Checkr ETA: Better estimates for search completion

Checkr ETA predicts when County Criminal Records Checks will complete for each background check report. These estimates are based on Checkr’s proprietary database of turnaround times for record searches in 3,200 counties across the United States. 

Checkr provides this estimate to help you facilitate a better candidate experience, strategically plan start dates and interview pipelines, and further enable transparency into the overall background check process. Rather than providing a standard range of possible turnaround times, Checkr ETA provides a date for the estimated completion of a specific report, helping both you and candidates plan ahead.

While the predictions are highly accurate, they are not a guarantee. Estimates provided by Checkr ETA are correct within one business day for more than 9 out of 10 requested reports. Checkr still relies on county-level search variability, which may contribute to unpredictable timelines. For more information, please see County Criminal Records Check in the Checkr Help Center.

Calculating ETA

Checkr calculates ETA based on information specific to each report, including the counties to be searched for the candidate and the lookback period. Checkr’s machine learning engine estimates the report’s completion date using information like past turnaround times at each county collected from more than 20 million other background checks that have been run through Checkr. Our machine learning model also considers the lookback period for the report and current backlogs at each county to make highly accurate predictions. We also account for possible delays from holidays, the time of day the report is ordered, and day of the week the report is ordered.

Estimates take a moment to calculate, and may not appear in the Dashboard for up to 30 minutes. Once generated, the ETA will not be updated at any point during the Report's generation.

Candidate Experience 

The Checkr Candidate Portal shows candidate’s individualized estimates for each of their reports. Checkr ETA helps inform candidates that their background check is still in process, and is not waiting on input from them or you. This creates a better candidate experience by providing greater transparency into the background check process. 

The Checkr Candidate Portal helps candidates feel more engaged in their background check process by providing both this individualized ETA and access to the Checkr Candidate FAQs to help answer any questions about the background check process in general.