Getting started

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
• Adjudicating/reviewing reports

This quick start guide outlines the steps required when using the Checkr Dashboard. Other articles in this section detail the steps below and link to more information in the Help Center.

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

Before a new account can request background checks, Checkr's Customer Success team must first credential the account. Checkr uses the information you provide to assess the validity of the business and its permissible purpose. This process generally takes less than 1 business day.

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

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

2. Set up your account

After your Checkr account is created and credentialed, your account's admin receives an email from Checkr with a link to access the account. Your admin then sets up your account, including your user roles and permissions, and your candidate work locations, programs, and Positive Adjudication Matrix.

For an overview of this process, refer to Set up your account.

If you have questions, need tips, or want access to advanced features, contact 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.

To begin background checks for multiple candidates simultaneously, click Order background check.

Checkr emails your candidates a link to a Checkr-hosted page where they provide their personally identifiable information (PII) read the disclosure and authorization documents, including state-specific documents.

To learn more, refer to Order a report.

To learn more about running background checks, refer to How do I request a background check?

4. Track candidates and reports on the Checkr Dashboard

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

1. The candidate enters their PII. Requested PII varies by screening. For more information about what your candidates will provide, refer to the Screening types section of the Checkr Help Center. 
2. The candidate reads the disclosures and authorizes that they consent to have a background report run.

After your candidate consents to the check, the report appears in the Dashboard with a Pending status. The Candidates page shows all report status changes. Click a report to read returned records or results.

You can receive email notifications when a report status changes. Use the Account settings page in the Checkr Dashboard to define your email preferences. 

For more information about tracking report progress, refer to Review a completed report.

For more about report statuses, refer to 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.

After a report completes, click your candidate's name on the Candidates page of the dashboard to open the report. The report shows all screenings processed for that report. Color-coded formatting based on the results of a specific screening helps you quickly recognize which screening caused the Consider report status.

6. Hire/place or decline candidates

Based on the information in the report, use the report's Actions section to select one of the two options:

• Engage: indicate that you reviewed the report and intend to hire or place the candidate.
• Pre-adverse action: indicate that you reviewed report information with the Consider status and decided that you intend not to hire or place the candidate based on that information.

Clicking Engage changes the candidate's status in the dashboard and adds their data to the analytics charts. Clicking Pre-adverse action begins Checkr's pre-adverse action process, emails your candidate to notify them of their status, and provides guidelines to help you remain compliant through the process. 

For more information, refer to The adverse action process: Deciding not to more forward with a candidate. 

address scope: The number of years of candidate address history that Checkr uses for criminal searches at the county or state level. For example, a 7-year address scope starts searches in counties from the candidate's past 7 years of address history.

adjudication: The process by which organizations reviewing returned background check reports decide whether to proceed with the candidate's hiring/engagement process based on the information in the background check report. From Checkr's perspective, the adjudication process ends with either candidate engagement or candidate adverse action.

adverse action: The two-step process of notifying a candidate that they won't be selected for the role based on the background check results. The Checkr built-in adverse action process enables customers’ compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requirements for adverse action in the employment context. The adverse action notice includes a copy of the report and allows a candidate time to dispute incorrect information in the report or provide evidence of rehabilitation. The adverse action notice also informs candidates of their rights under the FCRA and state and local laws.

Refer to pre-adverse action notice and post-adverse action notice.

automated: Describes a software-enabled process with no human intervention. The Checkr platform initiates, advances, and completes automated processes, usually without direct human involvement.

candidate: The subject, usually a job seeker or potential volunteer, of a background check.

Candidate Experience team: The Checkr Candidate Experience team directly supports candidates by phone, email, and Candidate Portal communication. The team answers questions and resolves issues with candidate background checks. Members of the Candidate Experience team are Candidate Experience Representatives (CXRs).

certification: The process that organizations use to certify to Checkr the information below:

• The organization has a permissible purpose.
• The candidate provided proper consent for ordering the background check.
• The organization's use of background reports complies with all applicable laws. 

Certification happens when the organization orders the background check, whether through the API or Checkr Dashboard. The master service agreement (MSA) also contains certifications.

Checkr Investigations team: The Checkr Investigations team investigates each candidate's dispute of information in the background check report.

