SCREENING SOLUTIONS
Tips for Effective Military Verifications
With military personnel returning to the workforce after service in Iraq and other parts of the globe, it's likely that you will receive resumes from applicants with military service. Many of these veterans possess skills and training that make them ideal candidates to a number of employers in a wide variety of industries. But how do you go about verifying that an individual served in the military and that they performed according to expectations while enlisted?
The simple answer to that question is to request a copy of the applicant's DD-214 (also referred to as "discharge papers"), a document that is given to all discharged members of the military.
Though requesting a DD-214 sounds simple enough, if you're looking for more than just confirmation of military service, you'll have to dig deeper. There are actually a number of different copies of the DD-214, each containing different pieces of information. The discharged service person receives copy one, which contains the least information about their service. Copy four describes the nature of the discharge. For a veteran to get copy four, he or she must ask for it. If the individual did not ask for copy four, or wants to hide information contained on that copy, the person may only present copy one to an employer.
If the employer wants copy four and the applicant doesn't have it, the best way to obtain a copy is to have the applicant sign a Form 180 and send it to the National Personnel Records Center. However, there can be a wait of up to six months.
And after receiving copy four, you will still have to translate the military codes that appear on the document. While there are a number of websites the provide definitions for the codes, employers should use caution when attempting to use DD-214 codes to make a hiring decision. The codes may represent items unrelated to job performance, and hiring decisions based on such codes could lead to claims of discrimination.
Using a discharge as the basis for an employment decision can also be a cause for concern. There are four main types of discharges: honorable, general, undesirable and dishonorable. An employer should treat a dishonorable discharge in the same fashion as a criminal conviction. A general discharge or undesirable discharge should not be the basis for a hiring decision because they may or may not be related to employment.
For more information about InfoMart's Verifications services, please visit http://www.infomart-usa.com/services/ or speak with your Customer Service Representative.
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