Welcome to Checkr!

We're happy to partner with you to make your background check process more efficient, reduce your compliance risk, and improve your candidates' experience. As you get started with Checkr, you'll probably be doing one of a few things: running a report, managing candidate statuses, or adjudicating/reviewing reports.

This quick start guide outlines the steps required when using the Checkr Dashboard. Other articles within this section provide more detail on each of the steps mentioned here, and link out to more information within the Help Center.

This video also provides an overview of the process.

Quick Start Guide

Use the Checkr Dashboard to order and process background checks.

1. Get Credentialed
2. Set up your Account
3. Order a background check
4. Track candidates on the Checkr Dashboard
5. Review completed reports
6. Hire/place or decline candidates

1. Get Credentialed

New accounts must be credentialed by Checkr’s Customer Success team before they will be allowed to request background checks. We use the information provided to assess the validity of the business and its permissible purpose. This process generally takes less than 1 business day.

Please work with a Checkr Account Executive or Customer Success representative to create and credential your account.

For more information, see Get credentialed to run background checks. 

2. Set up your Account

Once your Checkr Account has been created and credentialed, your Account's Admin will receive an email from Checkr with a link to access the account. Your Admin will then set up your account, including your user roles and permissions, and your Geos, Programs, and Positive Adjudication Matrix.

For an overview of this process, see Set up your Account.

If you have questions, need tips, or want access to advanced features, please get in touch with the Checkr Customer Support team.

3. Order your first background check

Users with admin or requester roles (usually recruiters at your business) can invite candidates to a background check.

Use the Candidates page in the Dashboard to order Reports. To begin background checks for multiple candidates simultaneously, click Invite Candidates.

Checkr will email your candidates a link, which will take them to a page hosted by Checkr. We'll collect the candidate's PII (personally identifiable information) and provide Disclosure and Authorization documents, including state-specific documents.

To learn more, see Order a Report.

To learn more about running checks, see our article "How do I request a background check?"

4. Track candidates and reports on the Checkr Dashboard

Once you order the background check, the candidate takes the next steps in the process:

• Enter their Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Requested PII will vary by screenings ordered. For more information on what will be requested of your candidates, see the Screening Types section of the Checkr Help Center. 
• Read the disclosure(s) and authorize that they consent to have a background report run.

After your candidate consents to the check, the Report will appear in the Dashboard in a Pending state. Changes to the status of the report will be reflected in the Candidates page. Click into a report to see any returned records or results.

You may also choose to receive email notification when the Status of a report changes. Use the Account Settings page in the Checkr Dashboard to define your email preferences. 

For more information on tracking Report progress, see Review a completed Report.

For more about report statuses, see "What does the status of the report indicate?"

5. Review a background report

All user roles can review background reports.

Checkr provdes a simple, linear, color-coded format to make reviewing and assessing reports more efficient.

Once a report has completed, click your candidate's name on the Candidate's page of the Dashboard to open their report. The report will display all screenings that have been processed for a given report. It will also apply color-coded formatting based on the results of that specific screening so you can quickly see which screening(s) are triggering a consider status.

6. Hire/place or decline candidates

Based on the information in the report, use the Actions section of the Report to do one of two things:

• Click Engage to indicate that you have reviewed the Report, and intend to hire or place the candidate
• Click Pre Adverse Action to indicate that you have reviewed information marked Consider on the Report, and decided that you intend not to hire or place the candidate, based on that information.

Clicking Engage will change the status of the candidate in the Dashboard, and add their data to our Analytics charts. Clicking Pre Adverse Action will initiate Checkr's Pre Adverse Action process, send your candidate an email notifying them of their status, and provide guidelines to help you remain compliant through the process. 

For more information, see The Adverse Action Process: Deciding not to more forward with a candidate.