Overview

The Background Check step orders a real background check from inside a sequence. It is powered by Sterling Volunteers: the user starts the request from the step, completes it on Sterling's side, and the result comes back to Vome without anyone re-typing anything.

1. What is the Background Check step?

It is the only step type that reaches out to a third party and brings a result back. The step carries a Sterling Package ID, which is what tells Sterling which check to run. Everything else, the identity details, the consent, and the check itself, happens in the Sterling flow the step opens.

Background checks live in sequences only: there is no way to order one from a profile or from the schedule. If you want to run a check on someone, they need to be on a sequence that contains a Background Check step.

2. What do I need before I add one?

• The Sterling Volunteers integration set up on your account.

• A Package ID. This comes to you directly from Sterling Volunteers, not from Vome, and it identifies the specific check you have arranged with them.

3. How do I add one?

1. Open Sequences in the left-hand navigation and open the sequence you are building.

2. Click + Add a step.

3. Choose Background Check.

4. Pick an entry under ADD A PREVIOUSLY SAVED ENTRY, or click New to create one.

5. Enter a title, paste your Package ID, and click Validate package. Vome checks it with Sterling and confirms that the package was successfully validated.

6. Save.

Always validate the package before saving: an unvalidated or mistyped Package ID is not caught later. It fails when a real person tries to start their check, which is the worst possible moment to find out.

4. Can I offer more than one type of check?

Yes. Each step carries one Package ID, so if you run different checks for different roles, create one step per package and put the right step in the right sequence.

5. What does the user see?

The user opens the step, starts the request, and is taken out to Sterling to submit their details. When they finish they come back to Vome, and the step reflects that they completed the request.

6. How does the step get marked complete?

This step runs Pending, then Complete. Letting it complete automatically is the recommended setting here, because Vome already knows through the integration that the request was completed, so there is nothing for you to verify by hand.

The check's own result is separate from the step's status, and Vome keeps tracking it after the step completes. Sterling runs follow-up checks for the following twelve months, and status changes come back into Vome.

7. What if we use a different background check provider?

This step only works with Sterling Volunteers. With another provider, use a Custom step: put the provider's link and instructions in the description, and collect the result with the Supply & Collect option or a following File Upload step. It is worth telling us which provider you use by submitting a support ticket.

Summary

• The step is powered by Sterling Volunteers and only exists inside sequences.

• You need the Sterling integration and a Package ID from Sterling.

• Validate the package before saving the step.

• One Package ID per step, so use one step per type of check.

• Statuses run Pending, then Complete, and automatic completion is recommended.

For the full integration, including how statuses are tracked, see How Does the Sterling Volunteers Integration Work on Vome? and How are Sterling Volunteers background checks tracked on Vome?