What Is Sterling?

Sterling is a comprehensive background screening platform that takes verification extremely seriously – perhaps more seriously than any other provider we’ve tested. Think of it as the enterprise solution for companies that cannot afford hiring mistakes. Now operating under the First Advantage umbrella, Sterling primarily serves organizations that need bulletproof screening across multiple countries and industries. Its clients include major corporations, government contractors, and businesses in healthcare, finance, and other regulated sectors where thorough vetting is mandatory, not optional. (Sterling supports over 50,000 clients globally, conducting more than 110 million searches in a recent year – a testament to its scale and trust in the enterprise market.)

Sterling addresses the challenge of managing complex, high-volume background checks while maintaining compliance with different jurisdictions’ laws. It’s particularly valuable for regulated industries and international hiring, where surface-level checks simply won’t cut it. If you’re looking for something quick and easy, Sterling might feel overwhelming. But if you need absolute certainty about your hires, with comprehensive documentation to back up decisions, it’s hard to find a more thorough solution. This is the platform for businesses where hiring the wrong person could result in regulatory sanctions or worse.

How Sterling Works

Sterling operates through a combination of automated database searches and extensive human verification, going considerably deeper than most competitors. When you initiate a screening through their portal, the system triggers searches across a vast network of criminal databases, court records, and verification sources. Sterling claims direct digital access to ~90% of U.S. criminal court records via its proprietary CourtDirect™ technology. It also uses automated SmartData tools to match records and apply thousands of rules, auto-completing many searches with high accuracy.

Candidates receive an email directing them to Sterling’s portal (the Candidate Hub) where they provide consent and input required information. Notably, Sterling emphasises an ‘identity-first’ approach: through partnerships with digital ID providers like Yoti, a candidate’s identity can be biometrically verified via mobile app before other checks begin. This helps ensure the person is who they claim to be, adding a modern twist to Sterling’s traditionally paper-heavy process.

What truly distinguishes Sterling is their commitment to human verification. While other platforms might do cursory employment or education checks, Sterling’s team will persist until they get concrete answers. For example, if a past employer no longer exists or a school changed names, Sterling researchers will track down the successor organisation or archived records.

They use proprietary locator tools and databases to find information that a basic database search would miss. The trade-off is time – checks can take longer – but you’re getting information that cursory screenings often overlook. In my experience, Sterling prioritises accuracy over speed, with every result undergoing human review and any discrepancies investigated thoroughly. Verification reports come with supporting documentation (like copies of court records or official education verifications) that hold up under scrutiny.

Key Features

Sterling’s feature set is extensive, covering virtually every type of background check or verification a company might need. The platform goes beyond basic criminal checks to offer specialised screenings that many competitors either don’t offer or handle only at a surface level. Here are some of Sterling’s core capabilities:

Criminal Background Searches: Comprehensive coverage of county, state, and federal records. Sterling leverages both national databases and direct county courthouse searches. Their CourtDirect™ system provides real-time digital access to about 90% of U.S. court records, and they have court runners for the remainder – meaning even if a courthouse isn’t online, Sterling will physically retrieve records. This ensures nothing is missed due to outdated systems. The criminal searches cast a wide net, including proprietary tools (like enhanced nationwide databases and ‘Locator Select’) to find records in jurisdictions linked to a candidate’s history beyond what the candidate self-reports.

Global Screening Capabilities: Truly international reach, now covering 200+ countries and territories with local expertise. Sterling has on-the-ground presence or partners in regions worldwide (offices across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, etc.), so they understand local laws and procedures. This is not a token ‘international database check’ – it’s real regional coverage. For example, criminal record checks in the UK can integrate directly with DBS systems, and in Asia-Pacific Sterling has localised workflows (Sterling’s APAC operations, formerly ‘Sterling RISQ,’ were rebranded under Sterling and enhanced with new tech in 2023). If you’re hiring in multiple countries, Sterling can centralise the process while ensuring each country’s compliance requirements are met.

