The Checkr screening solution uses artificial intelligence or AI to classify background data to provide more relevant reports. The company has also launched Better Future to empower job seekers so they can see what is in their background before they submit their application.
With unemployment rates getting lower each month, the tight labor market is forcing businesses to adapt and offer more incentives. This is making companies reevaluate their stance on criminal records to determine what they can tolerate in term of offenses.
For small business owners who are facing this labor shortage, being able to evaluate the background of an applicant with detailed information can be extremely helpful.
Identifying the type of crime an applicant has committed and determining whether it is relevant for your business is important. This is where Checkr’s AI technology comes to play.
Using AI
Checkr doesn’t use AI to determine whether an applicant is qualified for the job or not. In an interview on Entrepreneur, Daniel Yanisse, Co-founder and CEO of Checkr, said “We’re using AI for classifying data. Like, is this a driving violation or is this a physical crime? Those things are more fact-based.”
With this type of vetting, businesses can get a more complete picture and not dismiss a perfectly good candidate just because they have a criminal background (which could just be an unpaid traffic ticket). Checkr told Entrepreneur the company helped 8,000 applicants with such backgrounds to get jobs. And for 2018, it is looking to increase that number 10 fold to 80,000.
Yanisse concluded the interview by highlighting the many different levels of crime, which can be very minor or extremely severe. He goes on to say, “People make mistakes, and there are different severities of mistakes.”
Checkr App
The Checkr platform is an Editor’s Choice winner by PCMag and ConsumersAdvocate.org gives it 7.5 out of 10.
Designed as an application programming interface (API), the Checkr platform can be integrated into HR and applicant tracking system (ATS) easily. This has allowed gig economy companies such as Uber, Lyft, Instacart, Postmates and GrubHub to run hundreds of thousands of checks every year using the platform.
This doesn’t mean you have to be a big enterprise to get a background check. Small businesses can order different types of background checks, depending on how thorough the need to get, for one or more people. This can include everything from driving records to drug tests, criminal searches at the county, state, and federal level, sex offender registries, terrorist watch lists, and much more.
According to a survey (PDF) by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), 72% of employers rely on background checks, and 30% of Americans have a criminal record in their background check.
The data from the survey points out the need for both employers and employees to have a solution which provides accurate information on the reports they receive.
For the employer, it will provide yet another piece of data to make a more informed decision about a new candidate. And for the candidate, it means they will know what is in their background so they can explain their situation better.
If you are a business you can try Checkr here, and if you are applying for a job and you want to check out what your new boss will see go here to try Better Future for free.
Image: Checkr