Email template · Pre-employment and background checks
Employment verification request email
In short
An employment verification email asks a candidate's former employer to confirm facts about their work history, usually dates of employment and job title, sometimes rehire eligibility. A good one attaches the candidate's signed authorization, lists exactly what you want confirmed, and makes replying take two minutes. Below are three templates, subject lines, an SMS and compliance notes.
When to send it: Send it after the candidate has signed an authorization to contact past employers, typically at the finalist or contingent offer stage. Send it to the HR or payroll contact, not the candidate's old manager.
Employment verification request email: 3 versions
Request to past employer
SubjectEmployment verification request: [Candidate Full Name]
Hello, [Candidate Full Name] has applied for a position with [Company] and has authorized us to verify their employment with your organization. A copy of their signed authorization is attached. Could you please confirm or correct the following information? - Name while employed: [Candidate Full Name] [Former Name, if any] - Dates of employment: [Start Date] to [End Date] - Most recent job title: [Job Title] - Employment type: [Full-time / Part-time / Contract] - Eligible for rehire: [Yes / No / Company policy does not allow disclosure] A one-line reply confirming the details are correct is enough. If your company handles verifications through a third-party service or a specific portal, just let me know where to send the request. We'd appreciate a response by [Deadline]. Thank you for your help. [Your Name] [Title], [Company] [Email] | [Phone Number]
Follow-up
SubjectFollowing up: employment verification for [Candidate Full Name]
Hello, I'm following up on my request of [Original Request Date] to verify employment for [Candidate Full Name], who worked at [Former Employer] from about [Start Date] to [End Date]. The signed authorization is attached again. We only need dates of employment and last job title confirmed. If this request should go to someone else, I'd be grateful if you could forward it or reply with the right contact. Thank you, [Your Name] [Title], [Company] [Phone Number]
Notice to candidate
SubjectWe're verifying your work history: one quick ask
Hi [First Name], As part of the final step for the [Job Title] role, we're verifying the employment history on your application. I've sent requests to [Former Employer(s)]. Two things would help: - If any former employer has closed, merged or changed its name, let me know the current name or a contact. - If we can't reach a former employer, a W-2, final pay stub or offer letter showing your dates and title usually works instead. We expect to finish by [Expected Date]. If anything doesn't match what you listed, I'll talk to you before we make any decision. Thanks, [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Subject line ideas
- Employment verification request: [Candidate Full Name]
- Verification of employment for [Candidate Full Name]
- Request to confirm dates of employment
- Following up: employment verification
- Authorization attached: employment verification
- We're verifying your work history
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] at [Company]. We're verifying your past employment for [Job Title]. If any employer has closed or changed names, or you have a W-2 or pay stub showing your dates, please reply or email [Email]. Thanks.
Placeholders to replace: [Candidate Full Name], [Former Name, if any], [First Name], [Former Employer], [Start Date], [End Date], [Job Title], [Original Request Date], [Deadline], [Expected Date], [Your Name], [Title], [Company], [Email], [Phone Number]
Verification is not a reference check
Employment verification confirms facts: dates, title, sometimes rehire eligibility. A reference check asks someone who worked with the candidate about how they performed. Mixing the two is why so many verification requests go unanswered: an HR or payroll team will confirm dates in a minute but will route anything that sounds like an opinion to legal. Send performance questions to the referees the candidate named, using a reference check request email, and keep this request strictly factual. For a fuller explanation of what verification covers, see our glossary entry on employment verification.
Get authorization first
Always get the candidate's written authorization to contact past employers before you send anything, and attach it. Many employers won't release any information without it. If a third-party screening company performs the verification, the report is a consumer report under the FCRA, which means the standalone disclosure, written authorization and adverse action steps apply. If your own team does it, the FCRA generally doesn't, but signed consent is still the norm.
Do not ask for salary. A growing number of states and cities, including California, New York and Massachusetts, bar employers from seeking a candidate's pay history, and in several of them that covers asking a former employer. Rules differ by jurisdiction, so build the request around dates and title and leave pay off entirely.
Making it easy to answer
The fastest verifications are the ones that look like a confirmation, not a questionnaire. List the details the candidate gave you and ask the employer to confirm or correct them. Ask for a reply by email, not a form that requires a login. Expect larger employers to redirect you to an automated verification service or a portal, often for a fee; budget for it and don't argue.
Typical turnaround is 1 to 3 business days for employers with a verification process and up to two weeks for small businesses. Companies that have closed or been acquired are the hardest. In those cases, accept a W-2, a final pay stub or an offer letter from the candidate.
When the answer doesn't match
Dates off by a month or a title that is worded differently are rarely a sign of dishonesty. People round dates and companies rename roles. Talk to the candidate before you treat a discrepancy as a problem. If it is material, such as an employer with no record of them or a two-year gap described as employment, and a screening company prepared the report, follow the FCRA pre-adverse and adverse action process before you withdraw an offer. Apply the same standard to every candidate for the same role.
When you are the employer being asked
The reverse request, a former employee or a lender asking you to confirm employment, needs a different document. Use our employment verification letter template, and set a written policy on what your company will confirm and who signs. Many organizations confirm only dates and title unless the employee authorizes more.
High-volume tips
A staffing firm verifying 200 hires a month can't send individual emails. Collect authorization and former-employer contacts in the application, send requests automatically at the contingent offer, follow up at 48 hours, and set a rule for when to accept candidate documents instead. Match names carefully; a candidate who has married or changed names needs both on the request, which identity verification at intake helps catch early.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write an email to verify previous employment?
Address it to the former employer's HR or payroll team, attach the candidate's signed authorization, list the dates and title the candidate gave you, and ask them to confirm or correct those details by a deadline.
What can a past employer legally disclose in an employment verification?
Federal law doesn't prohibit sharing factual information, but most employers limit it to dates, title and sometimes rehire eligibility by policy. Some states restrict sharing certain details, and salary history bans limit what you can ask for.
Do I need the candidate's permission for a past employer verification request?
Get written authorization in every case. It is required by the FCRA if a screening company does the work, and most employers won't respond without it.
What if a former employer doesn't respond?
Follow up once after two or three business days, then ask the candidate for a W-2, final pay stub or offer letter showing their dates and title.
How long does employment verification take?
Usually 1 to 3 business days with larger employers and up to two weeks with small or closed businesses.