Summary
Checkr, a company valued at $5 billion, is changing how it brings new employees into the business. Every new hire, including the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), must build an artificial intelligence (AI) app during their first few days. This hands-on approach ensures that everyone understands how to use modern technology to solve problems. The company is moving beyond simple background checks to become a large platform for many types of data and trust-based decisions.
Main Impact
The biggest impact of this policy is the shift in company culture. By making the CFO build an app, Checkr is showing that AI is not just for software engineers. It is a tool for every department, including finance and human resources. This strategy removes the mystery around AI and encourages staff to use it openly rather than in secret. It also helps the company move much faster than its competitors by automating tasks that used to take a long time.
For the finance department, this means moving away from old ways of working. Instead of spending weeks on spreadsheets, the team can now use AI to get results in just a few hours. This allows the finance team to focus more on making big decisions and less on manual data entry. It also gives other managers in the company more power to see their own budgets without needing to wait for help from the finance office.
Key Details
What Happened
Tim Yarbrough joined Checkr as the new CFO in March 2026. He took over the role from Naeem Ishaq. Yarbrough has a lot of experience, having spent over ten years at ZipRecruiter and working in high-level roles at Qualcomm. Even with all his experience, his first task at Checkr was unique: he had to build a working AI application. This was part of the company's onboarding process, which is the training new employees get when they start a job.
The CEO of Checkr, Daniel Yanisse, believes that leadership must set a clear example. If the leaders use AI, the rest of the staff will feel comfortable using it too. Yarbrough noted that many employees at other companies use AI in secret because they are not sure if it is allowed. At Checkr, the goal is to make sure everyone knows it is a required part of the job.
Important Numbers and Facts
Checkr has grown significantly since it was started in 2014. Here are some of the key figures that show the company's size and success:
- The company is currently valued at $5 billion.
- It serves more than 130,000 different businesses.
- In 2025, the company's total gross revenue was more than $800 million.
- The net revenue, which is the money kept after paying government fees, was over $500 million.
- Checkr is now targeting a market worth $40 billion, which includes checking identities, incomes, and rental histories.
Background and Context
Checkr is mostly known for doing background checks on people who want jobs. For example, if you want to drive for a ride-sharing app, Checkr might be the company that checks your driving record. However, the company wants to do much more than that. They are expanding into "trust-based decisions." This means helping businesses decide if they can trust someone to rent an apartment, get a mortgage, or verify their identity online.
This matters because these decisions affect important parts of people's lives. Getting a home or a job depends on these checks being accurate and fair. By using AI, Checkr hopes to make these checks faster and more reliable. The company is also trying to stay ahead of "bad actors," which are people who try to use fake information to trick the system.
Public or Industry Reaction
The industry has noticed Checkr's rapid growth and its focus on technology. CEO Daniel Yanisse stated that Yarbrough’s experience in helping companies grow is exactly what Checkr needs right now. Many people in the business world are watching to see if Checkr will soon become a public company through an Initial Public Offering (IPO). While Yarbrough did not confirm an IPO is happening soon, he said his main goal is to build the company into a major data platform first.
What This Means Going Forward
Going forward, Checkr will continue to invest heavily in AI to fight fraud and improve its services. The company is building tools that allow different department leaders to manage their own spending. For example, a manager can now see their budget and how many people they can hire without asking the finance team for a report. This makes the whole company more efficient.
The move into identity and tenant verification is a big step. It puts Checkr in competition with older, traditional credit and background check companies. By using AI to do work in hours that used to take weeks, Checkr is trying to win over more customers who want fast results. The focus will remain on making sure these AI tools are used to make better judgments, not just to replace human workers.
Final Take
Checkr is setting a new standard for how companies should handle new technology. By requiring even the highest-level executives to build an app, they ensure that the entire workforce is ready for the future. This hands-on training helps the company stay fast and smart as it grows into a multi-billion dollar leader in the data and verification industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the new CFO have to build an AI app?
Checkr requires all new employees to build an AI app during training to make sure they understand the technology. It helps create a culture where everyone feels comfortable using AI to solve business problems.
What does Checkr actually do?
Checkr provides services that help businesses verify information about people. This includes background checks for jobs, checking someone's identity, and verifying if a person has enough income to rent an apartment.
Is Checkr going to become a public company soon?
The new CFO, Tim Yarbrough, says the current focus is on growing the company and expanding its products. While an IPO is a possibility in the future, the company is currently focused on reaching a $40 billion market.
