• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Job Finder

Job Finder

Over 10,000 Latest Career Tips in 2022 | Get Employed

  • Career Tips
    • Remote Jobs with no Experience
    • Jobs for 13 years old
    • Jobs for 17 Years Old
    • Jobs for Bachelor’s degree
    • Job s for associates degree
    • Tech Jobs with no degree
    • Jobs with No Customer care services
    • Commission based Jobs
    • Jobs with History Majors
  • Cover Letter
    • Career Change Cover Letter
    • Entry Level Cover Letter
  • Hiring
    • Hire a Career Coach
    • Hiring Seasonally
    • Hiring Manager Jobs
    • Phone Interview Tips
    • Interview Questions
    • Networking Emails
  • Resume
    • Resume Trends
    • Stay-at-home Resume
    • Professional Resume Headers
    • Resume Summary Samples
  • Work Ethics
  • Kiiky Home
  • Kiiky Wealth
  • Kiiky Insurance
  • Kiiky Tech

How Do Employers Verify Education? All You Need To Know

May 27, 2022 by Francis Leave a Comment

employers verify education

An education background check determines whether an applicant attended the school that they claimed to have attended. It also includes confirmation of degree courses and time frames of attendance. Employers verify the education status of prospective employees to be sure they don’t hire frauds.

Education background checks can search for official records as far back as they need to go. Employers can verify a candidate’s diplomas and degrees regardless of when they were got. 

An education background check may reveal GPA and honors earned sometimes. If this information applies to the position for which you are applying, an employer will request it (such as a higher education teacher). Typically, an education background check will not confirm licenses.

Assume an employer needs to verify that an applicant has the certifications to work in a specific field. In that case, they’ll need to conduct professional license verification, which is a different type of background screening. 

What Exactly Is Education Verification? 

Employers conduct education background checks to verify candidates’ certifications, training, and educational histories and to identify potential misrepresentations. 

Consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) frequently conduct education background checks on employers’ behalf.

These services can aid in the verification of applicants’ high school diplomas, vocational certifications, and undergraduate and graduate degrees. 

An education background check reveals candidates’ dates of attendance, majors, and degrees at high schools and universities in the United States and other countries.

These checks are not used to validate professional licenses. Professional license verification is a better way to get these types of background screening services. 

Education verification services are necessary because some applicants misrepresent, embellish, or inflate their qualifications in order to get positions for which they are unqualified.

Some applicants will claim to have attended schools they did not attend or to have received degrees they did not receive. 

Read this: Best Colours To Wear For An Interview In 2022

Why is it Necessary for Employers to Verify Education? 

Employers who conduct background checks should also determine whether a potential hire has the education they claim in their application and the training to perform the job. Earning an advanced degree shows a person’s ability to persevere and achieve a goal. 

You can also determine the nature of the degree claimed during the education verification process. Some “universities” operate as diploma mills, awarding degrees with little or no effort. 

A background check can help determine whether a degree is legitimate and from an accredited university. Consider how this practice can assist you in weeding out dishonest candidates who would undoubtedly be a problem as an employee. Education verification is not limited to institutions; it can also validate any licenses or certifications. 

The following are several important reasons education verification should be included as part of your background screening during the hiring process. 

Ensure that all of your applicants are fully qualified

When you hire new employees for your company, you want to make sure that they are fully qualified and have the education to perform the tasks of their jobs. Education verification allows you to confirm the educational levels of your applicants.

This allows you to identify those who have the certificates, diplomas, or degrees and meet the minimum standards for your open positions. 

Avoid being held liable for negligent hiring

When you hire employees, you ensure that they have the skills, abilities, and knowledge to do their jobs. If you do not verify that they have the education and qualifications to perform their jobs, you may face a negligent hiring lawsuit if they cause harm to others because of incompetence. 

SEE ALSO:   Performance Anxiety at Work: How best to Go about it at Work

Screening applicants before hiring them help identify those who may not be suitable for the positions for which they have applied. 

Also check this: Top 20 Executive Interview Question

Recognize phony degrees and institutions

Diploma mills, or companies that sell forged credentials and degrees, have proliferated online because of the advancement of modern technology. It is simple for people to place orders with these companies claiming to have attended fictitious colleges and earned degrees they do not have. 

If you simply call the contact number listed on the resume to confirm a candidate’s degree, a diploma mill will use an answering service to provide false verification of the applicant’s claims.

Therefore you must …

Confirm that an applicant possesses the certifications, degrees, and licenses

Certain industries, such as health care, education, the legal field, fitness, cosmetology, and others, require employees to have specific degrees, certifications, and licenses to be qualified for positions. These requirements are necessary to ensure that they have the skills to do their jobs. 

