Employee verification is an important part of the onboarding process. It’s critical to make sure that the employees you hire are legally allowed to work in the U.S. and meet all federal guidelines for employment eligibility.
In years past, this was a tedious and time-consuming process that involved a ton of HR hours and copious amounts of paperwork. Now, e-verification tools make it easier than ever. The solutions allow HR teams to expedite onboarding, verify work status, and get new hires up to speed as quickly as possible.
Today, we’re sharing eight ways e-verification is changing the game for the better.
What Is E-Verification?
Before we dive into how e-verification can improve onboarding, let’s briefly discuss what this platform entails. In short, this is a tool that compares an employee’s personal information against employment eligibility standards set forth by two governing entities: the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Employees enter this information on U.S. Federal Form I-9: Employment Eligibility Verification. This is a two-page form that requires applicants to complete multiple fields, including their personal contact information and United States citizenship status. On the second page, employers must attest that they’re reviewed acceptable documents and can confirm the employee’s identity and employment authorization.
All employers who plan to hire workers within the U.S. must require each new employee to complete and submit Form I-9. Yet, as you can imagine, verifying all of the information within these forms can get laborious and time-consuming. This is especially the case if the organization has a large and diverse workforce spanning multiple locations.
E-Verify is the name of the internet-based system that the U.S. government uses to compare I-9 information against DHS and SSA standards. Using the information provided within the form, the tool will reveal the employee’s actual work status, offering one of three statuses:
- U.S. citizen with permanent residency
- Working with a work visa
- An “unknown” status
Not only is the process quick and easy, but it’s also incredibly accurate. This allows employers to verify employee information across myriad government records in a matter of seconds.
Why Use E-Verification Tools?
If you’re at the helm of your organization’s HR department, what benefits do e-verification tools provide to you? Why should you abandon your current workflows and best practices to adopt this technology?
Let’s take a look at eight benefits you can reap when you make the switch to these automated, digital platforms.
1. Save Time
The chief reason to use e-verification onboarding software? You’ll save a ton of time throughout the process, which means your new hires can start as soon as possible. There are millions of government records to review and compare, and sorting through them all can be quite the task.
With e-verification, you can streamline and simplify this process, taking the strain off your HR team. It’s even better when the solution you choose integrates seamlessly with your full suite of automated HR solutions, like the set of tools available through WorkBright.
WorkBright offers E-Verify Automation Services from right within its employee onboarding software. This way, everything is in one spot and you don’t have to manually input any data into the government’s E-Verify website. The entire process is handled 100% virtually, which makes the onboarding process more efficient.
How does that benefit your company? When you can speed up the virtual onboarding process, your new hires can start working as soon as possible! They can contribute their unique ideas, skills, and experience to your company and begin filling the role they were chosen to perform.
2. Ensure Data Security
Reputable e-verification programs are tested and certified by the government’s E-Verify platform to ensure they comply with all government standards.
This means you can rest assured that they’ll check every single detail and deliver an accurate, complete result every time. Most importantly, applicant information is always kept secure and confidential, so you never have to worry about data leaks or breaches. Whether you use the system to completely handle your Form I-9 verification process or rely on it to double-check your own work, it gives you an unparalleled extra layer of protection and security.
3. Maintain Full Compliance With Government Standards
The U.S. government can impose both fees and jail time on employers who hire unauthorized workers. This applies only if you knowingly do so, which can be difficult to prove. However, if you avoid using the E-verify process and rely on manual verification instead, it can be difficult to prove your commitment to onboarding accuracy.
Those standards are in place so employers will not knowingly or unknowingly hire workers who are not authorized to work in the United States. Remote onboarding tools can help you avoid reprimands and consequences, delivering invaluable peace of mind.
If you’re cited for violating these laws, not only could you be required to pay money, navigate a lawsuit, or serve time. Your brand name can also be tarnished, which can negatively affect customer loyalty and industry partnerships. It’s a step backward that you don’t want to take, and it’s easy to avoid.
If the E-Verify system alerts you that the applicant isn’t authorized for work, then you can stop the onboarding process in its tracks. You won’t train them or add them to your payroll, and this move alerts governing bodies that you’re complying with their regulations. Moreover, if it later comes to light that the employee falsified any information on their Form I-9, you won’t be held responsible for hiring them.
Going through with e-verification services shows that you did your due diligence and acted in good faith while hiring the employee. This step alone could save you a significant amount of time, money, and stress down the road.
4. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
Think about how many files you currently have on your work computer. Most HR managers have individual file folders for each employee, which they use to store internal documents, including scanned copies of their Form I-9s.
