Set up SSO to Checkr from Azure Active Directory

This article will show you how to configure a SAML SSO Application for Checkr in MS Azure AD. For general information about SAML SSO at Checkr, please review the following article:

Self-Service SSO: Enable Single Sign On using SAML for your account

• Configure IdP-initiated SSO
• Configure SP-initiated SSO

Configure IdP-initiated SSO

1. From the Microsoft Azure Active Directory tenant nav tray, click “Enterprise Applications”. On the resulting screen, click “New Application”.
   
2. On the next screen, click “Create Your Own Application”. A tray will slide out on the right side of the screen. Add a name for your Application, make sure “Non-gallery” is selected, and click the Create button.
   
3. Click “Assign users and groups”, then “Add user/group” and use the resulting interface to add relevant users and/or groups.
4. Ensure that users have a consistent attribute in Azure AD that matches their Checkr login email. The most common choices are usually user.mail or user.userprincipalname.
5. Return to your Application’s Overview page, then click “Get started“ in the box labeled “2. Set up single sign on“. On the next page, click “SAML”.
6. In Azure, update the following fields using the information provided on the “Single Sign On” screen in Checkr. NOTE: under “Attributes & Claims” you must have the “email” attribute; the “user.mail” part should be whatever User field your org uses to store the email addresses that will be used as Checkr logins.
   
7. After you complete the previous step, the “SAML Certificates” section in Azure will populate.
8. Transfer the following information from Azure to Checkr, then Save. NOTE: in the screenshot, a certificate has already been uploaded in Checkr, which is why there is a red “Remove Current Cert” button. If there were not already an active certificate, this would be a blue “Choose File” button.
   
9. Log out of the Checkr dashboard AND log out of Okta. Then click the “Test” button in Azure. The test connection will use your current User in Azure, so make sure that User has been assigned to the Application and has a Checkr username in the Azure field assigned to the email Attribute in your SAML setup.

Configure SP-initiated SSO

1. Before you start, make sure you have followed the steps for IdP-initiated SSO above.
2. In Checkr, navigate to Account Settings > Single Sign On.
3. Enter an email domain into the “Email Domain” field. When users arrive at Checkr’s login screen and enter a username, only usernames that end with this domain will be redirected to your IdP for authentication.
   
4. Then click “Save” in Checkr.
5. Configuration complete! Test your SP-initiated SSO flow by instructing a user to log out of Checkr, then navigate to the Checkr login screen. When they enter a username with the email domain you configured above, the password field should disappear. Upon submitting the login form, the user should be redirected to your IdP for authentication, then back to Checkr and logged in successfully.
6. If the previous step does not work, back in your Azure Application’s SSO config, add dashboard.checkr.com/login to the “Sign on URL” field. Save, then download the certificate again, and upload the new certificate in Checkr and save. Then retry. This has not been tested but may be required.

This article will show you how to configure a SAML SSO Application for Checkr in Okta. For general information about SAML SSO at Checkr, please review the following article:

Self-Service SSO: Enable Single Sign On using SAML for your account

This article has the sections below:

• Configure IdP-initiated SSO
• Configure SP-initiated SSO

Configure IdP-initiated SSO

1. In Okta, navigate to the Applications tab and click “Create App Integration”.
   
2. A modal will appear asking you to select a Sign-in method. Choose “SAML 2.0”.
3. In “General Settings” configure basic visibility settings for your app in Okta. Click “Next” when you are done.
4. Open a new browser tab and sign into your Checkr Dashboard as a user with the Admin role.
5. In Checkr, navigate to Account Settings > Single Sign On.
6. In Okta, update the following fields on the “Configure SAML” screen, using the information provided on the “Single Sign On” screen in Checkr. Then scroll down in Okta and click “Next”.
   
7. In Okta, on the “Feedback” page, answer the questions presented and click “Finish”.
8. You’ll be taken to a screen with the header “How to Configure SAML 2.0 for {appname} Application”. NOTE: if this does not appear automatically, look for a button the right side of the screen that reads “View SAML setup instructions”. In Checkr, update the following fields using the information provided by Okta. Then click “Create” in Checkr.
   
9. Configuration complete! Now assign a Person or Group to your new Checkr application in Okta, and ask them to test signing into Checkr using Okta.

Configure SP-initiated SSO

1. Before you start, make sure you have followed the steps for IdP-initiated SSO above.
2. In Checkr, navigate to Account Settings > Single Sign On.
3. Enter an email domain into the “Email Domain” field. When users arrive at Checkr’s login screen and enter a username, only usernames that end with this domain will be redirected to your IdP for authentication.
   
4. Then click “Save” in Checkr.
5. Configuration complete! Test your SP-initiated SSO flow by instructing a user to log out of Checkr, then navigate to the Checkr login screen. When they enter a username with the email domain you configured above, the password field should disappear. Upon submitting the login form, the user should be redirected to your IdP for authentication, then back to Checkr and logged in successfully.

To add a specific screening to an existing package, you must have the role of admin or restricted admin. You can access this feature only directly from the Checkr Dashboard.

Before you customize an existing package, first review the Checkr packages available today. Then, you can choose screenings to add based on your specific background check needs and legal requirements. Package and add-on prices vary.

This article has the sections below:

• Add screenings to an existing package
• Save your package
• Available screenings to add

This article is for the following user roles:

• Admin
• Restricted admin
• Requester

Add screenings to an existing package

You can add screenings to an existing package from two locations:

• From the Packages page in the Checkr Dashboard
• Anywhere in the Checkr Dashboard using the Order background check button

Packages page

1. Navigate to the Packages page of the Checkr Dashboard.
2. Click the pencil icon on the package you want to edit.
3. Click +Add on the screening you want to add. If you want to save this package for later use, select the "Save package for next time" checkbox and name the package.
4. Click Save.

Order background check button

1. Click Order background check at the left of the Checkr Dashboard.
2. Select the candidate's location (optional) and package (required).
3. Click "Select add-ons."
4. Select the screening type to show specific screenings.
5. Review pricing, and then select a specific screening with the Add button.
6. Select Continue.
7. Select the checkbox to confirm your permissible purpose for a background check.
8. Enter up to 25 email addresses to receive the invitation.
9. Click Send Invitations. The listed candidates will receive an email with the invitation link.

Save your package

Only admins or restricted admins can save a package with add-ons for future orders.

After you use the steps above to add screenings to a package, you can save that package for future use:

1. Select the Save package for next time checkbox.
2. Name this new package with add-ons.
3. Select Continue. Your new package appears in the list of available packages.

Available screenings to add

The screenings below are now available as add-ons to your existing packages:

Civil records

• County Civil Records Search - 7-year address history: Search county courts for civil records. This search returns county-level lawsuits that name the candidate as a plaintiff or as a defendant.
• Federal Civil Records Search: Search the federal record database for civil records in federal district courts. This search returns federal lawsuits that name the candidate as a plaintiff or as a defendant.

Criminal records

• County Criminal Records Search - 7-year address history: Search for records in relevant county courts as indicated by pointer searches, such as an SSN trace or national criminal search.
• Statewide Criminal Records Search - 7-year address history: Search for records in relevant state criminal records databases as indicated by pointer searches, such as an SSN trace or national criminal search.
• Federal Criminal Records Search: Search the federal record database for criminal records in federal district courts.

Drug tests

• Drug tests: Add your account's existing drug tests.

Healthcare sanctions

• Fraud Abuse Control Information System (FACIS) Level 1: Search databases for records of adverse actions against individuals and entities in the healthcare field. This search meets minimum federal requirements.
• FACIS Level 3: Search databases for records of adverse actions against individuals and entities in the healthcare field. This search exceeds minimum federal requirements.

Motor vehicle records

• Motor vehicle record (MVR) report: Search driving history from a given state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or similar government entity. This search includes driving-related records that a criminal search might not show.

