Work History Background Check: Everything You Need to Know

If you’re applying for a job, one thing that a company will look into is your work history. Now, this isn’t the only thing that will be investigated, but it’s one of the most important parts of the background check. This is because it helps a company determine if you have the skills and experience necessary to work for the company.

HR managers, interviewers, and recruiters will all want to view your work history, and they can do so through a work history background check. So, what is a work history background check? And what do they entail? This article answers those questions and more.

What Is a Work History Background Check?

A work history background check is exactly what it sounds like: a background check that verifies an applicant’s employment history. These background checks will verify someone’s job title, length of employment, performance at a given job, and much more.

Depending on the business, how a work history background check is run will vary. In fact, third-party companies or online platforms can be used instead of traditional contact methods.

How a Work History Background Check Is Conducted

A work history background check is conducted through a handful of methods. For this reason, it’s important to learn about all the avenues potential employers may leverage for information. This ensures that you’re prepared for the background check process.

Third-Party Companies and Platforms

Third-party companies and platforms are quickly becoming some of the most popular ways to run a work history background check. This is because companies don’t have to do all the hard work themselves, which includes contacting the company, speaking with references, and learning more about a job title.

Instead, third-party companies will reach out on their behalf to find and verify this information. Depending on the company, this method may be used alongside another one.

Direct Contact With Previous Employers

Most employers will contact someone from your previous employment position. This can be a manager, coworker, or anyone else you list as a reference. In fact, it can even be your boss or someone else at the company, so make sure you’re ready to move forward before going through this portion of the background check.

When a company contacts your previous employer, they’ll learn about your job title, where you worked, how good you were at your job, and much more.

Public Records Check

When it comes to a public records check, employers can leverage a lot of information. Essentially, anything that’s a public record is available on the background check. While this includes employment records for government jobs, it also includes education records, credit records, and much more.

In fact, many businesses can see your LinkedIn, Instagram, websites, and other social profiles that are linked to you. While this doesn’t strictly focus on employment, you’d be surprised by what someone can find about your work history through a public records check.

How to Prepare for a Work History Background Check

Preparing for a work history background check is simple, and there are a few things you can do. Learn more about how to prepare below.

Check Your Public Records

First and foremost, you need to check your public records, and Information.com is the tool to help you get it done. Simply enter your first and last name, address, and state to begin.

Then, open the full report to discover all available public records. If anything seems wrong or inaccurate, you can address it. Plus, you can prepare for questions about it during the background check.

Prepare Your Resume

Most of the information that an employer receives about previous employment will be on your resume. Make sure you include the jobs you want to include, the references you prefer, and details about your education. This is the first thing that an employer will look at, so make sure it’s current and accurate for the best results.

Work History Background Check: Our Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, a work history background check verifies your previous employment. Employers can access this information through public records searches, but also by contacting your previous employers directly. For these reasons, we always recommend preparing for the background check process by using one of Information.com’s people search tools.

Further Reading