First Advantage integration

First Advantage is the largest global screening provider offering comprehensive background screening solutions that provide employers and housing providers with straightforward, actionable reports so they can make confident choices, reduce risk, and stay compliant.

Greenhouse Recruiting's integration with First Advantage (FADV) enables users to access First Advantage screening services from Greenhouse Recruiting by providing the following functionalities:

• Initiate First Advantage screening request
• Track real-time screening orders status
• Access via links to view a detailed screening report

Set up the First Advantage / Greenhouse Recruiting integration

Create a Harvest API key

To configure the Greenhouse Recruiting / First Advantage integration, you’ll need to create a Harvest API key.

Follow the steps in this article to create the key, and verify that the permissions below are selected when configuring the First Advantage integration.

Credentials

In the Create New Credential dialog box, make the following selections:

• API Type: Harvest
• Partner: First Advantage
• Description: First Advantage Harvest API Key

Permissions

Verify that all the following permissions are selected for the First Advantage integration:

• Candidates
• Custom Field Options
• Custom Fields
• Custom Locations
• Demographic Data
• Departments
• EEOC
• Education
• Job Stages
• Jobs
• Offices
• Tags

Your Harvest API key for the Greenhouse Recruiting / First Advantage integration is created and configured. Provide your Harvest API key to your First Advantage onboarding team so they can set up the integration.

The Harvest API key will be used to automatically-populate information in the FADV_Account and FADV_Packing Custom Job Fields set up later in the configuration process.

Configure a First Advantage webhook

To integrate First Advantage with Greenhouse Recruiting, you’ll need to create a webhook. Follow the steps in this article to create your webhook. Use the values listed below to configure the webhook:

• Name: A descriptive name for your integration. Most customers choose "FADV Screening Integration"
• When: The time that the event will be sent to First Advantage. Select the following options for this integration:
  • Candidate has changed stage
• Endpoint URL:
  • For your test environment: https://apicdntest.fadv.com/greenhouse/order
  • For your production environment: https://apicdn.fadv.com/greenhouse/order
• Secret Key: Optional
• Additional HTTP Headers: Add Company: [Name of your Company]

Create an integration service user for the First Advantage integration

To update a candidate's status in Greenhouse Recruiting, you'll need to provide First Advantage with a user who will make the updates. The user associated with this ID will be listed as the user who provided updates to these values on behalf of First Advantage.

Create a new service user with the following details:

• Email address: use any email address (example: firstadvantageintegration@YOURCOMPANY.com)
• Permission: Site Admin

Once you created the user, follow these steps to obtain the ID of that user.

Add offices to Greenhouse Recruiting

First Advantage uses the city, state, and country associated with an office to determine the position location, which in turn is used by First Advantage for Adverse Action communication, among other things. To make sure the integration functions correctly, you'll need to have offices configured for your organization in Greenhouse Recruiting.

To learn more about how to add a new office in Greenhouse Recruiting, click here.

Add custom job fields 

The Greenhouse Recruiting / First Advantage integration requires two custom job fields:

• First Advantage Account
  • Field name: FADV_Account
  • Type: Single select
  • Other options: Select Expose in Job API checkbox
• First Advantage Package
  • Field name: FADV_Package
  • Type: Single select
  • Other options: Select Expose in Job API checkbox

Click here for more information on creating custom job fields.

Create custom candidate fields and complete setup

The Greenhouse Recruiting / First Advantage integration requires four custom candidate fields. Create four new fields using the below options:

• FADV_Status: To display First Advantage screening results and status in real-time on the candidate's profile
  • Field name: FADV_Status
  • Field type: Long textbox
• FADV_URL: To display the URL which will take the user to First Advantage's detailed screening results
  • Field name: FADV_URL
  • Field type: URL
• FADV_Last_Update: Last update timestamp
  • Field name: FADV_Last_Update
  • Field type: Short textbox
• FADV_History: Previous results in case a candidate has undergone multiple screenings
  • Field name: FADV_History
  • Field Type: Long textbox

Use the First Advantage integration with Greenhouse Recruiting

There are two steps to using the First Advantage / Greenhouse Recruiting integration:

• Select an Office, FADV_Account, and FADV_Package on a job
• Initiate a background screening

Select First Advantage options for a job

Navigate to the Job Info section of a job and select an Office, FADV_Account, and FADV_Package. (Job Setup > Job Info)

Initiate a First Advantage background screening

Once the Greenhouse Recruiting / First Advantage options are selected, when a candidate is moved into the Background Check stage, their information will be sent to First Advantage.

When the candidate is moved to the Background Check stage, the candidate will receive an email from First Advantage to complete their First Advantage profile for screening. This email includes consent and authorization steps.

Once the candidate completes their First Advantage profile, First Advantage automatically updates the Candidate Custom Fields in Greenhouse Recruiting like FADV_Status, FADV_URL, and FADV_Last_Update.

Additional resources

Contact client.services@fadv.com for troubleshooting assistance regarding the integration.