Checkr Quality Assurance (QA) team: The Checkr QA team manually reviews certain background check reports before completion. To ensure reporting accuracy and completeness, these reviews might require additional research of record information or personally identifiable information (PII).

disposition: The current status or final outcome of a criminal case such as conviction or dismissed.

dispute: Action by a candidate informing Checkr that their report contains potentially inaccurate, incomplete, or unreportable information.

engage: Checkr term indicating that an organization is advancing a candidate in the hiring process after the background check report. Checkr Dashboard analytics track engaged candidates. 

exception: Checkr term indicating that Checkr needs more information from the candidate, such as a copy of a driver license or their mother’s maiden name, potentially delaying report completion. Checkr contacts candidates directly to provide information that usually resolves exceptions.

filter: Limit information from a data stream or reporting. Checkr applies filters that hide returned information for several reasons:

• Compliance laws restrict the reporting of some information.
• Organizations decide to limit the information that their reports return.
• The record identity doesn't match the candidate.

offline records: These physical records are available only in person at the courthouse, not electronically over the internet. Offline records must be retrieved in person, at specific locations, and during posted hours, typically by court researchers. There are two methods of offline record retrieval:

• Public Access Terminal (PAT): Members of the public can access records using a computer terminal at the court without a clerk.
• clerk-assisted search: Court clerks must retrieve the records.

online records: These digital records are available through publicly accessible online resources. These records are generally electronic and remotely available but might have access limitations. Online records might require a fee to access or have limited access hours. Online records might have limited case information.

package: A set of screenings.

partner: An organization that Checkr works and is in a master service agreement (MSA) with to provide software and services to customers.

personally identifiable information (PII): Information, such as name, Social Security number (SSN), birth date, mother's maiden name, or biometric records, that can be used to identify a specific individual. 

The unauthorized disclosure of sensitive PII, such as an SSN, could harm the individual and/or be a compliance risk. Public records, phone books, corporate directories, and public websites contain nonsensitive PII.

pre-adverse action notice: The organization notifies the candidate in writing of the preliminary decision not to select them for the role or keep them in the role based on information in the background check report. The candidate receives a copy of their background check and other applicable notices and disclosures. Before the final decision, the candidate can respond to potential inaccuracies in their background check by starting a dispute or providing evidence of mitigation. The pre-adverse action notice must be provided in permissible-purpose background checks, including independent contractor and volunteer relationships.

post-adverse action notice: The organization notifies the candidate in writing of their final decision not to advance the candidate in the hiring process for employment permissible purposes background checks. This notification completes the adverse action process and happens usually 7 calendar days after the candidate receives the pre-adverse action notice.

runner or court researcher: People who go to courthouses to conduct public records searches. Runners and court researchers work for Checkr partners to retrieve offline records.

salting: The process by which Checkr initiates searches with its vendors on previously discovered and verified records. When these searches complete, Checkr compares the results with those that were previously discovered. This process allows Checkr to test vendors' accuracy and comprehensiveness.

screening: A specific background check search, such as criminal records checks, motor vehicle record reports, and sex offender registries. Background checks include multiple screenings.

search scope: The number of years of record history that Checkr uses for records searches. The industry standard search scope is 7 years and searches records with filing dates within the last 7 years.  Search scope might also be called lookback period.

vendor: A company Checkr buys services and researched information from for purposes of background check reports.

These terms imply no legal commitments and are for informational purposes only.

This article will help you understand:

• Getting credentialed to run background checks
• Establishing permissible purpose

Getting credentialed to run background checks

Before gaining a Checkr test or production account, you must first create and credential your account.

New accounts must be credentialed by Checkr’s Customer Support 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.

The background screening industry in the United States is heavily regulated by federal, state, and local levels of government, and primarily by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Checkr complies with these laws, and helps its customers comply, through multiple Checkr product features.

Two key processes in the account authorization process also enable compliance: establishing permissible purpose, and confirming a compliant user interface workflow.

Establishing permissible purpose

You must have a permissible purpose to initiate a background check under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).  Permissible purposes under the FCRA include extending credit to a consumer, a "legitimate business purpose", and for an employment purpose. International background checks also require a permissible purpose. International lawful permissible purposes may be different from the FCRA permissible purposes, and will vary by country. We recommend you work with your legal counsel to ensure you choose the appropriate permissible purpose for the applicable location and your business needs.

Checkr establishes a customer's permissible purpose by collecting and confirming a number of key details about the business entity running a background screen. Customers signing up through our automated flow will be asked to provide:

• Legal business name (associated with Employer Identification Number)
• Number of employees
• Industry
• State of incorporation
• Doing Business As (DBA)
• Corporate Website (If you do not have a corporate site, we’ll also accept a Bloomberg, Crunchbase, YP.com, YC, or Dun & Bradstreet Profile.)
• Tax ID / Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• Tax Classification
• Purpose
• Address and Phone Number

Customers working directly with a Checkr Customer Success manager to set up their accounts will also be asked to provide a copy of their articles of incorporation.

Some permissible purposes may impose additional legal requirements on the business entity running a background screen. For example, purposes involving checking a candidate's credit history require an onsite inspection of the entity's business premises.

