Review reports

After you send an invitation, you use the Checkr Dashboard to track your candidate’s progress.

The Candidates page lists all in-progress reports with a status below:

• Pending: The report is processing and should complete in two to three days. Processing could take longer if Checkr needs documentation from the candidate or if a particular search takes longer than expected.
• Clear: The report completed without finding any records, or information you need to evaluate based on your guidelines.
• Consider: The complete report has information you might want to consider.
• Suspended: The report stopped processing because of missing information or incomplete searches.
• Canceled: All searches in the report were canceled.

Get email updates about report status changes

Checkr can send you email notifications while generating reports.

To receive email notifications, use the steps below:

1. Select "Account settings."
2. Select Notifications.
3. Select the events you want email notifications about.

Report completion

Automatic completions and billing

Checkr automatically completes SSN trace reports that require additional information from the candidate. If the candidate doesn't respond within the required seven days, the report changes to the Suspended status. After 30 days, the Suspended status automatically changes to Complete, and Checkr cancels all other searches. The report is complete with canceled items.

Checkr bills you for the packages and searches you order. After the search process begins, Checkr doesn’t give refunds for incomplete or canceled searches. Your invoice will show package prices and passthrough fees for canceled searches.

For more information, refer to FAQs about Checkr invoices. 

Complete now

To complete a pending or suspended report immediately, regardless of its status, select "Complete now." Using "Complete now" in either the Checkr Dashboard or Checkr API also adds the Canceled status to all pending or suspended searches.

Checkr Dashboard

Searches you canceled by using "Complete now" show the cancellation reason and the reason’s description in the dashboard.

The PDF copy of the report doesn't include canceled searches.

Completed searches in the report show a status of Clear or Consider. The report log in the dashboard shows the information below for each use of "Complete now:"

• Date
• Time
• User

Checkr API

You can also immediately complete a report using the Complete Report endpoint in the Checkr API. Using this call triggers the same events as selecting "Complete now" in the Checkr Dashboard. 

Canceling a report triggers a webhook and appears in the return for the report object and any searches it includes.

For more information, refer to the Checkr API documentation:

• Complete an existing report
• SSN trace
• Report events

Candidate experience

The Candidate Portal notifies the candidate about the two situations below:

• The report canceled because of insufficient candidate information.
• The report couldn't complete because the SSN trace completed but all other searches canceled.

From the Candidates page in the Checkr Dashboard, select a report to review.

If you can't open the report, it might be for a reason below:

• You need different user permissions. 
• The candidate requested that Checkr delete their data.

Review the report status

Clear

The Clear status means that the searches in this report had an outcome below:

• The searches returned no records.
• The searches returned no records or information you need to evaluate based on your guidelines.

Consider

The Consider status means that at least one search in this report has information that your team must review.

Select a record to read details that include the ones below:

• Charge type (felony, misdemeanor)
• Offense date
• Disposition (dismissed, guilty, no contest)
• Sentencing information

To avoid declining qualified candidates, consider whether this information is relevant to your requirements. This process helps you comply with guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), as well as state and federal guidelines.

Complete

The search types below return a status of Complete, rather than Clear or Consider:

• Pointer searches
• Education and employment verification searches

Decide whether to engage the candidate

After you review the report, you decide whether to continue with the selection process.

Engage

If you continue with the selection process, select Engage in the report's Actions section.

Remember to select Engage so that Checkr analytics can include information from this report. Analytics can show metrics such as the ones below:

• Reports that indicate that the candidate is eligible for selection
• Other situations in which adverse action is inappropriate
• Historic adjudication decisions

Selecting Engage doesn’t notify the candidate and doesn’t change the report.

Begin adverse action

If you decide not to engage the candidate, begin the adverse action process.

Video overview

Play the Checkr Academy video below to learn what actions you can take in the Checkr Dashboard when a candidate’s report completes:

• Engage
• Request a candidate story
• Begin the adverse action process

When a report contains information that a candidate might not be right for your organization, you can begin the adverse action process. The process follows Checkr’s best practices and your custom account settings.

To begin the pre-adverse action process, use the steps below:

1. In the report's Actions section, select "Pre-adverse action."
2. Select the disqualifying records. You must select at least one record.
3. Confirm the number of days (7-30) to delay sending the post-adverse action notice. To read what Checkr will send the candidate on your behalf, select "Preview email."
4. Select "Send pre-adverse action notice."
5. In the confirmation window, select OK to send the notice, and then select Done to confirm.

Adverse action process overview

The default Checkr adverse action process includes the steps below:

1. Checkr emails the pre-adverse action notice to the candidate.
2. The waiting period is between 7 and 30 days.
3. If the waiting period ends with no candidate response, Checkr sends the post-adverse action notice on your behalf to the candidate.

