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You can’t be too careful when it comes to hiring someone. As a business owner, you need to know that the people you entrust with access to your clients, your assets, and your business are honest and hard-working. The only way to do that is to find someone’s place of employment and ask about their track record. After all, it’s easy to fake references and job history – you need verification.
In another scenario, someone might make lofty claims about their job, misrepresent the workplace, or even act in an unethical or unprofessional way that should be reported. Maybe you are considering loaning money to a friend, but you aren’t 100% convinced that they are gainfully employed and able to pay you back.
In each case, you need to confirm where they are working so that you can make an informed decision. In this article, we’ll show you how to find someone’s employer so you can find out more about them.
How to find someone’s place of employment
You are probably reading this because you want to know how to find out where someone works online. Thankfully it’s pretty easy. Here are a few ways you can track down where someone works on the Internet or offline.
Try asking them
The easiest way to find out where a person works for free is to ask them directly. They may be willing to share the info with you if they have nothing to hide. Of course, there is a possibility that they are lying about it. You’ll need to pick up the phone and give that place of work a call so that you can verify what they’ve been saying. Some companies will have an “About Us” section that lists some of the employees. If the person you are investigating has an important title, or if it’s a very small company with a few employees, there might be a name and picture up on the site. There is no real way of knowing whether the site is updated, though, so try to verify offline by calling their HR department. Make sure that you clearly state why you need the information. Ask to speak to their direct supervisor so that you can get an honest assessment of their performance, especially if you are planning on hiring that person.
Check their resume or LinkedIn profile
If the person has provided you with a resume or a LinkedIn profile, this can be a great place to start. LinkedIn has plenty of information about the person’s work history, including the companies they worked for, their job titles, and the dates of their employment. You can use this information to verify their work history and even reach out to their former employers to confirm their employment. However, keep in mind that some people may exaggerate or even lie about their work experience on their resume or LinkedIn profile. The employer isn’t involved in setting up this profile at all, so you have to take the person at their word. Again, it’s best to call their listed employers to ask for more information.
Contact former employers
If you have the name of the person’s former employer, you can contact them directly. As we’ve mentioned, you can call the company’s human resources department or email them to request more information. Provide them with the individual’s name, the dates of their employment, and their job title. Some employers may require a signed release from the individual before providing this information. If you are performing checks as part of an employment background check, you should get permission from the employee right away.
UK Employment Law
In this comprehensive training course, you will explore the legal responsibilities of both employers and employees in various situations, as well as what should be included in every organisation’s employee handbook.
UK Employment Law
In this comprehensive training course, you will explore the legal responsibilities of both employers and employees in various situations, as well as what should be included in every organisation’s employee handbook.
Use a background check service
You can hire a background check service that collects information found on public records. They will provide a comprehensive report on the individual, usually including their criminal records (if applicable) and employment history. Not all of these services are reliable, and none of them are free. You can’t be sure that the information you receive is accurate or up to date. And besides, you can search public records on your own for free. (More on that in the next point).
Check public records
Many states and counties keep public records of court proceedings, property ownership, and other important information. You can check these records to find information about someone’s employment history, such as court documents related to a lawsuit against an employer. To access public records, you can contact your local county clerk’s office or search online for public record databases. Keep in mind that not all public records are available online, and some may require you to visit the courthouse in person to access them. If possible, use a people search site that uses a combination of social media and public records. You may need to pay a very small fee, but you’ll get the best possible information.
Use social media
Social media can be another useful tool. We’ve already mentioned LinkedIn as a good place to start because you can find information about their work history and job titles, but Facebook and Twitter can reveal a lot more. For example, if you log into Twitter or Facebook and notice that a lot of people have commented and accused them of poor conduct, you know to stay clear. Or if you spot photos or statuses written by the employee slating their current boss or workplace, or abusing equipment, you know that they aren’t a great hire for you.
Ask for references
If you’re considering hiring someone, you can ask for references from their previous employers. This can give you a good idea of the person’s work ethic and performance. When you contact the references, you should ask about the person’s job duties, their strengths and weaknesses, and why they left the company. You can also ask about the person’s attendance and punctuality, their ability to work in a team and their overall work performance.
Now you know how to find where someone works and can set the ball rolling! Remember to always respect the individual’s privacy when doing your search.
