Checkr Communications Director David Patterson said his company’s mission is “to build a fairer future by improving understanding of our past.”
The background screening platform makes it easy for thousands of customers to hire millions of people every year, staying up to date with the fast flow of the gig economy.
Patterson spoke with RewardExpert about the company’s technology and how it vastly improves the hiring process on both ends of the spectrum, for employers and potential employees.
Saving Time and Eliminating Angst
Checkr was founded by CEO Daniel Yanisse and Chief Technology Officer Jonathan Perichon, both formerly employees for Silicon Valley startups, who discovered a problem: Background checks were tedious, done manually and took an egregious amount of time — preventing employees from being able to get through the process and begin working.
The company states that background checks are formulated by trust, and trust exists within transparency. Consumers want to know their rights and what is shared about their personal life, while employers can become cognizant of data, value and responsibilities.
“Using Checkr’s advanced background check technology, companies of all sizes can better understand the dynamics of the changing workforce, bring transparency and fairness to their hiring, and ultimately build a better future for workers,” Patterson said.
As the on-demand economy boomed, Yanisse and Perichon knew they could streamline the background process without sacrificing accuracy. That led to Checkr’s creation, using technology combined with human interest and artificial intelligence to simplify an often disjointed, labor-intensive process.
Helping Customers in a New Age
Patterson said the company’s hiring technology features the fastest turnaround time in the industry.
“On average, a background check from Checkr is ready anytime between a few hours and two days, with most ready for review within 24 hours,” he said. “Using automation, Checkr provides employers with all of the relevant information they need to make an informed hiring decision without excluding people who may become their greatest assets.”
Part of the mission is to create a fairer future by improving understanding of the past. For example, one in three Americans possess a criminal record. That was one focal point, to provide ex-offenders with a chance to get a job.
“A conviction shouldn’t be a life sentence to unemployment, and this is why we practice and advocate fair chance hiring,” he said.
Who Can Benefit, and What They Can Expect
Anyone can benefit from Checkr’s technology, from startups and small businesses to staffing firms and Fortune 500 companies. The company’s AI technology allows easier classification of applicants’ records without jeopardizing accuracy.
“With the industry’s fastest turnaround time and a mobile-friendly interface, jobseekers get the best applicant experience possible, and employers can hire the talent they need more seamlessly,” Patterson said.
With the economy shifting to be more flexible — the company said more than 90 percent of jobs created since 2005 have been temporary — the company is aiming to help the millions of job seekers who will enter the contingent workforce in the next few years.
Strategically situated between the job seekers and the employers, infrastructure is being constructed to find the job that best suits an individual.