Email template · Pre-employment and background checks
Background check email
In short
A background check email to a candidate explains that their offer depends on a background check, what the check covers, how to give consent through the separate FCRA disclosure and authorization, how long it usually takes and who to contact. Below are four templates (consent request, reminder, delay update, high-volume), subject lines, an SMS and compliance notes.
When to send it: Send it right after the candidate accepts a contingent offer, or at the point in your process where your policy and local fair chance laws allow a check. Send it the same day for hourly roles, since checks are usually the longest step before a start date.
Background check email: 4 versions
Consent request after offer
SubjectNext step for your [Job Title] offer: background check
Hi [First Name], Thanks again for accepting our offer for [Job Title]. As mentioned in your offer letter, the offer is contingent on a background check. Here's what to expect: - Our screening partner, [Screening Company], will email you from [Sender Address] with a link. - You'll review a disclosure and authorization form and enter the information they need. - The check covers [e.g. identity verification, a 7-year criminal history search, employment verification for the last 5 years, and education verification]. - It usually takes [Number] business days once you've completed the form. Please complete it by [Deadline] so we can keep your start date of [Start Date]. If anything in your history might come up, you're welcome to tell me or the screening company about it in advance. We look at each result individually, in light of the job. Any questions, just reply here. [Your Name] [Title], [Company] [Phone Number]
Reminder to complete consent
SubjectReminder: background check form for [Job Title]
Hi [First Name], A quick reminder to complete your background check form from [Screening Company]. We haven't received it yet, and we need it by [Deadline] to keep your start date of [Start Date]. If you can't find the email, check your spam folder for a message from [Sender Address], or reply here and I'll have it resent. Thanks, [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Check is taking longer
SubjectUpdate on your background check
Hi [First Name], I wanted to give you an update. Your background check is still in progress. The delay is on [e.g. a county court record search / verification with a former employer], which can take a few extra days and isn't a reflection on you. Right now we expect results by [Expected Date]. [Your start date of [Start Date] is still on / We may need to move your start date to [New Start Date].] I'll email you as soon as I hear more. If a former employer or school asks you to authorize a release, please respond quickly; that often speeds things up. [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
High-volume / hourly
Subject[First Name], complete your background check to lock in [Start Date]
Hi [First Name], You're almost there. To start as a [Job Title] on [Start Date], please complete your background check form today: [Screening Link] It takes about 10 minutes on your phone. Have your Social Security number and the addresses where you've lived in the last [Number] years ready. The [Start Date] class is full once seats are cleared, so please finish it by [Deadline]. Questions? Text [Text Number]. [Company] Recruiting Team
Subject line ideas
- Next step for your [Job Title] offer: background check
- Action needed: background check authorization
- Your background check with [Screening Company]
- Reminder: background check form for [Job Title]
- Update on your background check
- Complete your background check to keep your start date
- Background verification for your [Company] offer
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] at [Company]. To keep your [Start Date] start date for [Job Title], please complete your background check form from [Screening Company] by [Deadline]: [Screening Link]. Questions? Reply here. Reply STOP to opt out.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Job Title], [Screening Company], [Sender Address], [Screening Link], [Number], [Deadline], [Start Date], [New Start Date], [Expected Date], [Text Number], [Your Name], [Title], [Company], [Phone Number]
Where this email sits in the process
For most US employers the order is: conditional offer, background check consent, check results, then either a clearance or the adverse action process. Your contingent job offer email should already say the offer depends on a check; this email turns that sentence into a concrete next step.
Many states and more than 150 cities and counties have fair chance or ban-the-box laws that restrict when you can ask about criminal history. Several, including California, New York City and Philadelphia, generally require a conditional offer before a criminal history check. Running the check after the offer is the safest default for a multi-state employer. Rules differ by location, so map them for every state where you hire.
The email is not the FCRA disclosure
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, if a third-party screening company prepares the report, you must give the candidate a clear and conspicuous written disclosure, in a document that consists solely of the disclosure, and get their written authorization before ordering it. Courts have treated extra language in that document (liability waivers, state notices mixed in, offer terms) as a violation, and class actions over defective disclosures are common.
So keep your email friendly and informational, and let the standalone disclosure and authorization form do the legal work, usually through the screening company's portal. Some states, including California, require additional disclosures; New York requires a copy of Article 23-A of its Correction Law. Have counsel review the forms once and reuse them through your identity verification and screening workflow.
What to include
- That the offer is contingent and on what.
- Who will contact them, from which sender address, so the screening email doesn't land in spam or look like phishing.
- What the check covers: criminal history, identity, employment, education, motor vehicle record, drug test, credit (only where permitted and job-related). Education checks are slow at some schools; our education verification guide for recruiters explains why.
- A realistic timeline. Most checks clear in 2 to 5 business days. County court searches, international checks and unresponsive former employers can add a week or more.
- A deadline tied to the start date.
- An invitation to share context in advance. It signals individualized review and reduces candidate anxiety.
When results come back
If the check is clean, tell the candidate right away; the background check cleared email handles that and confirms the start date. If something in the report might lead you to withdraw the offer, the FCRA requires a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and the Summary of Rights before you make a final decision. Use the pre-adverse action email and give the candidate a reasonable time to respond (five business days is a common practice; some jurisdictions set their own minimum).
The EEOC's guidance on arrest and conviction records recommends an individualized assessment considering the nature of the offense, the time elapsed and the nature of the job. Blanket "no felonies" rules carry real disparate impact risk.
High-volume tips
In hourly hiring, the background check is often the biggest source of drop-off between offer and day one. A distribution center starting 40 people every Monday might lose 10 to 15% of accepted offers to candidates who never complete the consent form. What helps:
- Send the consent link within minutes of offer acceptance, by email and text.
- Make the form mobile-friendly and say how long it takes.
- Nudge at 24 and 48 hours, then call.
- Tell candidates exactly what documents to have ready.
- Track checks that are pending more than 5 business days and update candidates proactively.
Mistakes to avoid
- Putting legal disclosure language and offer details in the same email or document.
- Running checks before a conditional offer in jurisdictions that prohibit it.
- Going silent while the check is pending. Candidates take other jobs.
- Different checks for similar candidates in the same role. Apply the same package to every hire in that job.
- Asking about arrests that didn't lead to conviction, which many states prohibit employers from considering.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell a candidate about a background check?
After the conditional offer, send an email explaining that the offer depends on a check, what it covers, who will contact them, how long it takes and the deadline. The FCRA disclosure and authorization should be a separate standalone document.
Can the background check consent be included in the email?
The email can link to the consent, but the FCRA disclosure itself must be a standalone document that contains only the disclosure. Don't combine it with offer terms or waivers.
How long does a background check take?
Most employment background checks finish in 2 to 5 business days. County court searches, international records, and slow employers or schools can push it to two weeks or more.
What is a background verification email?
It is the same message under a name more common outside the US: a notice that the employer will verify identity, employment, education and sometimes criminal records, with instructions for giving consent.
What happens if a candidate doesn't complete the background check form?
Send reminders at 24 and 48 hours, then call. If they still don't complete it by the deadline, tell them the offer cannot move forward without it and give a final date before you withdraw it.
Do I need to notify a candidate if the background check is delayed?
It isn't legally required, but you should. A short update with the reason and a new expected date keeps candidates from accepting other offers while they wait.