Employment Verification Plus: Sterling goes beyond basic past-employer verifications. They don’t just confirm job titles and dates; when authorised, they’ll confirm details like salary, reason for leaving, and eligibility for rehire. Crucially, Sterling uses multiple methods to verify employment: they’ll attempt direct contact multiple times, and if a company has closed or been acquired, they will track down the successor entity or use databases of historical employment records. In one of our screenings, Sterling verified a candidate’s employment at a company that had been acquired and renamed twice – they ultimately contacted the HR department of the current parent company to get the records. This persistence is something we didn’t see with lower-cost providers.

Education Verification (Including International): Similar thoroughness here – Sterling verifies degrees or certifications from institutions worldwide, including those that have closed or changed names. They maintain extensive reference data on defunct institutions. In one case, Sterling confirmed a candidate’s degree from a university in Europe that had merged into a different university; they provided documentation from the successor institution. They will also validate professional licenses or certifications and can check if any have lapsed, been renewed, or have disciplinary actions.

Healthcare Sanctions Monitoring: For healthcare industry clients, Sterling offers checks against OIG exclusion lists, SAM, and state Medicaid exclusion lists. They can also do ongoing continuous monitoring of healthcare sanctions (and other criminal records) post-hire. This is critical for healthcare providers to maintain compliance (e.g. ensuring no hires become excluded from federal programs). Sterling’s continuous monitoring services will send alerts if a current employee incurs a new criminal record or sanction. This kind of post-hire screening is invaluable in regulated industries.

Digital Identity Verification: As mentioned, Sterling has modernised identity checks by partnering with Yoti (internationally) and ID.me (in the US). Via the Yoti integration, candidates can verify their identity through a biometric mobile app workflow. This optional step allows employers to take an ‘identity-first’ approach – confirming the person’s identity before proceeding to criminal or credential checks. It reduces the need for physical documents and makes the process smoother for the candidate. This is a relatively new feature (launched in 2023) that adds a contemporary layer to Sterling’s process. It’s particularly useful for remote hiring or situations where you can’t physically see a candidate’s ID. Sterling is an accredited digital identity service provider in the UK as well, meaning their checks meet standards for Right to Work and DBS identity verification.

These features illustrate how Sterling serves different screening needs. To summarise some of Sterling’s standout capabilities versus the competition, here’s a quick overview:

Real Use Case: To illustrate Sterling’s thoroughness, we used Sterling when hiring a finance director who had worked internationally. The setup took about ten days to get all our preferences configured, but the results justified the wait. Sterling uncovered an employment at a foreign subsidiary that had been acquired and renamed twice – something we had only a vague idea about. Sterling’s team verified it by contacting the current parent organisation’s HR department and obtained official confirmation of titles and dates. They also identified that the candidate had a professional certification that had lapsed and been renewed, and they provided a complete timeline of the lapse and renewal. This level of detail was beyond what we got from other providers. The thoroughness gave us complete confidence in moving forward with an offer for a senior position that carried significant financial authority.

Ease of Use

Setting up Sterling requires patience and planning. The initial implementation involves contract negotiations, detailed system configuration, and training sessions with Sterling’s team. In our case, it took roughly two weeks from first contact to running our first background check. Most of that time was spent on administrative onboarding and ensuring compliance forms were in place, rather than technical setup problems. Sterling assigns a dedicated account manager to new clients, and they walked us through setting up package templates, compliance disclosures, and integration with our ATS. (During this period, learning how to check status updates in Sterling’s system is important – you’ll be frequently checking the dashboard to see which components of a screening are pending or complete.)

Once configured, the employer dashboard is functional and very comprehensive, though it admittedly looks dated. The navigation isn’t immediately intuitive – it feels like software designed in the early 2010s, with lots of tabs and sub-menus. After a week or two, we got used to it, and in fairness everything you need is there; it’s just not the prettiest or most streamlined interface. Sterling prioritises functionality over form. For example, you can drill into a candidate’s report and see the step-by-step progress of each search (which is useful), but you might have to click through several screens to get an overview of all open cases.

