Last updated: 3 August 2026
1. Why we verify
Most professional networks let anyone claim anything. Type "HR Expert" into a headline and you are one.
MRKZD does not work that way. Every member goes through a review and a conversation with our team before they get access. This is slower, and it means we grow more slowly. That is the trade we have chosen.
This policy explains exactly what we check, what the verified badge means, and — just as importantly — what it does not mean.
2. What the process involves
Step 1 — Application
You submit your details: name, contact information, photo, location, professional headline, biography, employer, years of experience, industry, skills, certifications, languages, and any professional links you choose to share.
Step 2 — Review
Our team reviews your application. We look at:
- Whether the information you have given is internally consistent
- Whether your stated role and experience match what is publicly visible, particularly on LinkedIn
- Whether your professional background fits the fields MRKZD currently serves
- Whether anything in the application raises a concern
Step 3 — Verification call
We hold a call with you of roughly ten minutes, by video or phone.
This is not an interview and there is nothing to prepare. We are establishing three things: that you are the person in the application, that your professional background is broadly as described, and that you understand what MRKZD is for.
We may ask about your current role, your experience in the UAE market, what you are hoping to get from the community, and what you can contribute.
We take brief notes. We do not record the call.
Step 4 — Decision
We accept or decline. Most decisions are made within 48 hours of the call.
If accepted, your profile goes live with the verified badge.
If declined, we will tell you. We are not always able to explain the reason.
3. What "verified" means — and what it does not
This section matters more than any other part of this policy. Read it before relying on a verified badge.
Verification means we have confirmed:
- Identity — that the person behind the account is the person in the application, to the standard a video or phone conversation allows
- Plausibility of background — that the stated role and experience are consistent with publicly available information
- A real conversation took place — a member of our team spoke with this person
- Fit — that they work in a field MRKZD serves and understand what the community is for
Verification does NOT mean:
- We have audited their qualifications. If a member lists SHRM-SCP, CIPD, PMP, or any other certification, we have not contacted the issuing body to confirm it. We take listed certifications at face value.
- We have checked their employment history. We have not contacted current or former employers.
- We have run a background check. No criminal record check. No credit check. No litigation search. No regulatory register search.
- We have assessed their competence. A ten-minute conversation cannot establish whether someone is good at their job.
- We endorse them. A verified badge is not a recommendation, a rating, or a guarantee of quality.
- We warrant anything they say or do. Members are responsible for their own conduct, on the Platform and off it.
- We monitor them continuously. Verification happens once. A member's circumstances can change afterwards.
What this means for you
Do your own due diligence. If you are considering engaging another member for work, advice, or anything that matters, check them out yourself. Ask for references. Verify certifications directly with the issuing body. Speak to people who have worked with them. Put agreements in writing.
The verified badge tells you this is a real person who works in this field and spoke to us. It does not tell you they will do good work.
MRKZD is not a party to any arrangement between members. We take no responsibility for the outcome of any engagement, transaction, referral, or relationship that begins here.
4. Why we decline applications
We may decline for reasons including:
- The information given cannot be reasonably confirmed
- There is a material inconsistency between the application and publicly available information
- The applicant does not work in a field MRKZD currently serves
- The applicant does not attend or complete the verification call
- The stated purpose is primarily to sell to members rather than participate
- The applicant has previously been removed from MRKZD
- We have any other reasonable concern
Acceptance is at our sole discretion. Completing an application does not entitle anyone to membership, and we are not obliged to give a reason for declining.
5. Reapplying
If you are declined, you may reapply after 7 days.
If something material has changed sooner — a new role, a completed certification, a correction to information we misread — write to legal@mrkzd.com and we will consider looking again earlier.
6. Keeping your profile accurate
Verification is a snapshot of the moment you joined. Keeping it true is on you.
You must update your profile when your role, employer, or professional circumstances change materially. Do not list certifications you do not hold, experience you do not have, or a role you no longer occupy.
We may re-review any profile at any time. If we find that a profile no longer reflects reality, or that information given at verification was false, we may remove the verified badge, suspend the account, or remove the member permanently.
7. Reporting a member
If you believe a verified member has misrepresented themselves, email legal@mrkzd.com with the profile and what specifically appears inaccurate.
We investigate every report. We do not tell the member who reported them. We will not always be able to tell you the outcome, as that may involve the other member's personal data.
Depending on what we find, we may ask the member to correct their profile, remove the badge, suspend the account, or remove it permanently.
8. Losing verification
Verification can be withdrawn if:
- Information given during verification is found to be false
- A profile becomes materially inaccurate and is not corrected when we ask
- A member repeatedly breaches the Community Guidelines
- A member's conduct on or off the Platform makes their continued verification untenable
- A member's account is suspended or removed for any reason
If we withdraw your verification we will tell you and explain why, unless there is a legal reason we cannot.
You can appeal to legal@mrkzd.com within 14 days. A different person from the one who made the decision will review it.
9. What we do with verification information
Information from your application and verification call is personal data and is handled under our Privacy Policy.
In summary: verification notes are kept for 24 months. They are visible only to our verification team and are never shown to other members. Declined applications are kept for 12 months so that any reapplication can be handled fairly.
You can request a copy of what we hold, or ask us to correct it, by emailing legal@mrkzd.com.
10. As we grow
Our verification process will develop as the community does. We may in future add credential checks with issuing bodies, professional reference checks, or additional identity verification.
If we introduce a stronger tier of verification, we will make the distinction between tiers clear on the Platform, and we will not retroactively imply that earlier checks were more thorough than they were.
Any change to what a badge means will be published here and announced to members.
11. Contact
Questions about verification, or to report a member: