Email template · Pre-employment and background checks
Background check cleared email
In short
A background check cleared email tells a candidate that their background verification is complete and the offer contingency is satisfied. It confirms the start date, lists any remaining steps such as a drug test or first-day documents, and moves the candidate into onboarding. Below are standard, remaining-steps, volume and internal templates, plus an SMS.
When to send it: Send it the same day the result is cleared, ideally within hours. For hourly roles, every day between clearance and the confirmed start date is a day the candidate may accept another offer.
Background check cleared email: 4 versions
Standard: cleared and confirmed
SubjectYou're cleared to start on [Start Date]
Hi [First Name], Good news: your background check is complete and you're all set to join us as [Job Title]. Your start date is confirmed for [Start Date] at [Start Time], at [Location]. Please ask for [Contact Name] when you arrive. In the next [Number] days you'll receive an email with your first-day details and new hire paperwork. To get ahead, have these ready: - Original documents for Form I-9 (see the list of acceptable documents in your onboarding portal) - Bank details for direct deposit - [Other Item, e.g. your safety shoes] If anything has changed on your side, reply here or call me at [Phone]. We're looking forward to having you on the team. [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Cleared, with remaining steps
SubjectBackground check complete: two steps left
Hi [First Name], Your background check has cleared. Thank you for your patience while it was processed. Before your start date of [Start Date], there are [Number] steps left: 1. [Step 1, e.g. complete your drug screen at [Clinic Name] by [Deadline]. Bring the attached form and a photo ID.] 2. [Step 2, e.g. finish your new hire forms in [Portal Name].] Once both are done, I'll send your final start confirmation and schedule. Questions? Reply here or text [Phone]. [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
High-volume, short
Subject[First Name], you're cleared: see you [Start Date]
Hi [First Name], Your background check is complete. You're confirmed for [Training Class or Shift] starting [Start Date] at [Start Time]. Where: [Address] Who to ask for: [Contact Name] What to bring: photo ID, I-9 documents and [Other Item] Can't make it? Reply or text [Phone] as soon as possible so we can hold a spot in the next class. [Your Name] [Company] Recruiting
Internal note to hiring manager
Subject[Candidate Name] cleared: start [Start Date]
Hi [Manager Name], [Candidate Name] has cleared their background check for [Job Title]. Start date is confirmed for [Start Date]. Please make sure [Equipment, Access or Buddy] is ready for day one. Onboarding details have gone to the candidate. As a reminder, background check reports are confidential and stay with HR. You don't need to see the report to proceed. [Your Name] [Title]
Subject line ideas
- You're cleared to start on [Start Date]
- Background check complete: next steps
- Good news about your background check
- [First Name], you're cleared: see you [Start Date]
- Your start date is confirmed
- Background check complete: two steps left
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] at [Company]. Your background check is complete and you're confirmed to start [Start Date] at [Start Time], [Address]. Bring photo ID and I-9 documents. Questions? Reply here.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Job Title], [Start Date], [Start Time], [Location], [Address], [Contact Name], [Number], [Training Class or Shift], [Phone], [Candidate Name], [Manager Name], [Your Name], [Title], [Company]
Speed is the whole point
Background checks commonly take anywhere from two to ten business days, depending on how many counties, employers and schools need to be searched. During that wait, hourly and entry-level candidates keep interviewing. A cleared email that goes out three days after the result came back can lose you the hire.
The practical fix is to trigger the email automatically when your screening provider returns a clear result, or at least to have a recruiter check results twice a day. For a contact center filling a 25-seat training class, a same-day cleared message plus a reminder text two days before the start is often the difference between 22 and 25 people showing up.
What to include
- A plain statement that the check is complete, in the first line.
- The confirmed start date, time and place, and who to ask for. The candidate should be able to show up using this email alone.
- What's still outstanding: a drug test, a license check, new hire forms. Don't say "you're all set" if they aren't.
- What to bring on day one, especially original documents for Form I-9, which must be completed by the end of the third business day of employment.
- A way to reach a person if their plans have changed.
If you verify identity digitally as part of screening, mention it so the candidate isn't asked for the same documents twice. A dedicated identity verification step can confirm the person who starts is the person you checked.
Keep the results private
Don't include or attach the report, and don't describe what was searched or found. The email only needs to say the check is complete. Background reports are consumer reports under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and the information in them should be shared only with people who need it for the hiring decision. Hiring managers usually don't need the report at all, only the outcome.
If the check returned something that might lead you not to hire, this is not the email to send. Under the FCRA, you must first send a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and a summary of rights, give the candidate time to respond, and only then make a final decision. See our pre-adverse action email and the glossary entry on the background check. Several states and cities add their own fair chance hiring rules; rules vary by location.
Where it fits in the sequence
The usual order is: contingent job offer email, then the background check email with the disclosure and authorization, then this cleared message, then the onboarding email before the start date. Many teams combine the cleared notice and first-day details into one message for hourly roles, which works well as long as the email stays short. For salaried roles with longer notice periods, send the cleared email now and the detailed onboarding email a week before the start date, inside your candidate onboarding flow.
Frequently asked questions
How do you tell a candidate they passed a background check?
Send a short email the same day the result clears, saying the check is complete, confirming the start date, time and location, and listing any remaining steps and what to bring on the first day.
What does a background check cleared email mean?
It means the employer has received the results, the background check contingency in the offer is satisfied and the candidate can proceed to onboarding, subject to any other contingencies such as a drug test.
Should the employer share the background check report when it is clear?
It is not required for a clear result. The candidate can request their file from the screening company. Some states require employers to offer a copy, so check your local rules.
How long does it take to get a background verification completed email?
Most checks take two to ten business days. County court searches, international records and education verifications are common causes of delay.
Is a background check cleared email the same as an offer letter?
No. It confirms that one contingency in an existing offer has been met. The terms of employment remain in the offer letter the candidate already signed.