Fingerprinting | Fingerprinting | Job Applicants Say the Darndest Things Pt. 2

Verification Specialists may work out of a central office in the United States, but we perform background verifications all over the world. Sometimes applicants and respondents make the assumption that we are located in their hometown. It really helps when an applicant provides address, city, state, working telephone number, and email address of a previous employer.
Likewise, because we are partnering with potential employers, it is unlikely Verification Specialist have personally met the applicant on whom we are performing the background check. As an applicant, one thing you can really do to help speed up the background screening process is to contact your references, remind them of who you are and let them know that a Verification Specialist will be contacting them soon.

It’s right past the place that used to be a Pizza Shop…

An applicant worked at a popular fast food restaurant but provided only a city and state for contact information. When contacted, the applicant proceeded to give the Verification Specialist directions to the restaurant. The Verification Specialist explained that she was calling from Pittsburgh and was unfamiliar with where these landmarks were located. There was a pause, and then this question: “Well, if you are calling from Pittsburgh, how did you know I was working at that restaurant?”

Can you describe him to me?

A Verification Specialist called a reference who could not remember the applicant. After mulling it over for several minutes, she was asked, “Can you tell me what this person looks like – that may help jog my memory.”

Pictures are not worth a thousand words

We live in an age of amazing technology. There are apps to make us look younger and programs that will create any document that you can imagine and make it look as realistic as the official document. We know that it can be frustrating when a verification is difficult to obtain. It is easy to understand the temptation to just want to send in a copy of your diploma, an old pay stub or a photograph to help verify your credentials.

Unfortunately because of the risk of falsification, at we cannot accept these documents in lieu of actual verifications. Employment Screening Alliance is only able include information in our reports that has been verified by a recognized third party.

A Verification Specialist was having trouble verifying an applicant’s employment because the company had gone out of business. She emailed the applicant to ask if it was possible to provide a former supervisor’s telephone number or if there was a corporate location we could reach out to. He was not able to provide that information; however, in his response he did attach a picture of himself in his work uniform.

On another occasion, a Verification Specialist was attempting to confirm an applicant’s degree. The university had no record of the applicant obtaining a degree. The Verification Specialist contacted the applicant to see if she may have graduated under a maiden name, or if there was any other information that would help with locating the records. The applicant was not able to provide any additional information, but she did attach a picture of herself in a cap and gown.

Help us to help you

At Employment Screening Alliance we are relentless in our quest to confirm your information. We view difficult verifications as a personal challenge and we will to everything in our power to provide quality information to prospective employers. Oftentimes our clients will give us permission to reach out to applicants to assist in our efforts. On occasion, we catch applicants off guard and certain ‘defensive reflexes” are the result.

Is this legal?

A Verification Specialist needed to reach out to an applicant to get the names of some professional references. The applicant became agitated and asked, “Are background checks even legal anymore?”

Yes, background checks and fingerprinting are legal. Rest assured, there are state and federal laws that help to give guidance to employers and background screening agencies. These laws also serve to protect applicants. In accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), applicants must be provided with a disclosure and authorization as well as a Summary of Rights prior to the background screening process. Upon completion of a background check, applicants are able to dispute any misinformation through a pre-adverse process and must be issued an adverse action letter if negative information found in a background check prevented them from being hired for a position. Applicants may feel that their privacy is being invaded, but must be aware that background checks are a common practice for a variety of industries.