Many private and government resources are available to help employers locate and contact former employees.
This process begins with the employer determining the following:
1) What is the reason for the contact? The reason for the contact may limit the tools available to the employer.
2) How important is the contact? What are the money and time constraints? Almost anyone can be found given enough time and money.
3) What personal information is available? Normally an employer has a wealth of information readily available in personnel, application/background check/hiring, and benefit files. These files contain critical information such as Full Name, Birth Date, Social Security Number, Mailing Address, Emergency Contact, Private E-mail Addresses, Beneficiary Names and Contact Information, Former Employers (sometimes Subsequent Employers), Schools, Professional Licenses, Professional Accreditation, Professional and Special Interest Associations and Clubs, etc.
Suggestions for Locating Former Employees:
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Mail a letter to the last known address. If it comes back, send a second letter by certified mail.
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Attempt to reach emergency contact names and beneficiaries named in employee benefits.
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If you have private email addresses on file, send emails to those addresses.
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Search the web. Do a search by employee name. If the first or last names are common names, you may need to use quotes around the entire name (such as “John Johnson” or “John James Johnson”). You may need to search the person’s name combined with known employers, schools, license and accreditation designations, (Search common abbreviations, common short names, and more formal names such as USC, Southern Cal, and University of Southern California). Searches may look like
> “John Johnson” “ABCD Inc.”
> “James Jones” “Brown University”
> “Lisa Scholar” MIT
> Winston Pennycounter CPA
Also, search networking sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter. -
Contact employee benefit plan administrators and ask if they can help locate the employee.
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If you have reference, spouse, family, or friend contact information, ask if they can help locate the former employee.
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If known, contact subsequent employers and ask for help.
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If the individual has a drivers license, professional license, or professional accreditation, contact the licensing agency or accrediting organization.
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If you have knowledge of the person’s participation in a Professional or Special Interest organization, contact the club or association.
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Contact School Alumni Associations.
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Ask current employees if they can help locate the missing person.
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Ask the IRS to forward a letter. The IRS will forward letters for humanitarian reasons. The service is free for less than 50 letters (there are fees for more than 50 letters). See IRS Letter-Forwarding Program for details including sample letters. Also see Revenue Procedure 94-22 for additional information.
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Ask the Social Security Administration to forward a letter. The service is free for a humanitarian purpose (there is a $25 fee if the letter is about money or property due the person). See Social Security Administration Letter Forwarding for details about the service.
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There are several commercial services that will help employers find former employees. For example, the plan management companies Pension Benefit Information and CSRA, Inc.
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Hire a private investigator. Ask your background check provider, insurance provider, legal counsel, financial advisor, and HR consultant for references.
More Employer Frequently Asked Questions:
+ Questions by Employers
+ A Matter of Fact Background Checks FAQ