Last month, a Senior Project Manager at a mid-sized logistics firm-let's call him Marcus-called me in a cold sweat. He had just logged into the HireRight portal to check the status of his dream job offer. Instead of a green checkmark, he saw the word "Decisional" in bold red letters next to his criminal history. He had already drafted a frantic email to the recruiter, apologizing for a speeding ticket from 2018.
He was about to blow up his own offer.
I told him to put the phone down. In 20 years of navigating corporate hiring systems, I have seen this exact scenario play out hundreds of times. Candidates see legal jargon, assume the worst, and self-sabotage before a human even reviews the file. The reality? That "Decisional" status wasn't about his speeding ticket. It was a mismatch in the county court database regarding a common name.
Most people think background checks are pass/fail exams. They aren't. They are data dumps.
And in this guide, I am going to decode the black box. I will explain exactly what terms like "Adjudication," "Consider," and "Decisional" mean, and more importantly, the specific tactical steps you need to take to clear your name.
The "Status Code" Cheat Sheet
Save this table.
When you are staring at a portal screen at 2 AM, you don't need a lecture on employment law. You need to know if you are safe or if you need to lawyer up.
Here is the breakdown of the major status codes used by Sterling, HireRight, and Checkr.
| Status Name | What It Actually Means | Panic Level | Action Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pending Adjudication | A specific detail (dates, title) didn't match automatically. A human analyst is now reviewing it. | Low | Wait. Do not contact the recruiter yet. |
| Decisional / Consider | A "flag" was found (criminal record, credit hit, or employment gap) that meets the employer's review threshold. | Medium/High | Prepare your explanation documents immediately. |
| Suspended | The system is missing information, usually a document upload or correct ID number. | Low | Check your email for a "Request for Information" link. |
| Post-Certification | The background check company is done. They have sent the report to the employer for the final hiring decision. | Low | The ball is in the employer's court. |
| Dispute / In Dispute | You have formally challenged an item. The 30-day investigation clock has started. | N/A | Monitor your email for the resolution report. |
What Does "Pending Adjudication" Actually Mean?
This is the most common source of unnecessary anxiety I see.
Let's be clear about how these systems work. When you submit your resume, an Automated Applicant Tracking System (ATS) parses your data. When the background check starts, a different system tries to match that data against databases-The Work Number, university registrars, county court records.
"Pending Adjudication" simply means the computer couldn't do it alone.
In my experience auditing these processes for Fortune 500 companies, about 80% of "Adjudication" flags are due to date discrepancies. You wrote that you worked at "TechCorp" from January 2019 to January 2022. The database says you started in February 2019.
The computer sees a mismatch. It flags it. It stops.
Now, a human analyst at the background check company has to physically look at the file. They have to compare the dates, realize you were likely a contractor for the first month, or that there is a typo, and manually clear it. This is not a rejection. It is a queue.
Here is the thing: If you panic and email the recruiter explaining why your dates are off, you are highlighting a problem they likely haven't even seen yet. You are creating doubt where there was only administrative lag.
I recall consulting for a healthcare network where we had a backlog of 400 candidates in "Pending Adjudication."
Why?
Because the university registrar they hired used a paper-based filing system and only answered fax requests on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The candidates weren't lying about their degrees. The school was just slow. If those candidates had panicked, they would have looked guilty. Instead, the ones who waited it out got the badges.
Do not confuse bureaucracy with rejection.
"Decisional" and "Consider" – Should You Worry?
This is the section where you need to pay attention.
If "Adjudication" is a yellow light, "Decisional" (used often by Sterling) or "Consider" (used by Checkr) is a flashing red light.
It means the background check company has found something that falls outside the "Clear" parameters set by the employer. They have completed their job. They found a record-a misdemeanor, a credit delinquency, a fired-for-cause marker-and they are handing the "Decision" back to the employer.
Why is this dangerous? Because now a human in HR has to look at your file and make a judgment call.
This is where the "Adverse Action" process usually begins.
However, "Decisional" is not an automatic "No."
I have helped executives with DUI records get hired. I have seen developers with massive credit defaults get security clearances. The key is the narrative.
Employers are risk-averse, not moral absolutists. They are asking one question: Does this record pose a direct threat to our company?
If you have a theft charge and you are applying for a cashier role, you are likely done. If you have a marijuana possession charge from five years ago and you are applying to write code in a basement, the "Decisional" status might just be a formality before approval.
The Strategy: Do not wait for the rejection letter. If you know what is on that report, you need to get ahead of it.
Draft a "Context Statement." Keep it under 200 words.
- Acknowledge the specific flag.
- Explain the context (without making excuses).
- Demonstrate rehabilitation or why it is irrelevant to the job.
My contrarian take: I don't trust any HR department to read between the lines. They are overworked and under-resourced. If you leave a "Decisional" status unexplained, they will choose the candidate with the clean record every time. It is simply easier for them. You have to make it harder for them to say no than to say yes.
The "Dispute" Process: How to Fight Incorrect Data
If the report is wrong, you have legal weapons. Use them.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is your shield here. Background check companies are regulated consumer reporting agencies. They are legally required to ensure "maximum possible accuracy."
But they fail. Constantly.
I once saw a background check merge two people's files because they shared a name (John Smith) and a birth month. My client, the innocent John Smith, suddenly had a felony from a state he had never visited.
The Protocol for Disputing:
- Get the Copy: You are entitled to a free copy of the report if it is used against you. Download it. Do not just look at the summary. Look at the raw data.
- Identify the Error: Is it a mixed file? Is the disposition wrong (e.g., "Guilty" instead of "Dismissed")?
- File the Dispute: Every major provider (HireRight, Sterling, Checkr) has a dispute portal. Use it.
- Notify the Employer: This is critical. Tell the recruiter: "There is a factual error on my report regarding [Item]. I have already filed a dispute with [Provider] to correct this. Here is the proof that the record is invalid."
One crucial note: Do not dispute accurate information just to buy time. That is a rookie move. It makes you look dishonest and wastes the 30-day window you might need for a legitimate explanation.
"Suspended" or "Needs Attention" (For Gig Workers)
If you are applying for gig work (Uber, DoorDash, Instacart), you might see "Suspended."
Stop thinking "Criminal Record." Start thinking "Bad Typist."
In 90% of the cases I review, "Suspended" is a clerical error. You took a photo of your driver's license in bad lighting, and the OCR software couldn't read your date of birth. Or, you transposed two digits in your Social Security Number.
Action: Search your email inbox for "Request for Information." There is almost always a secure link waiting for you to re-upload a document. If you ignore it, the application times out and you are rejected by default.
How Long Does "Adjudication" Take?
The industry average is 2 to 5 business days.
If you are waiting longer than 10 business days, one of two things has happened:
- A county court requires a clerk to manually pull a physical file (common in rural counties), and that clerk is on vacation.
- The employer has the report but hasn't updated the portal.
My Rule of Thumb: If it hits Day 7, contact the recruiter. Do not contact the background check company-they are legally restricted in what they can tell you. Ask the recruiter: "I noticed my background check is still pending. Is there any additional information you need from me to help expedite the process?"
Conclusion
The hiring process is broken. It relies on imperfect databases and overworked analysts.
When you see "Adjudication" or "Decisional," your instinct is to panic. But panic is not a strategy. Data is a strategy.
Most "flags" are minor date discrepancies that resolve themselves. But for the ones that don't, you now have the cheat sheet.
Don't just wait. If you haven't already, log into the candidate portal and download your report copy today. You can't fight what you can't see.