Category: Verification of Employment

The employees are the backbone of any business — the ones who keep the company running on a day-to-day basis. That’s why it’s crucial to have a system that can verify their identity, credentials and employment status before you hire them.

In today’s competitive job market, many applicants make creative changes to their resumes to make themselves more qualified for the job they’re applying for. Research shows that 40% of job seekers have admitted to lying on their resumes, and 46% of resumes are inconsistent with the background check. As a result, this can lead employers to hire individuals different from who they say they are.

You can only afford to hire someone qualified as an employer or human resources manager. That’s where employee verifications come in. Read more about employee verifications and how employment verification services can benefit your business.

If you have any questions or would like more information about employment verifications, Quentelle LLC is here to help. We are a leading provider of employment verification services with a wide range of employment verification solutions tailored to your specific verification needs.

What is a VOE?

A Verification of Employment (VOE) is verifying an individual’s identity and employment status a the time of hiring and also verifying they information if/when current or former employees apply for a loan of some sort.

Employee verifications usually look into the following employment information.

Previous and Current Job Titles

Job titles are necessary to verify because they give you an idea of an applicant’s level of experience and expertise. By confirming an applicant’s previous job titles, you can be sure they are qualified for the position they are applying for.

Employment Timeline

The employment timeline can help you catch any inconsistencies or red flags on an applicant’s resume. For example, if an applicant has listed multiple short-term jobs in a row, it may be worth doing a deeper dive to see why that is.

Education History

The education history can determine whether the applicant is qualified for the job. For example, if a job requires a bachelor’s degree, you would want to verify that the applicant did graduate from college with a degree.

Salaries and Responsibilities

It is important to verify an applicant’s previous job responsibilities and how much they were paid for those positions. This can help you determine if the applicant is truthful about their qualifications and experience.

Cause of Termination

In some cases, verifying why an applicant was terminated from their previous job may be worth verifying. This can help you avoid hiring an employee terminated for a grievous reason.

How Do Employee/Employment Verifications Work?

Employment verifications must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The FCRA is a federal law that governs how consumer reports — including employment background checks — can be used by consumer reporting agencies.

The FCRA protects information by requiring companies that use consumer reports to follow specific guidelines. The company must have a permissible purpose for the data to run a background check. For employment purposes, the company must have a good reason to believe that the information in the background check will be relevant to the job.

The employer or HR manager needs to request only legally permissible information from the previous employer. The FCRA has strict guidelines about what can and cannot be included in an employment verification report.

Manual verifications can be challenging and time-consuming. Because of this, many businesses turn to third-party employment verification service providers — like Quentelle VOE Solutions — for their verification needs.

Here is how the employment verification process works.

The Employer or Third-party Verifiers Sends a Request to the Previous Employer

The employer or third-party verifiers will send a request letter to the previous employer for verification. This request will generally include the following important information:

• The applicant’s basic information and payroll data.
• The dates and timeline of employment.
• The job title(s) and responsibilities during employment.
• The applicant’s skills and qualifications.
• The applicant’s income data during employment.
• The applicant’s professional demeanor.
• The reason for leaving employment.

It’s important to note that the previous employer is generally only obliged to respond to this request if it came from government agencies, such as the Social Security Administration (SSA). Nevertheless, most companies will still respond to these requests out of courtesy.

The Former Employer Gathers the Necessary Information

The previous employer will then obtain the requested information and send it back to the employer. They will confirm or deny the applicant’s employment status and provide any relevant information about the applicant’s job performance, skills, and qualifications.

The Employer Reviews the Information and Makes a Decision

After reviewing the information, the employer or HR manager will decide whether to hire the applicant. Sometimes, the employer may conduct additional background checks before making a final decision.

Why is it Important to Receive?

Receiving accurate and up-to-date information about an applicant’s employment history is crucial to making informed hiring decisions. These decisions influence which employees to hire and can make or break a company, so it’s essential to get it right.

The employee verification process has many key benefits, including the following.

Helps Prevent Hiring High-risk Employees

Employment verifications can help prevent businesses from hiring high-risk employees. This is because background checks provide employers with information about an applicant’s past employment, which you can use to screen out individuals with a history of job-related problems.

For example, if an applicant has disciplinary action or a history of being fired from previous jobs, this may be a red flag that indicates they are not a good fit for the position.

Similarly, if an applicant has a history of job-hopping, this may also indicate poor job performance or personal problems. Either way, you can utilize this information to make informed hiring decisions.

Intellectual Property Concerns

Sometimes, an applicant must sign a non-compete agreement or other necessary contracts that protect the employer’s intellectual property. In these cases, verifying that the applicant does not have a history of violating such agreements is critical.

If an applicant has a history of breaching contracts or sharing confidential information, this could be a significant concern for the business.

Ensure the Safety of the Workplace

Another vital benefit of employee verifications is that this process can help ensure workplace safety. This is because criminal record checks can reveal an applicant’s criminal history.

If an applicant has a history of violence or other criminal activity, this may be a warning sign that indicates they are not suitable for the position. In some cases, an applicant with a criminal record may be legally barred from being hired for specific jobs.

In other cases, an employer may decide not to hire an applicant with a criminal record out of concern for the safety of their employees. Either way, this information can be vital in making informed hiring decisions.

Eliminates Bad Hiring Decisions or Practices

Employee verifications eliminate or mitigate the chance of making bad hiring decisions or practices. This is because pre-employment screening can provide employers with information about applicants’ qualifications, work history, and character.

You can use this information to screen applicants who are not a good fit for the position or may pose a risk to the company. For example, if an applicant has a history of frequent absences, tardiness, and poor performance, these may be indications that they are not a good fit for the position.

Ensures Hiring a Qualified Candidate

One of the most important benefits of employment verifications is that they can help businesses hire qualified candidates. Employment verification checks provide employers with information and insights about an applicant’s education, experience, performance, and qualifications.

Your company can use this information to confirm that an applicant is qualified for the position and has the necessary skills and experience. This will decrease the time it takes to train an employee in your business processes.

Sometimes, employers may even require applicants to submit references or letters of recommendation to verify their qualifications.

For More Information, Contact Quentelle LLC for Support and Guidance

Employment verifications are essential tools companies can use to screen applicants and ensure that businesses hire qualified individuals who will contribute to the company’s success story.

Third-party credentialed verifiers can provide a reliable employment verification service, help reduce risk and eliminate many manual verifications. They also provide cost-effective solutions that can save businesses time and money by enabling streamlined employment verifications and hiring processes.

We provide fast, accurate, and affordable employment verification services. Our expert team is available 24/7 to help you with all your employment verification needs. You can count on us to help you with all your HR needs, including unemployment cost management, contributing payroll data, income verifications, and more!

With Quentelle LLC, you can be sure that you are saving time and money and getting the most accurate and up-to-date information about your prospective employees. Contact us today for more information about our services.

Many businesses might find navigating the murky waters of employee relations challenges. If your company wants to grow and thrive, you must ensure the right people are on board at the right moment. On the other hand, a few key elements must come together for this to work. The good news is that there are now turnkey solutions that can make the process so much easier.

Turnkey solutions are ready-to-use technologies that can be quickly implemented in a business, requiring the end user to merely “turn the key” to get going. It’s a lightweight approach to a digital strategy that helps companies get the features they need immediately and at a low cost. Quentelle’s turnkey, easy-to-use human resources suite is intuitive and ready to go when you are, freeing up your time for more strategic initiatives. Let’s take a closer look.

What is a Digital Verification of Employment?

