histories, endorsements, and recommendations from colleagues and supervisors. This information can help verify the candidate’s work history. But be careful, these sites can also be faked.
• Conduct skill testing (of all candidates) to verify employment history without contacting a current employer. This can measure the candidate’s abilities, knowledge, and aptitude for the role. Skills tests can be tailored to the specific requirements of the job, such as technical, behavioral, or situational tests. A typical excel task, or ask for an explanation about a job skill needed for the role.
• Use behavioral interview questions that allow the candidate to explain about their past actions, achievements, successes and mistakes. You can then compare their answers with their resume and information that you might have received from their references.

By utilizing these methods, employers can effectively verify a candidate’s employment history while respecting their privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of their job search. This approach not only ensures a thorough vetting process but also fosters a positive and trusting relationship with potential new hires.