1. SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification
June 16, 2014

2. Definitions
Employment Verification: The process in which employees produce documents that verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Part of this process is for employers to review documents and complete the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (Form I-9).
E-Verify: An Internet-based program run by the United States government that compares information from employees’ Employment Eligibility Verification Form (Form I-9) to data from U.S. government databases. Participation is voluntary unless mandated by state law. Some federal contractors are required to participate, as are certain employers seeking to extend the work permit of certain foreign graduates in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

3. Key Findings
What challenges are associated with the Form I-9 verification process? Although nearly half (44%) of respondents indicated they do not face any challenges, 34% reported difficulty maintaining records when keeping track of documents with an expiration date, and 18% encounter issues with the authenticity of documents presented by employees.
How many employers participate in E-Verify? Overall, 56% of respondent organizations indicated they participate in E-Verify. Publicly owned for-profit (79%) and privately owned for-profit (62%) organizations were more likely to report using E-Verify than nonprofit organizations (40%) and government agencies (33%). Larger organizations (100 or more employees) were also more likely to report using E-Verify than organizations with fewer than 100 employees. Of those organizations that do use E-Verify, 38% participated on a voluntary basis, whereas 36% are fulfilling their requirement as a federal contractor.
How long have employers participated in E-Verify, and how long does it take to implement the program? Almost half (48%) of respondent organizations have participated in E-Verify for more than three years, and 51% indicated that it takes one week or less to implement the program. Organizations with 500 or more employees reported implementation of E-Verify took longer than smaller employers.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

4. Key Findings
What challenges do organizations encounter with the E-Verify process? For those organizations that currently use E-Verify, almost half (47%) reported experiencing no challenges with the E-Verify process. Among those organizations that have experienced challenges, the most commonly identified issues include the fact that it does not replace the Form I-9 process (23%), the process for resolving tentative non-confirmations is unclear (19%), and issues with the authenticity of documents presented by employees (13%). Government agencies (29%) are were more likely than privately owned for-profits (5%) to agree that balancing Form I-9 compliance with concerns about discrimination and unfair immigration-related employment practices is a challenge.
Why do employers opt out of E-Verify? Nearly half (45%) of organizations that do not participate in E-Verify indicated the reason for their lack of participation is the fact that E-Verify does not eliminate the requirement to complete Form I-9; another 34% do not participate because they are not familiar with the program.
Support for a mandatory electronic verification system. More than four fifths (83%) of organizations support a mandatory electronic verification system. Furthermore, a vast majority of employers (96%) would support a mandatory electronic verification system if it included strong safe harbor to protect employers. Organizations would also like this system to help avoid allegations of employment-based discrimination (96%), authenticate identity (94%), provide a relatively brief period to resolve disputed work authorization cases (93%), or eliminate Form I-9 (92%).
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

5. What Do These Findings Mean for the HR Profession?
More than two in five organizations do not participate in E-Verify, the federal online platform that uses I-9 information to confirm employment eligibility. However, more than one third of those organizations are simply not familiar with the service, and a vast majority of HR professionals overall support mandatory electronic employment verification. By investing more time in learning about the E-Verify service, or exploring other means of improving their employment verification processes HR professionals can help ensure their organization’s compliance.
About one half of HR professionals who do participate in E-Verify said it took one week or less to implement the system. However, over one quarter said the implementation process took a month or longer, and in some cases, several months. If an organization decides to participate in the E-Verify service, it may be beneficial to devote specific staff, if only for a short period of time, to handle the E-Verify process.
Many criticisms of the E-Verify process are centered on the fact that, while it does match up U.S. Social Security data with applicants’ information, it does not guard against the fact that the applicant may be using stolen or borrowed documents, or is perhaps not being truthful with their information. Knowing that, HR professionals will need to employ additional and potentially more stringent application processes in order to avoid any legal violations. 28
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

6. What challenges does your organization currently encounter with the Form I-9 verification process?
Note: Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

