Employment & Education Verification for Employers

Employment verification is the process of confirming a candidate’s past work history by contacting their previous employers directly. It typically confirms job title, dates of employment, and sometimes reason for departure and eligibility for rehire. Employers use it to ensure candidates accurately represented their work experience on their resume or application.

Most verifications are completed within 2–5 business days. Timelines depend on how quickly the employer or institution responds. Some organizations use automated verification services (like The Work Number) which can return results faster, while others require manual outreach by phone, fax, or email. International verifications may take longer depending on the country and institution.

A verification confirms factual data — did this person work there, what was their title, when did they attend this school. A reference check is a structured conversation with someone who can speak to the candidate’s job performance, work ethic, strengths, weaknesses, and character. Both serve different purposes: verifications confirm facts, reference checks provide qualitative insight.

Employment verification is commonly included as part of a comprehensive employment background check, but it is not always ordered by default. Many employers add employment and education verifications to their standard screening package alongside criminal record checks, drug testing, and other components. Bchex offers verifications as a standalone service or bundled with other background screening products.

Under the FCRA, employers must obtain written consent from the candidate before conducting any background screening, including education verification. Additionally, FERPA protects student records, so institutions typically require a signed release before disclosing academic information to a third party.

Bchex flags any discrepancies between what the candidate reported and what the source confirmed — for example, different job titles, mismatched dates, or a degree that was never completed. The employer then decides how to proceed. Under the FCRA, if an employer intends to take adverse action based on the findings, they must follow the pre-adverse and adverse action notification process, giving the candidate an opportunity to dispute the results.

Yes. Bchex can verify employment and education credentials from international institutions. Turnaround times vary by country, language, and institution responsiveness, but we pursue direct-source confirmation regardless of location rather than relying on third-party databases.

While any employer can benefit from verifications, they are especially common in healthcare (credentialing requirements), financial services (FINRA and regulatory compliance), education (teacher and administrator licensing), government and defense (security clearance processes), and transportation (DOT compliance). Many organizations also verify credentials as part of negligent hiring liability protection.

The Work Number is an automated employment verification database operated by Equifax. Some large employers contribute payroll data to The Work Number, which allows instant verification of employment dates, job title, and sometimes salary. When a candidate’s employer participates, verifications can be completed faster. When they don’t, Bchex contacts the employer directly through manual outreach.

Most employers verify 7–10 years of employment history, though this varies by company policy, industry requirements, and the seniority of the role. Some regulated industries require verification of a candidate’s complete work history. Bchex can verify as many years of employment as the employer requests, subject to the availability of records from previous employers.

Education verification is the process of confirming a candidate’s academic credentials directly with the institution they claim to have attended. It checks the degree earned, field of study, dates of attendance, and graduation status. Education fraud — including fake degrees, diploma mills, and inflated credentials — is more common than most employers realize, and verification is the only reliable way to catch it before making a hiring decision.

In some cases, previous employers or automated systems like The Work Number will disclose salary information during employment verification. However, a growing number of states and localities have enacted salary history bans that prohibit employers from requesting or using a candidate’s prior compensation in hiring decisions. Bchex follows applicable state and local laws when conducting employment verifications and can configure verification requests to exclude salary inquiries where required.