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Education Verification

Education Verification for Pre-Employment Background Checks

Resumes are not always truthful. To get a job, a candidate may exaggerate their educational claims or the certificates they hold. Education verification can help employers learn the truth about a potential hire.

 

What Is Education Verification?

Most jobs require applicants to have a minimum education level. This is true with large enterprises and small businesses.

When a company can validate the information on an applicant's resume, they can hire the best people for the job because of accurate credentials. The process of education verification varies from employer to employer. Typically, employers want to confirm:

  • Years attended
  • Specific certifications
  • Education degrees
  • Institutions attended
  • Specialized training

Education verification helps employers distinguish between people who have earned a diploma from an accredited school as opposed to those who attended a diploma mill. A diploma mill is a place that is not accredited but provides degrees or diplomas for a price. Students have to do little or no coursework to get the degree.

Sadly, the person who got the degree may not be aware that it is not genuine. Education verification gives companies the ability to verify a candidate’s degrees, education, and certification.

Confirm your candidate's resume is accurate.

For only $20, we'll confirm your candidate's education history compared to their resume.

What Do I Need to Supply for Education Verification?

The documentation that a potential hire will need to supply will vary based on the company’s needs. Some businesses want details about educational backgrounds and certificates of their potential employees.

Applicants will need to supply their Social Security number, full name, birthday, known aliases, driver’s license number, current and past addresses, and other pertinent information. Some education verifications require:

  • Transcripts
  • Diplomas
  • Name of the high school or GED
  • Address of the last school attended

It is important for applicants to be informed about the process of education verification. Applicants should take the time to review the consent forms before they sign anything. Having the right information will speed up the background check.

How Far Back Do Education Background Checks Go?

They go as far back as the applicant’s education. This is because education verifications use official records. There is no time limit to how far back they can go. 

It is reasonable for an applicant to expect that their education background check will cover their high school degrees, post-high school degrees, and any claims on credentials they have made. If a person says they have graduated from a university but they are still in school, education verification will confirm this information. It will let the employer know what the applicant is studying in school, when they enrolled in school, and how long they have been attending.

Why Should Employers Verify Education?

Education verification helps employees avoid catastrophes. Imagine the disaster that could arise if a person applied for a healthcare position and said that they had a Master of Science in biology. However, they really had a Bachelor of Arts in English.

When employers check the background of their employees, they get to know their candidates. They are able to verify the schools they have attended, the professional programs they have worked with, and the degree they have achieved.

Checking for genuine qualifications is a key part of making well-informed hiring decisions. Working with a background screening provider to verify candidates can remove some of the stress of making hiring decisions.

How to Handle a Candidate Who Fails Education Verification

Throughout the entire screening process, employers should make sure that they are following the Equal Employee Opportunity Commission’s guidelines. They should follow the steps laid out by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

  • First, consult your employment policy.
  • Next, send a pre-adverse action notice. This lets the applicant know that there are concerns about the background check. It also tells them what their rights are.
  • Third, give your candidate a chance to respond to the information that the background screening brought to light.
  • Fourth, make a decision that is in harmony with your organization’s guidelines and the guidelines set out by the EEOC.
  • Finally, send an adverse action notice telling the person why you are not hiring them.

Background checks are essential to hiring quality candidates. When done properly, they can help identify an excellent candidate and make the hiring process easier. For reliable background checks that can help you build a trustworthy team, choose eKnowID as you partner in innovative education verification technology. Try it free today!