Verifications

• Education Verification: Confirm the candidate’s provided education or certification history.
• Personal Reference Verification: A researcher asks 1 person the candidate chooses a series of questions about the candidate's relationship and character.
• Professional Reference Verification: A researcher asks 1 person the candidate chooses a series of questions about the candidate's relationship and work ability.
• Professional License Verification: Verify that the candidate has an existing professional license that’s active and in good standing.

International

These screenings apply to candidates who live outside the United States (US):

• International Criminal Search: Search for criminal records outside the US. If no records are found, an adverse media screening happens. Additional charges might apply.
• International Education Verification: Confirm the candidate’s provided education or certification history outside of the United States.
• International Employment Verification: Confirm the candidate’s provided work history outside of the United States.
• International Identity Document Validation: Confirm the authenticity and validity of a candidate’s passport, national ID, or driver license and cross-checks against government databases.
• International Global Watchlist: This screening identifies whether a candidate is on domestic or international watchlists. This search includes several international, government, and regulatory databases that identify individuals who are either prohibited from certain industries, such as healthcare and finance, or are on criminal lists.

Out-of-country screenings

These screenings apply to candidates who currently live in the US but used to live outside the US:

• Out-of-Country History Criminal Screening: Search for criminal records outside the US. If no records are found, an adverse media search happens. Additional charges might apply.
• Out-of-Country History Education Verification: Confirm the candidate’s provided education or certification history outside the United States.
• Out-of-Country History Employment Verification: Confirm the candidate’s provided work history outside of the United States.

This article will help you understand:

• What is an Order Summary PDF?
• How to download an Order Summary PDF
• Can I see any candidate report information?
• When can I access the Order Summary PDF?
• What will I see if a report was never generated?
• Can I bulk download Order Summary PDFs?

What is an Order Summary PDF?

An Order Summary PDF provides a comprehensive look back on what was ordered from Checkr for a candidate’s background check. This new document offers a compliant audit trail for our customers. 

Order Summary acts as a proof of order rather than a candidate report. Candidate reports will continue to be provided via the Report PDF. This new feature will be rolled out to select customers on November 16th. After it has been made available to all customers externally facing Help Center documentation will be made available. 

How to download an Order Summary PDF

Once a candidate’s background check has been completed, Admins can find the Order Summary PDF within the candidate profile, under ‘Download PDF’.

Can I see any candidate report information?

No. An Order Summary PDF provides proof of a background check order. 

Use the Report PDF for all candidate report information.

When can I access the Order Summary PDF?

An Order Summary PDF will be available within a few hours of background check completion.

What will I see if a report was never generated?

In this case, the Order Summary PDF will still include candidate, order, package, and upgrade information, but instead of showing screening information, it will show a "No report created" banner at the bottom of the page.

Can I bulk download Order Summary PDFs?

No. Bulk downloads are not currently available

Additional information

Also reference Reports within Checkr's User Guides.

	This new feature will be rolled out to all Checkr accounts over several months in 2022. If you require this functionality more quickly, please work with your Checkr Customer Success Manager to enable these enhancements for your account.

Complete Report

Checkr's new Complete Now feature allows you to complete a Pending or Suspended report on demand. Triggering this feature using either the Checkr Dashboard or the Checkr APIs will immediately advance the report to a completed state, and mark all pending or suspended screenings "canceled".

Any screenings canceled as a result of this function will display the cancellation reason and the reason’s description within the report in the Checkr Dashboard, and return the reason and description through the Checkr APIs. The PDF copy of the report will not include any canceled screenings.

If any screenings have completed, the report will be marked with result Clear or Consider, as appropriate. If no screenings have completed, the report will be marked simply Canceled, and no report PDF will be generated.

The report log in the dashboard will display the user and date/time stamp for Complete Now actions taken.

Note: Checkr Assess will mark any report including canceled screenings as Review. The report will be marked Escalated if any completed screenings included a record marked Escalated by the Assess Rules.

Automatic completions

Checkr will also automatically complete reports with an unresolved SSN Trace exception. If the candidate hasn't responded to correct the exception within the required 7 days, the report is placed in Suspended status. After 30 days, the Suspended status automatically changes to Complete, and Checkr cancels all other screenings. The report will be shown as "complete" with canceled items.

Billing

Checkr bills customers based on the packages and screenings ordered. Once the screening process begins, charges will not be refunded if the screening cannot be completed, or if the screening is canceled. Any package prices and passthrough fees related to a canceled screening will appear on your invoice.

For more information, see Help me understand Checkr invoices. 

Candidate Experience

Candidates logging in to the Candidate Portal will be notified that their report was canceled (if the SSN Trace couldn't complete), or couldn't complete (if the SSN Trace completed but all other screenings canceled). The PDF copy of the report won't include canceled screenings.

Checkr API changes

Complete report is also available through the new Complete Report endpoint in the Checkr APIs.

Using this call will trigger the same events as clicking Complete Report in the Checkr Dashboard. Cancelling a report will be reflected in the return for the Report object and any screenings included within it, and a webhook will be triggered for the events.

For more information, refer to Complete Report, Screenings, and Report events in the Checkr API documentation.

Note: When these report lifecycle enhancements are enabled for your account, values for the `status` parameter for both reports and screenings will no longer include `clear` or `consider`.

• Continuous MVR overview
  • Continuous MVR driver license monitoring
  • Continuous MVR prerequisites
• Enrolling and un-enrolling drivers in Continuous MVR
  • Using the Continuous API
  • Using the Checkr Dashboard
  • Using a CSV upload
    • CSV upload for both Continuous MVR and Continuous Criminal
• Continuous and Adverse Action
• Continuous MVR rules
• Delayed rejections and error handling
• Billing
• Driver License updates: Verifying PII
  • Rejection notifications
• Re-enrolling drivers

Continuous MVR overview

From the moment a new driver completes their screening, your knowledge about their background starts to fade. Continuous MVR (C-MVR) helps fill in that gap so you can find incidents as they happen.

Continuous MVR mitigates risk by continually monitoring your workers’ driver’s licenses for new violations and license status changes. When Continuous MVR detects a new incident, it automatically runs a full MVR for the driver in question and applies your adjudication criteria. This is why Continuous MVR is the newest standard of driving safety and finds incidents 4+ months sooner than even an MVR rerun program.

Please note: Continuous MVR will surface records from the time of driver enrollment forward. Continuous MVR will not surface records prior to the driver’s enrollment.

Continuous MVR driver license monitoring

Once a driver is enrolled in Continuous MVR, their PII will be used for routine monitoring of any driving-related incidents. Continuous MVR checks for new reported records at least once a month (source databases may be updated according to different timelines). Checkr uses two data sources to monitor licensing information:

• State-sponsored: State-sponsored notification programs offer a monitoring service that provides driver related information based on that state's permissible purpose requirements.
• Non-state sponsored: In states that do not have a state-sponsored notification program Checkr monitors criminal and civil traffic court records or other pointer sources.

If any change in licensing history is detected, Continuous will generate an MVR report.

Not all states are the same and coverage can vary by state. States may include two different types of coverage:

• Violation monitoring: Continuous MVR may find violations such as DUIs, speeding, failure to obey a traffic signal, failure to appear for court, failure to pay a fine, driving with a suspended license, and more. Some states also provide data on at-fault accidents.
• Status monitoring: Continuous MVR looks for suspended or revoked licenses. In many instances, you’ll see the reason for the suspension/revocation as well. Note: A license expiration may not trigger Continuous MVR to run an MVR. This depends on the state. In states without this capability you would only see a license expiration if Continuous MVR notices a different violation or status change and runs an MVR as a result.

Continuous MVR prerequisites

You must have run a completed MVR on a driver before enrolling them in Continuous MVR. Checkr will use the licensing information obtained from this initial MVR report to enroll the driver in Continuous MVR. Invalid licenses are not eligible for continuous monitoring. Licenses that are or later become invalid for any reason will be rejected, and your driver will be automatically un-enrolled from Continuous MVR.

