Checkr release notes 2019

12/23/2019

 Enhancements

• Candidate Experience: Both the Candidate Portal and the Report PDF will now list any endorsements returned on the candidate's driver license.
• Candidate Experience: The candidate invitation flow drug screening locations map is now more intuitive and interactive.
• Checkr API: The report.updated webhook event has been updated to include occupational health screening status updates. For more information, see report.updated in the Checkr API documentation.
• Screenings: Checkr Dashboard and Reports will now display MVR restrictions for both personal and professional licenses.

12/09/2019

New Features

• Checkr API: The `report.updated` webhook event has been updated to include drug screening status updates. For more information, see `report.updated` in the Checkr API documentation.
• Checkr Dashboard: You may now order an Occupational Health package using "Order New Report" on an existing report.
• Checkr Dashboard: Occupational Health packages may now be ordered using invitation links from the Home tab of the Checkr Dashboard.
• Screenings: You may now order Occupational Health Checks through both the Checkr Invitation Flow and the API. You may also order packages including Occupational Health Checks through any Partner ATS integration. For more information, see Create a new Report in the Checkr API documentation.

Enhancements

• Candidate Experience: The Apply Flow will no longer require Candidates to refresh a page after selecting a language other than English. For example, selecting Spanish will now immediately update all presented forms and disclosures to Spanish.
• Checkr Dashboard: MVR reports will now list any endorsements associated with the returned driver license.
• Checkr Dashboard: Timestamps, including Created At and Completed At, will now include the timezone in both the Checkr Dashboard and in all generated Reports. The timestamp used in Reports is always UTC. The timestamp visible in the Dashboard will be the logged in user's local timezone, as reported by their browser.
• Checkr Dashboard: The Timeline for Drug Screenings will now display events from most recent at the top of the list, to oldest at the bottom.
• Reports: Updated our API documentation and added a more specific error return to better convey the information that Reports may not be upgraded if the candidate's SSN is not included in the original Report. For more information see Update an existing Report in the Checkr API documentation.

11/18/2019

New Features

• Checkr Help Center: Published a new Checkr Identity Document Verification page to the Checkr Help Center.
• Checkr Help Center: Published two new Erecruit guides to the Checkr Help Center: the Integration Guide), and the User Guide. 

11/04/2019

Enhancements

• Candidate Experience: Candidates required to complete a Drug Check (through Checkr API integrations) will now be allowed to select a location through the Checkr Hosted Apply Flow, rather than through the Candidate Portal. 
• Checkr API: Our API documentation now includes a list of characters accepted as input for names. Please see Supported Characters in the Checkr API documentation for more information.
• Checkr Dashboard: Customers may now use debit cards as their payment option.
• Checkr Dashboard: You may now filter for Reports returned "Complete" using the Status dropdown menu on the Candidates page.

Bug Fix

• Bullhorn: Fixed an issue which prevented more than 100 Geos from being listed in the Admin > Settings > Geos pulldown menu. This menu will now list all Geos available for the account.

10/21/2019

Enhancements

• Checkr Dashboard: The Dashboard will now include a timestamp of when exceptions will expire, rather than the number of days to expiration previously displayed.
• Checkr Dashboard: The details section for Reports in both the Checkr Dashboard and PDFs issued to Candidates will now include a field labeled "Other Sentencing Info" which will list information not included in other details for the returned record.

10/07/2019

New Features

• Checkr API: Drug Check data is now available as a subobject in the return for the Report resource. For more information, see Create a new Report in the Checkr APIs.
• Checkr IDV: Checkr now provides an Identity Document Verification, that allows customers to request their candidates upload a "live" selfie and a photo of their ID for comparison. Results for this Identity Document Verification are available from both the Checkr Dashboard and from the Identity Document Verification endpoint in the Checkr APIs.

