You want things fast but you also want them to be correct.
ESS rates Bchex 10 out of 10 on accuracy and turnaround.
Zach MorganAccount Manager, ESS
Background checks for staffing agencies.
About 85% of eligible searches come back within 24 hours. Order from Bullhorn or your ATS, with a package for each client.
From the first order to the first shift.
One platform carries each candidate from the order in your system to the day they start at the client’s site.
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Order from your ATS or the API
Recruiters order inside Bullhorn and other major HR systems, or from your own software through the open API.
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Consent on the candidate’s phone
One link per candidate. They give consent and scan their ID, so names and dates arrive the way the ID shows them.
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Results the same or next day
Each search shows as cleared or to consider. Insight+ applies your hiring rules the same way to every report, and your team makes every decision.
Within 6 hours70%+Within 24 hoursAbout 85%
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On site, on time
Your recruiter confirms the start, and the worker shows up for the first shift at your client’s site.
- Background check cleared
- Drug test complete
- Form I-9 and E-Verify done
- Start confirmedMon, 7:00 AM
Order from Bullhorn, your ATS, or our API.
Order checks and see where each one stands inside your applicant tracking or HR system. Bchex integrates with major HR platforms, plus an open background check API for the systems you built yourself.
See all integrationsTrusted by staffing firms, PEOs, school districts, and employers
Exclusive partner
Build a package for every client and role.
Each client sets its own screening rules, so most staffing firms keep a package for each client and role. Pick a placement to see a common starting point.
Light industrial and warehouse
Shifts fill fast, often many at once. Keep the core searches tight and add the drug test each client’s program calls for.
- Identity and address historyConfirms who the candidate is and where they’ve lived, so the right courts get searched.
- County and statewide criminal searchesFelony and misdemeanor cases from every place the candidate has lived.
- Drug testPre-employment testing, with random and post-accident testing when the client’s program includes it.
- Form I-9 and E-VerifyDigital Form I-9 collection and storage, with E-Verify built in where it’s required.
Healthcare staffing
Hospitals and care facilities write their screening rules into the contract. A common starting point for nurses, aides, and caregivers:
- County and statewide criminal searchesCases from every county and state on the candidate’s address history.
- Sex offender registryNational and state registries, searched before the first shift.
- Exclusion searchesExclusion and sanction lists, including the OIG list and SAM.gov.
- License verificationConfirms the professional license the role requires.
- Drug test and health screeningsPre-employment drug testing, with physicals and health screenings through occupational health.
Drivers and delivery
Anyone who drives for a client needs their driving record checked, along with their criminal record.
- Motor vehicle record (MVR)License status, violations, and suspensions.
- County and statewide criminal searchesFelony and misdemeanor cases from every place the driver has lived.
- Drug testDOT panels for regulated drivers, non-DOT panels for everyone else.
- DOT physicalOrdered with the rest of the package.
Substitutes and school support staff
Each district sets its own requirements, so the package is built to match the district you’re placing with.
- Identity and address historyThe starting point that shows which courts to search.
- County and statewide criminal searchesFelony and misdemeanor cases from every place the candidate has lived.
- Sex offender registryNational and state registries, searched before the first day in a school.
Office and professional
When the resume is what got the candidate placed, confirm the work history as well as the record.
- County criminal searchesCases from the counties on the candidate’s address history.
- Employment verificationJob titles and dates, confirmed directly with past employers.
- Education verificationDegrees and diplomas, confirmed with the school.
- Reference checksFor senior and client-facing roles.
Finance and high-trust roles
Roles near money or sensitive client data often add a federal search to the core package.
- Federal criminal searchFederal cases, such as fraud, that county courts don’t handle.
- County and statewide criminal searchesFelony and misdemeanor cases from every place the candidate has lived.
- Identity and address historyConfirms who the candidate is before anything else runs.
- Employment verificationJob titles and dates, confirmed directly with past employers.
Not sure what a client needs? Our team builds packages with you, client by client. See all background check options.
Keep placements and client sites safe.
Chex365 checks sex offender registries in all 50 states and the national NSOPW database every day. If a placed worker is added, your team is notified automatically with a detailed alert to review. Add criminal record monitoring where available.
See Chex365
What staffing and HR firms say.
ESS places substitute teachers and school support staff in K–12 districts nationwide. AdvisorHR, a North Carolina PEO, runs criminal background checks and drug testing for its clients through Bchex.
If you’re looking for a partner to help you with your criminal background checks, your drug testing, we will highly recommend [Bchex].
Ava GreenVice President of Legal and Human Resources, AdvisorHR
Plan your screening program.
Not ready to talk yet? Start with the guide we wrote for staffing and recruiting firms, free from the Bchex Resource Library.
The Staffing Pro’s Guide to Background Screening
- A package for each client role, and what the core check covers
- A placement timeline and copy-ready wording for candidates and clients
- Questions for any screening partner, plus a printable checklist
Do staffing agencies run background checks?
Most do. Staffing firms usually screen candidates before placement, because clients set screening rules in their contracts and placed workers represent the agency on the client’s site. The checks depend on the role and the client, so many firms keep a package for each.
Who pays for background checks at a staffing agency?
Usually the agency, which builds the cost into its bill rate or client fees. Some clients pay for added searches their contracts require. Rules on passing screening costs to candidates vary by state, so check yours before you do.
Can a staffing agency use different background checks for different clients?
Yes. Most staffing firms set up a package for each client, and sometimes for each role, so every order matches what that client requires. With Bchex, recruiters pick the client’s package when they order, and the same searches run every time.
How fast can a staffing agency get background check results?
At Bchex, about 85% of eligible searches come back within 24 hours, and more than 70% within 6 hours. Searches that need a court clerk to pull records by hand can take longer. Qualifying searches come back within one business day, or that search is free. See what qualifies.
Can we order background checks from our ATS or through an API?
Yes. Bchex integrates with major HR platforms, including Bullhorn, so recruiters order checks and see results without leaving their system. For systems you built yourself, Bchex offers an open background check API. Existing clients can also order and get status updates by text. See all integrations.
Does a temp worker need a new background check for each assignment?
Not always. Many staffing firms reuse a recent check when a worker moves to a new assignment, if the worker’s authorization covers it and the check meets the new client’s requirements. Some clients ask for a new check, one run within a set time, or added searches, so read each client contract.
How often should staffing agencies rescreen workers?
There’s no single rule. Many firms rescreen long-term placements on a set schedule, such as every year, or sooner when a client contract calls for it. Chex365 checks sex offender registries every day, so your team is notified of a match without waiting for the next rescreen. When to rescreen.
How can a staffing agency know if a placed worker is added to a sex offender registry?
With Chex365. It checks sex offender registries in all 50 states and the national NSOPW database every day. If a placed worker is added, your team is notified automatically with a detailed alert report to review and confirm before acting. Where available, you can add criminal record monitoring. Used with your background checks, it helps keep your placements and your clients’ sites safe. See Chex365.
Is a national criminal database search enough for staffing?
No. A national database is a useful first sweep, but it can miss records and include outdated ones, so results should be confirmed at the source. A sound staffing package pairs it with county criminal searches where the candidate has lived. Why a database alone falls short.
Bchex is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Check your state’s requirements and your client contracts. Last updated November 2026.
Screening for another kind of organization? See background checks for schools, churches, nonprofits, youth sports, and healthcare.
Screen every placement without slowing down.
Tell us about your clients, your volume, and the ATS you use, and we’ll show you how Bchex fits.