If you have frequently conducted employment background screening, you likely already know the difference between an Employment Reference versus an Employment Confirmation. As HR/recruitment professionals we sometimes forget that to the average candidate or applicant, these two can be easily confused and sometimes feel interchangeable. Rightly so, as they often overlap. Let’s go through the key differences and why they matter.
An employment reference is a reflection and commentary on the work performance of an individual candidate, on the job. From a reference we can gather pertinent information about what it’s like to work with this candidate, what their skills are, what their areas of development are, how well they applied their selves on the job, their level or professionalism, and the ability to get the job done. What can be confirmed with a reference is the time in which they worked with the person providing them a reference, but not necessarily the entire time they worked for the company. It can also sometimes be difficult to verify that the person providing the reference is indeed an employee of this organization that the candidate worked with. How to we validate this reference, and the actual time at the job reported on the resume?
This is where the Employment Confirmation is essential. The Employment Confirmation confirms only employment details, such as: start date, end date, position, and (if possible) reason for leaving. In turn, we are also confirming with the authorized representative of this employer (HR Department, Payroll Department, Owner, or sometimes third party records service), that the candidate was indeed employed by them, thus ensuring the validity of the accompanying reference as well.
In conclusion, if you want a full picture of a candidate’s employment history – you can’t have one without the other.
JUST Checking Resources offers both Reference Checking and Employment Confirmation services, in addition to a variety of background checking solutions. Call or email today to learn more 1-833-525-3119, info@just-checking.com.