Red Flags to Look Out in Employee Verification

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Employee background verification is a crucial process that helps you hire the right talent. Candidates may look on good paper, but you must check if the information they provide holds true. 

It is unfortunate, but candidate frauds are increasingly becoming common, especially for remote job positions. Hiring a candidate who intentionally misrepresents information can bring down the morale of the team, sour work culture, damage your brand reputation, and may also cause financial losses.

Following a comprehensive employee verification process can help you weed out such candidates at the initial stage itself. 

In this article, we will look at the top 6 red flags that you should not ignore during verification.

6 Red Flags to Watch Out in Employee Verification

1. Identity Verification Issues

Identity verification is the first step in assessing a candidate’s job application. Details such as name, phone number, and address may seem pretty basic, but it is also the reason why they often get overlooked. Applicants may use false identities to get a job.

If basic details like name and address do not match the documents provided, or if they are incomplete and unverifiable, it is a red flag. The applicant may be using a false identity or intentionally concealing details.

What Can You Do

  • Verify identity through government-issued documents such as Aadhar card or passport.
  • Work with background verification platforms for comprehensive checks.
2. Falsified Education Details 

Education verification lets you know if the candidate has the right qualification for the role. If the candidate falsifies education details, you will end up with an employee who lacks the skill to do the job.

Degrees from questionable universities and colleges are a red flag. If the candidate mentions a certain degree but cannot provide supporting documents, then it’s an issue. 

In the IT sector, if you cannot verify technical certifications online, there are high chances of them being fake.

What Can You Do
  • Verify the legitimacy of the issuing institution and then cross-check the degree through them.
  • For technical certificates, ask for transcript IDs or digital badges and verify them through the certificate providers.
3. Irregularities in Employment History

Verifying employment history is essential to know if the candidate has the required experience to take on the role.

Irregularities in job dates, unexplained gaps, and mismatch of job title and CTC are red flags. Overlapping job dates could mean the applicant moonlights. If you cannot reach a previous employer or the company doesn’t exist, it could be a fake job mentioned to inflate their resume.

What Can You Do
  • Contact previous employers for a thorough employee history check.
  • Ask the candidate supporting documents like payslips or experience letters to verify their claims.
4. Criminal Background Verification

You must verify an applicant’s criminal record to understand if they can be trusted to fulfill their job role with utmost sincerity. 

If there are inconsistencies between a candidate’s criminal record checks and what they have mentioned in the application, it is a major red flag. It is a sign of dishonesty. For example, a fintech company shouldn’t be hiring someone with a financial fraud conviction. 

What Can You Do
  • You can verify public criminal records through the regional and national court databases. 
  • Make a hiring decision after evaluating if the criminal record relates to the job role and if the candidate is a potential risk.
5. Manipulated Salary Details

It is natural that a candidate would like to get the best possible offer from a new job role. But some may take the negotiation a step ahead by providing manipulated salary details. It is a much more common issue than you realize. Inflated CTCs are again a sign of dishonesty.

Unreasonably high salaries without supporting documents or inconsistent amounts mentioned during application and interviews is a red flag.

What Can You Do
  • You can ask for pay slips or increment letters to cross-check figures.
  • You can run credit checks to get an overview on their financial behavior.
6. Poor References

Checking-in with references can help you understand a candidate’s professional behavior, interpersonal skills, and work experience.

If you cannot reach any of the references provided, or if they give you contrasting information, or if all the reviews are negative, then it is a red flag. It indicates the applicant is not being transparent about their professional experience.

What Can You Do
  • When reaching out to references, ask specific details about the candidate’s previous job role. If it’s a family member or a friend, they cannot easily bluff their way out of technical questions.
  • A word of caution, negative reviews alone shouldn’t impact the hiring decision, as they could stem from personal misunderstanding or conflicts. Hear out the candidate as well.

Hire Right with OnGrid’s Background Verification Solutions

Conducting an encompassing employee background verification can protect your company from potential damages. Use the red flags mentioned above as guides for the verification process. Do not shy away from asking for supporting documents and references, regardless of how qualified or talented the candidate is. 

Identifying false applications early on can help you select the right person for the role and build a team that is trustworthy and productive. With OnGrid’s employee verification services, you can access accurate and ISO compliant verification reports, which can help you develop a robust recruitment process.

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