With remote onboarding software, you can keep all of these important records in one safe place. Most platforms only require one login for all of their services, so you can reduce the number of steps and workflows required to do your job.
Not only are digital files easier to access than paper ones, but they’re also more secure. You can set user authorizations that ensure only authorized personnel are able to enter the system and view the information it contains.
5. Reduce the Risk of Human Error
As much as you try to be perfect at your job, the reality is that we’re all human. As such, we’re bound to make an error every once in a while. In some departments, a minor slip-up isn’t a big deal. However, that isn’t the case with HR.
Missing a key field or incorrectly reviewing a document could mean hiring someone who violates federal standards. If you rely on your own capabilities to compare Form I-9s against government records, there’s a good chance that some detail will slip through the cracks.
E-verification tools take care of all the legwork for you, automating the process and virtually eliminating the opportunity for human error. Most services also include built-in error checking systems to add an extra layer of accuracy. E-verify is not only free, but it’s also easy to use and accessible at any time, from any location that has a web browser.
You can use it to instantly verify the employment eligibility of any employee, and this is a step you can’t afford to get wrong. Plus, when you trust the system to run those checks for you, it frees up your internal teams to focus on more mission-critical work. You don’t have to worry about spending a ton of time sorting through records or verifying documents.
6. Hire Specialized STEM Employees
If your organization voluntarily uses E-verify to check employee eligibility, it can also simplify the process of adding a foreign national to your team. If you can prove their employment status using the service, then those employees may be eligible to work for a longer period of time at your company before you’ll need to file an H1-B petition.
An H1-B petition is a federal form that employers must complete if they want to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupational positions. These are positions that require the theoretical and practical application of highly specialized knowledge. The roles require a bachelor’s degree or higher in that specialty.
A few examples of common fields that qualify for H1-B include:
- Architecture
- Mathematics
- Engineering
- Social sciences
- Physical sciences
- Medicine and health
- Busines specialties
- Education
- Accounting
- Law
- Theology
Do you plan to use E-verify to hire a foreign national who recently received a STEM degree that falls into one of the categories above? If so, then you may be able to retain them in your workforce for an extra 17 months before you need to file the H1-B petition. This can be a valuable benefit, especially if you need their skills and talents to complete a time-sensitive project.
7. Prepare For Mandatory Enrollment
Though it isn’t the case yet, there have been plans put into place that might make E-Verify enrollment a mandatory requirement for all U.S. employers. Currently, there are many state laws in place that require this service, though it isn’t implemented at the national level.
In most cases, states require the use of E-Verify if an employer’s total workforce exceeds a certain number of employees. For example, North Carolina law dictates that any company with 25 or more workers in the state must use the service to verify the work authorization of all newly hired N.C. employees.
In addition, most government contracts are currently reserved for companies that use the E-Verify system or have an automated onboarding and employee verification solution in place. If you want to win any of that work, you’ll need to prove that you have those resources in place.
If you’ve already adopted the system at your own company, then you’ll be one step ahead of the game. You won’t need to spend valuable time and money getting your HR team up to speed on how to use the new system. You can keep using your familiar workflows and reduce wasteful downtime.
8. Avoid No-Match Social Security Letters
If your new hire’s Social Security Number isn’t found in the SSA database or doesn’t match their current records, then your company could receive what’s known as a No-Match Letter from the agency.
Also known as Employer Correction Request Notices, these letters are sent to every employer with at least one inaccurate or incomplete SSA file. This is a critical letter for both employers and employees alike, as it alerts workers that they’re not receiving the right credit for their earnings.
This could affect their ability to retire in the future, or receive SSA-administered disability benefits. Reasons for the discrepancies can include:
- Typographical errors
- Clerical errors
- Worker name changes
- Incorrect information on W-2
- Transposed names (e.g. middle and last)
E-verification tools ensure that employee information is always entered accurately and remains up-to-date. It’s easy to make changes in the system, and you can be confident that there are no transportation or data entry mistakes. This helps you maintain compliance with SSA standards and avoid a future No-Match letter.
Reap the Benefits of E-Verification at Your Organization
If you’re using manual employment verification tactics, it’s time to make an upgrade. E-verification tools simplify and expedite the onboarding process, so you can spend less time on manual work, and more time getting your new hires acclimated to their teams.
While the government’s E-Verify program is free and simple to use, it’s even easier to employ automated solutions built right into your digital HR platform. Check with your vendor to learn more about these services.
In the meantime, we’ll keep you covered on all of the business and tech news you need. Check back often for more informative guides!
Also Read: 4 Future-Proof Strategies for Building a Hybrid Workplace