The candidate experience is Sterling’s weakest point. The candidate portal (where applicants fill in their info and sign consent forms) works reliably but feels old-school and isn’t well-optimised for mobile. Candidates often need to sit down at a computer to complete the process, especially if they have to upload documents. In our tests, the average candidate spent 20-30 minutes completing the forms, which is longer than with GoodHire or Checkr’s more modern interfaces. On the positive side, every candidate invitation we sent worked without technical issues, and Sterling’s instructions are clear – it’s just a lot of steps. Update: Sterling has been working on this aspect; they introduced a more mobile-friendly Candidate Hub with features like Gmail login, e-signature, and text notifications. This has improved things somewhat – for example, Sterling says roughly 62% of candidates now use mobile devices to submit info – but in practice we still heard feedback that the interface ‘feels clunky.’ So, expect to support some candidates through the process, especially those who aren’t tech-savvy. The thoroughness of the screening means there’s inherently more for the candidate to do (e.g. provide five years of address history, copies of certifications, etc.), which can be a hurdle for some.

Overall, using Sterling feels like using enterprise software – a bit of a learning curve, not the flashiest UI, but extremely capable once you know where to click. We’d love to see a fresher design and a truly mobile-optimised candidate process in the future (Sterling/First Advantage has indicated a more modern candidate portal is in development).

How Much Does Sterling Cost?

Sterling’s pricing is entirely customised. You won’t find any public price list on their site – you have to contact sales for a quote tailored to your organisation’s volume and screening needs. This lack of transparent pricing can be frustrating when you’re comparing options. However, it does mean Sterling can structure a package so you only pay for what you actually need.

According to Sterling’s own FAQ, the cost per background check can range from under $50 (£40) to several hundred dollars depending on the breadth and depth of searches included. In other words, a simple criminal-only check might be under $50 (£40), whereas a deluxe package that includes international checks, verification of multiple credentials, drug testing, etc., could be several hundred dollars. They also tend to charge one-time setup fees (often $500-$2,000 / £400-£1,600) for new accounts and may have monthly minimums for enterprise clients.

Based on our research and conversations with Sterling and competitors, here’s a rough idea of Sterling’s pricing (these are estimates – your actual quote will vary):

These figures include access to the platform and support. Volume discounts do kick in at higher volumes – we found that prices per check became more competitive once we committed to a few hundred screenings per year. Keep in mind you may also incur pass-through fees (for example, state court access fees or education transcript fees), but Sterling usually just bills those at cost in addition to the base price.

One thing to note: Sterling’s UK and international pricing follows a similar model. In the UK, for instance, they offer packages that include the necessary local checks (e.g. DBS criminal record checks and Right to Work verifications) via their Sterling UK portal. Pricing in the UK is generally quoted in pounds with similar ranges (roughly £40-£150+ depending on checks). The UK site (sterlingcheck.co.uk) even has region-specific features like built-in DBS checks and identity checks to meet UK legal requirements. But again, you have to get a quote – UK SMBs have reported basic packages around £50, with enterprise deals being custom.

The bottom line on cost: Sterling is one of the more expensive options in the market. If your needs are basic, you’re likely better off with a provider that has transparent, low-cost plans (e.g. GoodHire or Checkr’s self-serve options). However, for organisations that need Sterling’s level of thoroughness and global reach, the higher cost is often justified. We view it as an investment in risk mitigation – one bad hire in a critical role can cost far more than a comprehensive background check.

Is Sterling Safe?

Yes – Sterling’s platform is enterprise-grade in security. In handling sensitive personal data, Sterling adheres to high security standards and compliance frameworks. The company maintains certifications like ISO 27001 (information security management) and undergoes SOC 2 Type II audits for data security. They also comply with GDPR and regional privacy laws; for instance, data from EU candidates is processed in-region to satisfy data residency rules. Sterling’s parent company First Advantage has an excellent security track record, as you’d expect from a provider serving banks, hospitals, and government agencies.