Rejections may occur at any time for reasons including:

• Mismatch of PII (For example: The date of birth (DOB) provided by your candidate for their initial background check does not match the DOB on their driver license.)
• Driver License no longer exists (For example: Your driver recently moved to a new state and obtained a new driver license.)

To minimize outdated PII and reduce the number of rejections, we recommend you enroll drivers in Continuous MVR as soon as possible after their most recent MVR report is completed.

See Delayed rejections and error handling below for more information on potential rejections and notifications post-enrollment.

Enrolling and un-enrolling drivers in Continuous MVR

Continuous MVR enrollments and un-enrollments follow the patterns set by Continuous Criminal.

Continuous MVR provides three methods to enroll and un-enroll drivers:

• Checkr API
• Checkr Dashboard
• CSV upload

When possible, we recommend that customers manage their Continuous enrollments using the Checkr API. The API provides full control over Continuous workflows and enables seamless onboarding and offboarding. Once configured, use the Continuous API (or an uploaded CSV) to bulk enroll and un-enroll candidates, and to retrieve the list of enrolled candidates. Use the Checkr Dashboard to enroll or un-enroll individual candidates, if you like.

Drivers may be enrolled in or un-enrolled from Continuous MVR at any time.

Using the Continuous API

To enroll and un-enroll drivers through the API, use the Continuous Checks resource in the Checkr API documentation, with type: `mvr`. For more information, including authorizations, path parameters, and responses, see the Cancel an existing Continuous in the Checkr API documentation.

Using the Checkr Dashboard

To enroll drivers through the Checkr dashboard, select a driver from the Candidates page in the Checkr Dashboard. Then, select the toggle for Continuous MVR, certify that you have obtained evergreen consent, and click Enable.

To un-enroll drivers, return to the candidates page in the Dashboard and deselect the Continuous MVR toggle. 

For more information, see Enroll a worker in Checkr Continuous in the Dashboard User Guides.

Using a CSV upload

To enroll or un-enroll drivers, use the Bulk Action tab to perform bulk actions with a CSV upload, check their status, and download any errors that occurred during processing. Checkr recommends that you submit only one un-enrollment CSV per month, as that CSV must be uploaded prior to month’s end to prevent those drivers’ Continuous enrollments from being carried into the next month. Enrollments may occur at any time of the month.

To start a bulk action, use the steps below:

1. From the Bulk action tab, click Start bulk action.
2. Select a continuous product and an action to perform.
3. Confirm that your CSV file meets the requirements below:
• The first row has column names and is case sensitive.
• The file includes a candidate_id column.
• The file has only one candidate ID per row.
• The file has fewer than 500,000 rows.
• The file has no personally identifiable information (PII).
4. If your account has Account Hierarchy enabled, confirm that the CSV file also includes the columns below:
• A required 2-character United States state code column (example: TX)
• A required custom_node_id column (also known as a custom ID)
• An optional city column (example: Austin)
5. Click the Submit button to upload your CSV file. if the file doesn't meet the formatting or size requirements, an alert appears.

If you’re enrolling or updating individuals, select the checkbox to certify that you provided required disclosures and received the proper consent from all individuals. After the bulk action finishes processing, you receive a confirmation email.

CSV upload for both Continuous MVR and Continuous Crim

If you have enrollments in both Continuous Crim as well as Continuous MVR, you may use the Bulk Action tab to manage bulk enrollments and un-enrollments for both. Simply follow the prompts in the Bulk Action tab to select the appropriate product.

Continuous and Adverse Action

When Continuous MVR finds an incident and runs an MVR, based on that MVR you may decide to process an Adverse Action against that worker and remove them from your workforce. If you use Checkr to process an Adverse Action against any driver based on any Continuous Checkr background check report (including an MVR report triggered by Continuous MVR), Continuous will automatically un-enroll the driver from all Continuous services for your account. If that worker is also enrolled in Continuous Criminal, they will be automatically un-enrolled from Continuous Criminal as well.

For example: If you initiate an Adverse Action against a driver based on a report generated from Continuous MVR, Checkr will automatically un-enroll that driver from both Continuous MVR and from Continuous Criminal (if the driver is enrolled in both features). If you initiate an Adverse Action against a driver based on a report generated from Continuous Criminal enrollment, they will also be un-enrolled from Continuous MVR.

Note: If you have a custom Adverse Action process within your company, and do not use Checkr’s automated Adverse Action functionality, you must un-enroll any applicable drivers to maintain compliance with FCRA obligations.

Continuous MVR rules

Continuous MVR allows you to define post-hire MVR rules by which your Continuous MVR reports will be adjudicated.

To configure your (post-hire) Continuous MVR rules, you may either:

• Use a copy of your existing MVR rules. (Default)
• Create custom rules for your Continuous MVR. (Contact your Checkr Account Manager to create custom rules for your account.)

For more information on MVR Rules, see Creating Custom MVR Filters in the Checkr Help Center.

Delayed rejections and error handling

When a driver is enrolled in Continuous MVR, the driver's license information is obtained from a previously completed MVR report (see Continuous MVR prerequisites above). Invalid or stale PII may lead to enrollment rejections by the state. Continuous MVR errors can occur immediately after enrollment or up to 30 days after enrollment.

Checkr will surface rejected drivers once a month on the Checkr dashboard (regardless of enrollment method) to facilitate subscription management.

For more information, see Continuous Services in the Checkr Dashboard User Guides.

Billing

Once Checkr receives your Continuous MVR order, Continuous MVR will be added automatically to your monthly Checkr invoice. Your invoice might include several lines for Continuous MVR, including any pass through fees.

Checkr collects a monthly service fee for each enrolled driver, beginning the first month of their enrollment. Some states also collect a service fee upon driver enrollment. Some of these states also collect a service fee annually on the anniversary of the driver’s enrollment.

Your account will be billed for each MVR triggered by Continuous MVR. An MVR may be triggered at the time of driver enrollment and/or during routine monitoring. Some states collect an additional fee for each MVR triggered by Continuous MVR.

Most states take from 1-31 days to process a Continuous MVR enrollment. In some cases, an enrolled driver may be rejected by the state for driver license, PII, or other data mismatch. (See Delayed rejections and error handling for more information.) If a driver is rejected, that driver will be un-enrolled from Continuous MVR and you will no longer pay for their enrollment.

To help reduce the number of rejected drivers, Checkr recommends you enroll drivers in Continuous MVR immediately after a standard MVR report completes for the driver. This will help to ensure that the information passed to the DMV for that driver’s enrollment is up to date and accurate.

Driver License updates: Verifying PII

Continuous MVR offers customers the ability to edit a driver’s PII in the event the PII becomes invalid. Examples of this may include when a DMV rejects a driver’s license because of PII mismatch or a driver’s license no longer exists (such as if a driver moves out of state and surrenders their license).

Rejection notifications

When a driver is rejected by the DMV, they will be automatically unsubscribed from Continuous MVR. Checkr will notify the customer of the rejection and attempt to obtain updated information from the driver through the standard Checkr exception process. When the driver has submitted the requested information, Checkr will issue a webhook notifying customers that the PII was updated. The updated driver PII will also be applied to all future reports for this driver.

Checkr will redirect all driver inquiries around why updated PII is being requested to the customer. Customers should prepare a response to inform drivers why this information is being requested, and a process by which they communicate to drivers who do not resolve these exceptions upon request.

Re-enrolling drivers

When driver PII has been updated, customers must re-enroll the driver into Continuous MVR; Checkr will not automatically enroll drivers on behalf of our customers.

Checkr has introduced a self-service SAML setup feature for clients to use. The feature allows Checkr to serve as a service provider (SP) and allows customers to establish SAML connections with their preferred identity provider (IdP).

Checkr supports the standard SCIM APIs. Setting up these APIs allow an IdP to dynamically provision and deprovision users as they join the organization, move around within the organization or leave the organization. Enabling the SCIM API interfaces is currently performed by request. Contact your Customer Success Manager or to clients@checkr.com to request that the SCIM provisioning process be initiated for your account.