Verification of Employment (VOE) refers to the official process companies follow to check prospective hires’ employment status and background. All or some of the listed references from a candidate’s previous jobs will be contacted to provide details on the applicant’s time at the company. Most companies will comply with the requested information even though they are not required to do so by law. In addition, federal government agencies do not limit the information that former employers might give to potential employers about an applicant. However, there may be restrictions on the kinds of data that can be disclosed for background checks under the laws of your state. When making employment verification inquiries, businesses typically ask for the following pieces of employment data regarding an applicant:

• Job titles
• Timeframe and length of employment
• Types of duties performed on the job
• Performance in the workplace
• Salary history and contributing payroll data
• Competence, proficiency, and expertise
• Workplace professionalism and attitude
• Any history of disciplinary action
• The reason they left the company

Employers who need to verify a candidate’s job history must do so by applicable state and federal rules, limiting the types of employment data used in hiring decisions. However, it’s common knowledge that verifying employment can be a trying experience. What ought to be straightforward turns out to be complex. If your company’s human resources team is in charge of checking references and employment records, the procedure can be lengthy and prone to mistakes. The amount of time needed to deal with this task varies according to:

• The number of candidates that need to have their credentials checked with many manual verifications
• Employees dedicated to the VOE procedure within the HR department
• The number of references from the candidates’ previous jobs
• How up to date the former employers’ contact details are
• How long it takes previous employers to respond to your employment requests for a VOE

Due to the time it takes to complete employment verifications and the information gaps that may arise, it is typically a waste of time and money for businesses to devote their resources to the task and then wait for a response, which may take weeks. If the hiring process takes too long, it could harm the business in terms of lost sales and risk losing a qualified candidate who decides not to wait for confirmation of employment and instead accepts an offer from a competitor. This leads to companies increasingly turning to digital platforms and automation tools like Quentelle’s VOE solutions to complete the Verification of Employment process promptly without sacrificing accuracy or unemployment cost management. With Quentelle, you can rest assured that the process of verifying previous employment is being handled correctly and by all applicable laws.

Quentelle’s VOE technology features a system designed with you in mind. It’s an easy-to-use system that verifies employees in their work environment that helps companies and employers secure the documents they need. Since we live in a digital age, using Quentelle’s VOE technology makes the verification process a breeze.

Why Are Employment Verifications Needed?

Investing time and effort into finding and hiring the best person for each open position can profoundly impact your company’s success. When making hiring decisions, one of the most critical factors is researching the applicant’s previous work experience. Verifying a candidate’s employment history is essential for making informed hiring and business decisions, like extending credit. Ideally, companies will check the applicant’s career history to ensure it matches their claims before extending a job offer. A business should be allowed to inquire about a potential employee’s previous work history whenever necessary and have complete confidence in their decision to recruit them.

Without such a system, the time and money spent on training new employees could be for naught if unfavorable information about them was uncovered after they were brought on board. The background check is an essential part of the hiring process. Still, many companies have not kept up with the technological innovations that have permeated the HR department in recent years. However, it is still crucial to do a thorough screening. Businesses need to safeguard their reputation by hiring only those who meet their qualifications and requirements. Unfortunately, discrepancies can be found in over half of all resumes submitted worldwide, highlighting the importance of verification. When comparing address, education, and employment verification among the group of resumes with discrepancies, it is clear that employment verifications have the highest rate of inconsistencies (almost 80%).

Using a cutting-edge and reliable platform like Quentelle, employers can review a candidate’s career history with greater certainty, knowing that the applicant has provided truthful information and that their claimed professional credentials are accurate. As a bonus, this will guarantee they have the right work experience to carry out the new position they are applying for. Additional benefits include:

• Checking applicants’ income before granting loans.
• Documentation of past employment in qualifying for state and federal benefits.
• Protection from identity theft and improved data privacy.
• Better hiring practices lead to a higher-quality workforce in the long run.
• Improved cohesiveness and morale among team members because of new personnel who quickly adapt to the established norms and values of the company.
• Employee theft and violence are less likely to occur if negligent recruiting practices are reduced.
• Increased safety and increased output in the workplace.
• Reduction in the prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse.
• Better employee retention and less attrition.
• Improved compliance with laws and regulations.

Not only do digital verification solutions benefit employers, but employees can also reap the rewards, too. As a first and most visible advantage, candidates can demonstrate the authenticity of their digital credentials and choose which employers view their employment data. This can verify your previous employment and help you get a new job. In addition, this can help your resume stand out to potential employers by verifying your years of service at your previous job. The secondary advantages are particularly intriguing, though.

While verification helps establish work experience for prospective employers, it can also be used in other contexts. For instance, digital verification of employment is evidence of a proven track record. Financial institutions or insurance service providers, who rely on alternate data to back up their decisions, can use this as a reliable source of information compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If you want insurance for yourself and your family or get approved for loan applications, this digital credential could be the deciding factor. These indirect benefits can be monumental for specific people and their loved ones.

Why is Employment Verification a Difficult Process?

Employment histories are notoriously difficult to verify. Considering the number of potential factors, it is easy to see why this is the case. Several of the reasons why are listed below:

Many Businesses Rebrand Themselves Every Few Years

Companies of any size can legally change their names in the event of a merger, acquisition, rebranding, or another significant event. For instance, if an applicant has previously worked for YYY Consulting, but the firm was acquired by ZZZ Consulting and moved offices, verifying their employment history with the previous company can be challenging.

Corporations Fail and Disappear

If your candidate’s previous employer has closed down, no one will vouch for their employment history. That’s why it can be hard to manually contact them to provide sensitive income data.

Employees Quit and Leave

There is no assurance that any of your candidate’s former coworkers will still be employed by the company, even if it is still operational. Getting a simple confirmation of employment would be possible, but that’s about it. Another issue is that your candidate’s colleagues may be laid off if their positions are duplicated, which can happen if businesses consolidate. After a merger, the combined company’s human resources department likely won’t have complete or up-to-date employment data dating back to when both firms operated independently.

How Can the Process Be Made Easier?

Employment verifications can be simplified by integrating a turnkey, easy-to-use Human Resource Suite like Quentelle with your existing background screening system. Using their proprietary VeriSafeJobs platform, Quentelle can provide cutting-edge featured solutions for VOE. Quentelle’s VOE solution will take your business to new heights by guaranteeing the safety of your data, streamlining and improving the user experience, providing detailed reports and comprehensive metrics, and providing first-rate service and support. By conducting a thorough digital verification of employment through Quentelle, your company can avoid the following pitfalls:

• Distrust within the company: Employing reliable employees is crucial to the success of any business. If you don’t feel confident in the qualifications of your staff, this may not be easy to accomplish.
• Cybercrime and fraud: According to a 2014 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners study, fraud accounts for annual losses of $3.7 trillion. Verizon also reported that internal misconduct accounted for 20% of recent cybersecurity breaches. This highlights the importance of comprehensive background checks for all prospective employees for data security.
• Consumers are put in danger: When an employee who deals directly with customers is caught engaging in wrongdoing, the first thing that will be raised is whether an employment verification was conducted.
• Safety risks in the workplace: The employer must ensure that their workplace is safe and conducive to employee health. Violent incidents in the workplace can have devastating emotional and psychological effects on workers.

The results of an employment verification can shed light on whether or not the candidate is telling the truth about their work history, provide context for any employment gaps, and indicate whether or not they would be a good fit for the company. Avoiding these steps before hiring a new employee could be deemed negligent. Supporting your HR team with an employment verification solution can help them go through the process swiftly and efficiently.

Conclusion

Verifying a candidate’s employment history can be a tedious and time-consuming task. However, it’s a necessary part of the hiring process to confirm that a candidate is qualified based on their resume’s claims and is a suitable cultural match for the business.

Humans are at the heart of what we do in HR here at Quentelle. We have compiled several HR processes that are crucial but often require manual attention into a streamlined software package. Using our turnkey, easy-to-use human resource suite, you won’t have to worry about the hassles and intricacies of keeping up with the latest HR trends and regulation compliance for your business and even save time.