Enhancements

• Checkr API: The SSN Trace resource now includes `issued_year` and `issued_state`. For more information, please see SSN Trace in the Checkr APIs.
• Checkr API: Webhooks emitted for MVR verification have been updated to behave more consistently with other Checkr verification flows.
  • `verification.completed` will now be emitted when a candidate's document is uploaded.
  • `verification.processed` will now be emitted when the document is transcribed.
• Screenings: Identity Document Verification checks will now return "Complete", rather than "Clear" or "Consider". For more information, see Identity Document Verification in the Checkr APIs.
• Screenings: Checkr will now distinguish between Violations and Suspensions on Motor Vehicle Record Checks. These will be displayed as two separate categories on both the Checkr Dashboard and all generated Reports. By default, Suspensions will not trigger a “Consider” status. If you would like to create an MVR rule which flags Suspensions as “Consider”, please contact your Checkr Customer Success representative.
  • Violations are events where an individual has violated traffic laws like speeding or driving without current insurance. 
  • Suspensions reflect the punishment for violations or other actions such as failure to pay fines or non-driving related penalties. 
• MVR Rules: By default, MVR Rules will now include a "Driving Privilege" rule, which will clear if the candidate has either a Passenger Vehicle or Motorcycle endorsement on their license. If the candidate has neither of these endorsements, their report will be tagged "Consider". (Note: Commercial Vehicle endorsements are included in Passenger Vehicle endorsements.)

9/23/2019

New Feature

Different Brand, Same Mission: Introducing the new Checkr branding and website! Learn more by reading our blog post.

Enhancements

• Bullhorn: The ability to select multiple candidates and bulk order reports is now available for both invitation and manual order flows in Bullhorn.
• Candidate Experience: To better reflect our mission and messaging, Checkr is changing all references to Applicant to Candidate. As a result, Checkr's former Applicant Portal, applicant.checkr.com, has been renamed the Candidate Portal, and now lives at candidate.checkr.com. Candidate FAQs will continue to live at https://checkrapplicant.zendesk.com/hc/en-us for the immediate future.
• Candidate Experience: The Applicant Portal has been rebranded the Candidate Portal. The new URL is candidate.checkr.com. A redirect has been enabled from applicant.checkr.com to candidate.checkr.com. All email notifications to customers and candidates will now use the term "Candidate", rather than "Applicant".
• Checkr Dashboard: The Dashboard now displays several new Analytics reports, including Adverse Action by Candidate Profile, Motor Vehicle Reports, and SSN Traces. For more information, see Analytics in the Checkr Dashboard User Guide.

9/09/2019

Enhancements

• Checkr API: The Checkr API now provides an `invitation.deleted` webhook, which will be issued when an Invitation has been canceled. For more information, see Invitation Events in the Checkr API.
• Checkr Integrations: Both Bullhorn and ClearCare will now display a more meaningful error message when customers submit a matching SSN more than once within 30 days: "This SSN has been used too many times recently. You can find more details here."

8/26/2019

Enhancements

• Billing: Effective August 1, 2019 the county court fee for Hancock, MS is $10.
• Bullhorn: Bullhorn users may now cancel invitations from the Candidate's Checkr tab in Bullhorn.
• Bullhorn: Copy Invitation Link added to the Candidate's Checkr tab for any invitation that is active but not yet completed.
• Bullhorn: Invitation states (Sent, Completed, Expired, and Canceled) are now available in the Notes section of a candidate profile in Bullhorn.
• Bullhorn: When reports are ordered through the invitation flow, the requester's email address will be populated as a tag on the report.
• Checkr Dashboard: In the Webhook Logs section of the dashboard, a retry number was added to show if Checkr has made multiple attempts to send the same webhook. Developers can use this functionality to diagnose integration issues.
• Checkr Dashboard: Dispute events added to the adverse action timeline to provide greater transparency into a report's history.
• Checkr Health: Clicking "Change location" in a health screening appointment will allow a new screening location to be selected. Candidates can also change the location of health/drug appointments. To do so, candidates can sign into the candidate portal and click "Change Location" under Health screening information.
• Checkr Health: Clicking "Send updated screening pass" under the "Email Candidate" drop-down will email a new screening pass to a candidate who has missed their screening window. The same clinic will be used and the expiration date of the pass will be updated automatically.
• Checkr Health: Clicking "Re-Send screening invitation" under the "Email Candidate" drop-down will email a link to the candidate to schedule their drug test. This can be used when a candidate has not scheduled an appointment. The expiration date of the pass will be updated automatically.