If you hire someone without first ensuring that he or she has the degrees, certifications, and licenses, your company may be exposed to significant liability. 

Recognize false statements about degrees conferred or schools attended. 

Some applicants make false claims about holding degrees they did not get or attending schools they did not attend.

Some applicants, for example, claim to have attended prestigious schools although they did not try to make themselves appear better on paper. Others claim to have degrees that they never received.

Employers want to find qualified and trustworthy candidates. Education verification can assist you in quickly identifying any misrepresentations an applicant has made about the schools he or she attended and the degrees he or she earned, allowing you to hire only honest employees. 

Get quick and accurate results to expedite the hiring process

Verifying an applicant’s educational claims by contacting each institution listed on their resume and waiting for transcripts to confirm their claims can take weeks.

If an applicant has omitted a school from his or her resume, attempting to verify his or her educational background in this manner may yield insufficient results. 

Have confidence that your company abides by privacy and data security regulations

It is critical to safeguard the confidentiality and security of sensitive information about your applicants.  

Check this: Voluntary Resignation: What Does it Mean?

How Do Employers Verify Education

Too many employers do not conduct education verifications. One of the most common reasons for this is that employers believe the process is too complicated. In reality, the procedure is straightforward. You’ll begin by gathering basic information from the applicant. This information includes: 

  • The candidate’s full name (Note: Get the full name of the person who graduated. For example, a female candidate may apply using her married name but graduate using her maiden name.)
  • The degree-granting institution’s name and address
  • The dates of attendance (Note: Month and year should suffice. For example, 08/2005–05/2009)
  • Their degree’s title and field
  • The applicant’s signed authorization release 
SEE ALSO:   15 Best Teacher Resignation Letter | 2022 Samples and Examples

Your candidate will most likely be familiar with the hiring process and will be willing to share this information with you. 

What happens now that you have the information? 

Once this information is gathered, a third-party service can verify education by utilizing the Student Clearinghouse or contacting the institution’s registrar. One advantage of using a third-party service is that many providers can integrate with your applicant tracking system, allowing you to keep all applicant materials in one place. 

If you do not use a verification service, an HR team member may perform education verification manually. 

This do-it-yourself approach would entail contacting the university’s registrar, providing information about the prospective employee, and requesting verification. 

Alternatively, company representatives can submit a verification request to the National Student Clearinghouse. 

These requests are subject to a processing fee. Verifying high school graduation can be more difficult, especially if the applicant has a GED. 

In these cases, you must write to the department of education in the state where the person got the GED in order to verify that credential. 

See this: 15 Best Personal Reason Resignation Letter Samples

Things you should note..

Keep in mind that when conducting the education verification process in-house, you may encounter some difficulties.

Incorrect information can often make it difficult to locate a former student’s record. Some universities require students to request transcripts and will not release them to third parties unless they tell them to do so.

Some older records may not be accessible electronically, which may cause verification to be delayed. 

It’s also worth noting that if you verify education for new employees, do so for all employees to avoid potential discrimination claims.

Employees who are already on the payroll can be grandfathered in and do not need to have their education verified. 

Regardless of how you approach education verification, it is critical to budget for this step in the recruiting process. 

Allow at least three business days for education verification, and possibly more time if you aren’t using a third party. 

Colleges and universities, on average, can respond to requests faster than high schools or trade schools. Keep in mind that school offices may be closed or have reduced working hours at certain times of the year. 

Verifying education is an excellent method for quickly vetting potential employees. It can help ensure that you hire the right person for the job and reduce the possibility of hiring a dishonest person. 

These checks ensure you will have a thorough and fair system in place to screen potential employees. 

How Regularly do Companies Verify Education?  

Most likely, all companies have HRM (Human Resource Management) departments that handle these issues. The HR department is usually in charge of everything from hiring to verification, probation to confirmation, claims, and so on. 

It has become necessary to monitor the candidate’s profile, activity within the company, and background (Educational, Job, and other) information. So, while mentioning educational and other information on your resume, prepare yourself for the verification process. 

How to Recognize a Fake Degree on a Resume 

It is not always easy to spot a diploma mill forgery. You might not tell if the listed educational institution is accredited based on a resume. 

SEE ALSO:   40 Most Frequently Asked Exit Interview Questions In 2021

However, there are some red flags to look out for that may show the listed degrees are fake. Keep an eye out for the indicators listed below. 

Degrees are listed in a jumbled order. 

People advance through education in a specific order, which includes: 

A high school diploma/GED, an associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree are required. 

Read this: 10 Best Career Books To Read Today | 2022

A Master’s or a Doctoral degree 

If a candidate claims to have an advanced degree but does not have a Bachelor’s degree, or if he or she claims to have a Bachelor’s degree but does not have a high school diploma or GED, the claimed credential could be from a diploma mill. 

