Candidates
If you're a candidate applying for a job or undergoing a background check, visit our Candidate FAQs for assistance. This article is for organizations that use Checkr.
Identify the type of report delay
While the average background check takes three to five business days to complete, sometimes delays occur. How you resolve the delay depends on the type of delay.
There are two statuses that indicate a background check has stopped processing:
- Pending: The report is processing.
- Suspended: The report stopped processing because of missing information or incomplete searches.
When a delay happens, Checkr emails the candidate and shows the delay in the Checkr Dashboard.
Pending reports
Why is my candidate's report pending?
Research is in progress: Some searches take significantly longer than others, usually because the county manually processes search requests. Additional research may be required if:
- The candidate has a common name.
- The court limits public access to the record or certain information in the record.
Neither you nor Checkr can expedite this process.
Court closures or delays: Checkr lists known court closures and delays on the pages below that you can subscribe to:
Courts might also be slow to respond to Checkr's requests for information because a court clerk must search for physical county records. Neither you nor Checkr can expedite this process.
Suspended reports
Why is my candidate's report suspended?
Insufficient candidate information: Incomplete or incorrect candidate information can cause delays. Common issues include:
- Mistyped driver's licenses
- Incorrect Social Security numbers
- Misspelled names
How do I resolve a Suspended report?
When a report suspends, Checkr contacts the candidate to request the necessary information. Once the correct information is provided and verified, the background check continues. If the required information is not provided within seven days, the check is suspended. After 30 days, the status changes to either Complete or Canceled.
Update information on behalf of a candidate
To submit or update information on behalf of a candidate:
- Select the link on the report under "Report information."
- Enter the requested information.
Send the information request link to your candidate
You can send your candidate the link to provide more information from the Checkr Dashboard. Ask the candidate to follow the instructions.
Encourage your candidate to submit information
Encourage candidates to:
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Check their report progress in the Candidate Portal.
- Candidates will see requests to provide more information upon login.
- Respond to information requests that appear upon logging in.
If the provided information does not match the records found by Checkr, contact Checkr for a new link. You or the candidate must use this link to provide a photo of the candidate's ID or Social Security card.
My candidate resubmitted their Social Security information, but the report is still suspended. What do I do?
- Social Security number verification: If your candidate re-entered their Social Security number for verification and the report is still suspended, you’ll need to contact Checkr for next steps.
- Social Security card image upload: If your candidate uploaded an image of their Social Security card, please allow Checkr support 1-2 business days to review and verify the information. If your candidate uploaded the image more than 2 business days ago, contact Checkr.
Note
A green checkmark in the Checkr Dashboard means that Checkr received the new information, not that the new information resolved the delay. If you or the candidate provided information that didn't resolve the delay, contact Checkr for a new link.