University of Wisconsin–Madison
Human Resources

Initiate, View, and Record Professional and Misconduct Reference Checks (MRC)

Overview

This guide provides instructions to initiate and view professional and misconduct reference checks (MRC), and record results for the MRC. These checks are completed using SkillSurvey via the integration with Workday. 

Policy Considerations

Per the Recruitment, Assessment, and Selection of Academic Staff, Faculty, Limited and University Staff Employees policy, the primary recruiter must ensure the following checks occur for the final candidate:

  1. Reference Checks:
    1. Professional Reference Check: obtain information regarding job performance, experience, skills, and abilities as related to the duties and responsibilities of the job.
    2. Misconduct Check:
      1. Reference Check: obtain information regarding employee  misconduct (violations of law, university rule or policy; including any violation of sexual violence or sexual harassment policies; or conduct that adversely affects the employee's performance of their job responsibilities).
      2. Personnel File Check: additionally, review the personnel file for any final candidate who has held an appointment at a UW System Institution and/or any agency of the State of Wisconsin in the past 7 years to obtain information regarding employee misconduct, as defined above. 

Security Roles

Initiator: Reference Survey Coordinator UW, Primary Recruiter, Recruiter (Local), Recruiting Coordinator (Supervisory), Search Committee Chair UW 

Process Considerations

While multiple security roles can move the candidate into the assessment status, only the Reference Survey Coordinator UW can launch the SkillSurvey integration. The initiator must have the Reference Survey Coordinator UW security role in Workday, a user account in SkillSurvey, and the email address in both systems must match. 

   

Initiate and View Professional and Misconduct Reference Checks

Initiate Professional + MRC
Step 1:  From the Workday homepage, click Job Requisitions on the left side panel. Select the appropriate Job Requisition and Open Detailed View. 
Step 2:  Click the Candidates tab. 
Step 3:

Select the checkbox for the candidate:

  1. Click Move Forward.
  2. In Move Selected Candidates to Next Stage, select Assessment.
  3. In the second field, select SkillSurvey Check.
  4. Click OK.

A screenshot showing the Move Candidate Forward page. The page shows the Move Selected Candidates to Next Stage as Assessment, and the Move Selected Candidates to Next Step as SkillSurvey Check. The page also shows the selected candidate's name and the Job Requisition number. There is a Cancel and OK button at the bottom of the page.
Step 4: The Reference Survey Coordinator UW will receive a task in their inbox to Assess Candidate or on the Candidate Grid under Awaiting Me, click Assess.
Step 5:

Assess Candidate:

  1. Confirm the Overall Date (today's date).
  2. Set the Overall Status to Pending. Note: When the reference check is complete, the status will automatically update to completed.
  3. Optional: Enter a Comment.
  4. Click the + button in the grid to add an assessment row.
  5. In the Assessment Test field, select the appropriate survey. 
    1. Professional Reference Check: these surveys will ask both professional and the required MRC questions. Please select the most appropriate survey based on the position.
      1. To assist with selecting the most appropriate survey, Talent Acquisition has mapped the 100 most commonly recruited SJDs to SkillSurvey surveys via the Survey Selection Tool, found at the bottom of the SkillSurvey webpage. 
      2. To review the questions asked in specific surveys, login to SkillSurvey and under the Help header, select Pre-Hire 360 Survey Library. You are able to search by job title or filter by job category.
    2. Misconduct Reference Check: select the Misconduct Custom Survey to only ask the required MRC questions.
  6. Do NOT select a status.
  7. Click Submit.

A screenshot showing the Assess Candidate page. This page shows the Action Required is SkillSurvey Check and the user has selected the Overall Date and the Overall Status of Pending. The user has also selected an Assessment Test of Project Coordinator, v2, which is the survey name. There is a Cancel, Save for Later and Submit buttons at the bottom of the page.

Note: Once you click Submit, the candidate can be moved to other stages of the job application business process without impacting this process.
Step 6: The SkillSurvey integration will launch directly from Workday once you click Submit. The candidate will receive an email to provide contact information for three references. Once the candidate enters the required reference information, SkillSurvey will automatically send an email to each reference to complete the survey. The status of the professional/misconduct check can be monitored on the Candidate Profile, under Screening.
View Professional and MRC Results in Workday
Step 1:  From the Workday Home Page, click Job Requisitions.
Step 2:  Select the Job Requisition to view Candidates.
Step 3: Click the candidate's name in the candidate grid to view the Candidate Profile.
Step 4: Click Screening.
Step 5:

Click the Assessments tab to view the SkillSurvey reference check information via the Results URL.

