Blockchain Startup to Verify Degrees, Skills and Job Roles to Tackle Dishonesty on Resumes

Now, a networking and recruiting platform called EchoLink plans to use blockchain to give firms "Trusted information regarding a job candidate's education, skill and work experience," helping to save companies time and money, all while giving skilled workers the opportunities they deserve.

Lies about their education or qualifications are the most common, along with details about how long they've stayed in a job and their levels of experience.

EchoLink's white paper cites research suggesting that 75 percent of employers have hired the wrong person in the past, despite completing background checks on the applicant.

As well as affecting levels of office productivity, such mistakes can also reduce employee morale, reduce the quality of work, and see many hours lost by offering training so unskilled workers are brought up to speed.

The startup's platform will see crucial information about candidates - such as degrees, skill level and work experience - time-stamped and stored on its blockchain.

EchoLink would allow their credentials to be updated as their career progresses, with new additions also receiving a time stamp in order to create a chain of evidence.

Another hurdle that EchoLink hopes to tackle surrounds the perennial issue of degrees from international universities, which can sometimes be impossible to verify.

The startup's team has a firm belief that the widespread use of its infrastructure would lead to an increase in the quantity of serious enquiries that job seekers would get from hiring companies, as well as providing them with greater exposure in the job market.

In creating higher standards, EchoLink hopes to help reduce the number of instances where workers are forced out of their jobs because they lied on their resume.

EchoLink has partnered with JianKe to put online job experiences on EchoLink's platform.