For more information, refer to Does Checkr support Single Sign On integrations?

Prerequisites

Checkr SSO has requirements for all SAML connections, and more specific requirements for IdP-initiated and SP-initiated connections. Before initiating the connection, review your Checkr account and IdP setup to confirm that your setup is compatible with Checkr SSO.

For all SAML connections

• Checkr doesn't provide and can't consume SAML Metadata.
• All traffic sent to Checkr is secured at the transport layer through HTTPS. Checkr doesn't support any additional assertion encryption.

For IdP-initiated connections

• If you have multiple Checkr accounts, each account requires a separate SAML connection.
• If you choose "ONLY" IdP-initiated connections, Checkr can't prevent your users from changing their passwords on the Checkr platform. If you use SP-initiated (with an email domain) connections, Checkr can enforce these rules.
• Your Checkr account can include users with different email address domains.

For SP-initiated connections

• If your organization has multiple Checkr accounts, you must first confirm that each of your email domains is attached to only one Checkr account. For example, users with an @bobsplumbingservice.com email address can be associated with only one of your Checkr accounts. Your users must log in to separate Checkr accounts with separate email addresses.
• Checkr accounts can have multiple unique email domains associated with that account’s SSO connection, but each domain can be associated with only one Checkr account.
• Checkr users are defined by their email address, which must be unique. Each Checkr user can belong to only one Checkr account at a time.
• Users must first authenticate through your IdP before they can access Checkr. Direct login to your account will be disabled.

SAML setup

Log in to your Checkr account as an admin, and then use the Account settings > Single Sign On tab in the Checkr Dashboard to view and update your SSO settings.

For more information, refer to View and configure SSO settings in the Checkr Dashboard User Guides.

• Requirements
• Installing the extension
• Using the extension
  • Log in to Checkr
  • Order background checks
  • Search for your Checkr candidates
  • View candidate progress and report results
  • View recent activity in your Checkr account
  • Enable the extension banner

The Checkr Chrome extension allows you to add access to the Checkr Dashboard directly from any webpage. After you enable the extension, right-click a name or email address on any site to issue an invitation to that candidate for a Checkr background check. You can also click the extension to quickly and easily check on the progress of your candidates through the Checkr background check process.

Use the Checkr Chrome extension to:

• Invite candidates to background checks
• Search for Checkr candidates and reports on your account
• Review background check progress and reports
• View recent Checkr account activity
• Add a banner to any page that lists your candidate’s name or email address

Requirements

The Checkr Chrome extension requires a pre-existing Checkr account, and Chrome version 87.0.0 or higher. Enabling this extension will grant you the same user permissions you have within your Checkr Dashboard account.

Installing the extension

The Checkr Chrome extension is available from the Chrome Web Store. To install the extension:

1. Go to the Chrome Web Store, search for "Checkr", and install the extension.
2. Select Window > Extensions from the Chrome menu bar.
3. Find the Checkr extension, and enable it.

You might need to refresh open tabs where you intend to use the extension.

Using the extension

Log in to Checkr

After you install the extension, use the Checkr toolbar icon to open it. Click the icon to open the extension’s sidebar window. Click Log In to open a new tab with the Checkr Dashboard, where you will be prompted to log in to your account.

Use your Checkr Dashboard credentials to log in when prompted. After you log in, you’ll be redirected back to the original extension page.

Click the extension’s icon in the toolbar to show/hide the extension window on the page.

Order background checks

To order background checks using the extension, select an email address on any page, and right-click to open the menu. Select Checkr > Order a Background Check.

A window opens with the selected email pre-populated. You may also enter email addresses to issue invitations for additional candidates.

You will be prompted to select the same information you'd select from within the Checkr Dashboard, including a package and a work location for the background check.

Certify that the request is valid, and click Invite Candidates to issue the Checkr invitation.

Or, simply click the Invite Candidate icon in the extension window to issue invitations.

Search for your Checkr candidates

After you log in, enter an existing candidate’s name, email, phone number, or ID in the search field to search for that candidate.

You can also use the right-click menu (used to order a background check) to select a name, email address, phone number, or candidate ID on the page and search your Checkr account for that candidate.

View candidate progress and report results

Click a candidate in the candidate list to read their reports. Click View in dashboard to read more details about the candidate or a report.

View recent activity in your Checkr account

Within the extension window, the Activity tab shows recent activity on your account. Users with admin access in the Checkr Dashboard will also find an Activity tab within the extension window. This tab lists recent Checkr account activity.

Activities listed include invitations created and expired, verifications created, and reports created or completed.

Enable the extension’s banner

Enable this feature to add a banner across all webpages that include an email address matching a candidate email in your Checkr account.

Click the banner to open a new tab with the candidate or their report’s page in the Checkr Dashboard.

Use the steps below to enable the banner:

1. Right-click the Checkr Chrome extension icon in the toolbar, and select Manage Extensions.
2. In the Extensions page that opens, click Extension Options.
3. On the Settings page, check Enable candidate status banner.
4. Enter the domain names of sites where this feature will be enabled.

Contact us

Use the Checkr Help Center to find more information, and use https://checkr.com/contact to report issues.

At Checkr, we believe a criminal sentence should never be a life sentence to unemployment. We believe that the past shouldn't limit human potential, and we work to expand people’s opportunities.

To promote our mission of fair-chance hiring, we built an affordable end-to-end expungement process for candidates with certain eligible charges in California.

What are expungements?

Generally, expungements seal or remove criminal charges from public record. Several factors affect the availability of expungements:

• Jurisdiction of originating charge
• Charges in multiple jurisdictions
• Charge type and severity
• How long ago the charge happened
• Rehabilitation procedures and opportunities
• Fines and fees for the charges and potential expungements

Several states have enacted mandatory expungement policies for certain charges, but this process isn't universally available. Many candidates and employers are unaware of these policies and find it difficult to determine which records qualify.

Checkr facilitates expungement services in two ways:

• Identify potentially expungeable records for certain charges in California.
• Help candidates through the petition process.

Expungement-eligible records

Checkr helps both customers and candidates identify which records might qualify for expungement:

• For customers: The Checkr Dashboard identifies potentially expungeable records.
• For candidates: For potentially expungeable records for certain charges in California, Checkr contacts candidates directly and the Candidate Portal identifies the record.

Expungement process

After Checkr identifies candidates with charges eligible for expungement in California, Checkr refers them to Avenues Legal LLP, a law firm in California. Avenues Legal LLP further evaluates candidate eligibility and processes the expungement petitions. All service costs go directly to Avenues Legal LLP.

The expungement process has the steps below:

1. Checkr notifies the candidate that they have a potentially expungeable record using the methods below:
• Email
• SMS text
• The background check in the Checkr Candidate Portal
2. If the candidate wants to seek an expungement, they complete a questionnaire in the Checkr Candidate Portal to determine whether the record qualifies.
3. If the record qualifies, Checkr passes the information below to Avenues Legal LLP:
• The candidate’s contact information
• The candidate's eligible charge information
• The underlying background check report
4. The candidate chooses whether to pay the legal and processing fees for filing their petition for expungement.
5. Avenues Legal LLP creates and files the candidate’s petition and communicates results.
6. After the expungement order is granted or expungement isn't approved, Checkr emails the candidate.

Interested in getting involved?

Checkr is currently seeking opportunities to partner with nonprofits, government entities, and companies to sponsor expungements to enable more candidates to benefit from a clean slate. If you're interested, contact expungements@checkr.com.

Checkr Assess brings thoughtful automation to the adjudication process so you can focus on reports that need your attention. Using powerful and flexible adjudication rules, Assess offers a preliminary assessment of whether a candidate may or may not qualify for a given role based on your own adjudication criteria. With better consistency and lower cost-to-hire, you can scale faster with less risk.