Quentelle is here to help with all your employment verification needs, regardless of your field. We are an industry leader in providing employment and income verification solutions for businesses like yours in a timely, secure, and hassle-free manner.

Do you want to see a demonstration of our additional solutions and learn how they can help your business? Feel free to call us anytime at (888) 565-5515 or fill out our contact form.

Workflow management is one of the most misunderstood and underutilized tools when it comes to any part of your business – but especially the human resources department of any company, in our experience.

In fact, we often hear clients use the words “project” and “workflow” as though they’re synonyms. Sometimes you’ll also hear the term “process management” thrown around as well. While workflows, process management, and projects have certain aspects in common, these words are not all as interchangeable as some might think.

You may be wondering why we’re being so particular, and that’s a fair question. However, while it might not seem important on the surface, defining the difference between your HR projects, processes, and workflows might be one of the most important things you can do for accuracy and efficiency.

In this article, we’re going to walk you through the necessary steps to get handle on your human resources workflow, and how to automate them properly – resulting in fewer mistakes, more money saved annually, and a happy workforce.

Remember: to automate anything, we must first understand its function and its parts, so that’s where we’ll begin.

Human Resources Workflow, Projects, and Process Management

So what is the difference between a workflow, a project, and process management?

Workflow: Very simply, your HR workflow is the series of necessary steps that need to happen in a specific sequence in order to finish a task.

When it comes to your human resource (HR) workflow, we’re referring to any number of distinct steps that your team must take to complete necessary tasks. A workflow is used, for example, when a new employee is hired. This workflow ensures that all required HR tasks related to onboarding a new person are completed in an efficient and timely manner.

Projects: Consider a project to be a planned effort to achieve a specific goal or outcome. It can be done by an individual or a team, but in the end, there’s the desired result.

Projects are different than workflows because they are less rigid in their structure as long as the end goal is achieved. Projects are more fluid and can include workflows, but workflows by their nature rarely include projects.

Some examples of human resources projects are things like:

• Ensuring all employee job descriptions are accurate and current.
• Updating the company policy document and having all employees sign.
• Checking all employee contact info is correct.

Process Management: Process management is considered the discipline of using various methods to try to improve, optimize, and even automate processes within a business.

For example, you’re very likely engaging in process management right now as you read this article. As you search for an automated workflow for your HR team, you’re attempting to discover, improve, optimize, and automate – all earmarks of process management.

Now that you have a clearer understanding of these different aspects, you can see how when they’re not clearly defined, can result in tangled, inefficient HR departments.

Before we automate anything we need to understand how it works within our company. Let’s take a deeper look at the goal of human resources management.

What Is Human Resources Management?

Human resources management is the overall approach to managing your corporate culture, business operations, and employees. When you have strong human resources management in place your employees will feel taken care of, motivated to work harder, and excited to contribute toward company initiatives and goals.

As a company you should have a purposeful idea of what you want your human resources management to be. If this is under-managed or mismanaged, it can be damaging to employee morale, and make your company a place where people don’t enjoy working.

What Is Human Resources Workflow Management?

Once you’ve decided the kind of workplace you want to provide for your employees, you need to define the repetitive, necessary tasks that will be implemented so that your human resources managers can make them a reality.

By managing your human resources workflow you’re empowering your HR team to streamline their day-to-day tasks, eliminate needlessly time-wasting tasks, and ultimately keep you and your employees happy, protected, and compliant.

Once you have the ideal human resource workflow in place for your company, the next step to improving your company’s efficiency, profitability, and morale is to introduce human resources workflow automation.

What Is Human Resources Workflow Automation?

Human resources workflow automation is taking your existing HR workflow and using software to streamline the process and make it occur digitally. This means taking the operations that are being handled on paper or using spreadsheets that are local to a single person’s computer and putting them all into one easy-to-use platform.

Human resources workflow automation takes time-consuming, tedious, and mundane tasks and automates them as much as possible. Your human resources team will see a marked improvement when it comes to efficiency – not to mention a reduction of errors.

When a human resources team takes advantage of workflow automation, it frees them up to focus on other duties within your company. Rather than spending the majority of their time focused on menial tasks, they’re able to implement initiatives and projects to improve the overall state of your company’s human resources management we discussed above.

In addition, by using a trusted digital platform (like Quentelle) for your human resources workflow, you’re immediately improving the level of security your HR workflow. No more printed forms and paper file folders. Instead, you’ll be able to take advantage of digital safeguards and security, as well as customizable privacy controls that will help you meet regulatory and compliance requirements.

Benefits of Human Resources Automations in Today’s Enterprise

There are many advantages to automating your HR workflow, but here are a handful of some of the most advantageous to virtually any business.

Tax Credit Opportunities

There are few things that can immediately help a company’s bottom line like taking advantage of the proper tax credits available to them. When you use an automated HR workflow, you’re able to automatically identify things like the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) at the point of hire, and that’s just for starters.

Streamlined Unemployment Claims Management

Managing unemployment claims can be a full-time job for a company’s human resources department. The challenge is that if unemployment cost management doesn’t get the attention it deserves, it can cost your company substantial amounts of money in erroneous claims (or claims that were automatically accepted because there was no response).

Automating your HR workflow is a huge step toward unemployment cost control – and you can also rely on the platform to help you with tax rate verification specific to your state agencies so that you’re not over or underpaying when it comes to unemployment insurance.

Reduced Errors

No matter how excellent your human resources team is, the odds are they will eventually make a mistake somewhere in their HR workflow. When your team is responsible for manually handling onboarding forms, payroll, time sheets, employment verification, unemployment claims management, and other aspects of human resources (usually across multiple platforms), costly and serious mistakes are bound to occur.

When you automate your human resources workflow (and do so with an all-in-one platform like Quentelle), you reduce errors drastically – and in many cases can eliminate them entirely.

Unmatched Reporting Options

When you use human resources automation, you’re unlocking quick access to data-driven reports that would otherwise take a substantial amount of time and effort to put together. Additionally, when your HR workflow is hosted on one platform like Quentelle, you’re allowing for the simple and powerful cross-referencing of multiple human resource data points. (We’ll talk about this a bit more in-depth later in the article.)

Give Your Human Resources Team the Tools to Strategize

Let’s put those robust reporting options to good use. When you use a strong platform like Quentelle to automate your HR workflow your human resources team will have a robust set of tools to optimize and strategize the best way to operate. When your team can make data-driven decisions quickly and accurately, you’re giving them the ability to be proactive instead of reactive.

Repetitive (But Important) Tasks Are Automated

There are necessary tasks that any HR department will tell you are critical to operations – but also time-consuming and tedious. Why have a human do what a computer can do more quickly and accurately?

By automating the repetitive portions of certain tasks, you’re giving your team the ability to focus on the parts of those tasks that only a human can do best through intuition and experience.

When you automate your HR workflow, you’re optimizing the workflow of your human resources team and managers – saving valuable time and effort.

Emphasis Can Be Put on the Human Element of “Human Resources”

When your employees and HR team are spending time performing tedious human resources tasks to stay current and compliant, they’re not spending time with clients.

By automating the repetition parts of new employee or contractor onboarding, it gives your team the free bandwidth to interact with these people and begin to cultivate meaningful relationships quickly and naturally.

Acquire and Keep Stronger Talent 

By automating your company’s hiring process, you can greatly improve candidate selection. Rather than shuffling through paper resumes or countless online submissions you can quickly and easily identify qualified applicants that possess the skillsets the position requires.

These tools can make your talent acquisition process quicker and less reactive, allowing you to build an acquisition pipeline.

Additionally, with less “paper pushing”, your HR team can focus on true employee relations and keeping current employee moral high.

