Kelly Services: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

Kelly was founded in 1946 by William Russell Kelly, who set up Russell Kelly Office Service in Detroit, Michigan as a business service bureau handling typing, duplicating, and inventory work for local customers. Within months the model shifted toward sending employees into customer offices for short assignments, which became the template for modern temporary staffing. The company was renamed Kelly Girl Service, Inc. in 1957 and became Kelly Services, Inc. in 1966 as it expanded into light industrial, marketing, and technical work. It is headquartered in Troy, Michigan and is publicly traded.

Today the company organizes its business into four specialty units that also serve as its reportable segments: Professional & Industrial, which covers clerical and industrial staffing; Science, Engineering & Technology, which places specialized scientific and technical talent; Education, which provides staffing and therapy services to schools and districts; and Outsourcing & Consulting, which delivers talent supply chain services including recruitment process outsourcing and managed service programs. Kelly reported full-year 2025 revenue of 4.3 billion dollars.

The operating footprint is concentrated in North America following a strategic reshaping. In 2024 the company completed the sale of its European staffing operations, sharpening its focus on specialty outcome-based and staffing services in North America while maintaining global recruitment process outsourcing and managed service capabilities. Work is delivered through branch and regional offices, on-site teams embedded at client facilities, and remote recruiting operations.

The workforce divides into two distinct populations, which matters a great deal for screening. Internal employees are the recruiters, account managers, branch and delivery leaders, and corporate professionals who work for Kelly itself. Placed workers, a far larger group, are the office and administrative professionals, warehouse and light industrial workers, laboratory and engineering specialists, substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, and school-based therapists whom Kelly employs or engages and assigns to client sites. Assignment terms, duration, and requirements vary widely by client and specialty.

Company culture and employee programs:

Kelly positions itself as a talent company, and its materials emphasize matching people to work that fits their skills and schedule preferences. Candidates who register with the company typically complete a profile, skills assessments where relevant, and an interview with a recruiter before being presented for assignments. Training, orientation, pay rates, and benefit eligibility vary by business unit, assignment type, client requirements, and location, and school-based roles often carry credential or certification prerequisites set by the district or state rather than by the staffing firm.

Yes. Employers in the staffing and workforce solutions industry, including Kelly Services, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates, provided they follow applicable federal, state, and local laws. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires clear disclosure, written candidate authorization, and a defined adverse action process. Staffing firms also frequently run screening on behalf of, or to the specification of, the client where a worker will be placed, and state and local fair-chance laws apply on top of the federal baseline.

Kelly Services is generally reported to conduct background checks for candidates it places, and screening is a normal feature of staffing work because client organizations set access, safety, and compliance requirements for anyone working at their sites. The scope of a Kelly Services background check typically varies by business unit, client, role, and location. Screening for a substitute teaching assignment, a laboratory position, and a warehouse assignment is unlikely to look the same. The disclosure and authorization documents you receive describe what will actually be checked for your assignment.

Steps vary by specialty, but the Kelly Services hiring process typically begins with an online application or candidate registration, followed by a recruiter screen that covers experience, availability, location preferences, and pay expectations. Depending on the role, candidates may complete skills assessments or credential reviews, and many assignments include an interview with the client organization as well. Candidates who receive a conditional offer are usually asked to complete onboarding paperwork and consent to a background check, and sometimes a drug screen, before a start date is confirmed. Education assignments commonly add credential, certification, or fingerprinting requirements set by the state or district.

Turnaround depends on the searches ordered, the responsiveness of courts, schools, and former employers, and how many jurisdictions a candidate's history covers. Many staffing background checks return within a few business days, while multi-state criminal searches, education verifications, professional license checks, or state-run fingerprint submissions can take noticeably longer. Candidates who want to understand typical timelines in more detail can review background check turnaround times.

The components of any background check are set by the employer and, in staffing, often by the client where the worker will be placed. Screening connected to a Kelly assignment may include some or all of the following:

Because requirements are frequently client-driven, ask your recruiter which searches apply to the specific assignment you are considering.

Lookback depends on the type of search and the law of the state where the candidate lives or worked. In the United States, the FCRA generally limits consumer reporting agencies from reporting most negative information older than seven years, with exceptions for certain record types such as convictions and for higher-salary positions, and a number of states impose stricter limits. Some regulated settings, notably public education, operate under separate state statutes that call for fingerprint-based record checks with their own rules, which can differ from the commercial seven-year framing.

Kelly Services does not publish a detailed public policy on candidates with felony records, and outcomes are typically decided case by case. The picture is more layered in staffing than in direct employment, because a client organization may apply its own standards to anyone working at its site, and some regulated environments such as schools have statutory disqualifiers. Factors that commonly matter include the nature and seriousness of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and its relationship to the duties of the assignment. Many states and cities have enacted "ban-the-box" laws that limit when employers may ask about criminal history. Candidates are encouraged to be candid with their recruiter, who can steer them toward assignments where their history is less likely to be a barrier.

Candidates should expect to provide written consent before any background check begins, generally through a disclosure and authorization form issued during onboarding. Be prepared to supply accurate personal information, including full legal name and any former names, date of birth, Social Security number, and address history, along with documentation of work authorization. Assignment-specific requirements may add a valid driver's license, a professional license or teaching credential, proof of education, or fingerprinting. Accurate information helps ensure searches are run in the right jurisdictions and prevents delays in starting an assignment.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a U.S. federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information. Under the FCRA, an employer must obtain written consent before ordering a report, provide a copy of the report and a summary of rights before taking adverse action, and give the candidate an opportunity to dispute inaccurate information before a final decision. For a detailed overview of how the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines apply to background checks, review Checkr's introduction to the two frameworks.

It depends on the arrangement. In many cases the staffing firm is the employer of record and initiates the screening, so its disclosure and authorization forms govern the process and its team handles any dispute or adverse action correspondence. In other cases a client organization requires its own additional screening, badging, or credentialing before granting site access, which can mean a second round of paperwork. Candidates should ask their recruiter who the employer of record is, which searches are being run, and who to contact if something in the report looks inaccurate.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Kelly Services may see and help you identify potential inaccuracies before they affect your assignment. In one secure report you can review:

Create your report in minutes at Checkr Personal Background Checks. To showcase verified credentials proactively, build a free Checkr Profile you can share with recruiters, hiring managers, or potential employers.

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.