Use Assess to define your pre-adjudication eligibility criteria of Eligible, Review, or Escalated. Assess will then match your criteria against any state or county criminal records in a report and assign your eligibility outcome to each individual record.

Assess allows you to create rulesets specific to 235 subcategories of criminal charges and 3 levels of severity. You may also create additional custom rules based on any combination of charge type, severity, disposition, candidate age, and frequency.

Assess may be used in addition to Checkr’s Positive Adjudication Matrix. When used together, PAM first filters the records you’ve opted not to review, based on 55 subcategories of criminal charges across 2 levels of severity. Then, Assess follows your ruleset to assign an assessment value to any records that have not been filtered out of the report by PAM. The remaining records are then tagged with your defined eligibility criteria: Eligible, Review, or Escalated.

Note: The Checkr Dashboard will display Status: Complete for any Assess-enabled completed report. The Checkr API will assign the report an overall status of Clear or Consider, based upon the Assessments of the records included within it. Reports without records will receive a status of Clear in the Checkr API. Reports including any records marked Eligible, Review or Escalated will receive Status: Consider.

For more information, see Assess in the Checkr Dashboard User Guides.

Features

Create role-based adjudication criteria

• Customize adjudication criteria for any role based on the charge, its severity or disposition, the age of the candidate at the time of the record, age of the record itself, or the frequency of record type occurrence.

Increase operational efficiency

• Reduce the number of reports requiring manual review. Assess reduces the number of reports requiring manual review by up to 90%.
• Decrease time spent reviewing individual reports. Color coded assessments for each report automatically comparing adjudication criteria to candidate history helps reduce the time spent manually reviewing individual reports by up to 80%.

Mitigate Risk

• Make consistent eligibility decisions. By eliminating the majority of manual review, you can reduce your risk of human error and associated litigation. Targeted and consistent review processes allow you to both demonstrate your compliance, and make informed decisions about your policies going forward based on real data.

Important Legal Notice

Assess is not a replacement for your own compliance program, in particular your background check review and adjudication practices. Assess applies your defined criteria to records to assist in your review process.

Checkr does not provide legal advice through Assess. Users should consult their own legal counsel to determine how to apply your company’s review and adjudication practices to Assess, as well as how your use of Assess may affect your responsibilities under applicable federal and state laws

Candidate stories allow candidates with records an opportunity in the Candidate Portal to submit additional context about their records and self-improvement efforts they’ve made. After a candidate submits their story, you can read it in their report in the Checkr Dashboard.

Candidate stories help your adjudication team comply with Ban the Box and fair chance regulations. This feature enables your adjudicators to collect relevant supplementary information from candidates, which some jurisdictions require as part of the adverse action process.

Checkr enables this feature by default for all customers. If you don't want to offer your candidates the opportunity to share their story through this feature, work with your Checkr Customer Success representative to disable it.

Request candidate stories in the Checkr Dashboard

To request a candidate story from the Checkr Dashboard, open the report and click Request Candidate Story in the Actions section. Candidates can also submit stories without you requesting them.

The Tag field on the Candidates page shows candidates who submitted additional information or who you've asked to. Checkr automatically assigns a tag below to these reports:

• candidate-story-requested
• candidate-story-submitted

Notifications

Use the Account Settings page to set your notification preferences for candidate story submissions. By default, your adjudicators receive notifications for candidate stories submitted before the pre-adverse action process begins.

After a candidate submits their story, the story and any supporting documentation appear in an Additional Information section in their report. After you read the candidate's story, you can mark it as read.

Candidate experience

Candidates receive an email inviting them to log in to the Candidate Portal and submit additional context or supporting documentation if they want to. 

After the candidate clicks the Share Your Story link and logs in, they decide whether to provide general information or address a specific record. The candidate can then add their story and submit documents.

The Candidate Portal makes it clear to candidates that you, the customer, decide whether to review submissions and Checkr can't guarantee that you will.

Checkr ETA predicts when screenings will complete for each background check report. These estimates are based on Checkr’s proprietary machine learning algorithm that uses turnaround times for verifications and record searches for our most common screenings.

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

While the predictions are highly accurate, they are not a guarantee. Estimates provided by Checkr ETA are correct within one business day for more than 9 out of 10 requested reports. Some county-level searches are subject to unpredictable timelines, due to manual search processes and court availability. For more information on these searches, please see County Criminal Records Check in the Checkr Help Center.

Calculating ETA

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

Initial estimates are calculated after candidate data is received and may not appear in the Dashboard for up to 30 minutes. 90% of reports will finish by this estimated date.

10% of reports will complete after the initial report ETA, as a result of report upgrades, unexpected delays at county courts or motor vehicle records offices, or simply normal variance in turnaround times for the screenings. If the date of the initial estimate has passed, Checkr will re-generate the ETA using the current information available for the remaining screenings. The Est. Completion and Est. Last Updated At fields in the Report Information panel of the dashboard will be updated to reflect the new estimate. A report.updated webhook event will be issued for both the initial and the new ETA. The report log available from the Checkr Dashboard will include a timestamped line item for the initial and each subsequent ETA calculation.

The ETA displayed for your candidate in the Candidate Portal will also be updated.

Candidate Experience

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

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

This article will help you:

• Understand adverse action in relation to background checks
• Create a compliant adverse action process
• Complete the adverse action process in Checkr
• Issue pre-adverse action notices
• Monitor adverse action processes
• Understand individualized assessment
• Cancel an adverse action
• Resolve undeliverable adverse action notices

This article is for the following user roles: admin, adjudicator

If any information contained on a candidate’s background check precludes them from working with your company, it is your obligation to carry out 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.

For a quick overview of adverse actions, see our Checkr Check-In video:

This article is intended to give product guidance and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult your legal counsel for questions or employment practices around adverse action and adjudication.

What is adverse action, and why is it important?

In the context of background checks, adverse action is any action you take based on the information in a background check report that negatively affects someone’s employment. This could mean denying them employment, but can also include denying a promotion or transfer, offering employment in a lesser position, or other negative outcomes.

Because adverse action adversely affects consumers (by nature), it is a common area of litigation and compliance risk for you. In fact, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that you follow certain procedures if you decline to hire, engage, or promote a candidate on the basis of information contained in a background report.

The adverse action workflow is critical because it allows the candidate to raise any concerns about their report, and the FCRA requires that employers/end users (which includes companies that use independent contractors) to follow this stringent process.

Some employers are tempted not to communicate with candidates whom they decline. However, if you don’t follow a defined and consistent adverse action process, you’re opening yourself up to legal risk.

What’s an adverse action process?

To stay compliant and avoid the legal action that can come from not properly handling adverse actions, you must follow a process that complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).  

Remember that just because a report came back with the Consider status, that is not a reason to disqualify a candidate. Build a consistent adjudication process to take into account the nature of the crime (such as petty theft vs. assault and battery), when the crime occurred (6 months vs. 6 years ago), and whether the crime is relevant to the job duties that the candidate would be performing.

A compliant adverse action process for employment decisions will include the following:

• Pre-adverse action notice: Informs the candidate that you are considering not moving forward with the employment process based on information in the background report.
• Waiting period: The FCRA requires a reasonable amount of time (usually 7 calendar days, but some jurisdictions require more) before taking final action, so the candidate has an opportunity to dispute any incorrect or outdated information in the report.
• Adverse action notice (or “post-adverse action notice”): After you wait the required amount of time, including time required for the resolution of any dispute, you must provide a final notice of your decision if you have decided not to move forward with the candidate.

For non-employment purposes, you're not required under the FCRA to execute this whole process. You must only provide the adverse action notice.

Checkr helps you stay compliant throughout the adverse action process. 

Set an adverse action email address

The adverse action email is the email used to send 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 isn't deliverable to a candidate (for instance, if they have a mistyped email address on file).

As part of your account setup, you are required to select an adverse action email address. As an admin user, go to Account Settings to set this up.

On the Account Settings page, your admin will also need to provide a Support email or Support phone for candidates to contact you with questions related to adverse actions.