Next, visit Help me understand Checkr Packages for information on available screening packages. 

After Customer Success credentials your account, they email your designated account admin with an invitation to log in to the Checkr Dashboard. After the admin logs in, they can configure your account to fit your business needs.

To set up your account, the admin does the tasks below:

• Enter contact and billing information
• Add and manage users

Enter contact and billing information

Use the Account settings page to add email addresses for the purposes below:

• Support email: Candidates use this address to contact you if they need to submit evidence of rehabilitation or other context during the adverse action process.
• Billing email: Checkr uses this address to contact you about invoices and other billing communication.
• Adverse action email: This address sends pre- and post-adverse action notices on your behalf to candidates. It's also the address that will receive undeliverable notices if an adverse action notice is undeliverable to a candidate (for instance, if they have a mistyped email address on file).
• Technical contact: This address is the primary person who will communicate with Checkr about technical issues or updates to the Checkr API.
• Compliance contact: This address is the primary person who will communicate with Checkr about compliance issues or updates. Checkr also posts the results of candidate disputes to this address (for example, if we changed the information on a report).

For more information about these fields, refer to Define email addresses for notifications on the Account settings page in the Checkr Help Center.

Add and manage users

Use the Users tab of the Account settings page to invite new users to your account.

Invite new users by entering their email address and clicking Invite. After you invite candidates, you can change their permission level using the role menu. Assign multiple roles to individual users to customize their dashboard access.

To learn more, refer to How do I invite or delete new users in my account?

Use the Checkr Dashboard to order background checks for your candidates using the Checkr-hosted apply flow. To help you comply with Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) suggestions, this feature offers Checkr best-practice recommendations for both the personally identifiable information (PII) you're requesting from the candidate, and the forms and disclosures they'll read.

Using the Checkr-hosted apply flow has the benefits below:

• You can invite multiple candidates to simultaneously participate in the background check process.
• The flow captures and stores the candidate’s PII for you.
• The flow provides required forms and disclosures for the candidate to acknowledge, helping you comply with FCRA rules.

Checkr-hosted apply flow

To issue invitation links to candidates using the Checkr-hosted apply flow, use the steps below:

1. In the Checkr Dashboard, click Order background check.
2. Select a package (required), optional add-on screenings, and a work location or program (if enabled). 
3. Enter up to 25 email addresses to receive the invitation. 
4. Click Send Invitations. The listed candidates receive emails with an invitation link and appear in the Candidates page.

After the candidate receives the email, they can click the link to start the Checkr-hosted apply flow. After the candidate accepts the invitation and their background check completes, you can also open their report from the Candidates page.

For more information, refer to Invite candidates by email in the Checkr Dashboard User Guide.

Candidate experience

When you invite candidates to participate in their background check using a Checkr-provided link, the Checkr-hosted apply flow guides them through the next steps in the process.

Candidates receive an email with your company's logo and a link to start their background check.

Clicking the link opens a window in which Checkr collects the candidate's PII and provides disclosure and authorization documents, including state-specific documents. Candidates will be asked to do the steps below:

1. The candidate enters PII. Each screening requires different information, but most candidates provide their name, Social Security number, birth date, and current postal code.
2. The candidate reads the disclosures and authorizes that they consent to have a background report run. After your candidate submits their information and consents to the background check, Checkr begins to generate a report.

Track the report’s progress

After you send an invitation, use the Checkr Dashboard to track its progress.

The Candidates page lists all reports in progress, from the moment the invitation is issued until the report completes. After the report completes, this page also lists actions your account has taken with the candidate as a result of the report’s completion.

The Status column lists the report’s progress through the Checkr system:

• Pending: The report is processing and should finish in 2-3 days but could take longer if Checkr needs documentation from the candidate or if a particular check takes longer than expected.
• Clear: The report completed with no records found.
• Consider: The complete report has information for you to consider.
• Suspended: The report stopped processing because of missing information or incomplete searches.
• Canceled: All screenings in the report were canceled.

For more information, refer to What does the status of the report indicate? and When is the report added to my monthly invoice?

The Adjudication column lists your company’s decision about whether to proceed with the candidate.

• None: No adjudication decision has happened.
• Engaged: A decision was made to engage the candidate.
• Pre-adverse action: The candidate received the initial notice and has more time to respond.
• Post-adverse action: Adverse action was taken, and the candidate received the final notice.
• Manual: Adjudication moved outside of the Checkr system.

Get email updates about report status changes

Checkr issues email notifications at several points during report generation.

To receive updates, go to Account settings > Notifications, and select the events you want email notifications about. For example, you might want to know when a report completes and has the Clear or Consider status.