All data transmitted through Sterling’s systems is encrypted (they use 256-bit AES encryption at rest and TLS 1.2+ in transit). The platform has comprehensive audit trails, so every access or action on a background check is logged. In our experience, Sterling’s security measures were evident in small ways – for example, when candidates entered data, the system would mask sensitive information after entry, and we had to use two-factor authentication to log into the admin portal. Sterling also provides detailed compliance resources and updates. Their in-house compliance team keeps up with changing laws (employment legislation, FCRA regulations, EU data protection, etc.) and updates the platform’s workflows accordingly. For example, if a country changes what is reportable on a criminal check (such as new disclosure requirements or limits on old convictions), Sterling updates their filters and notifies clients.

Notably, First Advantage (Sterling’s parent) performs background screens in over 200 countries and territories, which speaks to their ability to handle data securely on a global scale. As of this review, there have been no major publicised data breaches involving Sterling. They invest heavily in cybersecurity – given the nature of their business, they have to. We felt confident that our candidates’ data was being protected at or above industry-standard levels.

Sterling Mobile Apps

Sterling does not offer dedicated mobile apps for employers or candidates. The primary way to use Sterling is via its web portals. The employer platform can technically be accessed on a mobile browser, but it’s clearly designed for desktop use – doing heavy admin tasks on a phone is not practical. You can check status updates or review a report on a phone in a pinch, but anything more involved (like initiating orders or configuring settings) will be much easier on a computer.

For candidates, the mobile experience is mixed. As mentioned, the candidate portal is not very mobile-optimised in its older form. Sterling’s recent improvements (the Candidate Hub with mobile-friendly design) are rolling out, which allow things like using your phone’s camera to upload a document or completing identity verification via the Yoti mobile app. Those pieces are mobile-centric. But the core candidate questionnaire still works best on a larger screen. We actually had a couple of candidates start the process on mobile and give up, then come back on a laptop to finish. So while there’s no harm in Sterling not having a standalone app (background checks are not something you need an app for after all), the mobile web experience is one of the areas where Sterling lags modern platforms.

One highlight: the Yoti integration for digital identity is very mobile-driven – candidates verify their identity through Yoti’s smartphone app and that feeds into Sterling’s system. This was smooth in our tests and is a glimpse of what a fully mobile-optimised Sterling process could be like.

My Personal Experience with Sterling

My first experience with Sterling came when a major client required it for screening contractors. During onboarding, Sterling’s team held multiple consultation calls to understand our screening packages and compliance needs. We had to sign a fairly detailed contract (including agreements about data usage, minimum volume, etc.). The setup was thorough: we spent several sessions configuring our account – choosing which checks to include in each package, uploading our company logos for the candidate portal, learning how to use their adjudication matrices, and so on. It wasn’t the quick ‘sign up and go’ you get with some software, but by the time we ran our first check, we felt everything was properly tailored to our needs.

Over the next six months, we ran 8 background checks through Sterling for various hires. The depth of these checks consistently exceeded our expectations. For example, Sterling flagged a discrepancy on one candidate’s education – the graduation year he provided didn’t match the university records. It turned out the candidate had misremembered by one year; Sterling caught it, verified the correct year, and included a note and documentation in the report. Another example: Sterling uncovered a criminal record that a cheaper service had missed – it was a minor out-of-state offence from over 10 years ago that didn’t show up on a basic database sweep, but Sterling found it through a county courthouse search. (It wasn’t a deal-breaker for the hire, but it was good to know and discuss with the candidate.)

Customer support in my experience, was great. We had an account manager who was responsive via email, and whenever I called the 24/7 support line, I got someone who actually understood the product. There were times I had to call at odd hours (we had international candidates in different time zones), and I always reached a live person quickly. They were able to answer status questions like ‘What’s holding up John Doe’s report?’ and often they could expedite things by providing missing info or clarifying a question with the candidate. The support isn’t tier-1 script readers; it felt like talking to seasoned background check specialists.

