Sterling’s extensive partner ecosystem offers flexible pre-built integration options and a dedicated team of trusted experts making for a quick and easy implementation.
Integrating an HR system doesn’t have to take weeks. Together with their partners, Sterling helps clients activate a straightforward set-up for standard integrations in days. That's why 60% of Sterling’s global business is integrated with Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) or Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
You can count on Sterling to provide:
- Hand-in-hand support delivering white-glove service.
- Proprietary automated onboarding tools for fast integration.
- Continued investment by consistently adding new integrations.
Teams can save time by configuring screenings to automatically trigger when their candidates reach a specific stage in the hiring process, removing the need to access their Client Hub dashboard for screening details.
Sterling’s integration with Greenhouse Recruiting allows recruiters to launch background screenings for candidates directly from Greenhouse.
Enable the Sterling Seamless Enhanced / Greenhouse Recruiting integration
Configure your web hook oauth credential
To integrate the Sterling’s Seamless Enhanced integration with Greenhouse Recruiting, you’ll first need to connect with your Sterling to review the integration process and receive a few data points you’ll need in order to set up the integration.
After connecting with Sterling, you’ll need to create the web hook oauth credentials to use when configuring the web hook.
- Configure → Dev Center → Web Hooks → Web Hook OAuth Credentials
Once on this screen, the user must input the below to configure OAuth for their client:
- Name this credential: Sterling-Dynamic
-
OAuth Token URL: Test Environment: https://integration.int.com/oauth/screeningdirect/v2/token
Production Environment: https://integration.sterlingts.com/oauth/screeningdirect/v2/token - Client ID (provided by Sterling)
- Client Secret (provided by Sterling)
- Set the Grant Type to Client Credentials
Click Create Web hook oauth credential when finished.
Create a web hook
After configuring your OAuth credentials for the Sterling Seamless Enhanced integration, you'll need to create a web hook.
Follow the steps in this article to create your web hook. As a standard, Sterling supports one web hook per integration, but can address a request for multiple web hooks on a client-by-client basis.
Use the values listed below to configure the web hook:
- Name: A descriptive name for your integration. Most customers choose Sterling-Dynamic integration.
- When: Candidate has Changed Stage
- Endpoint URL: The Endpoint URL provided by Sterling
- Secret Key: The Secret Key provided by Sterling
Once done, navigate to Advanced Settings and locate the Web Hook OAuth Credential field.
Set the web hook oauth credential to Sterling-Dynamic and click Create Web hook.
Create a Harvest API key
A Harvest API key must also be created for the Sterling Seamless Enhanced / Greenhouse Recruiting integration. Follow the steps in this article to create the key, and verify that the permissions below are selected when configuring the integration.
- Harvest API Type: Harvest
- Partner: Sterling
- Description: Sterling Harvest API Key
Note: You cannot access the full Harvest API key again after clicking I have stored the API Key. If you lose your API key and need to access it later, you must create a new API key, provide it to Sterling and then revoke access to the original key.
Permissions
On the subsequent page, very the following permissions are selected:
Applications
- Get: Retrieve Application
- Get: Retrieve Job
- Get: Get Custom Fields
- Patch: Update Custom Fields
- Patch: Edit Candidate
- Get: Retrieve Candidate
When finished, click Save.
Your Harvest API key for the Greenhouse Recruiting / Sterling Seamless Enhanced integration is created and configured.
Use the Sterling Seamless Enhanced integration with Greenhouse Recruiting
Initiate an order
To initiate a background check, navigate to the All Jobs tab in Greenhouse Recruiting and select a job.
From the job dashboard, select the Candidates tab from the left-hand menu panel to view the your applicants.
Select a candidate to place the order for and navigate to the candidate profile.
Advance the candidate into the designated Sterling Background Screening stage.
Note: The Sterling Seamless Enhanced integration is configured to automatically send the candidate a Sterling e-invite once candidates have been moved into a designated integration stage, configured per client, typically titled Background Check.
View order status and results
After successfully submitting your order, the order status will update in Greenhouse Recruiting. Select the Private tab on the candidate profile to locate an order status update.
