How to check an employer before accepting a job
Verify the business, recruiter and written offer through independent checks rather than logos or promises.
Identify the organisation behind the offer
Ask for the legal business name, trading name if different, work location and entity issuing the contract. If an agency is involved, clarify whether it or its client would employ you. Establish who is responsible for pay and supervision.
For a Nigerian registered business, use the Corporate Affairs Commission public search to check the supplied name or registration number. Compare the result with the offer. Registration helps establish that an entity exists; it does not prove that a recruiter represents it or that a vacancy is genuine.
Contact the organisation independently
Find an official website or another independently established contact channel. Ask whether the role and recruiter are recognised, particularly when the offer is unexpected. Do not rely only on links and numbers within the same message you are trying to verify.
Check website and email-domain spelling. Ask why a trading name differs from the registered entity if the connection is unclear. Neither a professional website nor a missing social-media profile provides a complete answer. Look for consistent evidence across several checks.
Compare the duties and written terms
Check whether the duties match the advert and interview. Confirm hours, location, reporting line, pay frequency, start date and conditions. Ask what happens during probation and what equipment or travel is needed. Keep written answers to important questions.
Pause if the role changes into collecting money, opening accounts for others or making payments to unlock work. Request time to read an agreement. Get suitable advice about unfamiliar terms before signing. Pressure to skip basic questions is a reason to investigate further.
Learn about the working environment
Where possible, speak with someone who has directly worked with the organisation. Ask specific questions about supervision, workload, payment reliability and how problems are handled. Online reviews can raise issues to investigate, but anonymous comments and testimonials may be incomplete or misleading.
For an in-person meeting, confirm the address and named contact. Tell someone you trust where you are going and arrange your own way to leave. Ask for an explanation of any document request. Do not surrender original certificates or access to your phone simply because someone claims to be an employer.
Decide which gaps you can accept
Record what is confirmed, what remains uncertain and which unanswered questions would prevent acceptance. A mismatch may have a legitimate explanation, but it should be explained clearly. Do not replace missing evidence with urgency or hope.
Save the advert, offer and relevant messages. Report a misleading Fresh Naija Jobs listing through our Contact page with its link and the facts you observed. Platform presence or a verification badge does not guarantee every statement in an offer. You can pause or decline when the information is insufficient.