Support Various Work Styles

As working remotely becomes more popular and accepted by many companies, HR departments are having to navigate working with employees who are located in various places geographically. With some employees living in different states (or even countries), an automated workflow allows for the quick and secure transmission of any documentation electronically. This is faster and less expensive than other options such as fax and postal mail.

Unparalleled Organization

When your entire team is working from the same platform, there are no issues with data that’s not up to date or different versions of documents and spreadsheets. Working from a single platform like Quentelle will give you a level of organization – and a reduction of errors – that you can’t achieve any other way.

Many, Many More Benefits

As you can see, the benefits that come from using human resources workflow automation are numerous. Another thing to mention is that we understand every business is unique, and each will enjoy the unique benefits when automating their HR workflow. Every company not only has its own “pain points” that can be eliminated by HR workflow automation, but also the things that will bring them distinct benefits.

So how do you begin your enterprise workflow automation for human resources? Let us show you how it works.

Enterprise Workflow Automation for HR – How It Works

Enterprise-level workflow automation for HR can sound like a big, scary topic. Many managers, executives, and owners think that automating HR processes will be an expensive and almost insurmountable task. In some cases, they’re also skeptical that if they use automated HR workforce solutions that they’ll be putting their team out of a job.

The fact is that for most companies, none of this is accurate.

When you understand what enterprise-level workflow automation truly is at its core, you’ll probably find yourself wondering why you didn’t implement it sooner. Enterprise workflow automation is a powerful tool that will allow your employees to increase meaningful output and overall value to your company.

Here are some powerful ways that workflow automation for HR can work for you.

Automating the Identification of Opportunities for Tax Credits

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit that your company can take advantage of at the point of hire of a new employee. The credit is designed to incentivize companies like yours to provide jobs to individuals from certain groups that often face challenges finding gainful employment.

The key is that this tax credit must be identified at the point of hire. If a candidate is eligible there are forms that need to be filled out (IRS pre-screening Form 8850 and DOLF Form 9061) prior to or on the day the employee begins work.

If you don’t follow this process your company will be ineligible to claim the WOTC tax credit.

There’s still more – once the individual begins work, you’re required to submit the properly filled out forms to the state employment workforce agency before the 28th calendar day after the employee started their job.

As you can see, this process is layered and specific. If you handle your Work Opportunity Tax Credit process manually, there are many places the process can go awry, causing you to miss out on your credit.

When you use the workflow automation from Quentelle to handle your WOTC process, you can leverage our partnership with Walton – a trusted, industry leader. We’ll deliver a streamlined solution that lets you screen for Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) easily and accurately.

By using our simple and short process during your company’s onboarding process, Walton will determine eligibility and then pursue the tax credits for you.

You’ll benefit from:

• A simplified screening process: Our screening process is simple, but powerful, and gets the job done.
• Well–known integrations: Walton has a number of integrations with the most reputable and largest applicant tracking, onboarding, and payroll providers.
• Unmatched results: By using an automated process that turns over every stone, you’ll be able to rest assured that you’re not missing any opportunities for tax credits.

Other Credit Opportunities

The WOTC credit is only the beginning if you’re using the proper automated HR platform. Our partners at Walton will also pursue any other local, state, federal, and point-of-hire tax credits that your company might qualify for. This also includes Federal Empowerment Zone and the Indian Employment Credit programs, just to name a few.

With Quentelle’s HR workflow automation, the only thing you need to focus on is hiring great applicants, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Automating Unemployment Claims Management

Unemployment claims management is a necessary part of running any business. As you are probably well aware, there are many moving parts when it comes to handling unemployment claims properly.

Managing unemployment claims and navigating the unemployment system yourself is a time-consuming, complex, and ongoing process. Sadly, it often results in unemployment costs going up for your company. Not only that, but any single mistake during the process, and erroneous unemployment claims can be paid out, costing your company dearly. It will also increase your overall unemployment costs since a higher number of accepted claims will increase your unemployment tax rates.

By automating your unemployment claims management using a solution from Quentelle, the managing unemployment claims will be simple and cost-effective.

Our primary goal is to proactively examine all of your unemployment claims and decide whether they should be accepted or denied. As you may be aware, any unemployment claims that aren’t responded to in a timely manner are automatically accepted. Having our watchful team on the job typically lowers unemployment costs.

We don’t stop there. We also audit and track your unemployment claims history, and do all that we can to keep down the number of ongoing claims and improve your unemployment cost control.

The calculation of your unemployment tax rates is a complicated, multi-layered process. Our team will also review your claims history alongside tax records to be sure that you’re paying the proper unemployment tax rates. If your tax rate is incorrect, you could be overpaying or underpaying.

We will use the State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES) to electronically transfer all of the necessary unemployment claims documents. This means that you’ll no longer have to use postal mail or other less reliable methods. By using these electronic methods, we’re able to improve claim response times, which secures future appeal rights for your company.

Your team will never have to spend their time on an unemployment claims hearing again. If any unemployment claims do result in an unemployment hearing, one of our highly-experienced staff will attend as hearing representatives on your behalf. Our team members have an average of 20 years of unemployment claims proceedings experience and are familiar with unemployment laws and regulations.

We’ll prepare every witness prior to each unemployment hearing, and we’ll be sure that all documents and decisions are reviewed thoroughly. If the unemployment hearing does result in an appeal, we’ll handle the appeal process for you in its entirety.

You’ll benefit from:

• All unemployment claims will be answered on a case by case basis – no more automatic acceptance.
• Lower unemployment benefit charges overall.
• Not having to use your valuable in-house talent on unemployment claims management.

As you can see, when you use workflow automation to handle your unemployment claims management, there are many benefits that will save your company time and money, and will ensure the most optimal and fair outcome for everyone involved.

The Highest Standards of Compliance

No matter what industry you’re in, your company is going to be subject to adhering to the compliance of federal, state, and local laws and regulations. If you fail to comply with any of these laws and regulations, it can trigger any number of consequences – none of which are good for your business. Your company can experience such things as investigations by various administering agencies, and sometimes the eventual assessment of fines and penalties.

One of the worst parts is that any errors in adherence to compliance and regulations are often the result of a mistake made by a member of your company’s staff. When all of your primary human resource workflows are handled in-house by human employees, the chances of finding your company in non-compliance at some point increases greatly.

How can HR automation help with compliance and reporting? By automating as much of the regulatory minutiae and compliance data as you can, you’re not relying on your team to stay up-to-the-minute on every regulation, rule, and guideline in an ever-shifting landscape.

As we stated earlier, we believe in letting computers do the job of computers, and letting people do the job of people. Even your most experienced and skilled human resources team member won’t have every state, federal, and local regulation or rule memorized. However, by leveraging an automated human resources workflow platform and taking advantages of the solutions offered from Quentelle, you can rest assured that your entire process is current with all regulatory information available.

Powerful and Easy-To-Use Reporting

We mentioned this earlier, but when you automate your human resources workflow, one of the major benefits you’ll experience is powerful, easy-to-use reporting. By having all of your human resource functionality in one platform (like Quentelle’s HR Analytics solution), you’re also giving yourself a method of collecting invaluable data about your organization. You’ll be able to look at cross-referenced data that wouldn’t otherwise be possible and make data-driven decisions confidently.

Take an in-depth look at things like:

• Staff retention and attrition
• Job statistics
• Separation analysis
• Turnover rate
• Retention rate
• Separation reasons vs. job titles
• Correlations between separation and other data

And that’s only the beginning. As more and more data is gathered, our platform is able to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to not only show you existing data trends, but also to compile, query, and analyze large amounts of data. The AI can then identify certain patterns and trends that would be much harder to spot otherwise.

When you’re empowered by useful insights you can count on, you can make meaningful decisions with a minimal investment of research time and resources.