Play the Checkr Academy video below to learn how the adverse action process works in the Checkr Dashboard.

Cancel adverse action

Canceling the adverse action process cancels the post-adverse action email and allows you to engage the candidate. The adverse action process cancels in one of two ways:

• The candidate submits a dispute, which changes the report status to Dispute and cancels the adverse action process.
• If the candidate provides additional information or context about their record that affects your engagement decision, you can stop the adverse action process by selecting "Cancel adverse action."

Pause adverse action

Before deciding about a candidate, you might need time to review additional candidate-provided information such as a candidate story. After you send the pre-adverse action notice, you can manually pause the adverse action process by selecting "Pause adverse action."

By default, this pause lasts four days before the adverse action process automatically resumes. To adjust how long the pause lasts, contact Checkr.

Use the "Adverse actions" page in the Checkr Dashboard to search for candidates involved in the adverse action process. Candidates can be at any stage in the process:

• Received a pre-adverse action email
• Filed a dispute
• Received a post-adverse action email

Search for candidates

To search for candidates, take an action below:

• Enter a keyword.
• Select a status.
• Enter a timeframe during which the adverse action was in process.

You can apply a combination of filters to your search.

For accounts with a hierarchy and at least one node, compliance locations determine the default waiting period between the pre- and post-adverse action emails.

To manage the adverse action process, open the candidate's report.

Status filters

Status filters include the ones below:

• Pending: The candidate received the pre-adverse action email for a motor vehicle records (MVR) search. The post-adverse action email awaits your approval. After the required waiting period, you can send the pending post-adverse action email.
• The Pending status applies only for MVR searches. All other searches show Scheduled for candidates awaiting post-adverse action emails.
• Scheduled: The candidate received the pre-adverse action email. You scheduled delivery of the post-adverse action email after the required waiting period. The candidate won't automatically receive the post-adverse action email on the scheduled date in the situations below:
• The candidate disputes information in the report.
• You or Checkr cancels the adverse action process.
• Complete: The candidate received the post-adverse action email, completing the process.
• Dispute: The candidate filed a dispute, and Checkr has started an investigation. Disputes that happen during the adverse action process have two effects:
• The scheduled email automatically cancels.
• The dispute prevents you from taking action during the 30-day investigation timeframe.
• Paused: You paused the adverse action process.
• Canceled: Either you or Checkr canceled the adverse action process.
• Undeliverable: The pre-adverse action email was undeliverable. Reports with this status require your manual intervention. Select the alert icon, and then select the "Remove suppression" button.
• All: List all candidates involved in the adverse action process, even those who completed the process.

You can use the Candidates page of the Checkr Dashboard to organize and manage candidate reports.

Search

To show search filters, select "Advanced filters." You can use keywords to search for candidates by metadata you added using the Checkr API. You can search using both the key and the value. For more information, refer to the Checkr API documentation.

To show only archived reports or invitations, select the Archived filter.

Add tags

You can use tags to easily search for reports in the Checkr Dashboard. After you add tags to a report, a Tag filter appears on the Candidates page.

Archive a report or invitation

Archive a report

Administrators and requesters can archive reports to remove them from the Active filter on the Candidates page. Archiving a report disables the report actions.

Archiving a report doesn't delete or remove the report from your account.

To archive a report, select "Archive report" and confirm. To unarchive a report, select "Unarchive report."

Report status changes automatically unarchive reports so that they return to the Active filter on the Candidates page. 

Play the Checkr Academy video below to learn how to archive candidate reports in the Checkr Dashboard.

Archive an invitation

Administrators and requesters can archive invitations to remove them from the Active filter on the Candidates page.

Archiving an invitation doesn't delete or remove the invitation from your account.

To archive an invitation, select "Archive invitation" and confirm. To unarchive an invitation, select "Unarchive invitation."

Download a CSV

To download a CSV file of reports or invitation statuses, select Download CSV. When the report completes, Checkr sends a link to the CSV file to the email address on your account.

Download a PDF

Select Download PDF, and select a file from the menu:

• The report order summary includes the information below:
  • Candidate-entered PII
  • Custom report settings
  • Packages and searches associated with the order but not the records
  • Search status
• The report PDF is the completed report.

Print a report

1. Open the background check you’d like to print.
2. From the toolbar of your web browser, select File > Print.

Review history

To open a list with report actions and when they happened, select "Show report log." The log starts at the report order and ends at engaging the candidate or using the adverse action process. Checkr retains reports in accordance with applicable laws and agreements between Checkr and its customers and affiliates. For example, for FCRA purposes Checkr retains reports for at least five years.