Do Employers Actually Verify Your Employment Background & College History?

“Education” and “Experience” are two of the most crucial sections of any resume. They provide important and valuable information designed to impress recruiters and sell yourself to prospective employers. But you might wonder whether employers actually take the time to look up the info you share.

Well, the simple answer is yes. According to local resume updating service in Denver Colorado, "Often, employers do indeed carry out background checks. However, the depth of those checks may vary from business to business. Some go into much more detail than others in terms of verifying your job history and qualifications. Below, we’ll look at how and why employers use background checks, and what this means for jobseekers".

Do Employers Do Background Checks?

They certainly do. Most businesses treat background checks as integral, indispensable parts of the hiring process. What’s more, many companies go quite in-depth into their checks. They’ll want to verify multiple aspects of a candidate’s history – college education, employment history, criminal record, etc. It’s all important to verify that the candidate is being honest and up-front.

However, there are exceptions. In fact, statistics show that quite a lot of hiring managers fail to check applicants’ educational history. Many may also neglect to check a candidate’s employment history. This can be risky, but some companies – for one reason or another – accept those risks and sometimes hire people without fully looking into them.

The Risks for Companies that Fail to Conduct Background Checks

Hiring a worker without checking their background and confirming their credentials is a risky game for any business to play. It allows workers to get away with lying about their past, potentially gaining employment in roles they’re utterly unqualified for. Here are just some of the possible dangers of hiring with no background check:

Unqualified Candidates

Simply put, if a company doesn’t do background checks, it’s much more likely to hire candidates who lied about their qualifications. That means that they’re effectively bringing people on board who aren’t cut out for the role in question and might be utterly incapable of doing their daily duties.

Unreliable Workers

If someone is willing to lie on their resume, they might not be too reliable in other areas. They might let the company down by neglecting certain responsibilities, for instance. Or they may not be too trustworthy when handling sensitive company files or customer data.

Damaged Reputation

Businesses also put their reputations at risk when they hire without background checks. They might bring someone onto the team who causes chaos or scandal, for example. That can lead to customers being less likely to trust the firm in the future.

Costly Turnover

Ultimately, if companies don’t do background checks, they’ll often end up bringing in workers who they must let go quite soon after. That means wasted time, money, and energy. Instead of getting on with work and being productive, companies get bogged down in a cycle of hiring and firing until they find the right fit.

Evidently, it’s much more cost-effective – and logical – to do background checks and bring in the right people the first time around. Companies can find themselves in serious hot water if they don’t do these checks. That’s why so many of them set up strong policies and do detailed checks before every hire.

How Are Background Checks Carried Out?

In terms of how background checks are done, there are a few different possibilities. A lot of firms like the old-fashioned approach of simply contacting previous employers and educational institutions, one by one. They can call or email a candidate’s listed employers, for instance, and verify that they really worked there.

However, that takes time. Another option is to get a third party to do the hard work for you. There are various companies that specialize in background checks. They utilize a range of tools and resources to uncover an applicant’s history on behalf of a hiring firm. They can then report back to the firm and let them know if the candidate is honest.

The Dangers of Lying on a Resume

Since some businesses don’t do background checks, candidates might be tempted to lie on their resumes. You might consider embellishing your resume’s “Education” section to make it seem more impressive.

However, that would be a mistake. Even if you’re applying to a business that doesn’t do very detailed background checks, there are still many dangers of lying on a resume.

• Legal Consequences: Arguably the most serious risk of lying on a resume is that you could face genuine criminal charges. You may, for example, be held liable for any legal issues you create for the employer after they trusted you because of a lie on your resume.

• Job Loss: In many cases, if an employer discovers that you lied on your resume, they’ll often terminate your contract right away. Even if they don’t, you may find yourself suspended and could struggle to regain trust or get promoted in the future.

• Reputation Damage: It can also negatively affect your reputation at work if you’re known to have lied on your resume. Colleagues and supervisors will be less likely to trust you, and you may find it harder to find other jobs in the same field.

Be Honest on Your Resume to Avoid Any Unnecessary Risks

Overall, the takeaway is clear: even though some employers might be a little lax in their approach to background checks, most businesses use them. Indeed, most businesses will go quite in-depth in terms of finding out where a candidate has worked, where they studied, and so on. They must be sure that the people they’re hiring are honest about their experiences and qualifications.

It’s simply not worth the risk to lie or make anything up on your resume. There are many real examples of people who tried to lie and got caught during the background check process. Instead of stretching the truth, there are many other ways to improve your resume, and experts like looking for a local resume building service that can help create a truthful but impressive resume.