Bug Fix

• Checkr Dashboard: Fixed issue which prevented users with the New Zealand timezone from logging into the dashboard.

8/12/2019

New Feature

• Checkr ETA: The new Checkr ETA provides more accurate and individualized estimated completion dates for County Criminal Searches. Our new machine learning prediction service is accurate within one business day for 95% of reports. This ETA is available in both the Checkr Dashboard and in the Candidate Portal, and through the Checkr API.
  • For more information, see Report ETA in the Checkr API Documentation, and Checkr ETA: Better estimates for search completion in the Checkr Help Center.

7/29/2019

New Feature

• Checkr Health: The new Checkr Health Screening combines previously available Checkr Drug screenings with a new Occupational Health option, allowing you to evaluate your candidates’ physical fitness for your job requirements.
  • For more information, please see Checkr Health in the Checkr Help Center.
  • For more information on available screenings, and to enable Health Screening on your account, please contact Checkr Customer Support.

Enhancements

• Bullhorn: Bullhorn users may now order a new report for candidates whose previous invitation was cancelled. Use the Candidate's Checkr tab within Bullhorn to order these reports.
• Bullhorn: Checkr will now hide the Program dropdown menu for Bullhorn users when there is no program associated with the selected Geo.
• Candidate Experience: Checkr will now accept names entered with diacritical marks (ñ or é) without throwing an error for Health screenings.
• Reports: Checkr will now display "Miscellaneous Items" in a section separate from records in the Checkr Dashboard, Applicant Portal, and the background check report available to candidates. Miscellaneous items may include any information entered on the candidate's Motor Vehicle Record that is not a Violation, Suspension, or Accident.

7/15/2019

Enhancements

• Bullhorn: Added new labels in the Bullhorn Dashboard to augment the previously available Invited label: Invitation Sent, Invitation Completed, and Invitation Expired.
  • Invitation Sent will be displayed when an invitation has been sent to the candidate and the invitation is neither expired nor completed by the candidate.
  • Invitation Completed will be displayed once the candidate has completed the invitation.
  • Invitation Expired will be displayed when an invitation was sent to the candidate, but not completed, and has since expired. Once an invitation has expired, a new report must be ordered in order to conduct a background check.
• Checkr Dashboard: Updated the multi-report view on the Candidates page to display the same error message as the single report view when candidates upload a duplicate SSN: "Requested action was blocked due to duplicate SSN."

7/01/2019

New Feature

• Screenings: The SSN Trace and National Criminal Screening will now return “Complete”, rather than “Consider” or “Clear” in the Checkr Dashboard. These two screenings are used to determine which counties should be searched for a candidate, and do not return any criminal records. “Complete” is therefore a more accurate description of their status.

Enhancements

• Checkr API: Added a `report.assessed` webhook to the Checkr APIs.
• Checkr Dashboard: The Checkr Adverse Action process will now provide an optional Individualized Assessment modal for all Geos in New York and California. This modal allows you to enter your reasons for initiating the Pre-Adverse Action process, and for any reassessment that might occur, allowing you to remain compliant with Fair Chance hiring laws in these two states. For more information, please see Individualized Assessment in the Checkr Help Center.
• Checkr Dashboard: Updated the error message for users who have not updated their passwords in 90 days to be more descriptive. Error message will now state: “Please reset your password with the 'Don't remember your password?' link below.”

Bug Fix

• Checkr Dashboard: Fixed a bug which temporarily prevented Dashboard users from Engaging or Pre-Adverse Actioning candidates. This issue was discovered around 1pm on June 13th, and resolved by 8am June 14th. Just 

6/17/2019

Enhancements

• Candidate Experience: Checkr has added 33 new pages to the Applicant Portal’s FAQ, to better serve your candidates. This new content and new organization was designed to enable candidates to more easily find answers to their questions on the site.
• Checkr API: Checkr webhooks now support Amazon Simple Notification Service (AWS SNS) for both Test and Live environments. AWS SNS endpoints must follow the format: `sns://<key_id>:<access_key>@<region>/<topic_owner>/<topic_name>`. For more information, please see the Account Settings page in the Checkr Dashboard User Guide in the Checkr Help Center.
• Checkr Dashboard: The Account Webhooks section of the Checkr Dashboard has been updated to include an option which allows you to include related objects in your webhook’s payload. For more information, please see the Account Settings page in the Checkr Dashboard User Guide in the Checkr Help Center.

