Handshake values the security of our employers and job seekers alike. We aim to instill trust in our community to use our platform with confidence, and we continuously execute policies that minimize risk to keep our users safe.
Handshake partners with SIFT and Persona to validate key employer profile data and ensure that each company on Handshake is legitimate and authorized to operate and hire employees.
Through Sift, we also gain access to a suite of fraud prevention tools, improving our ability to safeguard all activity and user interactions on our platform.
Account creation
Each user joining an existing company profile must provide their email address and phone number, and users creating a new company profile must also provide the following information:
- Company Name (doing business as)
-
Legal Company Name
- Industry
- Website
-
Location
- Note: Locations must include either a full address or, at minimum, the city and state.
- Country
- Description
- Company size
- Government ID
Learn how to Create an Employer User Account, Join a Company, and Connect with Schools.
If you are posting personal or caretaker jobs on Handshake, refer to Posting Personal, Babysitter, Household, or Caretaker Jobs.
Verification
Upon creating a new company profile, a modal appears prompting you to enter additional information to verify your identity.
In the section Enter company information, all fields will be auto-populated with the information entered in Handshake. Review the details, then click the Save and Continue button.
- To edit any of the fields, exit out of the pop-up modal, and make the changes in the new company form.
In the next section, you will be prompted to upload a photo ID. Choose one of the options provided.
After your ID is submitted, it will be processed. Once processed, you will receive a confirmation message that reads 'Congratulations, you're done! Thanks for verifying your identity.'
- If Persona cannot process your ID on the first attempt (e.g., due to blurriness, expiration, etc.), you will have four additional attempts.
- After the fifth attempt, no further attempts will be available, and Persona will use your final submission to verify your identity.
After you provide the requested information, your employer account will enter the verification process. The message, 'Almost there! Verifying your company account... This should only take a moment.' will appear on your screen.
If your employer account requires additional review by our Trust and Safety team, the message 'Hang tight—further review needed. After the initial employer verification, your account requires further review by our Trust and Safety team. We'll email you once it's complete.' will appear on your screen.
The message will also provide guidance on next steps and offer the option to contact our Trust and Safety team if needed.
If your employer account cannot be verified, the message 'Contact us—your account couldn't be verified. Your company didn't pass our verification check. Please reach out to us as soon as possible.' will appear on your screen.
Additional verification
In the course of verifying your identity or during any ongoing activity, your account will be temporarily suspended if a risk is detected. You will receive a message upon login stating that your account is temporarily suspended.
An email will also be sent to the address provided in Handshake, indicating that your account is under review. The message will include next steps and a direct link to contact our Trust and Safety team.
The Trust and Safety team will review and verify your account as appropriate. Verifiable and supporting documentation may be required to complete the verification process.
Supporting documentation or evidence may include:
- Endorsement from a university partner
- Proof of personal identity, e.g. driver’s license, passport
- Proof of affiliation with company, e.g. business license
To verify and reestablish your account on Handshake, contact our Trust and Safety team.
If no action is taken to contact our team, your user account and/or employer account will remain suspended.
If no safety concerns are found with your account, access will be granted. You will receive an email notification confirming that your account is now active.
Multi-factor authentication
To provide an additional layer of security, you may be prompted to conduct 2FA. Upon logging in, you will receive a prompt and a notification via email to proceed.
Enter the 6-digit code sent to your email in the input field to verify and access your account.
Note: the code expires in 15 minutes and can only be used once.
If the email isn't received, click the text Re-send code to send another code.
To ensure email deliverability, refer to How can I ensure deliverability for Handshake emails?.
On-campus employers
To minimize risk to our platform, on-campus employers and employer accounts created by career services users will be subject to the employer verification process, except for the identity verification process.
However, in the event that a legitimate on-campus employer account or an employer account created by a career services user is submitted for manual review, our Trust and Safety team will take action to fast track validation.
Employer activity
All activity carried out on Handshake will be continuously monitored for fraudulent activity.
Any activity found to be high-risk will alert our Trust and Safety team and your user and/or employer account will be submitted for review. Based on our review, your access may either be granted or revoked.