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Reference & Verification Check Services

Verify What Matters Before You Hire Hiring decisions are only as strong as the information behind them. Reference and verification checks help confirm that candidates’ claims match reality, so you can hire with greater confidence. 

Shield Screening delivers timely employment, education and reference check results to support better-informed hiring decisions. 

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What Are Reference & Verification Checks? 

Reference and verification checks confirm the accuracy of key candidate information, including work history, education, credentials, and professional references. 

While criminal background checks focus on past offenses documented in court records, verification services focus on qualifications, experience, and credibility, helping you validate the details that matter most before extending an offer.

Why Employers Use Reference & Verification Checks 

  • Confirm credentials. Verify employment history, education, licenses, and references before hiring, so roles are filled by candidates who meet requirements.
  • Reduce Hiring Risk. Industry surveys consistently show résumés inaccuracies are common. Verification helps surface discrepancies early, before they become costly mistakes. 
  • Protect Hiring Investments. With the average bad hire costing around $17,000, verifying credentials upfront is a small step that helps reduce costly turnover and re-hiring. 
  • Support Industry Requirements. Many roles require specific credentials, such as healthcare licenses, financial registrations, DOT history, or education certifications. Verification helps confirm required qualifications are in place. 
  • Gain Context Beyond the Resume. Reference checks can provide insight into performance, reliability, and strengths that résumés don’t reveal. 
  • Document Due Diligence. Completed verifications create a documented record of the information reviewed during the hiring process. 
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Why Reference & Verification Matter

Resume Inaccuracies Are Common 

Employment dates get stretched. Degrees are overstated. Certifications are misrepresented. Verification helps separate fact from fiction. 

Credentials Can Be Role-Critical

In licensed and technical roles, gaps between claimed and verified credentials can put operations at risk. 

Bad Hires Have Real Impact 

Beyond compensation, poor hires affect productivity, morale, customer experience, and team performance. 

References Reveal What Reports Can’t 

Conversations with prior managers or colleagues can surface concerns or strengths that don’t appear in written records. 

Shield Reference & Verification Check Services 

Employment Verification

Verify that your applicant's previous employment history was reported accurately. Includes the dates of employment, position held, rehire status, and salary (where available).

Professional References

Verification of an applicant's previous professional history. It can be tailored to address and identify key characteristics your organization supports, such as timeliness, creativity, completion of projects, and overall competencies.

Professional License Verification

Obtain validation of your applicant's certifications and credentials. Get access to hundreds of databases and organizations to prove that your applicant is licensed and certified to hold a position with your company.

Employee Credit Report

Get credit information on your candidates and evaluate their financial history to determine their ability to manage fiduciary responsibilities.

Personal Reference Report

Obtain insights into your applicants' integrity, character and essential traits to determine if they are a fit for your organization.

Education Verification

Verify an applicant's level of education, and cross-reference elements like dates of graduation, areas of study, and degree obtained (where available).

Social Media Screening

With just the right mix of software automation and experienced social media analysts, our social media search identifies a candidate's potentially problematic online activity and provides you with an FCRA-compliant report to use in your hiring decision.

Business Credit Report

This search provides business names including DBAs, Key Facts about the organization, Industry classification, corporate registration, corporate linkage, credit summary, banking, insurance, leasing, payment summary, collections summary, judgments, tax liens, bankruptcies, credit rating score, collections detail, inquiries, UCC detail, Corporate financial information & Industry benchmark report.

Credit Report

A name, date of birth and social security number-based retrieval of credit history for an applicant. Includes tax liens, collections, open accounts, accounts under bad debt collection, inquiries and date of birth confirmation. Restricted in many jurisdictions to applicants with specific fiduciary responsibilities.
Industries Shield Serves
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Staffing & Recruiting 
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Healthcare & Long-Term Care 
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Education & Childcare 
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Construction
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Manufacturing & Warehousing 
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Retail & Hospitality
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Non-Profit & Volunteer
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Small Business
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Transportation & Logistics

Why Employers Choose Shield for Reference and Verification Checks?

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Fast TurnaroundMany criminal searches return results within 24 hours.

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Transparent PricingNo platform fees or monthly minimums.

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Modern Screening ExperienceIntuitive dashboards, mobile-friendly candidate workflows, ATS integrations, and API access.

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U.S.-Based SupportKnowledgeable support available by phone or email.

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Post‑Hire ScreeningOngoing monitoring options help employers stay informed of new criminal activity in their workforce.

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Ready for cutting-edge background checks?

Book a demo to see how Shield Screening makes everythingfrom data entry, to candidate corrections, to signatures lightning-fast and headache-free.

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Frequently Asked Questions

01

How long does employment verification take?

Most verifications are completed within 24–48 hours, though timing can vary based on employer responsiveness and record availability.

02

What does education verification confirm?

Degree type, field of study, attendance or graduation dates, and institution accreditation.

03

Can you verify professional licenses?

Yes. License status, issue and expiration dates, standing, and public disciplinary actions are verified through official licensing authorities.

04

How are employment gaps handled?

Verification confirms claimed employment periods. Any gaps are reported factually as part of the employment timeline.

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