Bug Fix

• Checkr Dashboard: Fixed a bug which temporarily prevented Dashboard users from Engaging or Pre-Adverse Actioning candidates. This issue was discovered around 1pm on June 13th, and resolved by 8am June 14th.

6/03/2019

Enhancements

• Checkr Canada: Checkr now offers the ability to toggle between English and French for all users in both the Checkr Canada Dashboard and Checkr Canada API. Customers may use the API to select a language preference when creating Files. Candidates may also select their language preference as part of the final step in the background check invitation process.
• Checkr Canada API:  The Checkr Canada API now includes `candidateStatusId` and `candidateStatus` in the Create a File, Create Multiple Files, Get File Summary, and Get File Detail responses. File status is set according to included Search status, and is reported in the following order: `not_started`, `requested`, `pending`, `received`, `processing`, `awaiting_consent`, `awaiting_action`, `missing_information`, `attention_required`, `completed`.

5/20/2019

New Feature

Candidate Experience: Checkr will now send some Adverse Actioned candidates living in California a link to our Bounce Back: Applicant Resources page (https://bounceback.checkr.com/applicant-resources/), which provides resources for candidates who may be system-impacted.

The text of the email will read:

If you're a system-impacted individual and want to learn more about tools and resources, Checkr has created a guide for navigating legal services in San Francisco, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties. Please visit our Bounce Back resource page.

Wondering why we sent this to you? Because everyone deserves a fair chance at setting their record straight.

We wish you the best of luck, - Checkr

Checkr currently sends these emails to 5% of eligible candidates. We plan to monitor these emails for feedback, and then roll it out to more companies and candidates as we continue to improve upon the feature.

5/06/2019

Enhancements

• Candidate Experience: Checkr will no longer return a page not found error when candidates click Confirm multiple times during the SSN Trace Exception resolution flow. Checkr will now display a page asking the candidate to contact the hiring company to revise any discrepancies.
• Checkr Dashboard: Added a count to the Webhook log page, allowing users to see where they were in the paginated results. This count will list the number of records shown out of the total count, with the total count listing up to 1M records.

Bug Fix

• Checkr Dashboard: Fixed a bug which prevented users from clicking through an invitation to the Checkr Dashboard. Users can now click the link to create an account and add a password, as expected.

4/8/2019

New Feature

• Checkr Canada: With the release of Checkr Canada in July of 2018, legacy Checkr Canada API and dashboard integrations have now been fully deprecated. While you may still access these products as read-only data, they may no longer be used to generate new data.
  • For more information see the Checkr Canada documentation in the Checkr Help Center.

Enhancements

• Bullhorn: Checkr's Manual Order form in the Checkr Bullhorn Integration now supports packages that contain criminal + MVR screenings.  When ordering a criminal + MVR package, the Bullhorn User must enter Driver’s License Number and Driver’s License State.
• Candidate Experience: Candidates who select "Self-employed" or "Do not contact" for employment verifications will no longer be asked to provide their manager's contact information.
• Checkr Dashboard: The ETA date for report completion will now display business days, rather than calendar days.

Bug Fixes

• Bullhorn: Fixed a bug which prevented the manual order process from progressing after invalid data was entered.
• Bullhorn: Fixed a bug in the Bullhorn Manual Order Form where Middle Name would not appear greyed out, even when it was locked.
• Candidate Experience: Fixed a bug which prevented candidates from entering hyphenated names in the Checkr-hosted invitation flow. This flow will now accept hyphenated middle and last names, and match the functionality of the Checkr API.
• Checkr Dashboard: Fixed a bug which prevented customers using Internet Explorer on a Windows machine from logging into checkr.com.
• Integrations: Fixed an error in external partner integrations which caused occasional 504 errors.

