TL;DR
- Turnaround time is the time it takes for a background check to be complete, and has factors controlling its speed
- There are factors outside of a screening providers control, such as court closures, manual court searches, slow response times from employers and schools
- There are also factors screening providers can control, such as Manual processing, inefficient workflows, unnecessary handoffs, and searches that sit too long in processing queues
- Turnaround time can be sped up considerably with modernized technology that JDP heavily invests in
Turnaround time can have a major impact on the hiring process. When a background check takes longer than expected, candidates can be left waiting, hiring teams can lose visibility, and onboarding timelines can get pushed back.
But the source of the delay matters. Some parts of a background check depend on courts, employers, schools, and other outside sources. Other delays come down to how efficiently a screening provider processes the search.
Some background check delays are unavoidable and others aren’t.
Delays outside your screening provider’s control:
- Court closures: Courts may close for holidays, weather, staffing issues, or other circumstances, preventing records from being accessed until they reopen.
- Manual court searches: Some courts have limited electronic access, requiring a researcher to retrieve or verify records manually. This can add time to the screening process.
- Slow responses from employers or schools: Employment and education verifications can depend on how quickly an employer or school responds to a verification request.
Delays within their control:
- Manual processing: Manual steps can add unnecessary time, especially when information needs to be entered, reviewed, or moved between systems.
- Inefficient workflows: Screening processes with unnecessary steps or disconnected systems can slow down searches that could otherwise move forward.
- Unnecessary handoffs: Passing a search between multiple people, teams, or systems can create additional waiting time and opportunities for bottlenecks.
- Searches that sit too long in processing queues: Even when the information needed to move forward is available, inefficient queue management can leave searches waiting longer than necessary.
How Can Technology Help Reduce Background Check Delays?
Technology can help screening providers focus on the parts of turnaround time they can actually influence.
JDP uses automation and AI to reduce repetitive tasks, speed up processing, and improve consistency while keeping human oversight at the core of the screening workflow.
Automating screening logic and role-based workflows, connecting screening directly with hiring platforms, and providing real-time status updates and reporting can collectively have a dramatic impact on processing speed.
JDP has also benchmarked its AI-assisted workflows across more than 5,000 orders. Those tests found 53% faster turnaround times on high-volume packages and fewer redundant or irrelevant research steps, which can contribute to turnaround-time delays.
How to Evaluate the Speed of Your Background Screening Process
Every unnecessary delay can create more work for hiring teams and more waiting for candidates.
For organizations hiring at scale, those delays can become even more significant. A few extra steps across hundreds or thousands of background checks can create bottlenecks during peak hiring periods.
A modern screening program should help employers understand where delays are occurring while reducing unnecessary friction wherever possible.
When evaluating a screening provider, employers can look at factors such as:
- How much manual processing is involved?
- Are searches automatically routed to the next step?
- Does the screening platform integrate with the organization’s hiring technology?
- Can hiring teams easily see the status of a search?
- How does the provider handle periods of high screening volume?
- What technology is being used to reduce unnecessary processing time?
Focus on the Delays That Can Be Controlled
Background screening will always involve some factors that a provider cannot control. Courts close. Some jurisdictions require manual searches. Employers and schools may take time to respond.
The opportunity is to keep those outside delays from being compounded by unnecessary internal ones.
JDP invests heavily in technology, automation, and direct data access to reduce the delays that can be controlled, so you’re not waiting on us.
By combining automation, integrated workflows, technology, and human oversight, JDP helps keep background checks moving whenever the information needed to complete them is available.
Background Check Turnaround Time FAQs
How long does a background check take?
Turnaround time depends on the searches being conducted, jurisdictions involved, court accessibility, and whether outside organizations need to provide information. Some searches can return almost instantly, while court or verification-based searches may require additional time.
Why would a county criminal search take longer?
Some counties do not provide complete electronic access to their records, requiring manual research or court verification. Court closures, staffing issues, and access limitations can also affect turnaround time.
Can automation make background checks faster?
Automation can reduce time spent on repetitive processing, routing, data entry, and other administrative steps. It cannot eliminate delays caused by external sources, but it can help reduce unnecessary provider-controlled delays.
What should employers look for in a fast background screening provider?
Look beyond an average turnaround-time number. Evaluate the provider’s automation, integrations, court access, processing workflows, visibility, scalability, and ability to identify where delays occur.
How does JDP help reduce background check delays?
JDP invests in technology, automation, integrations, and streamlined workflows designed to reduce manual effort and unnecessary processing time. The result is a screening process built to keep searches moving whenever the underlying information is available.