Is Education Verification Really Necessary?

You’ve just finished an extensive interview process for your open position and have identified the ideal candidate that you are excited to bring on board. You know you need to conduct a background check and verify past employment, but what about verifying education? You might wonder if that’s really necessary, particularly in a job market where open positions often outnumber available candidates. So, is education verification still a relevant part of the hiring process, or an outdated practice?

What is Education Verification, Anyway? 

First thing’s first: what exactly does it mean to verify a candidate’s education? In a nutshell, education verification is used to confirm whether or not a potential employee has truly earned the diploma or degree they claim to have earned. An education verification can also verify program major, graduation date, and the official educational accrediting body. Furthermore, education verification can help distinguish a degree or diploma earned at a legitimate college or trade school from a degree received at a so-called diploma mill. Diploma mills are companies that might, at first glance, appear to be actual schools for higher learning. However, in reality, they are not accredited and often simply require payment in exchange for a worthless degree.

Why Education Verification Matters

Let’s face it: resumes often get a little padding. In fact, according to a CareerBuilder survey, 75 percent of hiring managers have uncovered a lie on a candidate’s resume. Candidates likely assume that their little white lies will never be discovered by busy HR professionals. They simply don’t have the time to verify details while perusing hundreds of resumes. Unfortunately, this assumption is often correct. The result is that companies that don’t take the time to verify employment sometimes end up with grossly under-qualified candidates in critically important roles. Not surprisingly, these bad hires often result in the need to start the hiring process all over again, wasting precious company time and resources.

Learn More About Education Verification

Don’t allow your company to fall victim to resume fraud! TruDiligence is an FCRA compliant, full-service background check and investigative firm with over 20 years of experience under our belts. In order to ensure that you’re hiring top talent for your organization, contact us today.