Background checks: Process
Table of Contents
Classified, professional, and temporary staff
Student employees, volunteers, and contractors
Faculty and other academic employees
Last updated: March 21, 2025
The process for requesting a criminal conviction history background check.
Classified, professional, and temporary staff
HR reviews candidate-disclosed convictions (if any) to determine final candidate referrals. You will then:
1. Consult with your HR recruitment team member to obtain approval for the salary offer you wish to make.
2. Make an offer of employment to your candidate contingent on obtaining a satisfactory criminal background check.
3. Complete the recruitment, evaluate candidates, and select your final candidate.
4. If your candidate accepts your offer of employment:
- Complete the prehire activity in UWHIRES.
- Tell your candidate to look for an email message from UWHIRES (uwhires@uw.edu) with the subject line: “Candidate to Hire Portal.” The email provides an explanation as well as login instructions.
- Encourage the candidate to act on the email immediately as any delay in doing so may delay when they can begin their new job.
- Instruct the candidate to notify you if they do not receive the Candidate to Hire Portal email as expected. If this occurs, notify your HR recruitment team member immediately.
5. Your HR recruitment team member will notify you if the candidate is eligible for employment and will then initiate the hire in UWHIRES. If the candidate is not eligible for employment, the HR recruitment team member will tell you that the candidate has a disqualifying criminal conviction history, but will not reveal the details of the criminal conviction information. HR will also notify the candidate of ineligibility for employment via email.
Student employees, volunteers, and contractors
Student employees, volunteers or contractors working on campus who perform duties that meet one or more of the security/safety sensitive criteria are required to complete a criminal history background check.
Once you have identified the student employee or volunteer, you will initiate the background check using the online Student and volunteer background check request tool. Please email ttmchbc@uw.edu to request access.
Requests may be added individually or through a mass load by using a template provided within the request tool. For a step-by-step description of this process, view the Student and Volunteer Background Check Request Tool (PDF).
To submit a request you will need:
- the student’s or volunteer’s name.
- their email address. If they are a UW student or employee, you will need their NetID (not a personal email address).
- the name of the Procard holder.
After you submit your request, the following will occur:
- Your applicant will receive an email from ttmchbc@uw.edu that includes instructions and a link for completing the online Criminal History Disclosure and Authorization (CHD). The student will receive reminder notices every 4 days until the CHD is complete, unless you send an email to cancel the background check request.
- After the CHD is completed and cleared, you and the applicant will receive an email from ttmchbc@uw.edu saying that the background check has been initiated with Sterling, the UW’s background check vendor, and that your applicant should watch out for an email from Sterling with further instructions.
- Your applicant will receive a time sensitive invitation from Sterling (no-reply@uss.sterlingcheck.app). They must follow the instructions and submit the requested information. Sterling will send a reminder every 2 days and the invitation will expire after 10 days.
- The applicant will receive confirmation from Sterling (no-reply@uss.sterlingcheck.app) when the background check is complete and cleared. Both you and your applicant will receive a notice from ttmchbc@uw.edu that the background check is clear. The applicant’s notice will include instructions for accessing their background check.
- Your Procard holder will receive an invoice from accountsreceivable@fadv.com. For additional information about costs and billing see Background checks: Costs and billing.
UWHR will contact the applicant and you if the background check results return a disqualifying conviction.
Faculty and other academic employees
Academic Human Resources provides information about the background check process.
Positions having access to select agents
UW Environmental Health and Safety notifies employing units of the background check and suitability assessment requirements and processes.
Criminal Conviction History Background Check (CCHBC) requirements for UW and Third Party led Youth Programs
UW requires all employees and volunteers who have duties that fit the criteria for designation as authorized personnel to complete a CCHBC in accordance with Administrative Policy Statement 10.13 Protecting Youth at the University of Washington.