Once your report is complete, Checkr provides easy to use visual clues to help you review the report more efficiently.
From the Candidates page, click the status of a Report or go to report > to open it in the Dashboard.
Background Check Report layout
Background reports include different screenings, from Motor Vehicle Reports to criminal records checks to sex offender registries. Checkr's background reports follow a simple, linear, color-coded format to make reviewing and assessing reports more efficient.
Reports are divided into several sections:
- Candidate information: displays candidate PII, including name, zip code, and date of birth.
- Report information: lists report information, including its status, turnaround time, and the Package that was run.
- Actions: provides information on actions taken as a result of the report’s contents, including a log of actions performed, and options to Engage or Pre Adverse Action the candidate.
- Exceptions, Aliases, and Addresses: provides additional details about the report, including exceptions that prevent the candidate from being verified.
- Screenings and Statuses: lists all screenings processed for the report, color-coded to represent the screening’s status.
Evaluate “Clear” and “Consider” records
Checkr marks both completed reports and the individual screenings included within them as Clear or Consider. The report’s status is Clear if all screenings return Clear, and Consider if one or more screenings returns Consider.
- Reports marked Clear do not contain any potentially adverse information.
- Reports marked Consider include information that must be reviewed by your team.
Individual screenings within reports are also marked Clear or Consider, allowing you to quickly find records for your review.
Click a Consider record to see more information that will help you make an informed decision about how to proceed. For instance, you will see the charge type, offense date, disposition, and sentencing information.
To avoid unduly declining candidates, consider the job-relevance of each Consider report. This type of individualized assessment will also help you comply with guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as state and federal guidelines.
Note: Some screenings return a status of Complete, rather than Clear or Consider. In some instances, such as SSN Trace, this status is returned for a pointer search which is simply an operational step in the process and does not return actionable records. Complete is also returned for Verification screenings, such as our Education and Employment verifications. These screenings are simply completed, and therefore cannot be categorized as Clear or Consider.
Checkr also provides the Positive Adjudication Matrix (PAM), which allows your account to set filters by which returned records will be tagged for review for your team. For example, you may decide that you don’t want your team to review any parking tickets greater than 3 years old, or any fish and game records of any age. For more information on this feature, please see Positive Adjudication Matrix: Reduce bias and increase efficiency in the Checkr Help Center.
For more information on Checkr’s statuses, see What does the status of the report indicate? In the Checkr Help Center.
Take action on completed reports
Once a report is completed, your team may decide to proceed with the candidate, or reconsider their employment.
- If you decide that the candidate fits your hiring requirements, you may Engage them.
- If the candidate does not fit your requirements, you may choose to initiate an Adverse Action.
Engage the candidate
Click the Engage button in the Actions section of the report to indicate that you have reviewed the information that was returned, and decided to move forward with the candidate. Clicking Engage also allows you to track that decision within Checkr Analytics.
Begin an Adverse Action process
If you have reviewed the information included in the report and decided not to move forward with a Candidate, click the Pre Adverse Action button in the Actions section of the report.
This will begin the Adverse Action process.
Although responsibility and liability for the Adverse Action process ultimately lies with you as the end user, Checkr helps make it easier to maintain a compliant Adverse Action process.
Checkr provides an automated Adverse Action process that issues emails to your candidates on your behalf. To initiate this process:
- Click into the candidate’s report.
- In the Actions section of the report, click Pre Adverse Action.
- Select the charge for which the Pre Adverse Action email will be sent.
- Enter the number of days after which the Post Adverse Action email will be sent, and click Preview Email.
- Review the email Checkr will send your candidate, which will include a list of charges, as well as the necessary notices, a copy of the background report, and "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act" as attachments.
- Click Send pre-adverse action notice to initiate the process.
Checkr will send the original email, and then wait the specified number of days, during which your candidate is encouraged to reach out to dispute the record, if applicable.
If the candidate does not respond during this time, the Post Adverse Action email will be sent, informing the candidate that you will not move forward with their employment.
The Adverse Action process may be cancelled at any time by clicking the Cancel Adverse Action button in the Actions section of the report.
Please remember that the responsibility for remaining compliant with local and federal laws is your responsibility. Checkr provides a default and automated Adverse Action system in an effort to help you remain compliant. Please consult your internal counsel to ensure that your company operates within legal boundaries.
For more information on our Adverse Action process, please see The Adverse Action Process: Deciding not to move forward with a candidate.