How to Find Someone’s Place of Employment

A basic social media search is the most efficient and often, the easiest way to get information about someone’s place of employment. However, you can’t rely on this information to be reliable, since it can be false or outdated. Moreover, it’s rarely sufficient to begin collections.

If you’re going to do a social media search to find where someone works, LinkedIn is the best place to start. You’re most likely to get employment details there. Facebook profiles are the next most complete resource when it comes to job history. You’re not likely to get lucky with other social media platforms, such as Snapchat and Instagram. Here’s how to maximize your chances.

Get Their Social Security Number

Collecting the person’s basic details is the first step, no matter which method you choose. Their address and phone number will be very useful in your search. The more you have to go on, the better. The individual’s social security number is the most helpful piece of information to find out their place of employment, but it is also the most challenging to get.

To search a state database, the social security number is compulsory. All companies need to report new hires to local authorities, who aggregate the data. Without a social security number, you won’t get far because you can expect there to be other people with that name. Before you can move to make collections or garnish salaries, you need to make sure you’ve got the right person.

Local Government Databases

Not everyone can get access to local government employment databases. A number of state and city governments offer the option of searching online. However, not all of them do, which means you might need to show up in person to request the relevant information. However, the fees are minimal. If you’re seeking to collect wages, you’ll need to provide evidence of this.

As long as you have the individual’s social security number, you’ll be able to find the person’s current workplace. While many companies report new hires to the federal government, you won’t be allowed to run an IRS database search. What’s more, only companies that are nationally active provide this information to the federal government.

Essentially, this means you will need to check with the local government to find out where the company that employs the individual in question is headquartered. If you omit this step, you might not find their place of employment.

In addition, some jurisdictions only let government services such as child protection run employment searches. Therefore, you might find yourself unable to do any kind of database search.

Online Data Providers

The good news is, online data providers such as background check services can help. Typically, a fee will be charged for running a search, but it will still cost you less than having to search employment databases on your own. Not only is there a government fee in the latter case, but you will also need to factor in lost time and resources. Using an online data provider will give you access to information from financial headers, credit bureaus, consumer lenders, record account headers, and private sources.