Resources
Employment Verification Glossary
Plain-language definitions of every term you will encounter in employment verification, background screening, and the AscentPassport platform.
A
AP Score
The overall trust and reliability score assigned to an employee's AscentPassport profile. Calculated from multiple weighted signals including HR confirmation
identity verification
timeline consistency
profile completeness
employer authenticity
and financial evidence. Scores range from 0 to 100 and are graded A+ through F.
A
APID (Ascent Passport ID)
A unique permanent identifier like AP-2026-XXXXXXXX assigned to each employee on AscentPassport. Linked to a verified national identity document. Employers enter an APID to instantly access a candidate's verified employment history.
A
AI Agents
Automated software agents on the AscentPassport platform that analyse different aspects of a candidate's profile. Each agent specialises in one domain: HR confirmation
timeline consistency
profile completeness
government ID validation
employer authenticity
and financial signals.
A
Audit Log
An immutable record of every action taken on an AscentPassport account. Logs cannot be edited or deleted. They provide a tamper-proof history of verification events for compliance purposes.
B
Background Verification (BGV)
The general process of checking a candidate's claimed history before hiring. Includes employment verification
identity checks
criminal record checks
and credential verification. AscentPassport focuses specifically on employment verification.
C
Career Integrity Analysis
The process of evaluating whether a candidate's employment timeline is internally consistent. Checks for date overlaps
unexplained gaps
implausible tenure lengths
and title regression without explanation.
C
Credit Ecosystem
AscentPassport's self-sustaining economy where employers earn credits by verifying former employees and spend those credits to check new candidates. No cash changes hands.
C
Credit Transaction
A record of credits earned or spent by an employer organisation on AscentPassport. Earning events: HR verification completed. Spending events: APID lookup
passport unlock.
D
Derogatory Report
A formal complaint filed by a verified employer against a candidate's profile. Types include fabricated experience
misrepresented title
identity mismatch
salary misrepresentation
and conduct issues. Requires admin validation before affecting the AP Score.
D
DPDP (Digital Personal Data Protection Act)
India's data protection legislation enacted in 2023. Governs how personal data can be collected
stored
and processed. AscentPassport is built to comply with DPDP requirements.
E
EPFO (Employees Provident Fund Organisation)
India's statutory body that manages provident fund accounts for organised sector employees. PF contribution records from EPFO can be used to corroborate employment periods.
E
Employment Consistency
The degree to which a candidate's claimed employment history makes logical sense when viewed as a complete timeline. A key signal in the AP Score calculation.
E
Employment Verification
The process of confirming that a candidate's stated employment history is accurate. Involves checking with previous employers that the dates
titles
and responsibilities claimed by the candidate are correct.
F
Full Access
The access level on AscentPassport that allows an employer who has paid verification credits to see a candidate's complete verified employment history
AP Score
and HR confirmation status.
G
Grade
The letter grade (A+ through F) assigned alongside the numeric AP Score. A+ represents scores of 85 and above. D represents scores below 25.
H
HR Confirmation
The most powerful verification signal on AscentPassport. Occurs when a former HR team member confirms a candidate's employment directly through a secure verification link. Adds significant points to the AP Score.
H
HR Outreach
The automated process by which AscentPassport sends a professional verification email to the HR team at a previous employer
requesting confirmation of the candidate's employment claims.
I
Identity Anchoring
The process of linking an APID to a verified national identity document (PAN
SSN
or Passport). Ensures one unique person behind each profile and prevents duplicate accounts.
I
Identity Mismatch
A type of derogatory report where an employer reports that the person presenting the APID does not match the identity of the actual employee they knew. Carries the highest score penalty.
M
MCA India (Ministry of Corporate Affairs)
India's government body that maintains the registry of companies incorporated in India. AscentPassport uses MCA data to verify that companies listed on candidate profiles are real registered entities.
P
PAN (Permanent Account Number)
A ten-character alphanumeric identifier issued by India's Income Tax Department. Used on AscentPassport as the primary identity anchor for Indian candidates.
P
Passport Lookup
When an employer pays verification credits to unlock and view a candidate's full passport through the public passport URL rather than through the APID search.
P
PF Number (Provident Fund Account Number)
A unique number assigned to each employee enrolled in India's EPFO. The format is typically state code / region / establishment number / extension / member number. Used as a financial signal on AscentPassport.
P
Profile Completeness
One of the six scoring signals on AscentPassport. Measures how thoroughly a candidate has filled out their profile including bio
contact details
identity information
and employment descriptions.
R
Resume Fraud
The practice of deliberately misrepresenting information on a CV or job application. Common forms include inflating job titles
extending employment dates
fabricating employers
and falsely claiming qualifications.
S
SSN (Social Security Number)
A national identification number used in the United States and several other countries. Used as an identity anchor for international candidates on AscentPassport where PAN is not applicable.
T
Timeline Consistency
The degree to which employment dates across all of a candidate's listed experiences are logically consistent. Checks for overlapping employment periods
impossible date sequences
and gaps in employment.
T
Trust Signal
Any piece of verified information that contributes to an employer's confidence in a candidate's background. On AscentPassport
trust signals include HR confirmation
identity verification
employer authenticity
and financial evidence.
U
UAN (Universal Account Number)
A 12-digit number assigned by EPFO to each member. Unique to the individual (not the employer) and portable across jobs. Used alongside PF numbers to verify employment on AscentPassport.
V
Verification Credits
The unit of exchange on AscentPassport's platform. Employers earn credits by verifying former employees and spend them to verify new candidates. The default rate is 3 credits earned per verification and 5 credits spent per APID lookup.
V
Verification Pipeline
The automated sequence of AI agents that runs when a candidate adds employment history to AscentPassport. Each agent scores a different dimension of the profile and the results are combined into a final AP Score.
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