3/25/2019

New Feature

• API: Updated the Checkr API to include endpoints for Continuous Check. For complete documentation, please see the Continuous Check resource in the Checkr APIs.

Enhancements

• Applicant Portal: Candidates with an expired Driver's License exception who attempted to log into the Applicant Portal were presented a "Resource not found" page which, while accurate, was confusing. These candidates will now see an "Expired" page instead.
• Bullhorn: Checkr's Manual Order form in the Checkr Bullhorn Integration now supports packages that contain criminal + MVR screenings. When ordering a criminal + MVR package, the Bullhorn user must enter the candidate’s driver’s license number and driver’s license state.
• Checkr Dashboard: Candidates enrolled in Continuous Check will now be automatically unenrolled upon completion of an Adverse Action process.
• Continuous Check: Geos for Continuous Check reports will now be set to the Geo set on the candidate's most recent report, rather than to all Geos available for the candidate.

Bug Fix

• Integrations: Fixed an error in external partner integrations which caused occasional 504 errors. This 

3/11/2019

Enhancement

• Checkr Dashboard: Optimized the render time for analytics graphs in the Checkr Dashboard. These graphs will no longer appear to stall when rendering.

Bug Fix

• Candidate Experience: Fixed a bug in the Applicant Portal which caused a JavaScript error to be presented when candidates entered SSNs incorrectly. This page will now redirect candidates to the “We were unable to complete your background check with the SSN provided. Please try again” page.

2/25/2019 

New Feature

Bullhorn 1.0 has been released. This release includes several new features and enhancements, including:

• Updates have been made to the User Interface, for greater clarity in the ordering process.
• Order forms presented to Bullhorn users will now display all required fields, and prefill candidate information pre-populated in Bullhorn.
• Cancelling orders will now reset the Geo, Program, and Package selections to their defaults.
• Bullhorn Admins may now select their integration’s background check order type: Manual, or Invitation.
• First name, Last name, and email address are now required fields when ordering background checks.
• Added an Authenticate button to the Admin’s integration panel, which allows users to test their integration’s user/key pair authentication.  

For more information, see Bullhorn / Checkr Integration Guide in the Checkr Help Center.

Enhancements

• Candidate Experience: Updated the Checkr-hosted flow to include a required year awarded field when candidates select GED as their diploma type.
• Candidate Experience: Added an updated video to the end of the Checkr-hosted flow, which explains to candidates what they should expect next in their background check process. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GusAPxwNaU
• Candidate Experience: Updated the Applicant Portal to show expiration dates for Drug Screening appointments, as set by the clients requesting the Screening. Candidates logging into the Applicant Portal will now have more accurate information on how long they have to schedule their appointments.
• Candidate Experience: Improved the mobile user experience. Fixed a bug which prevented candidates from using their mobile devices to photograph and upload requested documents. Improved the descriptive text and reduced the number of steps required for these candidates to resolve exceptions.
• Checkr Dashboard: Added pagination to the Adjudication Matrix page, to allow users with more than 25 Programs to click through multiple pages to access and edit them.
• Checkr Dashboard: Packages that include drug or health screenings must be ordered individually to allow candidates to schedule their tests as part of the Checkr-hosted flow. These reports cannot be reordered using the Order New Report dropdown menu.
• Checkr Dashboard: Updated the text for the Export to CSV button to more accurately reflect that the download will be a list of reports for the selected date range.

Bug Fixes

• Checkr Dashboard: Fixed a bug which caused a 500 error to appear when sorting the Adverse Actions table by the “Post-notice sent on” column. This data will now sort by this column, as expected.
• Checkr Dashboard: Fixed a bug which caused the Checkr Dashboard to issue an error when a Drug Screening only Adverse Action was initiated. 