The biggest challenges we faced were on the candidate side. Several applicants commented on how demanding the process was. One senior candidate joked that the background check felt like ‘applying for a mortgage’ in terms of paperwork. We did have one candidate who struggled with the online form and we had to assist them (the person wasn’t very tech-savvy). None of our candidates dropped out because of it, but it did require setting expectations – we learned to tell finalists, ‘Heads up, the screening is very thorough and may take about a week.’ That seemed to help. For high-level positions, most candidates understood the necessity.

In summary, my personal take is that Sterling is not the easiest or fastest, but when I get a Sterling report, I trust it completely. There’s peace of mind knowing that if there’s something to be found, Sterling probably found it. It reduces the risk of surprises after hiring. I did sometimes wish the process was a bit more candidate-friendly, but I also appreciate why it’s not a simple one-click experience – thoroughness requires effort.

Who It’s Best For

Sterling for Personal Use

Sterling is not available for personal individual use. It’s strictly a B2B service – you need to be a company (or legitimate organisation) to set up an account. If you’re an individual wanting to run a background check on yourself or someone else, Sterling won’t sell you a report. Instead, you might consider consumer-focused services. For example, Checkr (one of Sterling’s competitors) has a consumer-facing service (often branded as Better Future) that provides personal background check reports for around $25-$30. There are also services like BeenVerified or Intelius for general background lookup, though keep in mind those are not FCRA-compliant for employment purposes. If you need a one-off personal background check (say, for a rental or hiring a nanny), Sterling is overkill. Use a dedicated personal check service or ask the person to provide official records (like a police certificate). For a deep dive into personal background checks and what’s allowed, see our guide to the best personal background check services.

Sterling for Business

This is where Sterling shines. It’s ideal for medium to large enterprises, especially in industries where hiring mistakes are very costly. If your company does at least a few dozen hires a year and operates in a regulated space (healthcare, finance, transportation, government contracting, etc.), Sterling should be on your shortlist. It’s also great for companies hiring across multiple countries – the platform can handle international checks in one workflow, whereas many smaller providers cannot. Companies that benefit most from Sterling are those that value thoroughness and compliance over speed and convenience. For example, a healthcare organisation hiring doctors and nurses who must be vetted for licenses, sanctions, and criminal history in multiple jurisdictions would find Sterling’s depth invaluable.

A financial firm hiring a senior finance executive would appreciate the exhaustive verification of credentials and search for any hint of fraud or legal trouble. On the other hand, a small business hiring entry-level staff might find Sterling’s process too heavy (and expensive) for their needs – they might opt for a simpler service like GoodHire. Generally, if you expect to run 100+ checks per year and need a mix of checks (criminal, education, etc.), Sterling’s custom pricing can become cost-effective and its robustness will pay off.

Sterling for Family / Household Screening:

Sterling is not designed for household employer use (like checking a nanny, caregiver, or household staff as a private individual). For those purposes, there are tailored services. For instance, Care.com offers background check options for vetting babysitters or nannies through their platform. There’s also a service called Checkr Home (previously called Better Future by Checkr) which individuals can use to run professional-grade background checks for personal hiring.

Additionally, services like ClearChecks or TruthFinder can do basic checks if you’re just screening, say, a tutor or tenant. These consumer services are more user-friendly and don’t require contracts. We actually have a separate guide on nanny background checks which goes into detail on options – those would be more appropriate than trying to use Sterling. Remember, Sterling’s agreements explicitly prohibit use for personal/non-business purposes, and they require compliance with employment screening laws (like getting the candidate’s consent on specific legal forms), which is beyond the scope of a casual household check.

Sterling in Reddit & Forums

Digging into online discussions, the sentiment about Sterling among HR professionals is generally positive in terms of results, with common gripes about user experience. On Reddit’s r/humanresources and r/recruitinghell, for example, users often acknowledge Sterling’s thoroughness: one HR manager wrote, ‘Sterling uncovered a criminal record that three other providers missed. Yes, it took longer and cost more, but it prevented what could have been a catastrophic hiring mistake.’ Another user commented, ‘The interface feels outdated but the results are consistently solid. We’ve never had a Sterling report come back with missing info – they find everything and we’ve never had a report successfully disputed.’