Individual users in your account can set their own notification preferences.

To learn more, refer to How do I manage my email notification preferences?

After your report completes, Checkr provides visual cues to help you efficiently review the report:

• Report layout
• Clear and Consider statuses
• Engage the candidate or begin the adverse action process

From the Candidates page, click the report status or click go to report to open it in the Checkr Dashboard.

Background check report layout

Background reports include different screenings, from motor vehicle record (MVR) screenings to criminal records screenings and sex offender registries. Checkr's background reports follow a simple, linear, color-coded format to make reviewing and assessing reports more efficient.

Reports have several sections:

• Candidate information: Find basic information about the candidate.
• Report information: Find information about the report that was run, including the initial and subsequent ETAs as well as an option to add a tag to the report or download a PDF copy. If the candidate used the Checkr-hosted flow, you can also download a PDF copy of the authorization and disclosure forms.
• Actions: Find completed actions in this candidate’s adverse action process, if any, and take one of the three available next steps with the candidate:
  • Engage the candidate.
  • Begin the pre-adverse action process.
  • Cancel adverse action if the post-adverse action email hasn't been sent yet.
• Exceptions: Find items that might make it difficult to match records to a particular candidate’s personally identifiable information.
• Screenings and statuses: Find all screenings processed for a given report with color-coded formatting indicating individual screening results. Click the status icon to open a window with supporting detail for a screening’s result.

Evaluate records with Clear and Consider statuses

Checkr marks both completed reports and the individual screenings that they include with a Clear or Consider status. The report’s status is Clear if all screenings return with the Clear status, and Consider if one or more screenings returns the Consider status.

• Reports with the Clear status have no potentially adverse information.
• Reports with the Consider status include information that your team must review.

Individual screenings in reports also have a Clear or Consider status so that you can quickly find records to review.

Click a record with the Consider status to read information that will help you make an informed decision about how to proceed. For instance, you can find the charge type, offense date, disposition, and sentencing information.

To avoid unduly declining candidates, consider the job relevance of each report with the Consider status. This type of individualized assessment also helps you comply with guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), as well as state and federal guidelines.

Checkr also provides the Positive Adjudication Matrix (PAM), which allows your account to set filters by which returned records will be tagged for review for your team. For example, you might decide that you don’t want your team to review any parking tickets older than 3 years, or any fish and game records of any age. For more information about this feature, refer to Positive Adjudication Matrix: Reduce bias and increase efficiency in the Checkr Help Center.

For more information about Checkr’s statuses, refer to What does the status of the report indicate? in the Checkr Help Center.

Take action on completed reports

After a report completes, your team might decide to proceed with the candidate or reconsider their employment.

• If you decide that the candidate fits your hiring requirements, you can engage them.
• If the candidate doesn't fit your requirements, you can begin the adverse action process.

Engage the candidate

To indicate that you reviewed the information that was returned and decided to move forward with the candidate, click the Engage button in the report's Actions section. Clicking Engage also allows you to track that decision within Checkr Analytics.

Begin an adverse action process

If you review the information in the report and decide not to move forward with a candidate, click the Pre-adverse action button in the report's Actions section.

Clicking this button begins the adverse action process.

Although responsibility and liability for the adverse action process ultimately lies with you as the end user, Checkr helps make it easier to maintain a compliant adverse action process.

Checkr provides an automated adverse action process that issues emails to your candidates on your behalf. To initiate this process, use the steps below:

1. Click to open the candidate’s report.
2. In the report's Actions section, click Pre-adverse action.
3. Select the charge for which the pre-adverse action email will be sent.
4. Enter the number of days after which the post-adverse action email will be sent, and click Preview Email.
5. Review the email Checkr will send your candidate, which will include a list of charges, as well as the necessary notices, a copy of the background report, and "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act" as attachments.
6. Click Send pre-adverse action notice.

Checkr will send the original email and then wait the specified number of days, during which your candidate is encouraged to contact Checkr to dispute the record, if applicable.

If the candidate doesn't respond during this time, the post-adverse action email will be sent, informing the candidate that you won't move forward with their employment.

You can cancel the adverse action process at any time by clicking the Cancel adverse action button in the report's Actions section.

Remember that the responsibility for remaining compliant with local and federal laws is your responsibility. Checkr provides a default and automated adverse action system in an effort to help you remain compliant. Consult your internal counsel to ensure that your company operates within legal boundaries.

For more information about the adverse action process, refer to The adverse action process: Deciding not to move forward with a candidate.

