What may a department or agency do to expedite the hiring process during an initial vetting investigation?

• A. They may make a preliminary determination to onboard an individual based on the early results of high-yield record checks
• B. They may skip all background checks and onboard immediately
• C. They may require only a credit check for expedited onboarding
• D. They may delay onboarding until a full investigation is complete

Answer: (B)

During an initial vetting investigation, agencies can speed things up by moving forward with provisional onboarding based on the early results of high-yield record checks. This approach lets the organization bring a candidate into the role or into duties with appropriate safeguards while the full background investigation continues. The key is that onboarding is not a blanket skip of checks; it relies on initial, strong indicators from targeted records to justify an interim status, with the understanding that the full investigation will complete and any disqualifying findings would halt or reverse the arrangement.

Why this fits best: it balances urgency with security. It acknowledges that some positions need to be staffed promptly, but it still relies on security-relevant information gathered early in the process and keeps ongoing monitoring and deeper checks in motion.

Skips-all-background-checks isn’t appropriate because it would bypass essential safeguards. Relying on a credit check alone doesn’t provide the comprehensive risk picture needed for most federal roles. Delaying onboarding until the full investigation is complete defeats the purpose of expediting and can hinder mission-critical needs.