2/11/2019 

New Features

• Continuous Check: A monthly subscription listening tool that checks for new and/or updated information on your enrolled candidates. The listening tool generates pointers for Checkr to conduct further research and deliver report updates throughout your engagement with candidates. Continuous Check helps minimize risk across your platform and brand by providing you with a more accurate and timely representation of your employee or contractor base.
  • Work with your Checkr Customer Service Manager to enable Continuous Check for your account. Then, use the Checkr Dashboard or Checkr API to enroll, unenroll, and manage candidates on the subscription.
  • For more information, see Continuous Check: The new standard of safety in the Checkr Help Center, Enroll a Candidate in Continuous Check in the Checkr Dashboard User Guides, or the Continuous Check resource in the Checkr APIs.
• Checkr Canada: Checkr Canada allows you to run reports for Canadian candidates. A full set of documentation for the Checkr Canada integration has been released. For more information, see: Checkr Canada: Getting Started, Checkr Canada: Reviewing Reports, Checkr Canada: Candidate Experience,  and Checkr Canada: FAQ in the Checkr Help Center.

Enhancements

• API: Added a name_on_diploma parameter to the School resource. Changed year_awarded to be required if the candidate submits a high school or GED diploma.
• Bullhorn: Updated copy of the "I certify" language when ordering a manual report.  
• Bullhorn: Checkr will no longer create a Candidate when the Checkr tab is clicked. Checkr will now create a Candidate only when Order report or Send invitation is clicked.
• Bullhorn: Changed copy and button label on the "Send Invitation" page. This page is displayed for all Packages for Invitation Flow customers, and for Packages requiring more than a criminal background check for Manual Flow customers.
• Candidate Experience: Updated the Employment and Education Verification candidate flows to provide a better autofill experience for candidates entering company names.
• Candidate Experience: When selecting “self-employed” in an education verification flow, candidates will now immediately be given the option to upload supporting documentation, rather than waiting for the email link to do so.
• Candidate Experience: When entering information for an education verification, the institution name field will now automatically change to reflect the education level entered in the field above. If a candidate selects High School or GED they will be asked to enter their High school name. If they select Associates or Bachelors or Masters or other higher diploma, they will be asked to enter their College or University name.
• Candidate Experience: Added a button to the apply flow for employment verifications which allows candidates to upload supporting documentation for each employment history entered, rather than waiting for an exception to be issued which requires them to do the same.
• Checkr Dashboard: Candidates who select High School as their highest level of education will now be asked to also submit their Name on Diploma, and Year Awarded, to allow Checkr to better search existing databases for verification of their education. Checkr will no longer offer a “current student” checkbox, as this option was rarely selected.
• Checkr Dashboard: Candidates enrolled in Continuous Check will now be automatically unenrolled upon completion of an Adverse Action Process.
• Continuous Check: Geos for Continuous Check reports will now be set to the Geo set on the candidate's most recent report.

Bug Fixes

• API: The POST /v1/candidates call will no longer issue a 500 error when the input candidate name and email address appear to match. Checkr will now validate the email and last name fields, and return a meaningful error message if they are too similar. New error message: "400: Last Name cannot be similar to email."
• Bullhorn: Fixed a bug in the Bullhorn integration which prevented options from resetting when a background check was canceled. Clicking Cancel to back out of ordering a report will now deselect any selected Programs, Geos, or Packages, as expected.
• Candidate Experience: Updated the text on the Applicant Portal's Insufficient Licensing History resolution page to no longer state that Checkr will accept documents from US territories. This page now correctly states that "Checkr cannot accept documents from US territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands" for both English and Spanish language applicants.
• Checkr Dashboard: Fixed a bug which inaccurately generated a 500 error message when Pre Adverse Action was clicked in the Dashboard. Clicking the button created the Adverse Action, as expected, but issued a misleading error message. Clicking Pre Adverse Action in the dashboard will now issue a “400: Waiting for report PDF.”
• Partner Integrations: Fixed a bug in the authentication flow for partner integrations which caused validations to fail. Using your browser to autocomplete the required fields in the sign-up process will now validate accurately, as expected.

1/28/2019 

Enhancements

• API: The POST /v1/candidates call will no longer issue a 500 error when the input candidate name and email address appear to match. Checkr will now validate the email and last name fields, and return a "400: Last name cannot be similar to email" if they are too similar.
• Candidate Experience The Candidate apply flow has been updated to no longer display the “salary” field if the candidate’s current location OR the account’s default compliance state and city are in a Ban the Box location. This change will better help you remain compliant.