Degree got far too quickly 

Another sign that a claimed degree is a forgery is if the applicant got it in an unusually short time.

Students will need three to four years to complete a bachelor’s degree. A Master’s degree will typically take one to two years, while a Ph.D. will typically take four or more years. 

If an applicant claims to have earned a degree in a much shorter time or lists multiple degrees earned in the same year, investigate further. 

Degree from a Geographically Distant University 

While there are many accredited online degree-seeking programs, investigate further if an applicant claims to have earned a degree from a university that is far from where he or she works or lives.

You can find out if the institution is accredited. If not, the credential may have been got from a diploma mill. 

Schools with Similar Names 

If an applicant claims to have a degree from a university with a name that sounds similar to a well-known university in another state, investigate further.

There are some legitimate, accredited institutions with names that sound similar to those of prestigious institutions. 

Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri, for example, is sometimes confused with Columbia University in New York, but it is not nearly as prestigious.

It is, however, regionally accredited. Some diploma mills print fake documents with names that sound similar to well-known institutions but do not exist and are not accredited. 

If an applicant claims to have a degree from a foreign institution, look into it further. While this may be difficult, if an applicant claims to have a degree from an institution in a country where he or she has never lived, you should definitely look into it further. 

How Much Do Subway Workers Make? | 2022

Conclusion 

Employers should also know the employment verification process may have flaws. They frequently run into problems because of incomplete and/or inaccurate information. 

They may not get information about an applicant because some institutions only allow former students access to information. 

Finally, an employer can conduct an education verification check, but they may not always get the desired results and may need to conduct additional background checks. 

References 

  • scoutlogicscreening.com: How do employers verify education 
  • paycor.com: How employers verify education 
  • my.pgc.edu: How do employers verify education 
  • iprospectcheck.com: Education Verification 
  • privateeyesbackgroundchecks.com: Can employers verify education 

Recommendations

  • 10 Best Places to Retire in Pennsylvania in 2022
  • Is Business Analyst a Good Career Path? | 2022
  • 15 Best Highest Paying Work from Home Jobs | 2022
  • How to Create an Employee Spotlight + 10 Examples to Help you Get Started

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Highest Paying Jobs

15 Best-Paying Jobs In Real Estate Investment Trusts |2022

15 Best-Paying Jobs In Consumer Non-Durables | 2022

15 Best-Paying Jobs In Capital Goods | 2022

15 Highest Paid Jobs in Arkansas in 2022 [With Salaries]

20 Best Paying Jobs In Life Insurance

Fastest Growing Jobs in IT

20 Best Paying Jobs in Automotive Aftermarket | 2022

20 High Paying Summer Jobs for College Students in 2022

20 Best Paying Jobs in Packaged Foods in 2022

20 Best Paying Jobs in Apparel/Fashion Industry | 2022

Footer

Capital One Hiring Process | Job Application, Interviews and Employment

Are Employment Agencies Worth It? | Everything You Need To Know

Hobby Lobby Hiring Process | Job Application, Interview, and Employment

How To Write Cover Letter For Data Analyst | Full Guide

What is the Expense Recognition Principle? | Definition and How it works

How to Write A Cover Letter For College Student | Full Guide

15 Best-Paying Jobs In Real Estate Investment Trusts |2022

How To Write A Cover Letter For Grant Proposal | Full Guide

15 Best Aries Careers Ideas | Best Careers

How Much Does A Business Lawyer Make?

15 Best-Paying Jobs In Consumer Non-Durables | 2022

Home Depot Hiring Process | Job Application, Interview, and Employment

How Much Does A Real Estate Lawyer Make

CVS Hiring Process | Job Application, Interviews, And Employment

20 Effective Customer Connections Tips

WinCo Hiring Process| Job Application, Interviews and Employment

Cover Letter For Fresh Graduate Quantity Surveyor (Sample And Tips)

How to Send a Second Follow Up Email After Interview

VA Hiring Process | Job Application, Interviews, And Employment

20 Online Jobs For Disabled Veterans In 2022

How To Pass Korn Ferry Assessment Of Leadership Potential Test

15 Best ISFP Careers And Jobs In 2022

What Can You Do With An Architecture Degree In 2022

How To Write Cover Letter Template For Postdoc Position | Full Guide

How To Write Cover Letter For Research Assistant | Full Guide

20 Common MMPI Test Questions And Answers

How to Write a Cover Letter for Essay | Full Guide

20 Common Caliper Test Questions and Answers

How Long is Facebook Hiring Process in 2022 | Job Application, Interviews, And Employment

How To Pass Math Aptitude Test | Full Guide And Tips

Copyright © 2022 Log in

  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • DMCA Policy
  • Disclaimer