This article will help you:

• Understand your obligations under the FCRA and fair hiring laws
• Set up Checkr’s compliance features
• See how Checkr automatically provides locality-based compliance assistance

Checkr is honored to be your partner, not just in background screening, but in compliance best practices that allow you to improve your hiring process and mitigate legal risk from legal violations. 

Checkr is a member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), the industry trade association for Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRA). The NAPBS offers an accreditation program for Consumer Reporting Agencies. Governed by a strict and thorough set of professional standards, the Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP) has become a widely recognized seal of approval that brings national recognition to an employment background screening-affiliated organization for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. We are proud that the Background Screening Credentialing Council (BSCC) awarded Checkr its accreditation in April 2015.

We’ve put together this guide to help you understand how you can use Checkr’s solutions to make your hiring processes more compliant.

What do you need to comply with, and why?

All background checks for employment screening are governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and comparable state laws. Under the FCRA, employment also covers independent contractor and volunteer relationships.

Many states and municipalities also have locality-specific fair hiring laws such as “ban the box” laws, salary bans, and individualized assessment ordinances, based on guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Not complying with the FCRA or EEOC guidelines potentially exposes you to risk, including lawsuits from applicants or government investigations. The FCRA does not have a limitation on class action damages, so failure to comply can lead to extensive damages.

Your compliance checklist

We’ll help you set up your compliance framework using Checkr’s solutions with this checklist. This is not an exhaustive list, but it covers the main areas of opportunity to implement fairer hiring practices and avoid common areas of legal risk. Work with your legal counsel to check your state and local laws to make certain that you remain industry compliant. 

• You must have a permissible purpose to initiate a background check under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Permissible purposes under the FCRA include extending credit to a consumer, a "legitimate business purpose", and for an employment purpose. International background checks also require a permissible purpose. International lawful permissible purposes may be different from the FCRA permissible purposes, and will vary by country. We recommend you work with your legal counsel to ensure you choose the appropriate permissible purpose for the applicable location and your business needs. 
• Set up your disclosure and authorization forms. Before you screen a candidate you’ll need to inform them clearly of the background check process with a standalone disclosure. Then they’ll need to authorize you to proceed. Checkr hosts these forms in our hosted flow, but if you use manual orders or our API to run background checks, you’ll need to make sure that you deliver disclosures and gain authorization.
• Create an Adverse Action procedure, and stick to it. If you decline to hire, engage, retain, or promote a candidate based on information in the background check report, protect yourself from legal exposure by making sure you give the candidate notice and maintain a reasonable waiting period before taking final action.
• Set up the Positive Adjudication Matrix. Checkr’s powerful Positive Adjudication Matrix lets you de-emphasize offenses that are minor or not relevant to the job position to increase your efficiency by saving you time as you review reports and letting you hire more quickly. Consistently clearing crimes that are unrelated to the job also reduces your legal risk by eliminating subjectivity and bias in the hiring process.
• Use the Individualized Assessment Tool. Some cities will issue fines if you don’t “show your work” for why you declined a candidate based on criminal history. Checkr’s assessment tool walks employers through the individualized assessment process, documents the analysis, and provides the assessment to the candidate. Train your team not to skip this step, and to use the required forms in the cities of New York and Los Angeles.
• If doing credit checks, certify your purpose with Checkr. Several states and cities have laws limiting credit checks for employment purposes. Many require that the credit check relates to the job position (e.g. the job requires access to financial assets or confidential information). Contact Checkr’s Customer Success Team to verify that you have a permissible purpose before requesting a credit check in these locations.
• Observe "Ban the Box" laws where you hire. Several states and cities have laws limiting how you discuss criminal or salary history with candidates. Each law is slightly different and may govern whether you can mention criminal history on a job description or application, when you can run a background check, and how you consider criminal records on a background report.

How Checkr assists with compliance

There are several areas of legal and compliance risk when it comes to fair hiring and employment-related background checks. That’s why Checkr automates areas where manual work can lead to errors. For example:

• Based on candidate/employer location, Checkr can provide locality-specific compliance assistance.
• For states that have separate disclosure requirements, Checkr will serve those disclosures to candidates in the hosted application flow.
• For localities that have longer waiting periods than 7 days for adverse action notices, Checkr will automatically enforce the longer waiting period.
• Use our Positive Adjudication Matrix to automatically de-emphasize minor or job-irrelevant offenses. If you’re not manually considering these offenses, your process is more likely to be consistent and compliant. It will also make you more efficient, saving you time as you review reports and enabling you to hire more quickly.
• If you are hiring candidates in locations that require employer to “show their work” through individualized assessment, Checkr will automatically insert a step into the adverse action process to provide the individualized assessment, and send the documentation (or upload city-issued forms) to the candidate.

