September 2019 Summaries

Checkr has raised $160 million in Series D funding led by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., joined by Bond, Coatue, and long-time investors Accel, Y Combinator, and IVP. The funds will be used to expand the functionality of their hiring platform, improve accuracy and fairness, create new products, and develop international capabilities. Checkr has grown significantly since its founding in 2014, supporting thousands of businesses with over 42 million background checks, including new customers like Elwood Staffing and PrideStaff. The company plans to greatly expand its team in 2019 to support the growth and opportunities ahead.

The US unemployment rate recently fell to its lowest level in half a century, but for people with criminal records, obstacles to securing work remain high. Checkr aims to educate employers on recognizing background checks as part of a person's story and reduce stigma by launching the Fair Assessment Course and Certification, an online course providing best practices for reviewing background checks and scenarios encountered in hiring decision making. The course helps companies stay compliant with regulations, reduce friction in their hiring process, consider candidates' records in context, decipher confusing court dispositions, and open up new pools of qualified talent. By doing so, Checkr envisions a world where everyone has an equal opportunity to work, benefiting both companies and society.

California has introduced legislation to automate expungement of arrests and low-level convictions, aiming to remove a major barrier for people with criminal records. The current process is complex and time-consuming, requiring individuals to navigate the law and potentially hire an attorney, resulting in less than 20% of eligible individuals having their records expunged. This bill has the potential to alleviate this challenge, placing individuals on an even playing field when it comes to finding employment, while also reducing unconscious biases in hiring processes for companies like Checkr that promote fairer practices. By automating record expungement, California is taking a significant step towards addressing the negative impact of criminal records on job seekers.