7. What challenges does your organization currently encounter with the Form I-9 verification process?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Organizations with 1-99 employees were more likely than organizations with 100 or more employees to agree that they encountered no challenges with the Form 1-9 process.
Comparisons by organization staff size
1 to 99 employees (32%)
>
100 to 499 employees (30%)
500 to 2,499 employees (18%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (12%)
Organizations with 2,500-14,999 and employees were more likely than organizations with 1-99 employees to report situations that do not fall within the Form I-9 instructions and handbook as a challenge.
Comparisons by organization staff size
100 to 499 employees (37%)
2,500 to 14,999 employees (32%)
>
1 to 99 employees (5%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

8. Has your organization ever been concerned about the authenticity of the documents presented by employees or authenticity of the identity being presented by the person seeking employment (either new employees or current employees providing documents for reverification)?
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

9. Has your organization ever been concerned about the authenticity of the documents presented by employees or authenticity of the identity being presented by the person seeking employment (either new employees or current employees providing documents for reverification)?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Organizations with 500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with employees to express concern about authenticity of documents presented by employees.
Comparisons by organization staff size
500 or more employees (47%)
>
1 to 499 employees (26%)
Organizations with 500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with employees to express concern about authenticity of the identity presented by the person seeking employment.
Comparisons by organization staff size
500 employees or more employees (32%)
>
1 to 499 employees (18%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

10. Does your organization participate in E-Verify?
Note: n = 572. Respondents who answered “don’t know” were excluded from this analysis.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

11. Does your organization participate in E-Verify?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Organizations with 100 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1-99 employees to indicate they participate in E-Verify.
Comparisons by organization staff size
100 to 499 employees (56%)
500 to 2,499 employees (59%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (72%)
25,000 or more employees (80%)
>
1 to 99 employees (37%)
Comparisons by organization sector
Publicly owned for-profit organizations were more likely than other organizations to indicate they participate in E-Verify. Privately owned-for profit organizations were more likely than nonprofits and government agencies to indicate they participate in E-Verify.
Comparisons by organization sector
Publicly owned for-profit (79%)
>
Privately owned for-profit (62%)
Nonprofit (40%)
Government (33%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

12. What is the primary reason your organization participates in E-Verify?
Note: n = 321. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding. Only respondents whose organization participates in E-Verify were asked this question. Respondents who answered “Not sure” were excluded from this analysis.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

13. How long has your organization participated in E-Verify (round to the nearest time period)?
Note: n = 308. Only respondents whose organization participates in E-Verify were asked this question.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

14. How long did it take to implement E-Verify at your organization?
Note: n = 260. *Respondents who answered “don’t know” were excluded from the analysis. Only respondents whose organization participates in E-Verify were asked this question.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

15. How long did it take to implement E-Verify at your organization?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Organizations with 500 or more employees reported implementation of E-verify taking longer than organizations with employees.
Comparisons by organization staff size
Less than seven days
1 to 499 employees (71%)
>
500 or more employees (29%)
Seven days to six months
500 or more employees (78%)
1 to 499 employees (23%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

16. How do you train new E-Verify administrators at your organization?
Note: n = 304. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options. Only respondents whose organization participates in E-Verify were asked this question.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

17. How do you train new E-Verify administrators at your organization?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Organizations with employees were more likely than organizations with 500 or more employees to indicate they use online tutorials to train E-Verify administrators. However, organizations with 500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with employees to use additional training services.
Comparisons by organization staff size
Online tutorial required by E-Verify
1 to 499 employees (83%)
>
500 or more employees (69%)
Additional online training required by my organization
500 or more employees (15%)
1 to 499 employees (3%)
Additional in-person training required by my organization
500 or more employees (31%)
1 to 499 employees (20%)
Additional training delivered off-site
500 or more employees (5%)
1 to 499 employees (1%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