Checkr's guidance should not be construed as legal advice, guidance, or counsel. Companies should consult their own legal counsel about their compliance responsibilities under the FCRA, Title VII, and applicable state laws. Checkr expressly disclaims any warranties or responsibility or damages associated with or arising out of information provided.

This document describes the Checkr candidate experience of the background check process. This document includes information about the Checkr Candidate Portal and Help Center where candidates can self serve and address common issues that can stall or delay their background checks. This document also includes common reasons candidates contact Checkr and how you can address these issues.

This document includes:

• An overview of the candidate process
• General information about the background check process, including exceptions and disputes
• An overview of the Checkr Candidate Portal
• An introduction to the Candidate Experience team
• A list of some of the most common candidate questions
• Links to the most frequently used pages in the Checkr Help Center

Candidate process

The Checkr API and the Checkr Dashboard provide an easy link-creation process to invite your candidates to initiate their background checks. Both methods result in the same candidate experience. After you order a background check for a candidate, the candidate must take the next step. The candidate must first consent to the background check, enter their personal information, and sign an authorization form to proceed. The process has the steps below:

1. The candidate submits the requested personally identifiable information (PII), which Checkr uses to research their background.
2. The candidate reads federal and state disclosures, informing them about the background check process.
3. The candidate then selects whether to receive a copy of their background check after it completes.
4. After the candidate authorizes Checkr to perform the background check, the background check process begins.

After the candidate's background check is in progress, they can use the Checkr Candidate Portal for the tasks below:

• Review the status of the pending report, or request a copy of the completed report.
• Submit additional information or clarification through the exceptions process.
• Dispute information if the candidate believes that the report has inaccurate information.

Personally identifiable information (PII)

Candidates are asked to submit their PII, which includes the information below:

• First, middle, and last names
• Date of birth (DOB)
• Social Security number (SSN)
• Current postal code
• Contact information (phone number and email)
• Driver license number

Background checks

On average, a background check takes 3-5 business days to complete, although some reports can take longer. For instance, a county in the candidate’s search that's understaffed and backlogged or experiencing severe weather or closures can delay the report.

Checkr simply provides background check reports. Checkr isn't involved in engagement decisions and can't answer questions about adjudication.

Exceptions

An exception is an event that prevents a candidate's background report from processing. Exceptions usually happen because of inadequate or inaccurate candidate information. The candidate can often submit information that resolves the exception. In these cases, Checkr contacts candidates daily for 7 days to ask them to upload or resubmit the information to resolve discrepancies and proceed with the background check. 

The example situations below result in exceptions:

• Checkr can't validate a candidate's name or birth date.
• Checkr can't pull a candidate's electronic motor vehicle record (MVR).

In these situations, Checkr raises an exception describing the issue and a possible resolution. After the candidate submits the information, the report continues processing.

If the exception is unresolved for 7 days, the report suspends. After 30 days, the Suspended status automatically changes to Complete or Canceled. Refer to Exceptions: Addressing data discrepancies in reports or Report suspended: How to resolve an exception on a suspended report.

Disputes

Candidates whose background check reports return with records might take an action below:

• Contact you to provide evidence of rehabilitation or additional context for you to consider.
• Contact Checkr by phone, email, or the Candidate Portal to dispute the report's accuracy. Candidates can also mail their disputes with supporting documents.

When a candidate files a dispute, Checkr pauses the background check and changes the report status to Dispute. You can't take additional action until Checkr reinvestigates the alleged inaccuracy. After a candidate files a dispute, Checkr legally has 30 days to complete a reinvestigation but strives to complete reinvestigations as quickly as possible.

Some examples of disputes include candidates informing Checkr that a reported record doesn't belong to them (and might belong to someone else with the same name) or that a disposition has changed and is now dismissed.

Candidates might share the statements below as part of a dispute:

• "The assault charge you reported is for a different Jane Doe in St. Louis."
• "The petty theft conviction you reported was dismissed after I completed probation."

Disputes can change how you evaluate a candidate, so they're an important part of the process. When reading a background report on the Candidate Portal, candidates can file a dispute using the “Report an Error” button at the bottom of the page. After the reinvestigation, Checkr makes needed changes to the report and notifies you (through email and the dashboard) and the candidate (by email) of the updates. If the reinvestigation finds that the disputed information is accurate and the report requires no changes, Checkr notifies you and the candidate that the report is accurate and complete in its original form.

For more information, refer to How do candidates dispute their report's accuracy? 

Candidate Portal

Checkr provides a mobile-friendly Candidate Portal that makes it easy for candidates to find the status and ETA of their background check, access a copy of their completed report, upload documents, or dispute report inaccuracies.

