Fraudulent academic credentials are more known, as unfortunately, an industry exists that issues academic credentials or a diploma without the inconvenience of the individual learning the subject matter.
There is also a growing industry in which an individual pays a company to provide a glowing employment reference. When you call the (fictitious) previous employer, they have an applicant-provided script and will tell you what the applicant wants you to hear. These services are not hard to find or deep underground.
Here’s an example: https://www.paladindeception.com/fake-job-references
Let’s start at the beginning. There are several crucial reasons you should check references
- Obtain negative information not elsewhere available
- Obtain positive information not elsewhere available
- Demonstrate Due Diligence – even when limited info
Obtaining Negative Information Not Elsewhere Available
You can hire someone with a clear criminal record—but someone you would not have hired had you known the whole story. If you had a driver employee who was drunk on the job or had an employee who you discovered was pilfering from you, many employers will not call the Police and attempt to have them arrested and charged—they just terminate the employee. In these cases, many times the employee is terminated—not charged with a crime, and thus while their criminal record may be clear, there might be a better candidate for hire.
Obtaining Positive Information Not Elsewhere Available
It is not a good thing to have a permanent population of unemployable individuals because of a mistake or mistakes made in their past. You may order a criminal record that contains an offense or offenses, but by performing reference checks discover that since the offenses, the individual has been a model employee. Checking references could lead you to hire that model employee that you otherwise would not have.
Demonstrate Due Diligence—Even When the Information is Limited
Some employers do not do employment verifications because they believe they will not get much information—just “name, rank, and serial number.” While most employers will at least indicate whether the employee left voluntarily or involuntarily and whether they are eligible for rehire, some employers are stingy with information. However, asking for employment verifications does show you attempted due diligence. The “negligent hiring doctrine” imposes an obligation on employers to “assess the nature of the job, its degree of risk to third parties, and then perform a reasonable background investigation to ensure the applicant is competent and fit for duty.” So even if you do not get much information from a past employer, the attempt itself can help negate liability.
Verify the Verifier
If you do not do employment verifications, we would recommend you do so, but we would also recommend that you take steps to “verify the verifier.” If an individual claims they worked for “Bob’s Appliance Repair” and gives a phone number for verification, you may want to look up “Bob’s Appliance Repair” on the web and call the phone number they list and call that number to verify if it is not the same as that provided by the applicant.
It is an unfortunate fact that the exact individual you do not want to hire is the individual most likely to fraudulently present false references. They may have no negative public record information and may have all professional credentials that are required and still be someone you would not want to hire.
PlusOne Can Help
PlusOne is an accredited Professional Background Screening firm. One section of this accreditation deals with verification services standards. We have instituted, documented, and been independently audited on our performance. We are good at eliciting information and can quickly and accurately obtain information you can use in your hiring or contracting decision-making. Call us if you would like to discuss a customized program for you.
For more information, please visit https://www.plusonescreening.com/
