Employment verification is a way for employers to make sure an applicant actually worked for a specific company during the period of time as indicated on the candidate's application. People lie about who they worked with and how long they worked with previous employers. Candidates know that it looks bad to hop from job to job. This demonstrates a lack of loyalty and a lack of reliability.

Job applicants also know that certain companies look great on a resumé. Accountants are more marketable if they worked for one of the Big Four accounting companies: PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Deloitte & Touche and Ernst & Young. These companies hire the cream of the crop coming out of college and having them on your resumé opens doors. Employment verification services make sure applicants actually worked for the companies they claimed to have worked with on their resumés.

Added Benefits of Employment Verification

An applicant may have worked with Deloitte & Touche, but did he actually hold the title specified on his resumé? A number of applicants embellish or lie about the title they had. A candidate might put "Audit Manager" on his resumé when he was actually an "Audit Associate." The difference can be enormous and employers need to know the truth about their job candidates.

Employment verification also gives HR a chance to check references. It's a casual segue into job-related issues. While former employers might be reluctant to divulge any information beyond job title and duration of employment, this still presents the caller with an opportunity to dig deeper. This is your company's chance to get a more complete picture, be it good or bad.