Background check integrations are supposed to make life easier. Emphasis on supposed to.
Ever had to chase a candidate down because they didn’t finish their background check? Or had your team bouncing between browser tabs, trying to figure out where a report even lives? That doesn’t just slow things down—it creates confusion, frustration, and drop-off. And it is often the integration’s fault.
The point of a background check integration is to simplify. Done well, they make the whole hiring process smoother—for your team and your candidates.
But here’s the thing: not all integrations are equal. When an integration creates more problems for you, it’s not a good integration.
So how do you tell the difference? Let’s break down the different types of integrations and how to spot the ones that are actually built to work.
Types of background check integrations
There are many ways to categorize background check integrations. One useful way is by how they connect into your hiring process:
- Through your ATS or HRIS
- Directly into your own app or platform
Let’s walk through both.
1. ATS/HRIS Integrations
This is the most common setup. These integrations connect your background check provider to your existing system—so you can manage everything in one place.
What that gets you:
- Quick setup. Most go live in a day or two.
- Faster workflows. Recruiters, HR teams, and hiring managers can all move faster when background checks live inside the tools they already use.
- Centralized data. Every piece of screening info is tied to the candidate record in your ATS—making it easier to track and manage.
2. Direct Integrations
Direct integrations connect your app or product to the background check provider via API. They require some development work, but they give you full control over the experience.
Why some teams build these:
- It works to deliver the screening experience inside your app. Think: gig platforms, labor marketplaces, or any company that brings workers through a fully custom onboarding flow.
- Candidate experience is your top priority. You want background checks to feel as fast and intuitive as possible for the people going through them.
- You have the dev resources to build it right. It usually takes a month or two to go live with a direct integration, depending on the complexity of your platform and the quality of the screening provider’s API (more about that later on).
These two paths aren’t mutually exclusive. Some companies use both, depending on their systems and workflows.
What matters more than which type you choose is how well it actually works.
Not all integrations are equal
Here’s where things get tricky.
Just because two background check providers both integrate with your ATS doesn’t mean they’re giving you the same experience. That’s because how a provider builds their integration matters—a lot.
Poorly built integrations can:
- Slow down your hiring process
- Hide or remove key features
- Create confusion for your team
- Break when your ATS updates
Even within the same ATS, integrations can look and work very differently depending on the provider. Some are clean and intuitive. Others bury you in extra steps or force you to jump between systems just to get basic info.
The quality of the integration directly affects:
- Speed. Extra time spent on every task adds up fast.
- Visibility. Can you see report statuses clearly?
- Functionality. Are you able to do everything you need without leaving your ATS?
We’ve seen it firsthand. IMKO saved 50+ hours a year just by switching to Yardstik. Same ATS. Same workflow. Just a provider that actually built their tech to work the way teams need it to.
Signs of a good vs. bad background check integration
So how do you spot a good integration before you’re knee-deep in browser tabs and support tickets?
Here are some signs to look for.
For ATS/HRIS Integrations:
- User experience that makes sense. Can your team kick off screens, review results, and take action without getting lost in the UI?
- Up-to-date technology. ATSs evolve. A solid integration keeps pace and doesn’t break when your system updates.
- Full product offering. Some integrations only give you access to a limited set of features or products. That’s a red flag if you plan to grow or need more flexibility later.
- Clear visibility into report status. You should always know where a report stands—whether it’s in progress, completed, or waiting on something. If you’re guessing, something’s broken.
- No separate logins. You shouldn’t have to login multiple times when using an integration in your ATS.
- Integrated history. Can you see screening history tied to a candidate profile? We’re not talking about criminal history—we mean screening events and actions. You want context.
For Direct Integrations:
- Quality API and documentation. If your team is building the integration, the background check provider’s API needs to be modern, well-documented, and reliable.
- Developer-friendly support. This stuff doesn’t build itself. The provider should offer responsive support and real answers when your team hits a snag.
- Product limitations show up here too. If the background check technology itself is clunky, the integration will be too. A bad product doesn’t magically become good when it’s embedded in your app.
Whether it’s direct or through your ATS, a good integration feels like it belongs. A bad one feels like a workaround. And if you’ve been in the high-volume space long enough, you know—no one has time for workarounds.
How to find a great background check integration
Finding a background check integration that works shouldn’t be complicated. You just need to know what to look for—and which providers are actually building them well.
- Start with the tech. Yardstik’s infrastructure is modern and reliable, which means your integration won’t be slowed down by legacy systems or outdated tools.
- Look at how the integration actually works. With Yardstik, you can order reports, view live statuses, and manage everything inside your ATS or platform—without bouncing between tools or tabs.
- Watch for product and tech red flags. Some integrations only give you access to a limited set of features—or fall apart when your systems change. Yardstik keeps everything you need right where your team already works.
- Ask how often it gets better. We treat our integrations like real products. We maintain them, improve them, and keep them in sync with your systems—not just at launch, but for the long haul.
With Yardstik, you get a measurably better background check integration. View our full list of integrations and talk to us today about how your team can save time and money with better screening technology.