Integrating with Your Existing Tech Stack

Here at Quentelle, we wrote the book on tomorrow’s technology delivered today. We understand that you have an existing technology stack that you’ll need to consider before deciding on which workflow automation and HR applications can work for your business.

You’ll want to take a close look at any solution to make sure that it integrates smoothly with your pre-existing accounting and financial reporting software. We’re happy to report that our platform is at the cutting edge of what is available, and integrates seamlessly with many commonly used software services.

If you’re using a well-known provider, chances are that our flexible integrations will connect simply and securely to deliver an all-in-one, convenient solution.

You may be asking yourself: “But what if I don’t use a well-known provider?” Or “What if my business has a specific requirement?” The simple answer is that no matter what, we’ve got you covered. We offer customized solutions to any of our clients who need it.

We understand that there are some industries that rely heavily on managing data that is complex, and that’s no problem.

Are you in one of the following industries?

• Healthcare
• Transportation
• Employer services
• Agriculture
• Something else?

No problem. We’ve worked with companies across many industries to develop custom software that helps them solve any challenge they’re facing. Everything we custom-make is designed to work seamlessly with our platform for an incredible experience.

In addition to seamless and flexible integrations, our platform also uses ForeSite, and leverages the power of what cloud computing can do today. This means that you’ll be able to manage and retrieve your data on demand with the utmost security.

Couple all of those benefits with our simple, single sign-on and our customizable push alerts, and you’ll see that Quentelle offers award-winning, easy-to-use solutions that you’ll love.

What Workflow Automation Means for Your Organization’s Bottom Line

As you can see, there are quite a few tangible benefits to automating your HR workflow. At the end of the day, you’re a business and you have to take a look at optimizing your income and doing all that you can to improve profit margins.

For businesses that take the switch to an automated HR workflow seriously, they often see a substantial amount of increased revenue and cost-saving opportunities open up.

Imagine the opportunity you have if every employee you hire is not only screened for WOTC tax credit – but all tax credits available. We see some of our clients get immense tax savings by allowing us to add a simple step to their hiring process.

Having all of your unemployment claims and unemployment taxes information in one place and being handled expertly can also drastically reduce your unemployment costs and keep your tax rates as low as possible.

You can imagine how the amount of tedious, repetitive work being handled by an automated system can free your team up to provide even more value, and in many cases, reduce HR labor expenses overall. Plus, reductions in efficiencies, initiatives, and projects can occur due to your team having more time available to be truly productive.

As you continue to capture data and use powerful reporting and AI-driven HR analytics, you can also participate in more accurate and meaningful long-term business planning and forecasting.

Another major opportunity for improving your bottom line is using HR automation and reporting to identify trends and patterns that your competitors have no way of learning. Seeing patterns that improve talent acquisition and offer other insights can help you beat competitors in ways they’re not expecting.

Quentelle Is the Industry Standard for Workflow Automation in HR Applications

Quentelle is the industry leader when it comes to workflow automation in HR applications. We’re smart and simple redefined through the power of our solutions.

If you’re looking for the most advanced technology available – that’s also simple to use and will integrate with your existing software – then you’ve come to the right place.

We’d love to talk to you about how we can help you streamline your HR workflow like never before, empower your team with the tools they deserve, and improve your company’s bottom line.

To learn more about our solutions, call us at (888) 565-5515 or contact us online.

More and more, there are aspects of your business that can be updated to match the current state of online security and technology. One of the most overlooked facets of a business that you can update is the methods you’re using to handle the verification of employment. Many companies are still using traditional, analog methods of verifying employment like paper pay stubs, verbal verification, and written verification such as letters. It’s time to update the way you’re handling verification of employment, and instead of having financial documents and handwritten notes about current employment status cluttering up your desk, it’s time to find a VOE partner you can trust.

While most people think of employment verification mattering for simply hiring, VOE is critically important for loan applications, KYC (know your customer) procedures, and involvement with various government programs. VOE systems reduce loan risk by helping financial institutions work up risk profiles and spot fraud.

And before you balk at the idea and decide to continue to do things that way you always have, consider this: it isn’t just a good idea to get a VOE provider to “stay current” or “keep up with trends”–it’s actually an area that can help your business become more profitable overall. Here are a few ways that finding the right VOE provider is good for your bottom line.

But First, What is VOE, Really?

Verification of employment (often abbreviated as VOE) is the process that is used by employers, people making hiring decisions, and financial institutions to formally review a person’s history of employment and current employment status. So how can that help your bottom line?

They’ll Help Optimize Your HR Department

When you have a VOE provider, you’ll offload the work that your payroll staff spends dealing with verification of employment requests. We’ve seen some companies save thousands of hours a year once they streamline their process and implement a trusted VOE solution.

Less Risk for Your Business

It’s a hard truth, but many people aren’t totally honest on their resumes or their loan applications. When you use a VOE provider to help verify the employment history of potential candidates, you’re able to make informed decisions concerning risk.

And if you use the right VOE partner, you can even see a candidate’s credit score, verify past income, and access all manner of legally available information.

Happier Employees

Your employees have aspirations for their futures. It will inevitably come up that an employee will apply for a mortgage loan, a lease, or attempt to borrow money to improve their quality of life. When that happens, it can be a delicate situation. Many times, the loan process is a sensitive one, and things like employment history, pay stubs, and other details can be the deciding factor when it comes to getting a home loan or not.

When you use a reliable VOE provider, you can quickly, and accurately help your staff verify employment and provide anything that a loan officer or financial institution might need.

Quentelle Can Help Your Bottom Line

Here at Quentelle, we provide proven solutions in VOE that are powered by advanced technology. But the true beauty of what we offer isn’t only in the quality and security of our software, it’s also that our suite of tools are simple to understand and use.

We’d love to show you firsthand how we offer the very best in class when it comes to VOE. Our software is smart and simple, and can help your bottom line quickly and easily. Schedule a demo today by filling out a form, or giving us a call.

If you’re an employer, there’s no doubt that you’ll eventually get a request from someone to “verify their employment” for one of your current or former employees. There are a number of situations that might call for one of your employees to ask for this, but no matter the reason the responsibility falls on you to make sure you fulfill the request properly in a timely fashion. So here’s a question: if an employee asked you today for employment verification, would you even know where to start? In this article, we’re going to cover the most important things you need to know to handle employment verifications with confidence.

What is Verification of Employment?

When we use the phrase “verification of employment” it refers to formally confirming and validating a person’s employment history. While this is commonly done for potential job candidates as a way to verify their former work history, it’s also a vital service for KYC (Know your Customers) needs and verifying income history. Banks and financial service firms rely on to help build risk profiles for loan applicants and business partners. This is used in all sectors of banking.

Just because the word “history” is used, don’t presume this means just past employment – certain situations will call for an employee to provide verification of where they are currently employed. For example, if an existing employee is attempting to get a loan or a lease, they may need to have their employment verified by mortgage lenders as part of their loan application. The accuracy of how you help these lenders verify employment is critical to the loan process. Accurate details about current employment status can be the difference between your employee getting a home loan or not, having a higher down payment, and other life-changing elements. This is also essential for past employees when they apply for unemployment insurance or various loans.

Employment verification typically verifies a person’s start and end dates of employment at a company, their title, and in some cases their salary information and some information on what was required of them at the job. It’s also frequent for employment verification to inquire why a person is no longer employed and if they are eligible for re-hire.

How Can You Verify Employment?

First, we’ll show you some more analog, old-fashioned methods you can use, followed by the simplest, most accurate, and secure method.