A screenshot showing the Candidate Profile. The profile shows a list of pages and the Screening page is selected. The Screening page shows the Assessment tab for the SkillSurvey integration with Workday. There is a table that shows the title of the survey used, the status, date, and results URL.

Note: The Results URL will only be available once all three references complete the survey. 
Request Force Finalize and View Professional and MRC Results in SkillSurvey
Step 1:  If all three references have not completed the survey, the Results URL will not populate on the Assessments tab as outlined above. Log directly into SkillSurvey to view the progress and manage the request.
Step 2: 

Hover over the Candidates header, then Manage Candidates, and click Manage My Candidates to view candidates you have initiated requests for. 

If assisting with a request you did not initiate, click Manage All Candidates to filter by recruiter or your assigned division.  

Screenshot of SkillSurvey homepage. Showing the Candidates header and options to Manage My Candidates or Manage All Candidates.
Step 3:

Click on the Candidate Name to open and review Candidate Details.

Screenshot showing candidate details in SkillSurvey

Candidate Communication Events section: shows when the email was sent to the final candidate to enter their references and when the email was sent to references to complete the survey. 

References section:

  • Feedback Received - Not included in the report: shows the reference(s) who have completed the survey, and when it was submitted.
  • Waiting For Reference: shows the reference(s) who have not completed the survey. Under the Action heading the paper/pen icon allows the recruiter to edit the reference, and the envelope icon will allow the recruiter to resend the invitation. 
  • Request Additional Reference: can be used if the reference(s) provided have not responded and the final candidate needs to provide an alternate.
Step 4:

If two references have completed the survey, the recruiter may click the Force Finalize button at the top of the Candidate Details page. 

It is recommended that the recruiter and final candidate make every effort to follow up with the references to complete the survey, and give at least 5 business days (from the original invitation) for the reference to respond. Keep in mind, the recruiter can resend the invitation to the reference(s) who have not responded, as outlined above.  
Step 5: Once Talent Acquisition reviews and approves the Force Finalize request, you will be able to view responses via the finalized report in SkillSurvey. Keep in mind, the Results URL in Workday will NOT populate. 

Record MRC 

Record Results of Misconduct Reference Check

Completion of the MRC via the SkillSurvey integration must be recorded in Workday. It is recommended to record the completion of the MRC prior to hire on the Candidate Profile as outlined below. This will ensure the results flow to the Worker Profile.

If completion of the MRC is not recorded until after the hire is made, please follow the instructions below to Record MRC on Worker Profile - After Hire.      

Record MRC on Candidate Profile - Before Hire
Step 1: 

If the reference check is complete before the candidate is ready to hire, record the results on the Candidate Profile. This can be initiated by the Primary Recruiter. 

From the Workday homepage, click Job Requisitions.
Step 2:  Select the Job Requisition to view Candidates.
Step 3:

Select the checkbox next to the candidate you plan to move forward.

  1. Click Move Forward.
  2. In the Move Selected Candidate to Next Stage, select Background Check.
  3. In the second field, select Misconduct Reference Check (MRC).
  4. Click OK.

A screenshot showing the Move Candidates Forward page. Backround Check is selected for the Move Selected Candidate Forward to Next Stage field, and Misconduct Reference Check (MRC) is selected for the Move Selected Candidates to Next Step field. There is table that shows the Candidat Name and Job Requisition Number, and the Current Step of the recruitment process the selected candidate is in. There is a Cancel button and an OK button at the bottom of the page.
Step 4:

A task will go to the Reference Survey Coordinator UW to record the results of the MRC. 

From the Workday homepage, click My Tasks (inbox icon) in the upper right corner.
Step 5:

Select the Background Check Package task.

  1. In the Name field, select Misconduct Reference Check (MRC).
  2. Click Submit.

A screenshot showing the Select Background Check Package task. The Name field has the Misconduct Reference Check (MRC) selected. At the bottom of the page, there is a Cancel button, a Save for Later button and a Submit button.
Step 6:

Another task will appear for the Reference Survey Coordinator UW to select background check overall status:

  1. Confirm the Status Date.
  2. In the Status field, select Completed.
  3. Click Submit.

A screenshot showing the Select Background Check Overall Status page. There is a Status Date field, and Completed is selected for the Status field. At the bottom of the page is a Cancel button and a Submit button.
Record MRC on Worker Profile - After Hire
Step 1: 

If a reference check is complete after the candidate is ready to hire, record the results on the Worker Profile. This must be initiated by the Reference Survey Coordinator UW.

