CANDIDATES: Are you applying for a job or undergoing a background check? If so, please visit our Candidate FAQs to see answers to our most common questions or get help with your background check. This article is for employers who use Checkr.
Question
Why is the report taking so long?
Answer
Industry-wide, the average background check takes 3-5 days. Checkr’s ETA tool provides an estimate of when the Candidate’s report should be complete. While these estimates are highly accurate, they are not a guarantee. In a small number of cases, delays of 3+ weeks may occur. In these situations, unfortunately, Checkr is not able to expedite the process.
Common reasons background checks may take longer than expected:
- At least one county on the County Criminal Record Check requires a clerk to search for physical records.
- There are delays at county courts due to court staffing and backlog challenges, such as seasonal hiring spikes or COVID-19.
- Additional research is required to ensure potential records are a match to the candidate. Additional research is often required when:
- The candidate has a common name; and/or
- Public access to the identified potential record(s), such as the full date of birth (DOB), is limited by the relevant courts.
- An Exception has occurred and the candidate has not responded to our request for additional information.
Next steps for the customer:
- When delays occur at the county court level or when additional research is required, no additional action is required by the customer. Checkr is not able to expedite the process. The report will complete after all necessary information has been properly evaluated.
- When Exceptions occur, candidates are prompted to submit additional information. In addition to the email sent to the Candidates requesting this information, Checkr also provides the following ways to help resolve exceptions:
- Encourage your candidates to visit the Candidate Portal frequently to check on the progress of their report. Any active exception, and a link to resolve it, will appear when they first log in;
- Send your candidates the link provided in the exception in the Checkr dashboard, and instruct them to follow the instructions provided to resolve the issue; and
- Click the link on the report, and enter the requested information on your candidate's behalf.
Additional resources:
- County Criminal Records Check
- Exceptions: Addressing data discrepancies in reports
- How long do most background checks take?
- Can Checkr expedite the process?
Comments
2 comments
Why is my background check still pending
Donovan,
We appreciate your article feedback and would like to assist in helping you find the status of your pending background check. Candidates can check on the status of their background checks through the Candidate Portal. I'm sharing an article that provides instructions on gaining access to the Candidate Portal: Why is my background check taking so long?
If you have any further trouble, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Candidate Experience team: Contact Checkr Candidate Support
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