Hiring is getting faster, but fraud is getting smarter. Employee background verification (BGV) is now a necessary step prior to onboarding in India due to candidate misrepresentation (fake experience, inflated titles, forged certificates, and identity misuse).
Employee background verification (also called background verification, background screening, or background checks) is the process of verifying a candidate’s identity, claims, and risk factors. It is typically performed after a conditional offer and before onboarding.
Common checks include:
Both are important, but they answer different questions. Background verification confirms facts and surfaces risk indicators. Reference checks add context on performance, behavior, and team fit.
|
Aspect |
Background Verification
(BGV) |
Reference Check |
|
Goal |
Verify facts + uncover
disqualifying risks
|
Validate performance,
behavior, and fit
|
|
Inputs |
Documents, databases,
official records, prior
employer confirmation
|
Conversations with
managers/peers |
|
Best for |
Preventing fraud and
compliance risk |
Understanding working style
and strengths
|
|
Output |
Verified / discrepancy /
cannot verify
|
Qualitative feedback and
anecdotes
|
Best practice: do both—BGV for integrity and compliance and reference checks for context.
The risk of hiring fraud has increased due to a number of factors, including quicker hiring cycles, remote hiring, easily forged digital documents, and market pressure. BGV verifies data from independent sources to help identify problems.
How employee background verification detects fraud:
A typical background verification check may include:
Most organizations adjust scope by role (for example, finance roles may include credit history; customer-facing roles may emphasize identity and address).
A red flag depends on role and policy. Common red flags include:
Tip: define role-wise thresholds for discrepancies and apply them consistently to avoid bias.
Manual BGV often slows down due to back-and-forth emails, missing documents, and slow prior-employer responses. Digital background verification speeds up hiring by running checks in parallel, standardizing workflows, and reducing human follow-ups.
Common speed levers in digital BGV:
Note: the exact time saved varies by role and responsiveness of verification sources, but digital workflows reliably reduce turnaround time versus fully manual processes.
Millow offers a digital background check solution that verifies the following digitally:
What this means for HR teams and founders:
Consent → data collection→ checks (identity, employment, education, address, records)→
report→ HR decision and candidate clarification (if needed).
Commonly: identity, address verification, work history, education verification, and (as applicable) criminal record checks, civil records, and credit history checks.
It depends on your offer/appointment terms and company policy. Many employers complete BGV before final onboarding to avoid this situation. If you are already working and a dispute arises, it is usually handled case-by-case—ask HR for the written policy and consider professional legal advice if needed.
BGV is shorthand for Background Verification
Examples include material mismatches in employment dates/titles, unverifiable education, identity/address mismatch, or role-relevant adverse findings as defined by company policy.
Millow™ is a technology-enabled background check agency in India that uses advanced technology and intelligence gathering methods to check the background of new employees, tenants, domestic helpers, etc.
L- 176, 5th Main, HSR Layout, Sector -6, Bangalore, Karnataka – 560102
H.No. 130/226, 3rd Floor, 54 Rajpur Road,Near HDFC Bank, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001
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Send them our way. Whether it’s thousands of employees a year or a one-off high-stakes decision, Millow gives you investigation-grade background checks with the speed, clarity and support you wish every partner had.
