GoTranscript: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

GoTranscript is a privately held transcription and language services company based in Edinburgh, Scotland, with its registered address on Duke Street in the Leith district of the city. The company markets itself as a global transcription and translation provider operating since 2005, though its own careers page also states that GoTranscript was founded in 2006, so the exact founding year is not consistently stated in the company's own materials. It began with a small group of transcriptionists and proofreaders and grew into one of the larger online transcription agencies.

The service portfolio covers human transcription, closed captioning, proofreading and transcript editing, subtitling, and translation, along with automated speech-to-text drafts, a transcription and captioning API, and custom data labeling work. The company advertises coverage across more than 140 languages and serves sectors including academic research, media, legal, medical, law enforcement, government, and nonprofits.

The staffing model is the most important thing for applicants to understand. A small core team handles operations, engineering, sales, and support, while the transcription and proofreading work is performed by a large distributed pool of freelance contributors who set their own hours and work remotely. Applicants for contributor roles typically go through a skills-based application rather than a conventional corporate interview loop, and they are usually engaged as independent contractors rather than employees. That distinction matters, because pre-employment screening practices and legal obligations differ between employees and contractors, and between countries.

Company culture and employee programs:

GoTranscript's contributor experience centers on flexibility and quality control. Transcribers choose files from an available work pool, work to a published style guide, and have output reviewed by editors, with pay tied to audio minutes and quality ratings rather than scheduled hours. Written guidelines, sample transcripts, and grading feedback are the main development mechanism. Because contributors work remotely and handle client audio that can include confidential or regulated content, confidentiality and data handling commitments are a standard part of onboarding. Terms and rates differ by engagement type and country, so applicants should confirm specifics before accepting work.

Yes. Employers in the transcription and business services industry, including GoTranscript, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates when they follow the laws that apply where the candidate is located. For United States candidates, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) sets the rules for a standalone disclosure, written authorization, and the pre-adverse and adverse action process when a report influences a decision. In the United Kingdom and the European Union, data protection law limits what information an employer may collect and how it may be used, and criminal record disclosure follows separate national frameworks.

GoTranscript has not published a detailed public screening policy, and practices at remote-first transcription companies vary widely. Screening in this sector is typically driven by client requirements rather than applied uniformly: work involving law enforcement audio, medical records, legal proceedings, or government material often carries contractual vetting, confidentiality, and data-handling obligations that flow down to the people doing the work. Contributor applications commonly emphasize a language and transcription skills test, identity and payment verification, and a confidentiality agreement. Candidates should ask directly which checks apply to the specific work they are being offered.

The GoTranscript hiring process for contributor roles generally begins with an online application that includes a language proficiency and transcription or translation test, followed by a review of a short sample against the company's style guide. Applicants who pass set up an account, complete identity and payment details, and agree to confidentiality terms before being given access to the available work pool. Early work is usually reviewed closely, and quality scores influence access to higher-paying or specialized files. Core staff roles in operations, engineering, sales, or support follow a more conventional path of recruiter screen, interviews, and a formal offer.

When a background check is part of the process, turnaround depends on the searches ordered, how quickly courts and prior employers respond, and how many jurisdictions the candidate's history covers. Many checks return within a few business days, while records that must be pulled manually from courts, or that span several states or countries, take longer. International screening is frequently the slowest element, because record access rules and processing times differ substantially from one country to another. Candidates who want more detail on what drives these timelines can review background check turnaround times.

Whoever orders the report decides which searches it contains. For a remote transcription role handling client audio, a background check may include some or all of the following:

Candidates should read any disclosure and consent documents they receive to see what applies to their specific engagement.

The lookback period depends on the search type and on the law where the candidate lives. In the United States, the FCRA generally limits consumer reporting agencies from reporting most adverse information older than seven years, with exceptions that can apply to higher-salary positions and to certain record categories such as criminal convictions, and several states impose stricter limits. In the United Kingdom and many European countries, criminal record disclosure rules work quite differently and often restrict what may be considered after a defined rehabilitation period. Verifications of employment or education are not bound by the same seven-year framing.

GoTranscript has not published a policy specific to applicants with felony records, and decisions of this kind are typically made case by case where screening applies at all. Employers generally weigh the nature and seriousness of the offense, how much time has passed, evidence of rehabilitation, and whether the record relates to the work. Many United States states and cities have adopted "ban-the-box" laws that restrict when criminal history may be raised during an application. Applicants should note that a client contract governing sensitive audio, such as law enforcement or medical material, may carry its own vetting conditions independent of the company's general practice.

Where a background check is conducted, candidates are typically asked to provide written consent beforehand, along with accurate personal information such as full legal name, any prior names, date of birth, address history, and a government identifier where the jurisdiction requires one. Accurate details matter because they determine which records are searched and reduce the chance of delays or mismatches. Separately from any background check, contributor applicants should expect standard onboarding requirements such as identity confirmation, tax or payment documentation appropriate to their country, and a signed confidentiality agreement covering client audio.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a United States federal law governing how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information. It requires an employer to obtain written consent before running a report, to provide a copy of the report and a summary of rights before taking adverse action based on it, and to give the candidate a reasonable opportunity to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information before a final decision. For a fuller explanation of how the FCRA and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance apply to employment screening, see Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Yes, and the difference is worth understanding. Independent contractors are engaged under a services agreement rather than an employment relationship, so the obligations that attach to pre-employment screening are not identical to those for employees, and they vary by country. In practice, many remote platforms rely on identity verification, skills testing, and confidentiality agreements for contributor onboarding, and add formal background checks only where a client contract or a regulated data category requires them. United States candidates still receive FCRA protections whenever a consumer report is obtained about them for work purposes. Candidates outside the United States should ask which national rules govern any check being run.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what GoTranscript may see and gives you time to correct inaccuracies before they affect your application. In one secure report you can review:

Create your report in minutes at Checkr Personal Background Checks. To share verified credentials proactively, build a free Checkr Profile you can send to recruiters and hiring managers.

Check your report status in the Candidate Portal. Or, visit the Checkr Help Center for FAQs, dispute steps, and to contact support.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.