Candidates can also log in to the Candidate Portal to download a copy of their report for 12 months after it completes. To ensure the accuracy and recency of candidate information, Checkr limits candidate access to the Candidate Portal to 12 months after the most recent report's completion. If a candidate requests a copy of an older completed report, they can contact the Checkr Candidate Experience team to request a copy.

To log in to the Candidate Portal, the candidate enters their phone number, birth date, email address, and Social Security number. 

Candidates might have trouble logging in to the Candidate Portal if the background check hasn't started yet or they enter incorrect information, such as an email address that differs from what they submitted originally.

If a candidate contacts you after applying with their nickname, wants to update their email address, or submitted an incorrect birth date or Social Security number, redirect them to the Checkr Candidate Experience team. That team can help the candidate update their information or resolve the error through the exceptions process.

Checkr Candidate Experience team

The Checkr Candidate Experience team works to make the background check experience personal, simple, and fast. The team is in the United States and supports candidates in both English and Spanish. The team is available to support candidates with questions or concerns at any time after Checkr initiates their background check.

The Candidate Portal and Checkr’s Candidate Experience team are there to support both candidates and you, our customers. You can direct your candidates to the Candidate Portal or to the Checkr Candidate Experience team when for questions about their background check status, to resolve an exception, or to learn what's on their completed report.

Common candidate issues

The issues below are the most common reasons that candidates contact you, our customers.

• Pending county searches: Some counties rely on a manual records search, but others are available online. This difference means that county searches have varying completion times, from less than a day to several weeks. If a candidate contacts you and their report is pending in this final stage, you can redirect them to the Candidate Portal for live report status updates. Unfortunately, there is no way to expedite this final stage of the background search. The best way for the candidate to stay informed is to periodically check the Candidate Portal.

For more information, direct candidates to Why is my background check still pending in the Checkr Candidate Help Center.

• Social Security number (SSN) Trace: When submitting information for their application to your company, a candidate might mistype their Social Security number. In this situation, Checkr might be able to help. If a candidate contacts you after their report suspends because of an SSN Trace discrepancy, ask them to check the Candidate Portal or their email for a link to resubmit their SSN. The candidate can also ask the Checkr Candidate Experience team to resend the link to their email address. If the candidate can't resolve an SSN Trace discrepancy during the exception process, you can initiate a new report with the correct SSN that the candidate provides.
• Background check is complete: A candidate might contact you after their report completes to ask about your engagement decision or next steps. Checkr doesn't assess candidate eligibility or make engagement decisions. Checkr can help your candidates with questions about information that their reports include. For questions about what specific charges, violations, or restrictions mean, Checkr recommends that candidates contact the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or court.
• Inaccuracies on the report: A candidate might contact you to inform you that their report is "wrong." If the report has inaccuracies or information updated since the report originally completed, redirect the candidate to Checkr to file a dispute so that Checkr can reinvestigate.

Refer to How do candidates dispute the accuracy of their report? for more information.

• Requesting a new report: Completed background reports are static, but the information used to generate them can be updated. Your candidate might contact you after a report completes to update something that might have resulted in a Consider report status. To address this concern, you can redirect the candidate back to Checkr to dispute the previously reported information and update the report, if appropriate. If other report information is outdated, you might also request a new report. You can decide what to do for each candidate.
• Checkr Health: When you select a Health Screening package, your candidate can use the Candidate Portal to schedule their health check at a convenient location. If the candidate doesn't complete their Checkr Health Screening within 7 days after receiving the invitation email, the report suspends. You must initiate a new report, if necessary. If your candidate contacts you about a missed health check, you decide the appropriate next steps.

For more information, direct candidates to Checkr Health in the Checkr Candidate Help Center.

• License status: A candidate’s license status might change since their last report, and they might notify you about the change. If the candidate wants to update the information on their completed background report, redirect them to Checkr to file a dispute. Checkr can then reinvestigate. If a candidate contacts you to ask about their accurate license status, redirect them to their state’s DMV to learn how the DMV reports their license status.

For more information, direct candidates to MVR status in the Checkr Candidate Help Center.

• MVR violations: A candidate might contact you to clarify violations that the state’s DMV reported. Reported violations might include paid traffic tickets, not-at-fault accidents, and suspensions resulting in a Consider report status. If a candidate contacts you wanting to explain or ask questions about accurately reported violations, accidents, or paid tickets, redirect them to their state’s DMV to learn how the DMV reports items on their MVR. If the candidate wants to dispute information on their MVR, redirect them to Checkr to file a dispute.

For more information, direct candidates to MVR status in the Checkr Candidate Help Center.

Checkr Help Center

Checkr provides robust help documentation for both customers and candidates. Encourage your candidates to visit the Help Center for answers to their most frequently asked questions.

