Candidate Compliance Software UK: What to Look For
Candidate compliance software UK agencies use, compared: portals, ATS modules and WhatsApp chasing, plus vendor questions and how pricing works.
Good candidate compliance software asks candidates for the right documents, checks them, chases what is missing and files everything to your ATS. When you compare candidate compliance software UK vendors offer, you are really choosing between three approaches. These are portal-based onboarding tools, compliance modules inside your ATS, and conversational chasing over WhatsApp and email.
Each one wins in different situations. Here is how they differ, what to ask vendors, and how pricing usually works.
In short:
- Good compliance software collects, checks, chases and files documents, and keeps an audit trail.
- Portals suit forms and e-signatures. ATS modules suit one-system agencies. Conversational tools suit candidates who live on their phones.
- The biggest hidden cost is who still does the chasing. Ask every vendor that first.
- Check how each tool writes back to your ATS, so nobody keys documents in twice.
- Ask what you pay for candidates who never finish.
What should candidate compliance software actually do?
It should get a candidate from "offer accepted" to "cleared to work" without a consultant spending the afternoon chasing.
Use these six jobs as your scorecard:
- Ask for the right documents per role. A care worker, an HGV driver and a supply teacher need different things.
- Check what comes back. A blurred passport photo is not evidence. Ask what the tool rejects and what happens next.
- Chase what is still missing. Find out who chases after day three: the software or your consultant.
- File to the candidate's record. Documents belong on the right candidate in your ATS, not in an inbox.
- Track expiry. Visas, DBS certificates and training certificates expire. Something should flag renewals before the next shift.
- Keep an audit trail. When a client, a framework or an inspector asks, you need to show what you checked and when.
How do the types of candidate compliance software UK agencies use compare?
The difference is mostly where the candidate does the work and who chases them.
Portal-based onboarding tools
The candidate gets a link, creates a login and uploads documents. Portals are strong on structured work: long forms, e-signatures, policy sign-offs and progress bars.
The weak point is the candidate. They must remember a password and upload from a phone. Many stop halfway, and a consultant ends up chasing anyway.
Compliance modules built into your ATS
Many ATS platforms include a compliance or onboarding area. Documents sit on the candidate record from day one, and there is nothing new to integrate.
The trade-off is depth. Modules vary in reminders and checking. Some store documents well but leave much of the chasing to your consultants, so ask.
Conversational chasing tools
The candidate gets a message on WhatsApp or by email and replies with photos of their documents. Candidates get no portal and no login. GettingDocs works this way.
The trade-off is scope. A conversational tool collects, checks and files documents. It is not a full workforce management system, and it depends on a live integration with your ATS.
Which approach is right for your agency?
Choose based on where your candidates drop off today, not on the longest feature list.
| What you care about | Portal-based onboarding | ATS built-in module | Conversational chasing (e.g. GettingDocs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| How candidates send documents | Log in and upload | Usually a link or portal | Reply on WhatsApp or email |
| Login or app needed | Usually | Often | No |
| Who chases late candidates | Reminders, then usually your team | Varies, often your team | The tool, until everything is in |
| Document checking | Varies by vendor | Varies, check in the demo | Each file checked; bad files chased again |
| Where documents end up | Portal, then synced or exported | Already on the ATS record | Filed to the ATS record |
| Forms and e-signatures | Usually strong | Varies | Not the focus |
| Best fit | Long onboarding packs, desk-based candidates | Low volume, one-system preference | High volume, mobile candidates, tight start dates |
- Pick a portal if onboarding means long contracts, questionnaires and several e-signatures.
- Stick with your ATS module if you place a handful of candidates a month and consultants have time to chase.
- Pick conversational chasing if you onboard dozens a week, mostly on phones, and start dates keep slipping.
You can also combine them. Some agencies keep a portal for contracts and use conversational chasing for the documents candidates are slowest to send.
What questions should you ask compliance software vendors?
Ask questions that reveal who does the work after the first message goes out. Copy this list into your next demo.
- Does the candidate need an account, password or app?
- How many reminders are sent, on which channels, and for how long?
- Does the tool stop asking for documents already on the record?
- At what point does a consultant have to step in?
- What does it reject: blurred photos, cut-off pages, the wrong document?
- Are uploaded files screened for viruses and malware?
- Is the integration with my ATS live today, or on a roadmap?
- How are candidates matched to records: by ID, email, phone or name?
- Will you sign a written data processing agreement?
- What am I charged for a candidate who never finishes?
That contract question matters. The ICO says that whenever a controller uses a processor, there must be a written contract. Your agency is the controller, and the vendor is usually your processor.
Does software change who is responsible for compliance checks?
No. Software collects and organises evidence, but your agency still decides whether a candidate is cleared to work.