The most upvoted complaints are about the candidate experience and pricing transparency. Many HR folks mention that ‘applicants often complain about the lengthy forms’ and that they wish Sterling had a slicker UI. Some also express frustration that ‘getting pricing info was a pain – you have to jump on multiple sales calls just to get ballpark figures.’ If you browse forums, you’ll also find folks mentioning that Sterling’s turnaround times can be slow on occasion – usually because they are waiting on a court or a verification. However, for users in regulated industries, the consensus is that Sterling is worth it: ‘We’re in healthcare and tried some cheaper services – never again. Sterling catches things others miss and keeps us in compliance,’ as one compliance officer posted.

It’s also worth noting that since Sterling became part of First Advantage, a few users have speculated about what changes might come. So far, people report business as usual, aside from the branding note on the website. If anything, some are hopeful that First Advantage’s influence will bring tech updates faster.

Sterling Alternatives & Competitors

The background check industry is crowded, but it tends to split between enterprise-grade providers like Sterling and HireRight, and SMB-focused providers like GoodHire, Checkr, and Certn. Here’s a quick comparison of Sterling versus some major competitors:

In our direct comparisons, Sterling vs GoodHire vs Checkr vs HireRight, we observed the following: Sterling and HireRight are quite similar in being thorough but a bit old-school (HireRight’s interface and support get mixed reviews, arguably worse than Sterling’s). GoodHire and Checkr are more modern and transparent – we love GoodHire for its ease of use and flat-rate plans, and Checkr is excellent for tech-savvy teams wanting an API and quick setup. However, neither GoodHire nor Checkr, in our testing, caught as many potential issues as Sterling did on deep checks. They are great for speed and cost, but they might miss a county courthouse record here or fail to verify a marginal past job. Certn is an interesting newcomer (on our radar – it’s been around for a while), offering really affordable checks (starting under $20) with a slick experience, but it’s more limited in services (e.g., U.S. criminal checks and basic verification – suitable for low-risk roles or as a bolt-on) – we’ve not covered this yet in depth, but will update and release a review once we’ve tested it ourselves.

For most small businesses with routine hiring needs, we actually recommend GoodHire or Checkr as a first look, because of their ease and lower cost. But for enterprise or high-stakes hiring, Sterling often ends up the choice despite its higher cost and clunkier UI. One helpful approach is to stratify your background checks: use Sterling for the roles that truly need the full treatment (executives, finance, roles requiring government clearance or international checks) and use a cheaper automated service for entry-level or low-risk positions. Some companies do this to balance cost and risk.

(For a more detailed breakdown, see our guide to the best background check services for employers, where we score each provider on criteria like speed, accuracy, compliance, and cost.)

What’s New in 2025

Sterling (and its parent First Advantage) in 2025 is focusing on modernisation and integration. A few recent developments worth noting:

Digital Identity & Mobile Improvements: As mentioned, Sterling’s partnership with Yoti is a significant innovation, bringing a portable digital identity solution into their screening workflow. This rolled out first in the UK and EMEA regions and is expanding. It allows for a much smoother identity verification step via smartphone. Additionally, Sterling has been rolling out its Candidate Hub, which is a more mobile-responsive portal for candidates (features like one-click login, text reminders, and direct document upload are part of this). While the candidate experience is still not perfect, these updates in 2025 show Sterling moving toward a more modern, mobile-friendly approach.

Global Expansion and Brand Integration: In late 2023, Sterling unified its Asia-Pacific operations under the main Sterling brand (previously, in APAC they operated as ‘Sterling RISQ’). This came with enhanced capabilities in APAC – for example, they now boast local data centres in Australia and Singapore for faster local processing and compliance with data residency. The rebranding in APAC also introduced some new tech to those regions and a unified global platform experience for multinational clients. By 2025, Sterling’s brand is being fully integrated into First Advantage – the website banner now literally says ‘Sterling is now First Advantage’. We expect that over the coming year, the Sterling name might be used less as everything consolidates under the First Advantage brand, but the services and technology remain the same or improved.

