Introducing Academic References & Structured Non-Employment Periods

## Covering gaps in employment history When a candidate's employment history has gaps because of a career break or being a recent graduate, but you still need to confirm what happened during those gaps, this reference check update helps you. This update makes it easier to capture and verify those periods. We’ve introduced three key improvements: - Clearer guidance for candidates to **enter periods of non-employment accurately**, categorised as: education, seeking work, travelling, or other. - A dedicated academic reference type, with [tailored questions](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/9bc5629b-academic-reference-questionnaire) designed in collaboration with our Head of Regulatory Affairs [David Cole](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-cole-better-vetting/), and our customers. - The option for candidates to upload **supporting documents** for non-employment periods (optional and unverified). You can now also require character references for periods marked as seeking work, travelling, or other. This can be configured in your account. *If you previously enabled ‘accept character references’ for regulatory references, this will now be applied automatically*. ![package editor-non employment](https://zinc-fini-resource-storage.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Package+editor+-+non+employment.png) ### Academic references We often heard from clients that references for academic periods were incomplete. Our data supports this, showing a **30% lower completion rate** when academic references were submitted as employment references. To address this, we’ve introduced academic references, where candidates are guided to provide an appropriate academic contact and answer tailored questions. You can view the academic reference questions [here](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/9bc5629b-academic-reference-questionnaire). These questions are designed to confirm a candidate’s activities and conduct during their studies, not their academic results. Qualification checks remain the appropriate way to verify academic outcomes. ### Clear entry for candidates Previously candidates had to jump through hoops to enter gaps and character references. This is now much more straightforward, with clear options for entering non-employment periods. ![inputting non employment](https://zinc-fini-resource-storage.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Inputting+non+employment.png) ### Optional document upload When a candidate adds a non-employment period, they can choose to upload supporting documents. This is **optional and documents are not verified**, it’s simply a way to collect additional context. Suggested evidence varies by category: - **Travel**: visas or boarding passes. - **Seeking work**: Jobcentre or benefits letters. - **Education**: enrolment or acceptance letters, or student ID. - **Other**: no specific documents suggested. ![Document evidence](https://zinc-fini-resource-storage.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Document+evidence.png) --- ## FAQs #### How does Zinc stop candidates from entering protected information in non-employment period? - Candidates are asked to briefly explain their non-employment periods, with clear guidance that sensitive or private information is not required. - *"Briefly explain why you were not employed during this time and why an employment reference is not available. Justifications that are private or sensitive do not need to be disclosed."* #### Can I edit character or academic reference questions? - Yes. These questionnaires have default questions set by Zinc, but you can now customise them to suit your needs via the package editor. #### Can I stop academic references from being requested? - No, these cannot be turned off; they’re the most appropriate evidence a candidate is able to provide in this situation. #### How does this relate to CV-detected gaps? - Detected gaps from CV Check will be bucketed into a non-employment section. Candidates still need to declare non-employment periods manually where needed. Academic content on CVs does not get surfaced directly to the candidate. #### Can I specify which documents I want candidates to provide? - No, we’ve standardised the documents suggested, and custom requirements aren’t supported at this time. #### Do non-employment periods contribute towards criteria? - Yes — non-employment periods count towards criteria, as they did previously with Zinc.