FOSS dives into hiring with Checkr as its background check anchor
How switching to Checkr increased the transparency, accessibility and speed of their background screenings.
Foss Swim School teaches students to love water—not just to swim. Their proven Swim Path™ curriculum, highly-trained teachers and pools designed for learning can help any swimmer reach their goal of graduating as a strong, well-rounded swimmer.
Staffing / Professional Services
501 to 1,000 employees
Key Results
FOSS needed a background check provider that would seamlessly integrate with their existing systems while helping them hire at a rapid speed.
FOSS partnered with Checkr to reduce their background check turnaround time, identify candidates that would otherwise have been overlooked, and help build trust with their new hires.
Products Used
The FOSS-Checkr Story
Foss Swim School had an ambitious goal: double their employee count at multiple locations across the country. What’s more, they weren’t just looking for the “traditional” swim instructor with experience in the aquatics industry, because in this tight labor market, such skills are hard to find. Instead, they extended their reach to include those who were comfortable in the water, shared FOSS’ values, and could excel in their extensive training program once hired. Knowing they wanted to grow at a fast rate, while also seeking nontraditional candidates, they needed to rely on HR systems that were well integrated and produced accurate results in a timely manner.
That’s why FOSS turned to Checkr.
As many of these applicants had never been through the background check process, FOSS used Checkr’s candidate portal to build trust and increase conversion, while also creating a strong foundation for a working relationship. Candidates have real-time visibility into the status of their background check, are able to use their mobile devices to access the candidate portal, and receive dedicated support if any concerns arise.
With Checkr, not only have they seen a 78% reduction in average turnaround time on background checks, but Katrin also appreciates how accessible and transparent everything is for their team – and for potential new hires. “I think the integration [with our current ATS] was the initial reason why we switched to Checkr, and its continued to play a huge role in our success,” said Katrin Friday, Talent Acquisition Specialist at Foss Swim School. “We would definitely struggle to get employees in the door if Checkr was slower and not integrated. So the fact that it’s fast and seamless makes the whole experience A-plus.”
FOSS’ growth doesn’t stop there. They continue to focus on doubling employee count, opening new locations, and offering more swim classes to their communities.
Katrin also found that Checkr’s Candidate Stories feature made it easier to implement fair chance hiring practices through more meaningful engagement. With Checkr’s Candidate Stories feature, candidates are able to submit additional context and supporting documentation in the candidate portal, providing FOSS with a better understanding of any previous indiscretions. Katrin and their team can then use that additional context from the story to determine whether the candidate is still a good fit, instilling a sense of trust and ability to move forward.