From the Workday homepage, search and select the name of the employee in the search bar.
Step 2: 

Click Actions. Hover over Personal Data and select Start a Background Check.

A screenshot showing the Worker Profile. The Actions button displays various actions categories. The Personal Data category is displayed and the Start Background Check action is highlighted.
Step 3:
  1. In the Name field, select Misconduct Reference Check (MRC).
  2. Click Submit.

A screenshot showing the Select Background Check Package page. The Name field has the Misconduct Reference Check (MRC) selected. There is a Submit button, a Save for Later button, and a Cancel button at the bottom of the page.
Step 4:

A task will go the Reference Survey Coordinator UW to record the results of the MRC.

From the Workday homepage, click My Tasks (inbox icon) in the upper right hand corner. Select the Background Check Package task.

  1. Confirm the Status Date.
  2. In the Status field, select Completed.
  3. Click Submit.

A screenshot showing the Select Background Check Overall Status page. The page shows the employee name, the Status Date field, Status, and a Comment field. At the bottom of the page there is a Cancel button and a Submit button.

Personnel File Review (as part of MRC) 

Personnel File Review

As part of the MRC requirement, a personnel file review must also be completed for final candidate(s) who have held an appointment at a UW System Institution and/or any agency of the State of Wisconsin in the past seven years.  

Initiate Personnel File Review
Step 1: 

If the final candidate has held an appointment at a UW System Institution and/or any agency of the State of Wisconsin in the past seven years, please use the following template to email the appropriate HR contact(s) to review the final candidate's personnel file for misconduct.

Important: The personnel file is NOT being requested at this time. The appropriate HR contact(s) are being asked to review the personnel file for misconduct.

UW System Human Resources Contacts

UW-Madison Division HR MRC Contacts

Subject: Misconduct Reference Check: Personnel File Review Request

Dear (INSTITUTION NAME) HR,

EMPLOYEE NAME (EMPLOYEE ID) has been identified as a final candidate for a position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Per policy requirements, would you please review their personnel file and respond to the following questions:

  1. Was the final candidate ever found to have engaged in any employee misconduct (violations of law, company or university rule or policy, including sexual violence or sexual harassment, or conduct that adversely affected the performance of their job responsibilities)?
  2.  Is the final candidate currently under investigation or left employment during an active investigation in which they were accused of employee misconduct (violations of law, company or university rule or policy, including sexual violence or sexual harassment, or conduct that adversely affected the performance of their job responsibilities)?

Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. I would appreciate your reply as soon as possible but within 5 business days. 

Sincerely,

HR REPRESENTATIVE NAME
Record Personnel File Review
Step 1: 

From the Workday homepage, click Job Requisitions. Select the Job Requisition and click Open Detailed View.
Step 2:

Click on the Candidates tab.
Step 3:

Select the checkbox for the candidate:

  1. Click Move Forward.
  2. In the Move Selected Candidates to Next Stage field, select Background Check.
  3. In the second field, select P-file Review (Hire). 
  4. Click OK.

A screenshot showing the Move Candidates Forward page. The page shows the Move Selected Candidates to Next Stage field, which should be Background Check. A second field, Move Selected Candidates to Next Step, which is P-file Review (Hire). The candidate name and job requisition number is also displayed. There is a Cancel button and an OK button at the bottom of the page.
Step 4: 

The Primary Recruiter will receive a task in their inbox to Select Background Check Package or on the Candidate Grid under Awaiting Me, click P-file Review (Hire).

  1. Confirm the Name is P-file Review (Hire).
  2. Click Submit.
Step 5:

Another task will appear for the Primary Recruiter to select background check overall status, or on the Candidate Grid under Awaiting Me, click Review.
Step 6:

Select Background Check Overall Status task.

  1. Confirm the Status Date (should be date check was completed).
  2. In the Status field, select Completed.
  3. Optional: Enter a Comment.
  4. Click Submit.

A screenshot showing the Select Background Check Overall Status page. The page shows information related to this task including the Status Date, which should be the date the personnel file review was completed, the Status field, which will need to have Completed selected, and a Comment field, which is optional. There is a Cancel button and a Submit button at the bottom of the page.
Step 7:

The Primary Recruiter will receive a task in their inbox to Make Background Check Decision, or on the Candidate Grid under Awaiting Me, click Review. From here, Move Forward to the next step in the job requisition business process or Decline to disposition the candidate.

Additional Resources

Questions?

Contact Talent Acquisition. 

Updated: Nov. 25, 2025
Source URL: https://hr.wisc.edu/hr-guides/for-hr-professionals/initiate-view-and-record-misconduct-reference-check-mrc/

Did you find what you need?