Pre-Employment Screening

Employment Verification

According to a Cifas survey, one in five people in the UK have lied on their CV, making a thorough employment verification a crucial tool. This service cuts through common deceptions like inflated job titles and fabricated work histories, ensuring you hire with confidence.

Get in touch

Why Employment Verification is Your Most Crucial Screening Tool

A candidate’s CV is a professional narrative, but how do you know if it’s based on fact or fiction? In the UK, it’s a critical question. According to a Cifas survey, nearly one in five people have lied on their CV or know someone who has. The most common falsehoods include inflating job titles, manipulating employment dates to hide gaps, and fabricating entire work histories. Without a proper check, you risk hiring an individual with misrepresented skills and experience, which can lead to project failures, poor performance, and a damaged team. At Expol, we provide a robust employment verification service that cuts through the deception, ensuring your new hire’s history is as solid as their promise.

More about Employment Screening

Get in touch

+44 (0) 1624 611190

Speak to us for a no-obligation quote today

Contact us

Why a Simple Reference Check Isn’t Enough

Many businesses rely on a single reference from a candidate’s previous employer. However, this method is often unreliable. A candidate will naturally choose a referee who will speak highly of them, and sometimes, the provided contact may even be a friend posing as a manager. Employment verification goes much deeper, providing an objective, fact-based confirmation that is resistant to fraud.

Uk Crim check banner

What Does Employment Verification Cover?

Our meticulous verification process is designed to provide you with a comprehensive and truthful account of a candidate’s work history.

  1. Dates of Employment: We verify the candidate’s start and end dates directly with the HR department or an authorised individual at the previous company. This is crucial for identifying unexplained employment gaps or periods of termination.
  2. Job Title and Responsibilities: We confirm the candidate’s stated job title and the core responsibilities of their role. This helps to catch instances where a candidate has inflated their position (e.g., claiming a “Manager” title when their role was “Senior Analyst”).
  3. Reasons for Leaving: While some employers are reluctant to provide this information due to legal concerns, a professional verification service can probe for a neutral confirmation, such as whether the departure was voluntary.
  4. Reference Verification: Beyond just confirming facts, we also conduct in-depth reference checks, probing for insights into a candidate’s work ethic, professional conduct, and suitability for the role. This is done with a structured approach to ensure fairness and consistency.

The Expol Process: Technology and Human Expertise

Our streamlined process is built for both efficiency and accuracy, combining the best of secure technology with the persistence of human experts.

  1. Initial Data Capture: A candidate submits their employment history and references through our secure online portal.
  2. Consent: We obtain the candidate’s explicit, informed consent to contact their previous employers. This is a crucial step for EU GDPR and legal compliance.
  3. Primary Verification: Our team first attempts to contact the previous employer’s HR department to verify factual data like dates and job titles, which is a key differentiator from a typical reference check.
  4. Reference Interviews: For references provided, our specialists conduct structured interviews to gather qualitative insights into a candidate’s performance, strengths, and weaknesses.
  5. Challenge & Resolution: When a previous employer is non-responsive, has gone out of business, or provides incomplete information, our team is trained to pursue alternative verification methods, such as contacting a different department or using third-party databases.
  6. Comprehensive Reporting: All verified information, along with any discrepancies or red flags, is compiled into a single, easy-to-read report that is delivered to you securely.

Legal Considerations: What Employers Can and Cannot Say

The legal landscape surrounding references in the UK can be a minefield, but it is a critical consideration for both you and the candidate’s previous employer.

  • No Legal Obligation (Unless Agreed): In the UK, an employer is generally not legally obligated to provide a reference unless a contract or a union agreement states otherwise, or if they are in a regulated industry like financial services.
  • The “True and Accurate” Standard: If a reference is provided, it must be true and accurate. The employer can’t provide information that is misleading or false. This is why many employers opt for a “basic reference” (confirming only dates and job title) to mitigate legal risk.
  • Discrimination and Protected Characteristics: A reference must not include information that could be considered discriminatory based on protected characteristics (e.g., age, disability, or gender).

Expol’s professional approach helps you navigate these complexities, ensuring that the information you receive is both legally sound and highly reliable.

News Banner

The Consequences of Not Using Employment Verification

The risks of not conducting employment verification are tangible and significant:

  • Hiring an Unqualified Candidate: A candidate who lies about their experience may be fundamentally unqualified for the role, leading to poor performance and a higher risk of termination.
  • Wasted Investment: The time and money invested in onboarding, training, and salary for a fraudulent employee are a complete loss.
  • Negative Impact on Team: A new hire who cannot perform their duties can demoralise colleagues and create a dysfunctional team environment.
  • Legal Liability: In cases where a lack of verification leads to hiring an employee who commits a crime or causes a safety issue, the employer could be held liable for negligent hiring.
Covert Financial Crime

Integrating Verification into a Comprehensive Screening Strategy

Employment verification is most effective when it is a part of a wider, multi-layered employment screening process. By combining it with a criminal background check, education verification, and a right to work check, you create a robust defence against a wide range of hiring risks.

This holistic approach ensures that you’re not just confirming employment dates, but you’re also building a comprehensive picture of a candidate’s integrity and suitability for your organisation.

Hire with Confidence. Verify with Expol.

Don’t let a fraudulent CV undermine your business. With Expol’s expert employment verification, you can hire with total confidence and ensure your team is built on a foundation of integrity.

  • Request an Employment Verification Quote tailored to your business needs.
  • Schedule a Consultation to discuss how to integrate employment checks into your hiring process.
  • Learn more about our other essential screening services.
Contact us