API and Integration Enhancements: Sterling has continued to build out integrations with HR software. First Advantage already had a robust integration marketplace, and Sterling’s platform now offers hundreds of pre-built ATS/HCM integrations for clients. In 2025, they have made it easier to connect Sterling with popular systems like Workday, iCIMS, Greenhouse, etc., through more standardised APIs. This is a big plus for companies that want to automate the background check ordering process directly from their recruiting software. The ‘Sterling API’ is now part of the offering for those who need custom integration, and documentation is available for developers.

User Interface and Portal Updates: While the main admin interface hasn’t dramatically changed (still the tried-and-true design), Sterling/First Advantage have indicated they are investing in UI updates. By 2025 they’ve refreshed some of the branding and report layouts. We saw a beta of a new dashboard that looks cleaner and surfaces key metrics (like average turnaround time, number of screenings in progress, etc.). It’s not rolled out to all clients yet, but it’s a sign that the UI is slowly evolving. The candidate portal refresh (Candidate Hub) is the most tangible change that many will notice.

Continuous Monitoring & Post-Hire: Another trend in 2025 is ongoing monitoring services. Sterling has offered these for a while (like Criminal Monitoring, Healthcare Sanctions Monitoring, etc.), but we see more employers opting in now given the turbulent job market and compliance pressures. Sterling has improved the interface for reviewing monitoring alerts, making it easier to see, for example, if an existing employee has a new record. They also launched some products under First Advantage’s umbrella like ‘Social Media Monitoring’ where they periodically scan public social media or internet presence of employees (with consent) – this is cutting-edge and a bit controversial, but it’s available for those who need to be absolutely sure about workforce compliance.

Overall, Sterling in 2025 isn’t radically different in its mission – it’s still about thorough, reliable checks – but it’s steadily incorporating new technology and aligning more with First Advantage’s platform. The First Advantage acquisition could accelerate improvements (First Advantage has been touting mobile-first, AI-driven processes in its investor presentations). The key takeaway for now: you get the same thorough Sterling service, with incremental improvements in user experience and some new bells and whistles like digital identity verification. We’ll keep an eye on whether the platform gets a major overhaul in 2026 under the First Advantage branding.

Final Verdict

Sterling delivers exactly what it promises: thorough, reliable background screening with global coverage and robust compliance baked in. It is not the cheapest, nor the prettiest, but if your organisation truly needs comprehensive verification that you can depend on, Sterling is a top-tier choice. We particularly recommend it for roles or industries where the cost of a bad hire is extraordinarily high – whether that’s a legal liability, a safety issue, or a blow to your company’s reputation. In those cases, the investment in Sterling’s screening can easily pay for itself by averting disaster.

Yes, we’d like to see a modern interface and a smoother candidate process. Sterling (First Advantage) is aware of these shortcomings and is taking steps to modernise, though they’re not leading the pack in UI innovation. But when we weigh that against the accuracy and depth of the reports, the scales tip in Sterling’s favour for enterprise needs. The platform’s core strengths – compliance, coverage, and credibility of results – are where it outshines the competition. We also give kudos to Sterling’s support team for being knowledgeable and available around the clock; that’s a lifesaver in urgent situations.

For businesses that require Sterling’s level of verification, the higher costs and longer turnaround times are acceptable trade-offs for the confidence and legal protection you get in return. Be prepared to invest some time in the initial setup and to possibly hand-hold some candidates through the process. Once it’s up and running, Sterling becomes a vital part of your hiring risk management. If your hiring needs are simple and domestic, you might lean toward more nimble platforms. But if you operate in the big leagues of hiring and can’t afford to cut corners, Sterling is worth the trust it has earned over 45+ years in the industry.