Many Checkr clients choose to use a shared inbox for their adverse action email, so multiple people on your side can check the inbox and handle undeliverable adverse actions.

Important: Make sure that the email address you select is an email address at your company, not a Checkr email address.

Pre-adverse action notice

A pre-adverse action notice notifies the candidate that information contained on their background report might negatively affect a decision about their employment. It is intended to give the candidate an opportunity to respond to the information contained in the report, so by law it must contain a copy of the report. The notice must contain a standard document called “A Summary of Your Rights Under the FCRA,” and some states requires additional notices.

To begin the adverse action process from a background check report, log into Checkr as an admin or adjudicator, go to an individual candidate’s report, and click Pre-adverse action. This button will appear for reports with a consider status.

On the next screen, select the charge(s) that you believe disqualify the candidate from employment. You must select at least one, but you should select all the charges that are potentially disqualifying.

Before sending the email, Checkr will show you a preview of the email that will be sent to the candidate.

Checkr will include the necessary notices for the candidate as attachments, including a copy of the background report and "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act."

All actions will be tracked in an audit log so that you can review them later. You can also download a PDF copy of the notices sent to the candidate.

When you preview the email, you’ll see the adverse action email address that will be used to send the email at the top of the preview screen.

Waiting period

During the waiting period, the candidate can reach out to Checkr directly to dispute the accuracy of their background check report. Candidates can also contact you to provide evidence of rehabilitation or additional information to consider. If the candidate does not dispute the report with Checkr during this time, then the post-adverse action notice will be sent automatically.

By default, Checkr’s waiting period is set to 7 calendar days, and Checkr's system will modify this waiting period as necessary under applicable law. For example, the city of Philadelphia requires a 10-day waiting period. Additionally, Checkr clients can increase the number of days from 7 should they wish (although 7 days is the minimum). If the candidate does not respond within that period of time, Checkr will automatically send a post-adverse notification to the candidate on your behalf (also known as an adverse action notification).

The FCRA does not define a set number of days for the waiting period, but does mandate a “reasonable waiting period.” This waiting period allows candidates to receive the notice, review the background report, and dispute it if the information is incorrect. Most companies provide at least 5 business days or 7 calendar days to give the candidate opportunity to respond.

To see the status of all candidates in the adverse action process, including those in the waiting period, log into the Checkr Dashboard, go to the Adverse action section, and set any status or date filters you want to use.

Here, you can see the status of your candidates in adverse action.  

Individualized assessment

In 2012, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidelines advising employers to consider the specifics of each candidate who might be denied employment based on a background check.

Namely, you should consider:

• The nature and gravity of the offense or conduct
• The time that has passed since the offense, conduct and/or completion of the sentence
• The nature of the job held or sought

The criteria mentioned above is also known as the 'Nature-Time-Nature' test. You are also encouraged to consider other factors like the number of offenses, employment history before and after the offense, rehabilitation efforts, and other circumstances.

The cities of New York and Los Angeles specifically require this type of individualized assessment as part of the hiring process, including that you “show your work” to the candidates to document your decision making. If you’re hiring candidates in these locations, Checkr will add an additional, optional step so you can “show your work.” To learn more, see our article on individualized assessment.

Cancel an adverse action

During the waiting period, the candidate can contact you and provide compelling evidence of rehabilitation or other context that makes you reconsider your adverse action decision. If that’s the case, click Cancel adverse action (it’s located where Engage and Pre-adverse action previously were).

Canceling adverse action will cause the post-adverse action notice not to be delivered to the candidate. After you cancel the adverse action, you can proceed to engage the candidate.

Resolve undeliverable adverse actions

Sometimes your adverse action notices might be undeliverable due to a misspelled or incorrect email address provided by the candidate. Checkr will try 4 times over 24 hours to deliver the adverse action notice, but if it cannot be delivered at that point, it will be considered undeliverable.

For any notices that are undeliverable, correct the candidate’s email address to ensure that the required notices are properly delivered.   

If an adverse action is undeliverable, you will receive an email at your adverse action email contact with the following message (to change your adverse action email address, have your admin go to Account Settings > Adverse action email):

Resolve the error by following the link in the email, then correcting the email address in the Guided Resolution for undeliverable adverse action notice.

In the case that there is no email to correct, click I’m manually handling this, resolve this notice. You’ll see downloadable copies of the pre-adverse action notice and the post-adverse action notice so that you can send them by alternate means.

The Adjudication status of these reports will be designated as manual to remind you to complete the process manually.

On the Checkr Dashboard, go to the adverse action section and filter by Undeliverable to see which notices couldn't be delivered. You can then update the candidate’s email address to re-send communications. If you do not have a correct email address, you should resolve the adverse action offline.

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 article will help you:

• Understand what exceptions are and why they happen.
• Understand the types of exceptions Checkr reports:
  • SSN Trace exceptions
  • Motor Vehicle Record exceptions
  • US Territory Search exceptions
• Search for reports in Pending status because of exceptions, and help resolve them.
• Direct candidates to the Candidate Portal or the appropriate link to submit the information for their report to process.

This article is for the following user roles: Admin, requester, user

What is an exception?

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.

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.

When an exception occurs, Checkr updates the candidate's report to display a card that describes the exception, lists the time the exception occurred, suggests a solution, and provides a link to upload the required documentation. Checkr also automatically emails the candidate with this information and a secure upload link to resolve the issue.

• If the exception relates to the candidate’s name or date of birth (DOB), Checkr requests a photo of a government-issued ID.
• Exceptions that relate to a motor vehicle record (MVR) require a photo of a valid driver's license.
• If the exception relates to a US territories search, Checkr might require government ID, current address, address in country, place of birth, or mother’s maiden name.

If the candidate doesn't respond within 7 days, the report status changes to Suspended. If the candidate submits required documentation within 30 days of the request for it, a suspended report can update and process. After some time, the report automatically changes to Complete status and screenings cancel. If you want the report to complete in its current state, you can use the Complete Now feature.

Exception types

Exceptions can happen for any report Package. The most common exceptions occur when processing the SSN Trace, Motor Vehicle Record, and US Territory Search. When an exception occurs, the candidate’s report has a yellow window describing the exception and specifying which document Checkr requires for review.

SSN Trace exceptions

SSN Trace exceptions can happen if the candidate provided a name or birth date that doesn't match the information returned by the SSN Trace. For most of these issues, the candidate receives an email asking them to re-enter their Social Security number.

While waiting for the candidate to respond to the request, the screening has a Pending status for 7 days.

After the candidate enters and confirms a new SSN, the trace runs again. The report updates with the exception's new status. Note that if the new SSN doesn't match, the report has a Suspended status. After 30 days, the Suspended status automatically changes to Complete, and incomplete screenings cancel.

If the information returned from the SSN Trace doesn't match the information provided, Checkr can't complete the report, and you must request a new report. If the candidate believes that they entered the correct SSN, ask them to contact their local Social Security office. (To find your local office, go to https://secure.ssa.gov.)

Checkr issues the following types of SSN Trace exceptions:

Motor Vehicle Record exceptions

Exceptions sometimes happen if the driver's license number that the candidate entered doesn't match DMV records. In this situation, Checkr asks for a copy of the candidate's driver license.

Other exceptions can happen. Checkr provides a card with the information below:

• Issue description
• Steps for resolving the issue
• Link for entering the requested information
• Timestamp of the exception
• Time left to enter the information and allow the check to continue

US Territory Search exceptions

When a US Territory Search is enabled as part of a State Criminal Records Check, an exception may be triggered to collect additional candidate information. Depending on the US territory searched, the candidate will be prompted to submit the information below: 

• Government ID
• Current address
• Address in country
• Place of birth
• Mother’s maiden name

After the candidate submits the additional information, the US Territory Search processes.

How do I know when an exception occurs?

When reports are initiated, all packages listed on the report have a status of Pending. When an exception occurs, a card describing the exception and its resolution will be shown at the top of the report. The related package's status stays Pending until the candidate submits the required documentation and the report processes.

