Why is my screening stuck or paused?
Common reasons a screening pauses, what each status means, and what you (or the candidate) can do to unstick it.
In short: Most stuck screenings are waiting on something specific: a document the candidate has not uploaded, a referee not responding, or an ID scan that failed quality checks. Look at the status in the dashboard, it tells you exactly what is needed.
Common reasons for a pause
The candidate has not completed their part
By far the most common cause. We cannot run any checks until the candidate has:
- Consented to each check
- Uploaded the required documents
- Provided the requested information (references, address history, etc.)
The candidate sees what is needed in their secure link. Their inbox should also have automatic reminders from us.
What to do: nudge the candidate (we also send automated reminders). If they have lost the email, we can resend.
A document failed quality checks
ID scans need to be clear and complete. Common rejections:
- The photo is blurry or out of focus
- A corner of the document is cut off
- Glare obscures the security features
- The selfie does not pass liveness detection
What to do: the candidate gets an automatic email asking for a better scan. They re-upload and the screening continues.
A referee is not responding
Reference checks rely on a human conversation, so they can stall if a referee is on holiday or hard to reach. If we cannot get hold of a referee after multiple attempts, we will flag this on the dashboard.
What to do: you can substitute the referee, or proceed without that reference. Decide based on what the role requires.
A foreign registry is temporarily offline
For international screenings, some government registries have intermittent availability. We retry, but a prolonged outage will delay the check.
What to do: nothing immediate, we will keep trying and contact you if alternatives are needed.
Additional information is needed
Sometimes we need a clarification from the candidate (e.g. “we found two records with this name, please confirm date of birth”). The candidate gets an email; the screening pauses until they reply.
What to do: the candidate handles this directly with us. If they need help, they can contact our support.
How to find the exact reason
In the dashboard, the screening detail view shows the current status of every check. If something is paused, the reason is shown directly under the check name.
For candidates, the same information is in their secure screening link. They see exactly what is waiting on them.
If you are stuck and the dashboard does not help
Contact support with the screening reference. We respond within one business day, typically much faster. Our team has full visibility into the screening file and can tell you exactly what is going on.
Related articles
The candidate did not receive their screening email
Usually a spam filter or a typo in the address. Here is how to diagnose and resend, plus how to prevent it next time.
How do I check the status of my screening?
If you've been asked to complete a screening and want to know where it stands, here is how to check and what each status means.
How long does a background screening take?
Pescheck's average turnaround is around one business day. Fully automated checks finish quickly. Reference checks and international verifications take longer because they involve human contact.
