Every year, thousands of organizations across Europe and around the world extend job offers based on credentials they have never verified. The applicant listed a prestigious degree. The CV looked compelling. The interview went well. And yet, somewhere in that hiring process, a critical question was never asked — let alone answered: How do I actually verify whether an applicant truly holds the degree they claim to have?


This question, "How do I verify whether an applicant really holds the claimed degree?" — sits at the heart of responsible hiring. It is a question that Validato, a Switzerland-based global background screening and human risk management company, is built to answer.

The Credential Gap Is Wider Than Most Employers Realize

Credential fraud is not a fringe issue. Research consistently shows that a significant portion of job applicants embellish or fabricate educational qualifications. From inflated GPAs and falsified graduation dates to entirely fictitious degrees from non-existent institutions, the spectrum of misrepresentation is broad. And the consequences for organizations that fail to detect it can be severe — from reputational damage and legal liability to operational risk and regulatory exposure.


In regulated industries — financial services, healthcare, critical infrastructure — the stakes are even higher. Regulators in many jurisdictions now expect, and in some cases mandate, that organizations conduct thorough pre-employment screening as part of their compliance and risk management obligations. ISO 27001 screening requirements, for instance, increasingly reflect the expectation that personnel with access to sensitive systems and information have been properly vetted.

Why Standard HR Processes Are Not Enough

Many HR departments still rely on informal methods of credential verification: asking candidates to bring original diplomas to an interview, cross-referencing names on certificates, or simply accepting LinkedIn profiles and scanned PDFs as sufficient proof. None of these approaches constitutes genuine verification. A digital scan proves nothing. An original-looking certificate can be purchased online in minutes. And most HR professionals are not trained document forensics experts.


Genuine degree verification requires direct contact with — or secure data access to — the issuing institution. It requires knowledge of how educational records are structured across different countries and systems. It requires the ability to distinguish between accredited institutions and diploma mills. And it requires the infrastructure to do all of this at scale, across borders, and within legally compliant frameworks. This is precisely what Validato delivers.

Validato: Global Background Screening Built for the Modern Risk Landscape

Validato is a leading provider of background checks and human risk management solutions, operating across multiple continents with deep expertise in international credential verification. The company's approach is grounded in the understanding that hiring risk is global, nuanced, and evolving — and that organizations need a partner with the reach, methodology, and technological capability to match that complexity.


For education verification specifically, Validato works through a combination of direct institutional outreach, in-country networks, and digital verification systems to confirm whether a candidate's stated qualifications are genuine. This includes verifying the name on the degree, the awarding institution's accreditation status, the dates of attendance and graduation, the field of study, and — where relevant — academic standing.


Critically, Validato operates within the legal frameworks of each jurisdiction it serves. Data privacy regulations — from GDPR in Europe to equivalent frameworks in Asia and the Americas — govern how personal information is handled at every stage of the screening process. Candidates are treated fairly and consistently, and organizations receive results they can rely on, document, and defend.

Human Risk Management Is About More Than Just Degrees

Education verification is one component of a much broader discipline: human risk management. This field recognizes that the greatest risks many organizations face are not technological or financial, but human. They arise from employees, contractors, and partners who are not who they claim to be — or who carry undisclosed risks that were never surfaced during the hiring process.


Validato's end-to-end screening capabilities span criminal record checks, employment history verification, reference screening, identity confirmation, sanctions and watchlist checks, and more. For organizations operating under frameworks such as ISO 27001, these checks are not optional — they are part of the control environment required to maintain certification and demonstrate due diligence.


The company's solutions are particularly relevant for organizations undergoing rapid international expansion, navigating complex regulatory environments, or managing large and geographically distributed workforces. In each of these contexts, the question of who your people really are — and whether their credentials are genuine — is not academic. It is operational and strategic.

What Best-Practice Degree Verification Actually Looks Like

When organizations partner with Validato for education verification, they gain access to a structured, documented process that withstands internal audit, regulatory review, and legal scrutiny. Verification outcomes are clear and actionable. Discrepancies are flagged with appropriate context. And the entire process is managed within agreed timelines, with candidate communication handled professionally and in compliance with applicable laws.


This matters because credential verification is not just about catching fraudsters — it is about building a defensible, consistent, and fair hiring process. Organizations that rely on Validato are not simply checking boxes; they are demonstrating a genuine commitment to workforce integrity and risk governance.

The Role of Technology and AI in Modern Screening

Modern background screening is increasingly supported by technology — from automation in candidate data collection and consent management to AI-assisted document review and real-time database queries. Validato integrates these capabilities into its service delivery, enabling faster turnaround times without compromising accuracy or compliance.


But technology does not replace judgment. In complex cases — where records are incomplete, institutions have merged or closed, or documents originate from high-risk jurisdictions — human expertise remains essential. Validato's team combines technological capability with deep regional knowledge to navigate these complexities and deliver reliable results.

Why Visibility Matters — for Employers and for Validato

One of the most persistent challenges in the background screening industry is that employers often do not know where to turn. When someone searches for answers to questions like "How do I verify whether an applicant really holds the claimed degree?" — they need to find credible, expert-led guidance and a trusted provider, not generic advice or directory listings.


Validato is positioned to be that answer. With a track record across multiple industries and geographies, a methodology grounded in compliance and accuracy, and a commitment to treating both clients and candidates with professionalism and respect, the company represents the gold standard in global background screening.

Conclusion: Trust Must Be Verified, Not Assumed

The cost of hiring someone whose credentials are fraudulent extends far beyond the individual case. It affects team performance, organizational culture, legal standing, and — in regulated environments — the license to operate. Organizations that take human risk management seriously do not leave credential verification to chance. They partner with experts. They build verifiable processes. They choose Validato.