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Delivery Time

What is delivery time?

Delivery Time or Turnaround Time (TAT) is the time from when a background check is initiated until the results are finished. Meditor does not calculate from the time of order but from the time the candidate’s consent is received.

Top 10 reasons for why things take time

A background check is always urgent, and everyone who orders a background check wonder how long it will take before results are known. Candidates would also like to know, since a job offer often requires that background checks are performed.

Delivery time depends on several factors, and here are the Top 10 reasons why a background check takes time:

1) Order is unclear / incomplete

Information and documents form the principal basis material. Is there something missing or unclear in order delaying the process, then you must obtain it from the candidate or look it up in other sources. The more information that a client wants to check, and the farther back in time, then it must be understood that a background check takes more time.

2) CV is unclear / incomplete

The candidate is the author of his own resume and the one who knows best their background. If it is unclear or missing, you have to try to figure out what the candidate has really meant, and communication back and forth can take time. The candidate may have forgotten or mixed up details, or lost documents.

3) Consent is missing

If the consent of the candidate is not attached to the order (which is a time saver) the consent must be obtained from the applicant before the background check is implemented. On average, it takes candidates four days to submit this.

4) The candidate is unavailable

The contract requires that the information be checked for completeness and be understandable. If not, it is natural to ask the candidate for help to clear up any misunderstandings and shortcomings. The candidate may be sick, on vacation, offshore or otherwise out of reach. Some candidates are inaccessible because they want to be; they do not want to have anything to do with the process or a background check company. Other times, the client may have required that the candidate should not be contacted.

NOTE: The need to protect a candidate is not real, since the background check does not cause a candidate any disadvantages.

5) Sources decide

Currently the biggest challenge for delivery speed is the sources. They are not required to respond to these requests, and cannot be bribed, threatened or forced. A source determines the course of their response time, and it varies greatly with the seasons and holidays.

Businesses may have limited staffing or capacity during holidays and vacations, and it lengthens the response time. In schools / universities there are 2 student admissions and two endings of the year, and verification inquiries are downgraded for capacity reasons. Whoever asks should understand that sources respond when they have the opportunity.

Some sources have a policy of not responding. Yes, you read that correctly: They do not want to help their former colleagues or students to be evaluated for a potential job. We do not know why, but we know who they are.

Some businesses require payment to answer. It is a natural consequence of verification as requests increase. We understand the requirements for compensation, but often the payment process makes it take considerably longer than if the business only had to give an answer. You as a client / customer must be prepared to pay the cost that any source requires.

6) information is old

If the information you are checking is old (over 10 years) archives may have been moved to remote archives or public archives, and searching for the right contact can be difficult. Often the business itself is unsure of where things are stored and who has access.

7) The data are unavailable

Information you have requested can be in systems / databases where only key personnel have access, and both systems and people can be totally or partially unavailable. There may be restrictions on what information can be requested, answered or acknowledged.

8) Lack of knowledge

The sources may have limited knowledge about the privacy policies and refuse to answer because they are unsure. A background check company must then provide some guidance and explain who the privacy policy is intended to protect. (It is thus the candidate, not the business). Such processes take time and often involves several people, sometimes senior management, before you get a reasonable response.

9) The source lacks reception procedures

Companies often lack a natural focal point, or are unsure of who internally is responsable for responding to an inquiry. This particularly applies to large companies / corporations. From experience a screener avoids shared mailboxes like. [email protected] / [email protected], because the receiver rarely knows what the background check is about and therefore treats our inquiry as spam.

NOTE: It is recommended to create a fixed receiving point staffed by personnel who understand the purpose and answer inquiries, for example. [email protected] or [email protected].

10) The source does not exist

Businesses have been closed down, merged or taken over, and no one knows where the files from the original company eventually are stored. Often one must look for previous management / staff or seek public sources / databases.

Meditor and delivery time

Meditor does not delay any processes, but is like any other that is dependent on external sources. We have good relationships with sources. They know who we are and what we seek. Similarly, we know who to contact and what they require. We respect the source’s wishes and send gentle reminders only when necessary. That way we receive answers where others might not.

We have screeners at work seven days a week all year round and they are available by phone, email and live chat for candidates, clients and sources. It ensures pace and good turnaround time.

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