Top Takeaways from the 2025 SHRM Annual Conference

The First Advantage team was thrilled to be a part of the 2025 SHRM Annual Conference in San Diego in June. As one of the largest gatherings of HR professionals, the conference provided a platform for meaningful conversations, insightful learning, and valuable connections with our customers and other attendees.

From conversations around background checks to the growing importance of digital identity in today’s hiring landscape, our team came back with valuable insights and a renewed excitement for the future of technology in HR.

SHRM Attendees’ Top Background Check Challenges

We listened closely to the challenges today’s HR and Talent Acquisition teams are facing. A few common themes stood out:

• Speed is a must. Delays in background checks are leading to candidate drop-offs, something many attendees are urgently trying to solve. There is a strong desire for tools that accelerate hiring without sacrificing accuracy.
• HR tech needs to work smarter. The need for smooth, end-to-end ATS integrations was expressed several times, with a focus on creating more efficient hiring workflows.

First Advantage Team Insights

We asked our onsite team for feedback on their experience at SHRM 2025, including what they heard from attendees and customers:

“Some takeaways from SHRM 2025 were how open employers were with their identity fraud experiences – really getting into the details of the experiences they went through. It was surprising for them and surprising for me to hear and it reinforced all the ways we can help alleviate these issues going on.” – Kremena Peterson, Strategic Sales Executive, Staffing BPO, & Gig

“It was very insightful to hear from so many attendees on their background solutions and what they need. One common theme I observed when speaking with attendees is the importance of integration. There are so many different solutions out there for an ATS, and the need to integrate to create a seamless experience for candidates is a top priority. Attendees were interested in finding a solution for not only running background and identity checks, but also in creating a workflow that ensures strong candidate experience.” – Liane Elefante, Customer Success Partner, Healthcare

“Time-to-hire was a common theme. Companies are still struggling with getting candidates converted from candidate to employee quickly. I also learned smaller companies don’t have a great experience from screening companies when it comes to customer service. Screening challenges revolve around time-to-hire, lack of strategic customer service, and ease of managing a consistent global hiring program.” – Hollie Zelenka, Sales Executive, Industrials

“Many of the attendees I spoke with are looking for stronger communication from their background screening provider. For smaller businesses especially, better training and education could go a long way. It can help set clearer expectations and reduce the feeling of being left in the dark. Even a basic understanding of what to expect can make a big difference.” – Ken Berry, Sales Executive, Mid-Market

Listen to more insights our team had to share:

What Matters Most to HR Leaders

When it comes to background screening priorities, HR leaders are focused on delivering a strong candidate experience from start to finish. They want thoughtful evaluations that don’t disqualify candidates for irrelevant findings and they’re looking for partners who understand that balance.

Listen to what attendees had to say:

In Our Customers’ Own Words

We enjoyed seeing so many happy customers stop by our booth. Many shared how First Advantage has helped streamline their background screening processes and deliver convenient, one-stop-shop experiences.

Two HR Managers from one of our customers, a large healthcare system, shared their experience working with First Advantage:

First Advantage is a fantastic resource, especially given the healthcare setting. We need to be really thorough and coming from the talent acquisition side for candidates, First Advantage is offering a really smooth process. It is very easy for candidates to navigate, very detailed and has a very quick turnaround time, bringing awesome resolution for our new team members.

I utilize First Advantage on a weekly basis. I initiate education background checks for registered nurses that have either pursued their BSN or Master’s degree. I would say the turnaround time for me to receive those screenings back is a day or two. It’s the best and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Watch the full interview with our healthcare customer here:

Final Thoughts

Across all our conversations at SHRM 2025, key pain points like time-to-hire, inconsistent customer support, and disjointed hiring workflows came through loud and clear. The First Advantage team is committed to helping overcome those barriers with our innovative, seamless, and cost-effective solutions. We look forward to connecting with even more customers and meeting even more HR professionals at future events, including the HR Tech Annual Conference in September!

If you missed us at SHRM or want to learn more about how First Advantage can help you hire smarter and onboard faster, visit fadv.com or contact us today.