The Boeing Company is one of the world’s leading aerospace and defense companies, and employs nearly 64,000 people worldwide.

Inundated with calls for employment verification, The Boeing Company searched for relief from this disruptive, cumbersome, and time-consuming process. Bogged down with constant, daily calls requiring excessive manual processing subject to delays, inaccuracies, and fraud, Boeing first tried limiting the available time for such calls to one hour on the West Coast and two hours on the East Coast. Despite these new measures, the problems continued to escalate. Boeing staff complained of insufficient time allotted for the phone calls and confirmation letters needed to complete each request. Lenders complained the narrow time frame for calls resulted in delayed loan applications, deferred closings, and lost revenues. Boeing soon realized the need to consider alternatives for handling the demand, lessening the time drain, and lowering the expense involved.

Knowing the TALX reputation for interactive communication solutions, Boeing approached TALX seeking a better method for handling employment verification. "We were interested in trying interactive technology," comments Tom Mackay, Senior Manager of HRIS for Boeing, "and we could clearly see TALX is the industry leader." Eager to help Boeing and recognizing the universality of inefficient verification procedures, TALX Corporation developed The Work Number -- an automated, outsourced national service providing employment and income verification. Initially offered through interactive voice response, The Work Number is also accessible through the Web.

Boeing California-based employees, in conjunction with Countrywide Mortgage, tested a pilot program to prove the functional aspects of the application, resolve operational issues, and finalize an implementation plan. To introduce the concept to employees and potential lenders, TALX and Boeing launched a campaign using various communication channels and media. Newsletter articles, bulletin board postings, verbal messages, and "paycheck stuffers" informed employees while lenders, or verifiers, received informational pamphlets describing The Work Number service.

By using a touch-tone telephone and an 800 number to access The Work Number, Boeing lenders have direct access to controlled, authorized, and up-to-date credit and reference verification information. The service prompts callers to enter a specific social security number, the Boeing company code, and a coordinating authorization code to receive either employment or income verification information through voice response, FAX, mail, or EDI. With the service operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, lenders can easily benefit from the flexibility and efficiency of interactive communication. "TALX produced a single, user-friendly verification phone number to service over 100,000 employees and successfully solved our problem," Tom Mackay remarks.

• Material and employee-related costs are substantially reduced.
• Operator availability complaints are virtually eliminated.
• Instant feedback results in cost-free, worry-free verifications.
• Lenders receive timely, accurate information.
• Employees stand a better chance of getting a faster loan approval.
• Boeing is spared the burden, responsibility, and cost.