• Pay Stubs – Commonly used for loans, leases, and sometimes for immigration.
• Contracts – If the employee is contract-based, former contracts can serve as proof of employment.
• Reference Call – This is a form of verbal verification is often used by potential employers verifying a candidate’s employment.
• Letter – These can be electronic or physical, and are often used for immigration purposes and loans.
• Email or social media platform – All too often, employment verification is carried out like this. Information on sites like LinkedIn can be falsified.

Quentelle is the Best Way to Verify Employment

If you’re looking for the absolute best in class when it comes to employment verification solutions, you’ve found the right partner. Here at Quentelle, we offer a simple, powerful solution for businesses just like yours to verify employment.

Rather than writing a letter, collecting paystubs, or digging up old contracts, you can quickly and easily verify employment using our all-in-one software solution.

Our software is smart and simple and will improve the way you handle the verification of employment moving forward. Schedule a demo today by filling out a form, or giving us a call.

For many industries, the last two years have seen a drastic shift in how we do business. Some industries saw record-breaking revenues while others struggled to stay afloat. But one thing was the same for every company: every business was forced to take a deep, introspective look at its processes. This article will discuss employment verification and how it can help your business or government agency lower risk and costs.

Why Secure Verification of Employment is Essential

One of the areas that have become more important than ever for many businesses is the ability to accurately and securely perform verification of employment (VOE). As many companies were forced to go remote, this has given rise to many companies switching to VOE providers to assist their HR teams rather than trying to bear the burden of employment verification themselves. As more companies made the switch, they found that they were saving time and money, while protecting against fraud and reducing risk.

VOE is essential not just for HR managers, but also for the loan application process. Verification of employment mortgage is essential when banks and other lenders perform KYC (know your customer) procedures and draw up risk profiles when making a home or business loan. VOE providers help lower risk and bring down loan costs for everyone.

Does Your Company Use A VOE Provider?

Has your company made the switch to a VOE provider? If not, it’s time to strongly consider it to stay ahead of the curve, and not find yourself lagging behind.

Here are six industries that can benefit greatly from using a trusted VOE provider, and change the way they do business to keep up with the pace of the times we find ourselves now living in.

Six Businesses That Benefit From A Verification of Employment Solution

1. Automotive Industry: Automotive dealerships and the lenders they work with can greatly benefit from voe to help them build a more transparent and efficient car-buying process. Employment and income information is essential for setting rates for car loans.

2. Consumer Finance Industry: For companies that handle loans to consumers using a VOE provider allows them to make real-time and fully informed decisions when people apply for a loan. No matter if it’s a home loan or a loan for a small business, a loan officer needs employment verification information in order to reduce risk and lend money to the people who need it most.

3. Credit Card Industry: When it comes to approving people for lines of credit via credit cards, having a fast, reliable VOE provider can help companies mitigate risk and verify important details before approval. The ability to quickly verify employment status enables credit card applications to happen in minutes.

4. Government Sector: Even the government can experience the full benefit of having a clear picture of an individual’s employment history and income. Verifying employment can help when it comes to specific eligibility requirements for FNMA and GNMA loans as well as for programs such as unemployment insurance.

5. Mortgage Lending Industry: Not only can mortgage lenders more carefully vet their loan applicants, but they can also speed up the origination process for their clients. This can be crucial in competitive housing markets.

6. Don’t See Your Industry? A VOE Provider Can Still Help: If your company hires any employees, you can benefit from VOE as a pre-employment verification resource. This will allow you to make more precise, accurate, and informed hiring decisions based on verified data.

Quentelle Can Help Your Business

These are just some of the businesses that can benefit from a VOE provider– if you don’t see your industry listed, let’s have a conversation about how we can help your specific industry.

No matter what industry you’re in, Quentelle can help you with your verification of employment needs. We are the best in class when it comes to helping businesses just like yours quickly, securely, and easily get proof of employment or verify income.

Our software is smart and simple and will improve the way you handle the verification of employment moving forward. Contact us to schedule a demo.

Employment verification is an important part of the modern employment landscape. In this article, we’re going to provide you with a robust guide for your business so you can understand what employment verification is and get some insights as to how the employment verification process works.

Additionally, we’ll provide some insights as to how you can use background screening properly within the allowed regulations, and provide details on how you can optimize your verification process. We’re excited to show you the role that a thorough screening process can play in your business, no matter if you use it for HR purposes, income verification or KYC (Know Your Customer) functions.

The Basics of Employment Verification

Let’s review some of the basics of employment verification and background checks for companies, how they came to be, and the role they can play in the employment verification process.

What is Employment Verification?

Simply put, employment verification is a way for employers, institutions, and individuals to double-check and confirm employment information provided to them by an individual. There are varying degrees of employment verification, and some are more rigorous and formal than others.

If your company isn’t using a formal method for employment verification, you are very likely at risk. While it’s not something we like to think about or admit, we have to face the fact that many people aren’t 100% forthright on their resumes or other loan applications.

The things that people are dishonest about about can vary greatly. Some common things that we find are misrepresented are the length of time people were employed, the number and type of positions people have, their overall qualifications, and titles.

When you rely solely on the information you receive from the individual that you are processing a job application or loan for, you may not want to bet your company’s future on information that you have no way of truly verifying. This can be especially problematic if you’re trying to draw up a risk profile for loan verification or determining qualifications for a mortgage program. This is where a verification of employment solution comes in.

Employment verification is a specific type of background check that attempts to vet all of the information that an applicant provides prospective employers or lender. Rather than pulling these details at face value from a loan application, resume, personal website, or LinkedIn page, the information gathered during a properly conducted employment verification process can be fully trusted as accurate.

How Does Employment Verification Work?

So you’re considering using employment verification services for your business, but before you do, you want to be more clear on how it all works. Here are some of the details of how the process works (and why you probably shouldn’t try to handle this on your own).

Remember, there are two sides to this coin– there are applicants that you will be seeking employment verification for, but there are also companies, lenders, and individuals also seeking to verify one of your employee’s work history as well, especially in processes such as mortgage applications or business loans. Let’s look at both of these scenarios to see how employment verification can work.

Seeking Verification of Employment for Applicants

Firstly, it’s critical that you keep in mind that you can’t conduct any background checks in secret. When doing any sort of employment verification checks, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that person’s express permission, in writing. Therefore, you must be careful and use the correct written consent form, as there are certain criteria that are legally required.

Typically the employment verification can begin once the individual you’re checking up on signs off on their formal waiver.

From here, we highly recommend using a partner like Quentelle to handle the rest to save you hours of time and protect yourself.

From here, in many cases, the manual contact of each person on a person’s resume is necessary. Note that if you or your human resources department is handling this, it can be time-consuming and ongoing.

When attempting to verify employment, you’ll want to check for some key pieces of information. Remember that there are laws and regulations about what you’re permitted to ask. Some of the primary pieces of information you’re looking for are:

• Did this person actually work where they said they did?
• Did they hold the title and have the responsibilities they claimed to have?
• Did they work at each company for the amount of time and the specific dates stated?
• Are they eligible for rehire?

Note that in certain states, there are regulations about what you’re allowed to ask and what information can be shared. For instance, in some cases, asking about an employee’s previous salary and the reason why they are no longer employed are fine, and in other cases, it is not.

Replying to Verification of Employment for Current Employees

There are a variety of reasons why you might receive a request to verify a current or former employee’s current role at your company (we’ll go over these in detail later).

It’s often seen as good form for your company to let the employee in question know that you’ve received a formal request for their employment details. This is not only professional but also a good way to check the legitimacy of the request quickly.

No matter what, be 100% certain to verify the request before you give out any details regarding a past or present employee’s information.

Once you’ve verified the request and you’re sure it’s legitimate, you have to decide how you’re going to provide the verification. Sometimes the inquiring company will have a specific format they’re requesting (such as a standardized form), and other times the choice will be up to you.