To search for candidates with exceptions that prevent their reports from completing, go to the Candidates section of the dashboard, and select Status: Pending (Candidate) from the filters.

The dashboard lists candidates who have been asked to resolve their exceptions. Click a report to show that candidate's exceptions.

How do I resolve exceptions so that the report will process?

Resolving exceptions requires candidates to submit additional information. In addition to the email sent candidates, requesting this information, Checkr also provides the following ways to help resolve exceptions:

• Encourage your candidates to visit the Candidate Portal frequently to check their report's progress. Active exceptions, and links to resolve them, appear when they first log in.
• Send your candidates the link for the exception in the Checkr dashboard, and ask them to follow the instructions to resolve the issue.
• Click the link on the report, and enter the requested information on your candidate's behalf.

Logging in to the Candidate Portal or clicking the link for the exception will prompt the candidate to submit the appropriate information. The candidate receives a summary of the problem and instructions for what to do.

Clicking Continue opens a window where they can upload the required document.

Checkr reviews uploaded documents within 24 hours. After an exception is resolved, the window dims and the exception's description has a green checkmark. After all exceptions resolve, the report continues processing.

When candidates log in, they’ll be prompted to submit the requested information.

You can also track your exception resolution rates and timelines in the Candidate Experience report in the Analytics tool to make sure that your reports stay on track.

This article will help you:

• Understand positive adjudication
• Understand how the Positive Adjudication Matrix will help reduce bias and compliance risk
• Set criteria to de-emphasize irrelevant offenses
• Configure the Positive Adjudication Matrix to fit your hiring practices

This article is for the following user roles: admin

Looking for a place to start with positive adjudication? Learn how you can make your adjudication process more efficient and compliant in our three-minute video:

What is positive adjudication?

Adjudication is a process in which a company reviews background check results against the company’s standards to make an assessment on whether to hire the candidate.

Checkr’s software-based adjudication matrix allows you to define which types of charges you want to display on your background checks. Charges can be filtered by charge severity (misdemeanor vs. felony), dismissal status, and time elapsed since disposition date. For example, you can:

• Hide or remove misdemeanor offenses in certain categories
• Hide or remove any offense that isn't relevant to the job duty
• Hide or remove dismissed records, even in states where they're reportable
• Hide or remove offenses that occurred further in the past

Filtered records will be moved to a separate section in the report, or can be hidden entirely.

Why use this matrix?

Adjudication is a manual, time-intensive process that might subject you to legal risk if done inconsistently. Checkr’s Positive Adjudication Matrix (“PAM”) automates much of the adjudication process, saving you time and reducing your compliance risk, while also resulting in fairer hiring practices.

In fact, companies using Checkr’s Positive Adjudication Matrix have reduced manual report review work by up to 40%.

Many background check companies hire agents, sometimes offshore, to manually compare a client’s custom matrix to each case being adjudicated. This process is manual, time-consuming (4 – 12 business hours per candidate), and error-prone.

Counties have different methods of reporting offenses, so you might see many different ways to report the same offense. This lack of standardization of charge types across jurisdictions can lead to adjudication errors and make it difficult to make the right assessment.

The Positive Adjudication Matrix has three main benefits:

• Lower costs: Lowers your adjudication personnel cost because fewer reports require review
• Faster onboarding: Reduces candidate onboarding time because fewer reports require manual review
• Lower compliance risk: Removes bias from the adjudication process and enables a more consistent and compliant hiring process

Decide what to filter

By default, Checkr reports all offenses within your packages that are legally permissible (in other words, records that haven’t been expunged or records that are reportable under state or federal laws).

Some states, such as California, don't allow reporting of any dismissals, but for states with no such restrictions, Checkr will, by default, report dispositions including convictions, dismissals, warrants, or pending cases.

Consider two factors when deciding what to filter: efficiency and compliance. Fortunately, these two often provide a win-win situation for your adjudication team and candidates.

Efficiency

If you don’t include any filters for positive adjudication, reports will have the Consider status if they include offenses that you’ve decided are irrelevant to your decision-making process. Ultimately you would still engage these candidates because the offenses are irrelevant to the job duties or too far in the past.

As a result, your adjudication team will spend unnecessary time reviewing reports with minor and irrelevant offenses, and you might lose employable candidates in the process (which could also open you up to legal and compliance risk). Instead, we recommend that you create filters in the Positive Adjudication Matrix to automatically apply the Clear status for candidates with these irrelevant offenses.

Candidates with statutory violations (like fish and game violations) or minor traffic offenses might have the Consider status if you don’t filter them using the Positive Adjudication Matrix. These offenses are usually irrelevant to most job duties.

Compliance

In 2012, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidelines interpreting Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These guidelines advise employers to consider the specifics of each candidate who might be denied employment based on a background check.

Namely, you should consider:

• The nature and gravity of the offense or conduct
• The time that has passed since the offense, conduct and/or completion of the sentence
• The nature of the job held or sought

You're also encouraged to consider other factors such as the number of offenses, employment history before and after the offense, rehabilitation efforts, and other circumstances. For a more detailed discussion of how to consider such records in your background check policy, refer to Best Practices for Employers Considering Criminal Records for Hiring.

Enable the matrix

To enable the matrix, first contact your Checkr Customer Success Representative to enable it for your account. Then, go to Screenings settings > Adjudication matrix, and click Get Started in the dialog that appears.

Once enabled, click Edit to configure your matrix, or click PDF to download a PDF of your customized configuration to share with others on your team.

Define filters

In the spirit of individualized assessment, the Positive Adjudication Matrix lets you filter offenses by category, severity, age, and disposition.

• Category: The Positive Adjudication Matrix groups related offenses into categories so that you can consistently apply job related adjudication criteria to similar crimes. Offenses are grouped based on independent research, as well as feedback from employers and end users. Checkr built the matrix using groups of crimes that are consistently treated the same way.
• Severity: The Positive Adjudication Matrix divides offenses by severity level: misdemeanors (including infractions, citations, and other minor offenses) and felonies. Consideration of the severity of a crime is an essential component to individualized assessment, so you may want to treat less severe crimes differently than more severe charges within the same category.
• Time Since Disposition: To comply with the EEOC guidance on time that has passed since the offense, you may want to filter out less recent offenses.
• Disposition: Many employers/end users choose not to show dismissed records because they don’t consider dismissed records to be an accurate reflection of one’s criminal history for employment purposes.

For more information about using this feature, refer to Positive Adjudication Matrix in the Checkr Dashboard User Guide.

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.

Continuous Crim allows customers to monitor their candidates' records. Continuous Crim monitors real-time data sources, and looks for changes in a candidate's record. If Checkr identifies a change in the candidate's history, Continuous Crim will automatically kick off follow-up searches in the appropriate jurisdictions and generate a new background check report.

Continuous Crim is not a replacement for a full background check. Its purpose is to supplement your overall trust and safety program by surfacing recent reportable information throughout engagement with your candidates.

Use Continuous Crim to:

• Increase your candidate pool by allowing you to implement fair chance hiring with minimized risk.
• Listen to a candidate’s data over time, looking for and identifying changes in their status.
• Obtain pointers to trigger specific reports when events are found in a candidate’s background.
• Differentiate your products and services by setting new standards of safety.

IMPORTANT: Candidates must provide proper consent for enrollment in Continuous Crim. Specifically, candidates must authorize you to run background checks throughout their engagement. It is your responsibility to both gather consent and maintain procedures to ensure your candidates are unsubscribed if the engagement relationship ends. Please work with your legal counsel to ensure that you have proper consent and procedures in place for Continuous Crim.

For more information on using Continuous Crim, see Enroll a Candidate in Continuous Check in the Checkr Dashboard User Guides, and Continuous Checks in the Checkr APIs.

