Conducting background checks on prospective employees can be a crucial part of any hiring process to help build a foundation of trust and safety for your company. Turnaround times from start to finish can vary significantly by the type of searches needed, the country in which the check is taking place, the company that provides them, and the speed at which the candidate provides the required information.
According to First Advantage’s 2025 Global Trends Report, 64% of survey respondents in the Asia-Pacific region consider the speed of hiring to be the most important factor in their background checks. While most employers want the quickest possible turnaround; it is also important to remember that screening needs to be thorough and accurate. This could help to mitigate risk once the candidate has been hired and increases the likelihood that the employee will be a good fit for the organisation.
Although many background checks tend to run quickly and smoothly, there can be extenuating circumstances that may cause delays in the screening process, such as the availability of records or unresponsiveness by past employers.
To understand turnaround time, it’s important to recognise that there are multiple elements to pre-employment screening. This depends on the organisation and its preferences and policies, as well as industry and job responsibilities.
A robust background check program may include:
- Identity verification
- Criminal record checks
- Employment and reference checks
- Right-to-Work checks
- Social media searches
- Other background check services
Individually, each of these checks can be critical to a robust background screening program, and while they can run concurrently, they are independent of each other, and each component has the potential for delays.
Where Delays Can Occur
When a background screening company adheres to industry standards, they will use procedures to help ensure that records are up-to-date, and reportable under applicable laws.
Digital identity solutions performed before the background check helps confirm the candidate’s identity and their associated data. It’s an important first step in the hiring process: performing identity verification before screening could help to support faster results because it pre-populates verified data into the background check, reducing downstream delays associated with incorrect or incomplete information.
When conducting education verifications, results typically are returned within one to three days. First Advantage leverages automation technology like standardised data collection by using prefill and tech-enabled contact research in our verification processes to help eliminate preventable delays.
However, unavoidable delays can be a part of verification. They often rely on the response of the verifying source, and this can be a common cause of delays for these checks. If a past employer doesn’t respond to a request in a timely manner, employment verification results will take longer. Education verifications, especially for colleges and universities, can be delayed during summer months or holidays, or when the verification processes require the use of mail.
Working with a Trusted Screening Provider
During the hiring process, a global background screening provider like First Advantage becomes a strategic partner to your business. With deep regional expertise and global reach, we help organisations to:
- Conduct compliant, thorough checks across jurisdictions
- Leverage advanced technology and data to detect discrepancies
- Identify risks early, protecting assets and reputation
- Streamline hiring without compromising accuracy
Candidate Experience Is Paramount
It’s important to remember that even applicants who have nothing to hide may get anxious about the background screening process, especially when delays occur. That’s why it’s so essential to be transparent with your candidates. Communicate that you have a process in place to create a positive and fast experience for them, and let them know how long it generally takes to complete the background check process.
Candidates can complete their portion of the background check easily and quickly within our candidate experience. Its intuitive, mobile-first design gives candidates on-the-go access to any device, anywhere, anytime, helping to minimize their time spent on the screening process.
It’s also worth noting that as the employer, you can and should expect assistance from your background screening provider. Your vendor should be communicating delays to you in a timely matter, letting you know the nature of the delay, how to minimize the occurrence of delays while maintaining accuracy and speed, when you can expect to see the results, and ultimately how to create a pleasant experience for your candidates. If you suspect that delays are due to your provider, ask for a complete timeline of all actions taken to complete the search.
At First Advantage, we’re proud of our dedication to innovative technology which helps to be a leader in the industry for delivering turnaround times for background checks. When delays do occur, we partner closely with our clients to help work through them as quickly as possible.
When background checks are done right, they become essential building blocks to hiring smarter and onboarding faster.
Learn more about First Advantage’s background check solutions.
