Background Checks

Being a large, international entity, HireRight has gone to great lengths to create the safest environment for sensitive data. Refer to the HireRight Privacy Policy for more. 

Please allow 5-7 business days from the time that the applicant responds to the e-mail invitation OR from the time HR receives authorization to conduct the background check from the applicant. It is usually best to allow at least 2 weeks for the check when deciding upon a hire date.

First, make sure they are aware that the email will come from an address associated with “HireRight Customer Support,” our background check vendor (applicant may have disregarded it as SPAM). Second, verify that the email address submitted on the Background Check Request form is correct and current. If, at that point, the candidate still has not received the email authorization, contact hr.backgrounds@ucdenver.edu to request that a new email be sent to the candidate.

The link is valid for a 30-day period. If the candidate does not respond within this time frame, contact HR.backgrounds@ucdenver.edu to request a new link. Please encourage the candidate to respond promptly as the turnaround time for receiving the results is negatively impacted if the candidate does not respond in a timely manner.

Here are a few suggestions: 

• Inform the applicant that they will receive an email from HireRight, our third-party vendor, not directly from the University. By letting the applicant know that this is a legitimate email and not spam/phishing scam, confusion is eliminated, and the candidate can respond quickly.
  

• Remind the candidate that a successfully completed background check must be performed BEFORE the candidate can begin working. It may be helpful for you to discuss an anticipated start date but wait to finalize an official start date until the individual has passed their background check.
  

• When requesting the background check please make sure all necessary information is included and is accurate on the Background Check Request form. Doublecheck to make sure the name of the candidate and e-mail are spelled correctly.
  

• Lastly, check-in with the candidate to make sure they received the email from HireRight. Some emails block or send the email directly to junk/spam.

If an international candidate does not yet have a social security number and they have not lived in the USA for a year or more, a criminal background check will not be required. The Department of Homeland Security conducts rigorous screenings prior to granting a visa. A newly minted Social Security Number will yield no data and, therefore, renders the check unnecessary. Once an international candidate has been in the country for more than 1 year, we would require a check upon re-hire, re-appointment, promotion or transfer.

The university requires everyone to have a criminal background check, excluded party lists check, a campus exclusion check, and a national sex offender check. Some positions require a motor vehicle records check (MVR) or a financial check.

The Excluded Parties List is a list compiled by the federal government that identifies individuals who have been suspended, debarred, proposed for debarment, and excluded from working on Federal contracts. Given the university’s status as a federal contractor, anyone found to be on this list is referred for further investigation by Human Resources. Employees are checked against this list as part of our standard background check process.

Motor vehicle records (MVR) checks will be considered for positions that have responsibility for operating University owned or controlled vehicles (including golf carts), require transporting of children, patients, students, clients, or others in a private vehicle or require any other driving of a motor vehicle, including rental vehicles, on a regular or routine basis, to conduct University business. Financial checks are required for the appointment of Officers.

These workers are expected to have successfully completed a background check prior to being allowed to work. It is the responsibility of the vendor to conduct the background check for their employees before sending a worker to campus.

Self disclosure requires all University employees to report any post-employment misdemeanor convictions, felony convictions, and felony charges to the Campus Background Coordinator. Further, all employees with documented driving responsibilities must self-disclose any post- employment driver’s license suspensions or revocations. Employees must report such crimes when rehired, reinstated, transferred, or promoted. They must also report any such charges or convictions brought against them while currently employed by the University. The employee is given three business days to make the University aware of the charges, convictions, suspensions, or revocations. Any department Hiring Authorities made aware of convictions must also report it to HR.backgrounds@ucdenver.edu in Human Resources for further investigation.

New employees are asked to self-disclose any past felony or misdemeanor convictions when they are first hired as part of the background check process. After receiving the initial HireRight background check email, final candidates are asked to self-disclose while signing the authorization documents. 

 HR considers the following criteria for adverse background results: 

• The nature, gravity, and seriousness of offense(s) for which the candidate was convicted
• Number of offenses
• Accuracy of information provided to the University by the final candidate
• Recency and relationship of convictions to position duties