Continuous Crim data sources

Checkr monitors three types of data sources for Continuous Crim:

• Checkr Real-Time Data: Over 22M county criminal checks are executed by Checkr every year. Continuous Crim subscribers benefit from this data source by “listening” for hits from any check done by Checkr for a subscribed candidate across the entire platform.
• Online criminal databases: Checkr monitors National Criminal databases, Electronic County databases, the Global Watchlist database, and the Sex Offender Registry for subscribed candidates. Hits from these databases are used as pointers to identify which County Criminal Records to search for more complete records. When found, information from the County Criminal Records are included in the report returned for the Continuous Crim subscription.
• Arrest Record Feed: Hits from a real-time arrest record feed act as source of pointers for which counties to search.

Once a hit is generated, Continuous Crim will automatically launch a more complete search into the relevant counties or databases. This information will be returned to you as a standard screening report.

Checkr Real-Time Data

Companies subscribing to Continuous Crim benefit from Checkr’s growing database of candidate information. Once a company subscribes a candidate to Continuous Crim, any background check conducted on that candidate by Checkr for any company will trigger a hit for the Continuous Crim subscription.

In keeping with Checkr’s support of fair chance hiring, only records found within a one-year lookback period are reported with Continuous Crim.

Online database sources

Checkr also monitors several online databases. These sources are checked once every 30 days to look for changes to a candidate’s status within the previous year:

• National Criminal Database: All new charges found in a National Criminal Records Check within one year of the Continuous Crim are validated with a targeted County Criminal Database search.
• Global Watchlist Data: Matches a pre-employment Global Watchlist Records Check.
• Sex Offender Registry: Matches a pre-employment Sex Offender Registry Check.
• Electronic County Databases: Designed as an instant county check, Checkr searches any available electronic county records for the candidate’s current residence location. (This check is run without passthrough fees.)

Arrest records

Checkr’s Continuous Crim integration with prisons and holding cells allow us to receive real-time notification of any new arrest records. 30 days after an arrest record is received, Checkr will conduct a County Criminal Records Check. If no record is found, Checkr will repeat the check in 60 days. (This allows sufficient time for the arrest record to fully mature into a county court record.)

Checkr reports only on convictions and pending cases. Checkr will not report on arrests which do not result in a conviction or pending case.

This article will help you:

• Create and modify Subscriptions in the Checkr Dashboard
• Create and manage Subscriptions using the Checkr APIs

This article is for the following user roles: admin

Is your company required to run background checks on a specific cadence for your active workforce? Checkr’s Subscriptions feature is designed to help.

When you create a Subscription for a candidate, you set the interval at which a background check will be run. For example, you could run a check every three months, or every year.

Create Subscriptions using the Checkr Dashboard

The Checkr Dashboard allows you to create Subscriptions for your engaged candidates. Subscriptions may not be created until after an initial background check has been run on your candidate, and may not be created before obtaining evergreen consent from your candidate. Once created, Subscriptions will rerun the Package included in the original report, at the original price.

Subscriptions differ from standard reports in that Subscriptions run multiple times, at a defined interval. Subscriptions also require evergreen consent from your candidate, which means that the candidate agrees to an ongoing background check process. Be certain to add this step to your consent flow before creating Subscriptions.

To add or modify an individual candidate’s Subscription, log into the Checkr Dashboard as an admin and go to the candidate’s report from the Candidates section. From the report, follow the instructions to Add a Subscription in the Checkr Dashboard User Guide to initiate recurring reports for the candidate.

The Dashboard allows you to create Subscriptions for individual candidates; it does not allow you to mass subscribe or unsubscribe candidates. Use the Checkr API to create Subscriptions to which candidates may be subscribed in bulk.

Manage Subscriptions using the API

Checkr’s API allows you to create Subscriptions to which candidates may be enrolled or unenrolled in bulk.

Review the Subscriptions section of our API Docs to set up Subscriptions using the API.

• Where is my fair chance dashboard?
• What is the fair chance dashboard?
• How do I use the fair chance dashboard?

Where is my fair chance dashboard?

You can access your organization’s fair chance dashboard from the Fair chance tab in your Checkr Dashboard. This dashboard displays hiring-related education, resources, and analytics for customers with available data. 

The fair chance dashboard is available for all customers who use Checkr products for employment purposes. The fair chance dashboard doesn't apply for customers who use Checkr products for tenant, insurance, or business purposes. 

What is the fair chance dashboard?

Through the Fair chance tab in your dashboard, you can find fair chance-related education, resources, and (for some customers) data. Learn how your organization can widen your talent pool while transforming lives through opportunities to work.

By engaging individuals who are impacted by a criminal record, you can widen your talent funnel, successfully recruit and engage top talent, and contribute to lowering the unemployment rate of workers impacted by criminal records.

How do I use the fair chance dashboard?

At Checkr, we believe people with records should have the opportunity to move forward from their past.

Fair chance hiring refers to the practice of hiring people with criminal records. It is built on the premise that everyone, regardless of their background, has the right to be fairly assessed for a role they are qualified to hold. 

By practicing fair chance hiring, companies can find qualified, diverse talent with a wide range of experiences that builds diversity and ultimately leads to stronger business outcomes.

To learn more about the fair chance dashboard, review the fair chance user guide. 

The information below applies to customers who have analytics in their fair chance dashboard:

Who can see fair chance analytics data?

This data is private and appears only for users in your organization who have the permission to access analytics enabled. These roles are admins or other roles that have explicit permission to access analytics in the Checkr Dashboard.

What does <charge category> mean?

Pending charges

• A pending charge means that nothing has been officially decided and the prosecutor is still reviewing the charge.
• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) encourages employers to consider factors such as the nature of the offense when determining eligibility for candidates with records. 

Petty charges

• Petty charges are the lowest-level in severity, meaning the charge may not be serious in nature and may be irrelevant to your business or job type.
• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) encourages employers to consider factors such as the nature of the offense when determining eligibility for candidates with records. 

Charges over 7 years old

• The more time that has passed, the less likely an individual is to commit another offense. Charges that are older than 7 years old have surpassed the statistical reoffense rate.
• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) encourages employers to consider factors such as the time that has passed since the offense when determining eligibility for candidates with records. 

Charges from when the candidates were younger than 25

• Emerging science about brain maturation suggests that adolescent brains continue to mature well into the 20s. 
• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) encourages employers to consider factors such as age at the time of offense when determining eligibility for candidates with records.

How is the fair chance data calculated in the 3-bar chart?

3-bar chart: This analytics feature displays customer adverse action rate as compared to that of average and high fair chance customers of a similar size over the past year.

• Adverse action rate refers to the total candidates that your organization has initiated adverse action for / total reports marked Consider.
• Similar size is defined as customers conducting a similar number of background checks per year.
• Average is defined as the adverse action rate of the 50th percentile for your group of customers of a similar size.
• High fair chance is defined as the adverse action rate of the top 10% of accounts (of your group of customers of a similar size) with the lowest adverse action rates.

For more information about fair chance hiring practices, refer to Checkr's Fair Chance Mission.

Not all screenings result in actionable information for customers. Checkr uses certain screenings operationally to generate other screenings. These are commonly referred to as “pointer searches” and serve an important purpose: to cast a wide net when conducting a comprehensive background check.

Information returned in pointer searches is not always complete or up to date. For this reason, they should not be used to determine a candidate's eligibility, and Checkr takes steps to avoid facilitating such use by customers. These searches inform how Checkr conducts other screenings, and result in Complete, rather than a Clear or Consider outcome.

Pointer searches include:

• SSN Trace: provides verification that the SSN exists, what state it was issued, what year it was issued, and all known names (AKAs) and addresses associated with the SSN.
• National Criminal Database Check: database search. Triggers county criminal checks, and may trigger municipal criminal checks, depending on the Package selected.
• State Criminal Records Check: select states only.

If these non-reportable searches return “pointers” to possible data in specific counties, a County Criminal Records Check is initiated. All felony and misdemeanor records identified on the National Criminal Records Check are verified at the source county courthouse.