Sponsored by Checkr.
My talent team uses AI and automations every day, in almost every workflow.
Yes, we’re a tech company (so AI is basically in the water here), and yes, we have a company-wide initiative to bring even more AI tools and agents into our programs—but those motivations for adopting AI solutions are almost background noise.
As the Senior Director of Total Rewards and People Operations, it’s my job to help my recruiters and people managers do the best work of their careers. And guess what? AI is now (and maybe forever will be) my partner in accomplishing that initiative.
AI has applications across the hiring funnel, and it’s easy for high-profile, creative solutions (hello, ChatGPT) and custom agents to hog the spotlight when deciding which tools to select from the array of options available. My people managers absolutely use tools like this to synthesize data or generate personas for recruitment and manager training.
But I want to dig into another powerful use case that some teams overlook, and one that has a huge impact on my team’s KPIs: automated, AI-powered background checks.
AI in action: What it does for us (and can do for you)
AI handles our heavy lifting at every stage in the background check process. Here are some examples of the steps where we’re seeing the biggest wins.
Building the right packages
If you’ve ever struggled with building background check packages for multiple roles or jurisdictions, you know how complicated it can get. It’s even more confusing if you work for a large employer, hire in volume, or operate in a highly regulated industry (looking at you, healthcare and transportation).
You could risk over- or under-screening . . . or you could let AI take the lead. For example, AI can recommend the correct screening packages to use for different roles and suggest how to customize them based on your company policies
Ensuring accurate data collection
There’s a lot that can go wrong when you use old-school manual background checks. Suppose you have a candidate named James Smith who appears in court records as Jim Smith. Traditional background screenings could return a false negative, but AI can identify James as Jim and make sure a criminal conviction doesn’t slip through the cracks.
AI can also spot mistakes candidates make on their background check forms that can cause confusion or delays. For instance, if a candidate transposes an SSN or leaves a field blank, AI can instantly alert them to fix the errors, so the screening keeps rolling along.
Verifying resumes
We’ve all seen candidates get creative with their resumes. Fortunately, AI can help uncover inflated job titles or degrees, quickly scanning employer data to verify that an employee really held the job they claim. AI can even spot things the human eye can’t, like faint marks showing a PDF has been altered. It’s ideally suited to uncover signs of tampering in documents like pay stubs or diplomas
Automating report creation and clarifying charges
Trying to decipher criminal charge language just might get my vote for the toughest part of background check review. Language used for charges can differ from one jurisdiction to another, leaving you guessing. When you use AI to generate reports, though, you don’t need a decoder to figure out what they mean.
Checkr’s AI-powered Charge Classifier, for example, instantly classifies and standardizes charge data so reports are easy to understand. Plus, our compliance engine stays up to speed on background check laws and regulations, helping you only surface reportable charges and mitigate risk.
Streamlining adjudication
Adjudication can be a massive bottleneck in the hiring process. It’s essential, but tedious, especially if you’re reviewing thousands of candidates. With AI, though, you can slash manual review time (without cutting corners). To share one example, Checkr Assess features AI-enhanced filters and customizable rules that automate adjudication actions and instantly highlight which records need human review—reducing the number of reports you have to manually review by up to 80%. With a solution like Assess, most of your background checks are adjudicated instantly, rather than sitting in a queue.
Keeping candidates engaged
You may already use AI chatbots to answer candidate FAQs or AI tools to schedule interviews. We’ve also seen great results from using AI to automate candidate communications, like updates on background check status or reminders to sign a consent form. It’s a huge time-saver for our team that helps keep candidates in the funnel.
Tracking report timing
Wondering when their background check will be completed is nervewracking for candidates—and can stress you out, too. After all, if you don’t move fast enough, you might lose your top pick to a competitor. AI learns from experience, using data from the 35 million+ checks Checkr runs each year to accurately predict when each report will be ready. The dynamic ETA updates in real-time, so you and your candidates are always in the loop.
How AI-powered background checks pay off
I’ve shared about all the tasks AI can handle, but what about its organizational and human impact? If you’re still not convinced that AI-powered background checks should be a top priority to improve your hiring experience, these down-funnel impacts will change your mind.
Fill seats with quality talent, faster
In a competitive hiring market, the top candidate usually goes to the employer that acts fastest. AI speeds up your background check process exponentially; that’s a win-win. Candidates get quicker responses from you and can make better decisions. You get reports faster and can move talent through the funnel quickly.
Smooth out your hiring flow
AI-powered background check tools that integrate with your ATS platform can be a real lifesaver if your team feels bogged down with clerical work. No more logging into and out of multiple apps. No more manually inputting or transferring candidate information (and possibly making mistakes).
Candidates trust your team
AI can keep candidates informed every step of the way, easing their worries. Candidates feel cared for, which makes your brand look good. Your team has fewer support calls to deal with.
AI makes screenings more accurate
Can you have it all—speed and accuracy at the same time? Yes, when you’re using AI. It can gather data from hundreds of sources, then sort, categorize, and filter it—all in the blink of an eye. No one wants to risk basing hiring decisions on bad data, and with AI on your team, you can hire with confidence.
Redefining what’s possible with AI
Of course, I’m not suggesting handing everything over to AI. There’s still plenty of need for the human touch in hiring. But when you’re aiming to build a best-in-class background check engine, AI has got to be part of your foundation.
If you haven’t fully explored AI’s possibilities yet, now’s the time to start. Yes, AI makes background checks more efficient. But its real magic is in giving your team time to focus on strategic work, on people, and on the ideas that can truly transform your organization.
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