Reading a background check report
Last updated: August 26, 2026
Once a background check comes back, here's where to find it and what its status means. This covers Checkr, Certn, Zinc, and SpringVerify.
Who can do this: Recruiter, Hiring Manager, Admin, Super Admin
Where to find it: Candidates → open a candidate → their current job stage → background check card
Where to find a background check
Open the candidate's profile and go to their current job stage. Any background check you've sent appears as a card there, showing the provider, the package name, and its current status.
What each status means
Certn, Zinc, and SpringVerify all share the same set of statuses in Kula.
Status | What it means |
|---|---|
Invitation pending | The candidate has been invited but hasn't started yet. |
Candidate started | The candidate has begun filling in their information. |
Candidate completed | The candidate has finished their part. |
Invitation expired | The candidate didn't complete the invitation in time. |
Invitation deleted | The invitation was cancelled. |
Report pending | The check is running. |
Eligible | The report came back clear. |
Review | The report needs a closer look. |
Escalated | The report has been flagged for extra review. |
Report suspended | The check has been paused. |
Report disputed | The candidate has disputed something in the report. |
Report pre adverse action / Report post adverse action | The report is going through — or has been through — an adverse action process, before or after a decision is shared with the candidate. |
Report cancelled | The check was cancelled. |
Checkr shows its own status screen instead of these labels — see below.
View the full report
Click View report on the card. For Certn, Zinc, and SpringVerify, this opens the report as a PDF right inside Kula.
For Checkr, both starting the check and viewing the report happen inside Checkr's own embedded screen rather than a Kula-built one — you'll see Checkr's native report view instead of a Kula PDF viewer. See Running a background check with Checkr.
Good to know
There's no candidate-facing view of a background check — this is a recruiter-only screen.
Kula doesn't currently notify you when a report is ready. Check back on the candidate's job stage, or look for the activity logged on their profile.
A Checkr report can become unreachable from Kula if your organisation reconnects Checkr with a different account than the one used to create it.
FAQ
How do I know when a background check report is ready?
Kula doesn't send a notification when a report finishes — check the background check card on the candidate's job stage, or look at their activity feed. For more, see Running a background check with Certn.
Why does Checkr look different from my other background check reports?
Checkr is the one provider where the package selection and the report itself both open inside Checkr's own embedded screen, rather than Kula's own report viewer. For more, see Running a background check with Checkr.
Need help?
If you have questions or need assistance, reach out to us at support@kula.ai or use the in-app chat.