A popular way to verify employment for someone is with a proof of employment letter. Usually printer on company letterhead (which proves your address and info), the letter typically includes important details about the employee such as their title, the dates they worked for you, and in some cases their duties. You should also include the best ways to contact you in the event they have further questions.

Outside of a letter, some other methods of proving employment are employee paystubs, and any agreements or contracts (typically for freelancers).

What About Defunct Companies?

If the company that you’re trying to contact for your pre-employment background screening is no longer in business, there are still ways to confirm these details. Paystubs, W-2 tax forms, and other documents will all prove that an employee worked for a company.

Employment Background Checks are Time Consuming

As you can see, whether you’re verifying the employment record of an applicant your company is considering bringing on board or helping a past or current employee verify their employment with your company, this is a time-consuming process.

More on this later, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that you should consider using a company like Quentelle to save time, reduce administrative costs, and protect yourself.

So what is it that we need employment verification, and how did it come to formally exist?

Why Do We Need Employment Verification and Why Does it Exist?

The reason that employment verification exists is so that employers can have a proven and confirmed record of a person’s job history and other details. Why?

Well, it’s not only to make sure that the person they’re hiring has the qualifications they claim to have but also because, at the root, a company is responsible for the actions of its employees.

Let’s say that an employee of your company engages in criminal behavior. Did you know that your company could potentially be accused of negligent hiring? And did you know that if accused, your company can also be required to appear in court and potentially be held responsible for punitive damages?

That means that not only would you likely be paying for expensive legal fees, but you also may have to pay money as compensation for something one of your employees did.

Employment verification helps companies mitigate risks when hiring employees. Rather than taking someone’s word alone, employers can also use a clear and verified work record and background check to see if they have prior criminal activity (as well as other important details).

When your company uses background checks and verification of employment as part of its hiring process, you’re letting all of your current employees know that you care about your company’s culture and reputation.

So Where Did This All Start?

If you want to get technical, we can reach as far back as 1908 to see a case where an employer was held responsible for an employee’s actions, and it cost them dearly. In a machine shop in Corbin, Kentucky, an apprentice played a practical joke with a compressed air hose that killed a fellow employee.

This wasn’t an isolated incident, and management never stepped in. So even though the apprentice in question continued to act in a way that was careless, reckless, and unfit, he was still allowed to work in the machine shop.

Because the machine shop let the man continue reckless behaviors during his employment that resulted in a death, the machine shop was ultimately held responsible for the death themselves.

This case set a legal precedent, and throughout the years the matter of an employer’s accountability for employee actions has had several surges.

As recently as 2008, another crucial reason for employment background checks came into play– a massive economic downturn that resulted in a national financial crisis. Until 2010, lenders had no employment screening services in place. This meant that lenders weren’t required to verify or document employment for the people who were borrowing.

Unfortunately, this meant that loans were being granted based on people’s personal judgments and some predatory lenders in the financial industry.

With the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau came the passing of several regulations and laws that now required both the lender and the consumer to work together to prove that the borrower could actually afford the debt.

A specific example is the Ability-to-Repay rule, which states that a lender or creditor must make “a reasonable, good-faith determination of a consumer’s ability to repay” loans according to their terms.

By formally verifying someone’s employment, lenders can accurately determine if the person applying for the loan is creditworthy, and also lowers the risk of fraud.

Through the years, technology for performing background checks and employment verification has changed, but the core reasoning behind them has not. Whether you’re an employee or a lender, when you use employment verification and background checks, you’re protecting yourself, your employees, and your business as a whole.

Employment Verification and HR Platforms

Employment verification has many uses. Many companies, individuals, and organizations use these sorts of specific background checks. Requests could be from a company looking to hire a potential applicant, a landlord who is looking to rent out their property, or a financial institution looking to qualify a borrower.

Remember that employment verification isn’t only used for a company’s hiring process, it can also be used by other organizations for various– but important– reasons. No matter the reason, the accuracy and regulations of employment background checks are critical. Here are some of the use cases for employment verification.

Common Employment Uses

Hiring an Applicant: employment verification can be used to double-check the validity of what a potential employee put on their resume.

Verifying a Salary: In some cases, a company that is hiring an employee may want verification of the salary the applicant is currently making before formally offering them a specific amount.

Common Financial Uses

Verification Prior to Loan Approval: Nowadays, when you are formally applying for a loan, some sort of employment verification is required. This information is key so that lenders know that your income will allow you to make the payments necessary to keep your loan current and in good standing.

Verification for Rentals and Leasing: Apartment companies and property managers will typically use background checks to verify an applicant’s employment. In some cases, they’ll want to double-check monthly income to ensure the rent/lease payment is feasible.

How Automated HR Platforms Have Changed Things

For many years, companies only had a few limited choices when it to how they would handle their background checks. There was also not a lot of emphasis on privacy and security of information. That is no longer the case in the current place we’re in technologically.

Automated human resource platforms have taken much of the paper and pen work that HR departments were doing manually and moved it into the cloud. And if you choose the right platform (such as Quentelle), you’ll be able to handle many of your verification requests automatically. When this automation is in place, much of the heavy lifting of employment verification is removed from your HR staff. This will keep them from staying busy with the shallow, ongoing work that these employment background checks can be.

If you choose the right partner, with this verification automation also comes robust reporting so you’re never in the dark about any requests that are coming in.

Additionally, proven HR platforms are far more secure than traditional means. Not only will employer and employee information exclusively be shared over secure and encrypted channels, but through electronic signatures, the information will only be shared with the correct parties after documented employee approval has been logged.

Beware of FCRA Laws and Regulations

When it comes to background checks and employment verification and any financial applications, it’s critical to keep the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) in mind. So what is the FCRA, and what does it mean to show compliance?

The FCRA is in place so that all employers are required to conduct all of their background checks fairly. It seeks to ensure that all inquiries are not only fair and accurate for consumers, also but as transparent and thorough as possible.

If you’re not careful and don’t familiarize yourself with the specifics of the FCRA, your business could be in danger of a lawsuit.

So what constitutes an FCRA-compliant background check? The organization that handles this is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and they have a set of guidelines that are your responsibility to follow as a business.

Firstly, your employees have a right to know about the background check. They also need to provide explicit consent for the background check, and they also have the right to review any of the information that relates to their financial and personal information.

Additionally, if they feel there are things on their background check that are inaccurate, they have the right to attempt to correct them. Further, they also have the right to appeal any decisions if they feel they were treated unfairly based on the information that their background check reveals.

Before You Request a Background Check

Be sure you provide written notice to any applicants explaining that you plan to use info from their consumer report to possibly make hiring decisions. This has to be a standalone notice (not part of a job application). You’ll need direct written permission to access this person’s consumer information.

Before Making Decisions Based on a Background Check

If you decide not to hire someone because of what you learn in a background check, you have to take certain actions before you choose not to hire them, promote them, or take other negative actions regarding employment. First, you have to give the person in question a copy of the information you used to make your decision. You also have to provide a copy of a summary of the person’s rights under FCRA (obtained from the FTC). You also need to give them a reasonable amount of time to look over everything you sent and contact you if there’s any information you’d like to dispute. You can find more information about FRCA from the equal employment opportunity commission here.

After You Make Decisions Based on a Background Check

If you give the person in question time to respond and still decide that you aren’t going to hire them, give them a promotion, or perform other negative actions based on their background check, you have to let that person know. Typically this must be done in writing, electronically, or verbally. When you do this, you must use a specific form called an Adverse Action Notice. This allows them another chance to correct any inaccurate information.

These notices are nuanced and have specific details that need to be included when you send them. They must include the person’s right to refute their accuracy or correct any information that is wrong or incomplete. Additionally, a statement must be included that says that any background screen service used didn’t decide to take “adverse action” and cannot give specific reasons for this decision. Finally, you have to include the specifics on which consumer reporting agency you obtained the report from.

