Background Checks FAQ
Answers to common setup and operating questions about Background Checks.
For what the app is and how to set it up from scratch, see the
Background Checks Overview.
Setup
Do I need to configure anything before I can order background checks?
Yes. An admin must first connect at least one background check provider (Checkr, Sterling, or HireRight) under Admin > Integrations. Until an active integration exists, the Background Checks surface redirects with a “not enabled” message and no checks can be ordered.
Who can see background checks, and who can adjudicate them?
Administrators, HR admins, and recruiting app-admins (Job Board, Offer Manager, or Interview Scheduler) have full access: they see every check, can adjudicate, cancel, and record disputes. Recruiters see only checks for candidates they created or jobs they recruit. On mobile, employees whose email matches a candidate record can view the status of their own check, but not adjudication details.
Permissions and access
Why can’t a manager adjudicate a background check?
Adjudication, cancellation, and dispute handling are restricted to the recruiting function — administrators, HR admins, and recruiting app-admins. A line manager does not have access to the adjudication queue or the adjudicate/cancel actions, because FCRA-regulated results (criminal and credit records) are not a general management surface.
Who can request a new background check for a candidate?
Administrators, HR admins, recruiting app-admins, the recruiter assigned to the candidate’s job, and the person who created the candidate record. The “Request Background Check” button only appears for users who can operate at least one candidate.
Day-to-day
Can I order more than one background check for the same candidate?
No. Each candidate can have one background check. If you attempt to request a second, the app redirects you back to the candidate profile with a message that a check has already been requested.
Which screening packages can I choose from?
Four standard packages are available by default: Basic Criminal Check (SSN trace, national criminal database, sex-offender registry), Pro Criminal Check (adds county and federal criminal searches), Comprehensive Background Check (adds employment, education, and reference verification), and Executive Background Check (adds credit report, civil court, media search, and extended history). If your provider defines custom packages, they appear automatically at order time.
What happens when a check comes back with a “Consider” or “Suspended” result?
The check moves into the pending-adjudication queue. If the Notify when results require adjudication setting is on (it is by default), the recruiter, hiring manager, and the person who requested the check receive an email. A recruiting admin then records a decision — Approved, Rejected, Conditional, or Needs Review — with notes. The decision, the adjudicator, and the timestamp are logged in the audit trail.
How does auto-adjudication of clear results work?
When Auto-adjudicate Clear Results is enabled on the provider integration, any check that comes back “Clear” is automatically adjudicated as Approved. The notes record it as auto-adjudicated, and no adjudication-completed email is sent (the report-completed email already announces the outcome). Checks with “Consider” or “Suspended” results always go to the manual queue regardless of this setting.
How does FCRA adverse-action handling work?
When a check is adjudicated as Rejected, the app sends the candidate a pre-adverse action notice automatically (if a candidate email is on file). It then waits the configured number of days before sending the final adverse-action notice. A daily job checks for checks whose waiting period has elapsed and sends the final notice. If the candidate disputes the report during the waiting period, recording the dispute holds the final notice until the dispute is resolved. The full sequence — pre-notice, waiting period, dispute, final notice — is logged in the audit trail.
What if the candidate has no email address on file when adverse action is triggered?
The pre-adverse action notice cannot be sent automatically. The recruiter and adjudicator receive an in-app notification explaining that FCRA requires a pre-adverse action notice and a waiting period, and asking them to complete those steps manually.
When something looks wrong
“Background Checks is not enabled for your organization”
This means no active background check provider integration exists. An admin needs to connect a provider (Checkr, Sterling, or HireRight) under Admin > Integrations and verify the connection is active.
My check has been stuck on “Invited” or “In Progress” for days — is it updating?
Status updates arrive from the provider via webhooks (live for Checkr) or via the automatic polling backstop (Sterling and HireRight). Pending checks are polled for up to 90 days after they are created. You can also force an immediate sync by opening the check detail page and clicking Sync Status. If the status still does not update, verify that the provider integration is active and the API credentials are correct under Admin > Integrations.
I got a background check notification but I can’t find the check
Non-admin users see only checks for candidates they created or jobs where they are the recruiter. If you received a notification as part of the recruiting team but the candidate was created by someone else, ask an administrator or HR admin to share the check details.
Why did my candidate’s background check disappear from the list?
It did not disappear — the list is filtered. Check whether a status or adjudication filter is active. Recruiting admins see all checks; other users see only checks for their own candidates or jobs.
Notifications
Which notifications does Background Checks send, and can I turn them off?
Three recruiter-facing notification settings are configured per provider integration under Admin > Integrations > Notification Settings:
- Notify recruiters when background check is complete — on by default.
- Notify when results require adjudication — on by default.
- Notify recruiters when background check is requested — off by default.
Candidate-facing progress and completion emails are off by default (providers usually email candidates directly). An admin can enable them on the integration configuration. FCRA adverse-action notices to candidates are not toggleable — they are a legal requirement.
Licensing and limits
Does Background Checks require a licence?
No. Background Checks is pay-as-you-go — it is available to every tenant with no licence to purchase. You are billed per check you order, and the screening provider’s own fees apply to each order.
Are there limits I should know about?
- Results per page: 25 on desktop, 20 on mobile.
- Ask AI agent: returns up to 50 checks per request (default 20).
- FCRA waiting period: configurable from 0 to 30 days per provider integration; the default is 5 days.
- Status polling window: pending checks are polled for status updates for up to 90 days after creation.
- One check per candidate — a second check cannot be requested for a candidate who already has one.
More help
- Background Checks Overview
- Ask AI — the assistant answers Background Checks questions from these articles.