18. How do you train new E-Verify administrators at your organization?
Comparisons by organization sector
Government agencies were more likely than publicly owned for-profit organizations to offer additional training off-site to new E-Verify administrators.
Comparisons by organization sector
Additional training delivered off-site
Government (14%)
>
Publicly owned for-profit (2%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

19. What challenges has your organization encountered with the E-Verify process?
Note: n = 300. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options. Only respondents whose organization participates in E-Verify were asked this question.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

20. What challenges has your organization encountered with the E-Verify process?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Organizations with 500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1-99 employees to agree that the E-Verify process does not replace Form I-9 process.
Comparisons by organization staff size
500 or more employees (67%)
>
1 to 99 employees (33%)
Organizations with 500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1-99 employees to agree that process for resolving tentative non-confirmations is unclear.
Comparisons by organization staff size
500 or more employees (71%)
>
1 to 99 employees (29%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

21. Comparisons by organization sector
What challenges has your organization encountered with the E-Verify process?
Comparisons by organization sector
Government organizations were more likely than privately owned for-profit organizations to agree that balancing Form I-9 compliance with concerns about discrimination and unfair immigration-related employment practices is a challenge.
Comparisons by organization sector
Government (29%)
>
Privately owned for-profit (5%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

22. What are the reasons your organization does not participate in E-Verify?
Note: n = 242. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

23. Would your organization support a mandatory electronic verification system?
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

24. Would your organization support a mandatory electronic verification system if it:
Note: n =
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

25. Demographics
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

26. Demographics: Organization Industry
Percentage
Manufacturing
18%
Health care and social assistance
16%
Professional, scientific and technical services
15%
Other industry
11%
Educational services 8%
Finance and insurance
Transportation and warehousing
Retail trade 6%
Construction 5%
Accommodation and food services 4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Note: n = 550. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

27. Demographics: Organization Industry (continued)
Percentage
Repair and maintenance 4%
Arts, entertainment and recreation 3%
Utilities
Wholesale trade
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
Real estate and rental and leasing 2%
Religious, grant-making, civic, professional and similar organizations
Information
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 1%
Note: n = 550. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

28. Demographics: Organization Sector
n = 546. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

29. Demographics: Organization Staff Size
n = 535. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

30. Demographics: Other
Does your organization have U.S.-based operations (business units) only, or does it operate multinationally?
Is your organization a single-unit organization or a multi-unit organization?
Single-unit organization: An organization in which the location and the organization are one and the same.
32%
Multi-unit organization: An organization that has more than one location.
68%
U.S.-based operations only
74%
Multinational operations
26%
n = 418.
n = 560.
What is the HR department/function for which you responded throughout this survey?
For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit headquarters, by each work location or by both?
Corporate (companywide)
64%
Business unit/division
18%
Facility/location
Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices
53%
Each work location determines HR policies and practices 3%
A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices
43%
n = 394.
n = 392.
Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

31. SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification
Survey Methodology
Response rate = 12%
611 HR professionals from a randomly selected sample of SHRM’s membership participated in this survey
Margin of error +/-4%
Survey fielded February 14-28, 2014
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

32. About SHRM Research
For more survey/poll findings, visit shrm.org/surveys For more information about SHRM’s Customized Research Services, visit shrm.org/customizedresearch Follow us on
Project lead:
Eliza Jacobs, researcher, Workforce Analytics, SHRM Research
Project contributors:
Lynn Chen, Workforce Analytics, SHRM Research
Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., SPHR, vice president, SHRM Research
Evren Esen, director, Survey Programs, SHRM Research
Copy editor:
Katya Scanlan, SHRM Knowledge Center
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014

33. About SHRM
Founded in 1948, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest HR membership organization devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 275,000 members in over 160 countries, the Society is the leading provider of resources to serve the needs of HR professionals and advance the professional practice of human resource management. SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China, India and United Arab Emirates. Visit us at shrm.org.
SHRM Survey Findings: Employment Verification ©SHRM 2014