The Candidate Details tab will update the Sterling Status, Sterling Comments, and Screening Level Results/Score as the candidate’s background screening is being fulfilled.
Once the order is complete, Sterling will post the Order Status, Order Result/Score, Screening Level Result/Score, Sterling Comments, any PII and the Sterling Report URL back to Greenhouse Recruiting.
To view the detailed final report, click the link under Sterling Report URL.
The report URL will redirect you to Sterling for you to Log in. Once signed in, access the Order Manager to view the order and report details.
Note: To view the order status and results within a candidate's Private tab, a user must be either a Site Admin with the additional permission to see private notes, salary info, manage offers, request approval, and approve jobs/offers assigned or a Job Admin who can view and edit private candidate and application fields.
Additional considerations
Generating integration users
The Sterling Integration team will be responsible for creating the initial client user, who will then become the Super User and can add new integration users via Sterling. Sterling requires the following fields to create new users:
- First name
- Last name
- Email address
Configuring additional packages as custom fields
To add the list of packages, you will need to get the package names from Sterling and then do the following:
- Login to Greenhouse Recruiting → Configure → Custom Options → Jobs → Sterling Package → Enter the list of packages in the Options field → Check off Mark Private → Save
Optional custom fields can be added to the Sterling Seamless Enhanced integration and can be used for posting back additional data points from Sterling upon the client’s request, configuring sub-accounts/billcodes, etc. Reach out to Sterling support or your Sterling AM for any questions.
- Login to Greenhouse Recruiting → Configure → Custom Options
- The user can determine what aspect of the integration they’d like to add the custom field.
- Custom Options → Jobs (or you can select any Company Custom Fields)
Reviewing order status and score information
Status
The following statuses are supported within the Sterling integration with Greenhouse Recruiting:
| Sterling status | Description | Status in Greenhouse |
| Initiated | Background Check Order is launched.
Note:This status indicates that the order is successfully initiated. An e-invite is sent to the candidate to come to Sterling’s Candidate Hub and provide the required information. |
Initiated |
| Error | The Background Check Order request errored out. | Error |
| Pending | Candidate received the e-invite and successfully submitted the required information to Sterling. Sterling has started fulfilling the order. | Pending |
| Complete | Background Check Order is fulfilled. | Complete |
| Pre-Adverse Action Initiated | Client has initiated Adverse Action. | Pre-Adverse Action Initiated |
| Pre-Adverse Action Sent | Pre-Adverse Action Letter is sent to the candidate. | Pre-Adverse Action Sent |
| Adverse Action Paused | Client has paused the Adverse Action. | Adverse Action Paused |
| Adverse Action Resumed | Client has resumed the Adverse Action. | Adverse Action Resumed |
| Adverse Action Sent | Final Adverse Action is sent. | Adverse Action Sent |
| Adverse Action Cancelled | Client has cancelled Adverse Action. | Complete |
Scores
The following scores are available within the Sterling Seamless Enhanced / Greenhouse Recruiting. Order scores are available both with Sterling’s Client Matrix Application (CMA) and without CMA.
Client Matrix Application (CMA) based order scores are available both at the order and screening levels. Sterling provides 2-Level and 3-Level scores with CMA.
The following scores are supported with 2-Level CMA:
- Passed
- Review
The following scores are supported with 3-Level CMA:
- Level 1
- Level 2
- Level 3
| Results/Scores | Description | Results/Scores in Greenhouse Recruiting |
| Clear | Indicates all screenings are completed and meets client criteria | Clear |
| Passed | Passed | |
| Level 1 | Level 1 | |
| Consider | Indicates all screenings are completed and order has discrepancies | Consider |
| Review | Review | |
| Level 2 | Level 2 | |
| Level 3 | Level 3 |
The following scores are supported without CMA:
- Clear
- Consider
Status and results post back
Custom Fields have been pre-configured to post back the Sterling Order Status, Order Result/Score, Screening Level Results/Scores, Comments, and Report URL.
Additional resources
For additional information not covered here, reach out to your Sterling Account Manager or email client.support@sterlingcheck.com.