The PeopleHR and Access Screening integration allows candidate background checks to be triggered directly from an applicant record in PeopleHR ATS. Status updates and completed results are returned to PeopleHR in real time, so users never need to leave the PeopleHR interface.
Watch the video below for a walkthrough of the full setup and screening process.
Data transferred
The following data is exchanged between PeopleHR ATS and Access Screening as part of this integration.
Sent from PeopleHR to Access Screening
First Name (mandatory)Last Name (mandatory)
Email Address (mandatory)
Tags (only if mandatory within the selected workflow)
Brand and Workflow selection
Operator (mapped PeopleHR user)
Returned from Access Screening to PeopleHR
Background check status
Data check results
Screening report PDF
Candidate-submitted documents
đNote: Tags returned from Screening and Static Questions and Answers are not exchanged as part of this integration. PeopleHR ATS will also not store any dates (for example, issue date or expiry date) for documents the candidate provides during the background check process.
The transfer process
Status updates are sent automatically between PeopleHR and Access Screening, refreshing approximately every 2 minutes. A manual Refresh Status button is also available if you need an immediate update.
Setup: PeopleHR Admin
Navigate to: HR Admin > Settings > ATS > Access Screening.
Set up the user mapping between PeopleHR ATS and Access Screening
User mapping connects each PeopleHR ATS user to their corresponding operator in Access Screening. This mapping is required before a user can submit background checks.
Select Add User Mapping.
Review the two user lists:
Users with access to PeopleHR ATS.
Users with access to Access Screening.
Choose the matching PeopleHR user and the corresponding Access Screening operator.
Click Save Mapping to complete the connection.
đNote: Only users with the Operator role in Access Screening appear in the list; the API user does not. Each PeopleHR ATS user can be mapped to only one operator. Deleting a mapping by clicking the bin icon immediately revokes that user's ability to submit background checks.
Access Screening Data Sync
Use the Sync Access Screening option on the screen to refresh operator, brand, workflow, and tags data. Existing mappings are preserved when a sync is run.
â ď¸Important: There is no automated sync. Re-run the sync manually whenever brands, workflows, or user access change in Access Screening.
đNote: If a user's access has been removed from Access Screening, after performing a data sync they will appear with an Inactive status in the User Mapping table and will not be able to submit screenings in PeopleHR ATS. If the mapping is no longer needed, it must be manually deleted from the User Mapping table. If a user's permissions to brands have changed in Access Screening but a data sync has not been performed in PeopleHR, that user will receive an error message when attempting to submit a screening for a brand they no longer have access to.
Prerequisites for background check submission
Before submitting a background check, make sure the following are in place:
Operator mapping: you must be mapped to an Access Screening operator, or the submit option will not be available.
Email address on applicant record: the applicant must have an email address on their PeopleHR ATS record, or submission is blocked.
Brand and workflow access: dropdown options are filtered to the mapped operator's Access Screening access.
Running a check and seeing the results
A candidate must exist as an applicant in PeopleHR ATS, created either manually or via the ATS API. The standard screening flow below applies regardless of how the applicant was created.
đNote: There is no correlation between ATS pipeline stage and the ability to trigger screening. The Screening tab is available at any stage.
Open the applicant record in PeopleHR ATS and select the Screening tab.
Select the brand, workflow, and tags (if assigned to a workflow), then click Submit Screening to trigger the background check process.
The applicant's background check status changes to Waiting for Candidate. The Link option next to the status can be used to navigate to Access Screening for further details.
The candidate receives an email with a link to complete their details in the candidate portal.
The status updates automatically as the candidate progresses (for example, to In Progress). Use Refresh Status on the Screening tab for an immediate update.
Once completed, the status changes to Completed:
The report and any candidate documents are attached to the applicant's Files tab.
The data check results are available in the Data Checks tab.
Once you have reviewed the outcome, move the applicant to the Accepted stage to trigger the New Starter Wizard.
Completing the wizard creates the employee record. Documents from the applicant record are automatically migrated to it.
â ď¸Important: There is no validation preventing you from moving an applicant to Accepted before the screening outcome has been reviewed. Always confirm the result before proceeding.