• The Customer Help Center and Candidate Help Center are both at help.checkr.com.
• The Candidate Help Center is at help.checkr.com/hc/en-us/categories/360002478633-Candidates.

Some of the most frequently used customer topics include the ones below:

• Addressing data discrepancies
• County Civil Search
• Which checks does my background check package include?
• Difference between national/federal/state/county searches
• County Criminal Record Search
• Lookback periods: How far back are criminal records searched?

This article will help you:

• Outline the different steps of the background check process.
• Determine which steps you (the employer) take and which steps the candidate takes.

Checkr's background check process

Conducting background checks is a complex process. Using the Checkr-hosted apply flow helps simplify the process for you and your candidates by automatically gathering the candidate personally identifiable information (PII) required to process your requested screenings.

Using the Checkr-hosted apply flow to order background checks results in the following workflow:

1. You request a background check.
2. The candidate receives an email with a link that opens a window requesting that they authorize the check and provide their information.
3. The candidate enters their PII and electronically signs a disclosure, consent, and authorization form. This information securely transfers to Checkr and allows the background check to proceed.
   
4. Checkr processes the information and conducts all required screenings, which usually take around 3-5 business days to process.
5. When the report is complete, Checkr posts it to the Checkr Dashboard for your review. If the candidate requested a copy, they also receive one.
6. You review the report and determine the candidate's eligibility based on your criteria. Based on that information, you decide whether to engage the candidate or initiate an adverse action.

Background checks and your business

Background checks benefit both the consumer (the subject of the background report) and end user (an employer or contractee) in a variety of legal and practical ways.

• Contract positions entail a level of risk between the customer and contractor. By requiring your sub contractors to undergo a background check before working with the public, you can establish a community of trust and transparency.
• Employers maintain the quality of their workforce. The background check process encourages honesty and communication with the employer, while employees maintain peace of mind amongst their colleagues.
• Mitigate negligent hiring and wrongful termination lawsuits. The cost of employee litigation can cripple company capital and resources, and conducting a formal process to screen your employees will help you navigate legal requirements.

Checkr provides three ways to use the platform to order background checks for your candidates:

• Checkr Dashboard
• Checkr APIs
• Checkr partner integrations

These three options serve different customers and different use cases. Our recommended option for most new customers is to use the Checkr Dashboard. In some cases, a customized implementation built on our APIs or a Checkr Partner integration with your current applicant tracking system (ATS) might better suit your business needs.

Available Checkr options:

Checkr Dashboard

The Checkr Dashboard provides an easy entry to the platform's functionality. Easy-to-follow workflows help customers order reports, manage their candidate pool, initiate adverse action processes, and analyze their team's productivity. We recommend this option for the vast majority of new customers due to its flexibility and ease of use.

The benefits of using the Dashboard include:

• Multiple pre-configured background check packages available
• A hosted candidate signup flow that complies with federal and state laws
• Shareable invitation links for each available background screening package
• Customizable motor vehicle record rules
• Option to manually order background checks
• Integrated analytics dashboards
• Seamless signup process, no heavy configuration or development work needed

If you're interested in using this option, contact the Checkr sales team at sales@checkr.com.

Checkr APIs

If you're interested in using this option, refer to the Checkr API documentation. Contact Checkr Customer Support if you want to develop custom integrations using our API.

Checkr Reports API

The Reports API enables customers to create candidates and reports without needing to link to a third-party site. Using the API allows you to manage the branding and user experience for the integration to align with your brand standards and user experiences.

The benefits of the Reports API include:

• Receive status updates to an internal system (webhooks).
• Save time by automatically sending invitations.
• Run a high volume of background checks with an integrated candidate experience .

Important: The Checkr Reports API cannot create credit reports, health screenings, or international background check reports. These must be ordered through the dashboard or the Invitation API.

Checkr Invitation API

The Invitation API allows customers to create candidates and send invitations automatically. This integration balances the simplicity of the Checkr Dashboard and the customization options of a Reports API integration. The Invitation API requires less development work and maintenance than the Reports API while providing the benefit of the Checkr Dashboard and hosted flow.

Partner integrations

Checkr partner integrations provide customers the ability to use a single platform for multiple services. Checkr is dedicated to secure, reliable, and seamless integrations with all of our partners. When you use Checkr through a partner integration, you receive:

• Fixed, prenegotiated rate for background checks
• Seamless three-step signup process to connect your partner and Checkr accounts
• System and workflow integration between your background check process and your existing system of record

To find out if we integrate with a system you use, refer to our current partner integrations. If one of these partner integrations is right for your company, contact our sales team at sales@checkr.com.