First Advantage

First Advantage: global background checks and screening

First Advantage is a company specializing in background check and screening services for hiring processes. Its offering ranges from pre-employment checks to continuous employee monitoring, with coverage in more than 200 countries and territories, according to the company itself. The company presents itself as a provider of digital identity solutions and was recognized in 2026 with the "Overall Digital Identity Solution Provider of the Year" award at the FinTech Breakthrough Awards.

Pre-hire solutions

First Advantage's catalog includes identity verification, criminal background checks, employment history verification, skills and credentials verification, and sanctions, risk, and compliance searches. It also offers investigative research, review of public social media activity, and financial solutions aimed at the financial services sector. For the transportation field, it has driver compliance programs, and for the healthcare and academic sectors, it provides immunization tracking and student screening.

Onboarding and post-hire management

The company covers the onboarding phase with solutions such as Form I-9 and E-Verify for U.S. employment eligibility verification. After hiring, it offers continuous monitoring to manage compliance and risk, as well as drug and occupational health screening programs, including management of random alcohol and drug testing.

Technology and candidate experience

First Advantage develops proprietary technology to streamline the screening process, reduce candidate drop-off, and improve both the candidate and client experience. Its reporting and analytics tools provide data to manage and optimize screening programs. The company also offers integrations with HR systems, APIs to automate workflows, and a partner network.

Solutions by organization type

The website organizes its services by company size: small, mid-market (1,000 to 5,000 employees), enterprise (more than 5,000 employees), and global organizations with a presence in multiple countries. It also has specific solutions for contractors and for academic health programs.

Industries served

The company lists among its target industries business services, financial services, gig economy, healthcare, hospitality and restaurants, industrial, nonprofit, public services, retail, staffing, technology, and transportation.

Resources and support

First Advantage publishes resources such as articles, case studies, checklists, compliance updates, guides, infographics, podcasts, press releases, reports, solution sheets, webinars, and white papers. For candidates, it offers a service to check the status of their screening and support resources; for customers, access to support, resources, and expert assistance, as well as FAQs.