Right to work is the clearest example. The Home Office employer's guide, updated on 1 October 2026, treats an agency supplying temporary workers as their employer for the check. From that date the scheme also covers people on a worker's contract. For a manual check over a live video call, you must already have the original document in your possession. A scan or screenshot is not enough.
See the Home Office employer's guide and our right to work checks guide. When a vendor says "compliant", ask what they mean.
How should compliance software fit with your ATS?
Your ATS should stay the single record of each candidate, and compliance software should write to it, not compete with it.
- Matching. Matching by name causes mix-ups when two candidates share one. Record ID, email or phone is safer.
- No double asking. If a DBS certificate is already on the record, nobody should ask for it again.
- Triggering. Chasing should start from a status or rule in your ATS, not a consultant pressing a button.
If an integration is "coming soon", ask for a date and plan for the gap. See which systems we connect to on our ATS integrations page.
How much does candidate compliance software cost?
Most vendors charge per user, per candidate, a flat platform fee, or a mix. The cheapest headline price is not always the cheapest year.
| Pricing model | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Per user | A fee for each team member with a login | Costs grow with headcount, not volume |
| Per candidate or check | A fee for each candidate or check | Paying for candidates who drop out |
| Flat platform fee | One monthly fee, sometimes tiered | What happens above the tier |
Ask about setup fees and minimum terms too.
A worked example (hypothetical)
Say you start 40 candidates a month and 8 never send their documents. A model that charges per candidate at the start bills you for 40. One that charges only when documents are complete bills you for 32.
Then add the hidden cost. If each unfinished candidate takes 30 minutes of consultant chasing, that is time not spent billing.
How GettingDocs pricing works
GettingDocs charges a flat monthly platform fee, plus a per-candidate fee only when every requested document is in. If a candidate never sends their documents, there is no per-candidate charge. Repeat candidates cost less. We give a custom quote on a call.
Where does Amy fit?
GettingDocs is an AI document agent for recruitment agencies that chases candidates for compliance documents over WhatsApp and email and files them to the ATS.
Amy, our AI document agent, does the chasing your consultants do today. Candidates get no portal and no login. Candidates have a conversation on WhatsApp or email, and documents are filed to your ATS.
- A chase rule in your ATS decides who is chased for which documents. Documents already on the record are not asked for again.
- Amy messages candidates on WhatsApp, or by email from your own domain, in your agency's voice. She answers questions and chases only what is missing.
- Each document is checked. Blurred photos, cut-off pages and wrong documents are rejected and chased again. Every file is virus-screened, and rejected documents are never filed.
- Accepted documents are filed to the candidate's ATS record and to Google Drive. Candidates are matched by record ID, email or phone, never by name.
Live integrations today are Recruit CRM, Crelate, Zoho Recruit and JobAdder. Bullhorn, Eclipse Software, Workable and Greenhouse are coming soon. ATS credentials are encrypted at rest; see our security page.
Amy is not an e-signature tool or a form builder: candidates sign in whatever they already use, such as DocuSign, and send the signed document back on WhatsApp or email. If that is your main need, a portal may suit you better, or you can use both.
Sharing the file with your client. If your agency uses JobAdder, Crelate or Recruit CRM, GettingDocs can also give your clients a branded Client Portal. Their contacts sign in with a one-time code sent by email, with no password, and see only their own placements and the document types you choose to share, streamed from your ATS.
Frequently asked questions
What is candidate compliance software?
Candidate compliance software helps recruitment agencies collect, check and store the documents candidates need before they can work. That includes right to work evidence, DBS certificates and training certificates. Good tools also chase missing documents and keep an audit trail.
Is a candidate portal or WhatsApp better for collecting documents?
It depends on what you collect. Portals suit long forms and e-signatures for desk-based candidates. WhatsApp and email suit candidates on their phones who need to send photos of documents quickly.
Do I still need my ATS if I buy compliance software?
Yes. Your ATS should remain the main record for each candidate. Compliance software works best when it files documents straight onto that record, so nobody copies files between systems.
Does compliance software do the right to work check for me?
Not on its own. Software can collect and organise documents, and a certified digital verification service provider can run digital checks for some candidates. Your agency remains responsible for the check, because Home Office guidance treats the agency supplying a worker as the employer for right to work purposes.
How long does it take to set up candidate compliance software?
It depends on the approach and your ATS. Tools with a live integration to your ATS are usually quicker than those needing exports or custom work. Ask each vendor for a realistic timeline for your system.
Ready to see it with your own candidates?
If your consultants spend their afternoons chasing documents, book a call. We will look at your roles, your ATS and your volumes, and give you a custom quote.
Please note: this article is general information, not legal advice, and was correct at the time of writing (October 2026). Rules and guidance change, so please check the latest guidance from the Home Office and the Information Commissioner's Office before relying on it.