4 Ways to Check Someone’s Employment History

By Jen D., May 14, 2018

Finding records of your employment history is simple, not only do you remember it (hopefully) but you can also request your earnings information from the Social Security Administration (SSA). However, when it comes to checking someone’s employment history, things get more complicated.

Whether you are taking legal action against another party and want to know if or where they work, are considering hiring someone, or trying to collect arrears in child support or other money owed through legal action, there are times employment history matters.

Due to privacy laws and restrictions, getting information about anyone other than yourself is not allowed. The best options available to find out information are these:

Hire a Private Investigator to Check Employment History

A private investigator is a good option, but only if your budgeting and finances allow enough for one. The cost of a private investigator can be as low as $40 hourly but is typical $50 plus or even $100 or more per hour. While one might hope for a low total cost, the hourly range can add up fast.

The total cost also depends on the type of service you’re requesting – including the level of complexity, turn around time for results, in person or online help, and the work experience of the private investigator you hire. If you don’t have that kind of money to spend on private investigating, consider hiring one of our In-Depth Search Specialist:

Employ Social Media

Though social media sites don’t always have up to the minute or current results, many people frequent Facebook and LinkedIn and include their place of employment in their profile information. While LinkedIn is specifically for employment marketing and networking, Facebook can also link people who work for the same company or have people list their place of employment.

If you go to LinkedIn or Facebook, look up at someone’s profile or current employment and see if the answer seems correct or likely. Again, many people neglect to update their place of work or don’t update it when they get a new job but they might!

Use Google

Never underestimate the power of a standard search engine. Whether using Google or Bing, a positive start is to consider looking up someone by their professional name, i.e., not the nickname they were called in college but the one on their resume. Since most businesses now have a web presence, you can typically find employ names and even employee contact or email addresses.

Utilize Social Catfish

If you haven’t had luck with a basic social media search or cannot afford a private investigator, using an algorithm assisted search can help. Social Catfish is a comprehensive search that can look up people by username, legal name, nickname, and even social media profile.

The best part is that searches aren’t only conducted once, you’ll receive results as they appear and get the most up to the date information. If other methods haven’t worked for you, a professional site like Social Catfish is the next step.

While it can seem daunting trying to discover someone’s employment history, using the above methods makes results likely to be found. Verify employment history with a phone call, if legal, or fact-checking the business online.