An Important Note About FCRA Compliance: Remember that the information included in this article is intended to be helpful and is not an exhaustive guide on the topic of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This guide should not be construed as legal advice. We’d love to talk to you if you have any questions about how you can navigate the FCRA.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Compliance is very important when it comes to the FCRA, but it doesn’t end there. You also need to consider the guidelines that are viewed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). These guidelines are in place to minimize discrimination.

For instance, you’re not allowed to check certain criteria of a person’s background when it comes to things such as age, race, nationality, the color of skin, gender, beliefs, or disability. In fact, in some cases, you may need to make concessions if it comes to light during a background check that certain problems are present due to a disability.

You’re also not permitted to make decisions based on any profiling of any kind, or to avoid challenges that you perceive to be more common in certain groups of people.

In the eyes of EEOC, you must be able to prove that you are applying the same standards to everyone as equally and fairly as possible.

Overall, the best way to protect yourself is to have the same criteria for screening every individual no matter who they are.

Employment Verification Best Practices For Employers, Government Agencies, and Financial Institutions

Put in the Effort: Unless you hire a company like Quentelle, handling your own employment verifications is often time-consuming and no small task. You’ll have some verifications that are easier than others, but there are also some (maybe most) that are going to take much more time and effort on your behalf. When you do hit one of the tougher verifications, be sure that you do all you can. We recommend four or five attempts, and each attempt is counted when you reach out to the correct contact using one of the following contact methods: phone, email, letter, or even fax. We also recommend alternating methods (first call, then email, etc.) to maximize your chances of getting a hold of someone on different mediums. It’s always the best idea to make notes each time you attempt to contact someone for verification so that you can also show when you tried and the method you used should that information come into question.

Decide Your Timeframe: Some resumes will go back a decade, two decades, or more depending on the age and work history of the applicant. Decide for yourself how far back you want your standard check to include. By choosing a standard amount of years– say 5– that you’ll verify, you’re approaching each employment verification with a level of fairness. The last thing you want when you’re background screening is to accidentally leave yourself open to what could be construed as discrimination by treating applicants differently. When you decide the amount of time you’re going to use during your own personal screening process, stick with it, and you’ll not only get better results overall, but you’ll show that you’re being fair to those that you’re screening.

Don’t Assume Current Employers Are Expecting Your Call: Candidates who are seeking to work for your company may not have told their current employer that they’re in the job market. This is why it’s so important to gain clear written or verbal consent from each applicant. You don’t want to jeopardize the employee’s opportunity to personally make their current employer aware that they are planning on leaving. In some cases, this can cause tension in the workplace for the applicant, and in some extreme scenarios cost them their employment sooner than they were planning.

Can’t Get Through? Do Some Research: If you’re having trouble reaching a specific company or contact in your pre-employment background screening, it’s easier than ever to do some digging yourself online. Perhaps the company you’re trying to reach has had some changes recently. Remember that phone numbers and extensions can change, people transfer or are promoted or move on, emails change, and companies even change their primary URLs. With all the different avenues available such as Google, LinkedIn, and corporate sites, it’s likely you can get the updated information easily if you take a moment to search.

Deeper Searches for Certain Sectors

For various industries and sectors, employment verification is more critical than others. For example, when it comes to banks, financial institutions, and government agencies, a keen eye for detail is needed. Go deeper to ensure that you’re secure, and the candidate you’re considering is the best fit.

For example, verifying dates and titles may not be enough. Consider asking about any prior issues with performance, or if there were any specific essential skills needed to perform their specific job. Also, you can directly ask about work ethic related to their previous position and what was needed to find success in the role.

What about gaps in employment? How many are there and how long were they? Also, don’t be shy– if information that an applicant has provided you isn’t lining up, don’t be afraid to explicitly ask about details. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and dig deeper. You may find that the applicant in question is showing unethical behavior by misrepresenting key details to give a certain impression that isn’t expressly accurate.

Your aim here is to be sure that you are confidently hiring the employee that you think you are and are fully informed.

Quentelle is the Gold Standard in Employment Verification

Not all methods of employment verification are created equally. We’re able to deliver a best-in-class screening process to companies of all sizes– from start-ups to Fortune 500 businesses. We’d love to show you why we’re the industry leader in a full range of any employment verifications you might need.

Not only will you save time and administrative costs by using our turnkey automated system to handle all of your employment and income verification, but you’ll also allow your human resources staff to focus on other facets of your business.

When it comes to employment screening services, we offer the state of the art in security and compliance. Our dedicated focus on data privacy and security is second-to-none, and we adhere to FCRA compliance, have SOC I & II certification. In addition, we not only use at-rest encryption and proactive threat screening but also use masked PII for the ultimate in data security and privacy.

Companies like yours choose our platform for their pre-employment background screening for many reasons, but one of the most common is because our software is as simple to use as it is powerful. We take the absolute very best in background check services and deliver it to you in one simple platform.

Additionally, if you have any questions about our platform at all we have a dedicated staff who is here to help. Everyone on our support team is highly-experienced and is expertly trained on our platform. No matter what your question may be, our unmatched support team will handle all inquiries quickly.

Let us show you why here at Quentelle, our motto is “smart and simple”. Schedule a demo today and let’s talk about how we can help your company with its pre-employment background screening needs.

There are several reasons why an employee may need verification of employment, and it is essential to have the right VOE provider when you get these requests. Typically when an employee needs verification, they will need confirmation on the start and end dates of employment, pay rates, hours of work, etc. While you may not think this is a big deal, it can be life-changing for your employee and you should ensure you are prepared to provide accurate information in a timely manner.

Reasons an Employee Needs Verification

One of the most common reasons an employee needs verification is to secure a loan. This can be a mortgage loan, auto loan, personal loan, or another loan. It could even be to open a credit card. You will typically receive a letter from the lender requesting employment verification. If you have a VOE provider, you can pass it along to them.

These requests often can be completed over the phone since they may simply require the employer to confirm current employment and salary. However, never provide this information without first talking with your employee to ensure they have applied for a loan.

Another reason an employee might need verification is for leases. This is often when a landlord or building supervisor is reviewing an application. Essentially employment verification is used to determine whether the person will be able to pay their rent. Usually, you provide their current salary and job title.

Another common reason an employee needs verification is for green cards and visas. The person needs to show government agencies that they can support themselves while in the country. The government agency will require you or your VOE provider to confirm current employment, salary, and continued employment.

Written Authorization

There are a few critical elements to employment verification. The first is to obtain written authorization from the employee. They must submit a written request and permission to release information about them. If you obtain a request from a third party, you must still have written authorization from the employee before going through your VOE provider. The one exception is when a court or government agency requests this information.

What Information do You Need to Provide?

Once you receive a request for employment verification, you must determine what information you need to provide. Some employers will not provide any information unless there is a court order or other case with no legal wiggle room. The requestor will provide you with a form that you need to fill out that lists the requested information. You must ensure that you and the employee both sign and agree to provide this information.

Provide Accurate Information

Accurate information is crucial when an employee needs verification. While your VOE provider will verify employment, there is still some due diligence that you must do. You should ensure that the information provided is accurate by double-checking and retaining a copy in the employee’s personnel file. It is a good rule of thumb to have a designated point of contact for employment verification.

Reach Out to Quentelle Today for Employee Verification

Verifying the employment history of your prospective employees is vital to making the right choice when hiring. It is also important to provide your current and former employees with accurate and speedy employment verification. Often, this takes up a lot of time and energy from your HR department. You can automate the employee verification process using a platform like the one we offer at Quentelle. Contact us online or call us at 888-565-5515 to get started today. Our experienced team is ready to answer your questions and find the solution right for your company’s needs.