Yelp: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

Yelp was founded in July 2004 by former PayPal employees Jeremy Stoppelman and Russel Simmons, who developed the initial concept inside Max Levchin's MRL Ventures incubator in San Francisco. The idea originated after Stoppelman struggled to find a reliable local doctor recommendation online while sick with the flu; the founders initially built an email-based referral network before pivoting to the public, user-generated review model that became Yelp's core product. MRL Ventures co-founder David Galbraith is credited with coming up with the Yelp name. Levchin provided approximately $1 million in initial funding.

Yelp expanded steadily through the mid-2000s, growing beyond San Francisco to other U.S. cities, and by 2010 had reached $30 million in revenue with roughly 4.5 million published reviews. The company entered unsuccessful acquisition talks with Google in 2009 before going public via an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange on March 2, 2012. Yelp became profitable for the first time in 2014 and expanded internationally into markets including Europe, Asia, Mexico, and Argentina through both organic growth and acquisitions such as Qype, SeatMe, and Eat24 (later sold to Grubhub in 2017).

Yelp is headquartered in San Francisco, California, though the company has significantly reduced its physical office footprint in recent years, closing several U.S. and international offices and downsizing its headquarters following pandemic-era shifts to remote work. Today, Yelp employs a few thousand people and generates over $1.4 billion in annual revenue, primarily through advertising sales to local businesses. Yelp's workforce spans software engineering, sales and account management for its advertising business, content moderation and trust and safety teams, and corporate functions.

Company culture and employee programs: Yelp has emphasized its identity as a technology and local commerce platform, with much of its growth driven by advertising sales and product engineering. The company has undergone significant organizational changes in recent years, including layoffs and office consolidations, reflecting broader shifts in the technology industry. Benefits, remote work policies, and advancement opportunities can vary by role and team, so candidates should confirm specifics with a recruiter during the hiring process.

Yes. Employers in the technology and online services industry, including Yelp, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates, provided they comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires employers to obtain written consent, provide disclosures, and follow adverse action procedures.

Yelp is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is standard for technology companies, particularly for roles involving access to sensitive business and user data.

The hiring process for roles at Yelp typically includes an application, one or more interviews with hiring managers and team members, and a background check prior to a final offer. Technical roles may also involve coding assessments or technical interviews.

Background check timelines can vary based on the type of screening requested and how quickly records can be verified. Learn more about typical background check turnaround times to understand what factors can affect the process.

A typical pre-employment background check for a technology company role may include:

Under the FCRA, criminal history reporting is generally limited to seven years for most background checks, though state laws may extend or restrict this timeframe, particularly given California's additional protections for job applicants.

Hiring decisions involving candidates with criminal records are generally made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the nature of the offense, how much time has passed, and its relevance to the role. California, where Yelp is headquartered, has adopted "ban-the-box" laws and additional fair chance hiring requirements that restrict when and how employers can consider criminal history during the hiring process.

Candidates can generally expect to provide personal information such as full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number, along with signed consent authorizing the background check, in compliance with FCRA requirements.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates how employers can use background check information in hiring decisions. It requires employers to notify candidates before running a check, obtain written consent, and follow specific adverse action procedures if a decision is made based on background check results.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Yelp may see during the hiring process, helping you address any concerns before you apply. A personal background check can include:

Learn more about Checkr Personal Background Checks and explore your Checkr Profile to see what information may appear in your own background check.

If you're a candidate with a background check in progress through Checkr as part of your application to Yelp or another employer, you can check your status through the Candidate Portal. For additional support, visit the Checkr Help Center.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information is for general informational purposes only. Checkr does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. This article may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader. Checkr does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites and disclaims any affiliation with the companies mentioned in this article unless otherwise stated.