Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Recruitment & retentionPre-employment screeningReferences

Weekly dilemma: Pre-employment screening

by Personnel Today 15 Sep 2010
by Personnel Today 15 Sep 2010

My company is gearing up for a round of recruitment. I realise people often exaggerate their employment history and experience, and am keen to ensure the candidates satisfy key requirements for the roles. How can we find out more about candidates before they start work?

Unfortunately, there will always be people who give in to the temptation to boost their experience or hide the real reasons for leaving previous employment, particularly in a depressed job market. And then there are those who apply for jobs with the deliberate intention of perpetrating crime.

There is no such thing as an “innocent white lie” on a job application or CV. Falsehoods can affect a candidate’s ability to fulfil the role, and they create a fraudulent foundation for the entire working relationship.

Employers can even be held liable for the actions of a new employee who, for example, steals from customers or commits fraud, if it is proven that a reference check could have prevented the candidate from securing the role in the first place.

To achieve fairness in the recruitment process, ensure that your recruitment policy, job advert and application form specify the pre-employment screening checks that you will undertake, including checking each candidate’s employment history and obtaining references.

Undertake a risk analysis that takes into account the nature of your business and the potential risks of employing the wrong people. Decide the key questions you want to ask in reference requests to previous employers, and consider the need to check educational histories. Draw up a list of documents that could flag gaps in employment, such as educational certificates and tax statements, and insist upon scrutinising original documents from candidates.

You’ll be aware that an employment reference represents disclosure of confidential information. Written permission to contact former employers must be obtained from all candidates. Without it, former employers may restrict references to simply confirm basic details such as start and finish dates, job position and salary. As a matter of policy, and to limit the risk of potential liability in claims from former or new employees, some employers refrain from releasing certain information.

However, restricted confirmation is better than none at all. At least you will know whether or not the candidate actually worked for their stated former employers. You will also have the opportunity to identify gaps in employment history that could indicate problems.

You can undertake pre-employment checks “in-house” by contacting every employer and educational institution. Alternatively, you could outsource the exercise to an established risk solutions company, but make sure you select one that specialises in the provision of employment screening services.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Jane Stuart, senior manager, Avertis Risk Solutions

More answers to questions on references from XpertHR:

  • Can an employer withdraw a job offer on receipt of a poor reference?
  • Where a job applicant does not give his or her current or most recent employer as a named referee, can this employer be contacted instead of the named referee?
  • Where an individual’s employment offer is withdrawn due to an unsatisfactory reference does he or she have any right to see the reference?

Personnel Today

previous post
Jobs market still fragile despite record quarterly growth in employment, experts warn
next post
Union leaders call for high pay commission

You may also like

Graduate jobs this summer ‘will be toughest since...

25 Jun 2025

Employers struggling with soaring candidate deception

25 Jun 2025

UK engineering and manufacturing firms face hiring struggles

23 Jun 2025

Aldi to hire for 1,000 new supermarket roles

23 Jun 2025

Only a third of recruiters receive high-quality job...

20 Jun 2025

Number of new nurses from abroad falls by...

18 Jun 2025

Capita rolls out ‘agentic AI’ to speed up...

13 Jun 2025

Redundancies boost candidate availability at fastest pace since...

13 Jun 2025

Healthdaq: Shaking up health and social care recruitment

11 Jun 2025

Hiring confidence drops due to ‘reset’ in market

10 Jun 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+