Modern Retail, Modern Hiring: Room & Board streamlines background checks with Checkr and iCIMS

Room & Board, a prominent player in the retail sector, recognized the need to explore alternatives to streamline their operations and reduce manual processes after years of relying on the same legacy background check vendor. In their search for a new partner, they prioritized finding a company that not only offered technological efficiency and improved compliance, but also shared their core value of supporting communities.

Checkr stood out due to its ability to automate Room & Board's existing processes through the integration with iCIMS, and offered greater assurance in the accuracy of background checks by including Aliases in reports. In addition, Lynda Whittemore, Director of Talent Acquisition, also appreciated that Checkr provided a dedicated point of contact who could offer reliable assistance with any issues, and felt that Checkr had a deep understanding of Room & Board's unique requirements as a non-traditional retailer.

Room & Board's hiring process is distinct from typical high-volume retail recruitment, focusing on quality and achieving a low turnover rate of 15% versus the industry's 50%. They're committed to providing an exceptional candidate experience at all interview stages. This commitment necessitates the selection of vendors like Checkr that meet their high standards for candidate experience.

Before Checkr, Room & Board's background check process was manual and time-consuming. Their process involved multiple steps of manual oversight until final clearance was communicated back to the recruiter. “Any time you have manual processes, you have room for error and delays,” said Lynda. “As a team, we have greatly appreciated the automation that Checkr provides.”

One aspect that distinguished Checkr when it came to automating manual processes was the elimination of the need to personally track individual state compliance requirements. When looking at the pre-adverse action notice, it brings in state requirements during the individualized assessment, which is huge for Lynda’s team. Checkr's adverse action flow automatically pulls that in. “The adverse action process specifically, the assurance that everything is buttoned down from a compliance perspective and the documentation is all in one place has given our team a greater peace of mind. Even though we've only needed to adverse action fewer than a dozen reports," said Lynda. With Checkr, Room & Board was able to eliminate manual candidate emailing, and reduce adjudication time by 50%.

With the integration that Checkr built to iCIMS, Lynda's team conveniently initiates background checks within iCIMS. “With the integration, we built the background check feature directly into our existing workflows,” explained Lynda, “With just the click of a button, candidates are moved into a dedicated workflow based on their role.” Setting up this workflow automation created significant efficiencies compared to Room & Board’s previous process of manually selecting packages and sending background check invitations after sending offer letters.

Room & Board's commitment to high standards is evident in the candidate experience with Checkr. Additionally, Checkr streamlines the process for candidates through the Candidate Portal. “Checkr’s candidate portal is very user-friendly and the process is much quicker for a candidate to complete their information to initiate that background check,” explained Lynda, “And creating a great candidate experience is super important to us.” Room & Board has also noticed better communication from Checkr when there’s a delay, which enables them to provide better service to their candidates.

Room & Board prioritizes a seamless and efficient recruitment process to attract top talent effectively. The Checkr integration with iCIMS has not only streamlined their operations but also significantly reduced manual errors and improved their overall candidate experience. Room & Board’s strategic partnership with Checkr has optimized their workflows and reinforced the company's unique voice and standards in a competitive market.