Verifying a candidate's qualifications, employment and references protects the employer from fraud and the candidate from being compared with someone who lied. The rule is to check what the job actually needs, in a way the candidate knows about and agrees to.
What is reasonable to verify
- Academic certificates, confirmed with the awarding institution.
- Professional registration, checked against the body's register.
- Employment history and references, with the candidate's consent.
- A criminal record check, only where the role legitimately requires it, such as work with children or vulnerable adults.
Checks on credit history or social media should be limited to roles where they are clearly relevant, and handled with particular care. When in doubt, take legal advice first.
Data protection under the NDPA
The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 applies when you collect and keep personal data about candidates. In practice that means having a lawful basis for each check, being clear with the candidate about what you collect and why, keeping the data secure, and deleting it when you no longer need it. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
I understand that [company] will verify my qualifications, employment history and references for this role.
I agree to these checks. I can withdraw my consent before a final offer, and the process would then end.
Keep only what you need
Record the outcome of each check, not the full documents, where you can. Set a retention period for unsuccessful candidates and delete records when it ends.
Tell candidates before you check
Candidates should know which checks you will run, and when, before they are carried out. Put it in the application form or the offer letter, and ask for written consent for each check. A check run without the candidate knowing is harder to defend, and it can damage the relationship before the person has started.
Use the same checks for every candidate for the same role. Singling one person out for extra scrutiny because of their name, religion, or home area creates legal and reputational risk, and it is the kind of decision that is hard to explain later.
Tell the candidate the result, and give them a chance to correct a record that is wrong. A check can be out of date or refer to someone with a similar name, and a fair process allows for that.