5 Industries Where Credential Verification Is an Absolute Must 16 Oct 2017

When you go to the dentist, you expect him to have a license and know how to treat your toothache. When you visit your accountant, you feel comfortable sharing personal information because she has various financial certifications. When you get on a city bus, you expect the driver to have a current license so you can get from point A to point B safely.

Many jobs require specific credentials for a person to work that position. If you’re hiring for one of these positions, it’s incredibly important to verify these credentials. People can and do lie on their resumes, so you must dig in to verify the truth. You would never want to accidentally hire a pilot whose license was suspended, after all.

Licenses and certifications are used to prove that someone has the most current education and skill set required to perform a certain job. A license is awarded by a governmental licensing agency and provides legal authority to work in an occupation. A certification is typically awarded by a professional organization, and while not legally required to do the job, it’s often a requirement by the hiring manager because it demonstrates competency.

There are many occupations that require some type of credentials. Industries where this is most common and particularly important are:

Healthcare: Nearly three-quarters of the 8.8 million workers in healthcare practitioner and technical occupations held a license in 2015, according to the most recent statistics available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These occupations include physicians, pharmacists, and dental hygienists. Additionally, almost half of the 3.5 million workers in healthcare support occupations, such as massage therapists and psychiatric aides, had licenses.

Legal: About 64 percent of the 1.8 million workers in legal occupations, which includes lawyers and judges, held a license, notes the BLS. About 38 percent of the 3.1 million protective service workers (including firefighters and first-line supervisors of police and detectives) had a license.

Community and social services: About one-third of the 2.6 million workers in community and social services occupations held a license, according to the BLS. This includes substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, mental health counselors, and healthcare social workers.

Transportation: There are numerous federal and state license requirements to navigate for workers in the transportation industry. This includes pilots, semi-truck drivers, and train conductors, as well as many of the supporting roles. It’s important to know what is required for the specific position in order to verify the authenticity of licenses.

Computers and math: In 2015, nearly 9 percent of the 4.4 million workers in computer and math occupations had a certification but no license, says the BLS. For example, computer programmers might be certified in a specific programming language or in vendor-specific products. Verifying certification requirements can get tricky, but is essential for finding the right candidate.

Want to ensure your hire is the right hire? Trusted Employees offers industry-leading professional license and credential verification solutions. We’ll verify the kind of certification an applicant has, which board or institution issued the license or credential, plus the dates of issue and expiration. This all provides unparalleled peace of mind.