Chasing Candidates for Compliance Documents: A Daily Routine
Chasing candidates for compliance documents without losing the day: a daily and weekly routine, chase cadence and message template for UK agencies.
Chasing candidates for compliance documents stops eating your day when you chase in fixed slots, from one list, in a set order. Batch the chasing into three short blocks, send one message that lists exactly what is missing, and escalate on a fixed timetable. Everything else waits until the next block.
In short:
- Chase in three fixed blocks a day, not every time an email lands.
- Work from one "missing documents" list sorted by start date, not from your inbox.
- Each chase names the exact documents still missing and nothing else.
- Set each candidate's chase cadence by their start date, and hand to the recruiter for a call when it stalls.
- Run a weekly expiry sweep so renewals never become emergencies.
Why does chasing candidates for compliance documents take all day?
It takes all day because most coordinators chase reactively, one candidate at a time, every time something lands in the inbox.
Each interruption means opening the record, checking what is on file, writing a message and logging it. Then a recruiter asks about someone else and you start again.
It gets worse when the picture lives in three places: your inbox, the ATS and a spreadsheet. You spend as long working out what is missing as you do asking for it.
What does a good daily chasing routine look like?
A good routine is three fixed chasing blocks a day, each under 45 minutes, worked from one list sorted by start date.
Here is a routine for a desk with 20 to 60 candidates in onboarding. Adjust the times to suit.
| Time | Block | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 to 9:15 | Morning chase | Process everything that arrived overnight. Check each file, update the list, send today's chases. |
| 9:15 to 12:30 | Deep work | Audit prep, reference checks, client requests. Inbox notifications off. |
| 12:30 to 13:00 | Midday catch-up | Process replies from the morning chase. Answer candidate questions in one go. |
| 13:00 to 16:00 | Deep work | Renewals, file reviews, anything that needs focus. |
| 16:00 to 16:45 | Afternoon chase | Second chase for anyone starting in the next 5 working days. Flag blockers to recruiters. |
Candidates on shifts often reply after work, so the 8:30 block clears what came in overnight.
The one list that runs the routine
Keep one list of candidates with anything missing. Sort it by start date, soonest first. Each row needs five columns:
- Candidate name and record ID
- Start date (or "no date yet")
- Documents still missing, named exactly
- Date of last chase and which step of the cadence they are on
- Owner if escalated (the recruiter)
Build it as a saved search in your ATS if you can. A second spreadsheet is how documents get chased twice.
How often should you chase a candidate for documents?
Chase on a fixed cadence that tightens as the start date gets closer, and bring in the recruiter when it stalls.
The days below count from the first request. They are a suggested starting point, so adjust them to your roles and clients.
| Start date is | How often you chase | When the recruiter calls |
|---|---|---|
| A week or more away | Day 0 full list, day 1 nudge, day 3 reminder, day 5 final reminder | Day 3, if nothing has arrived |
| 3 to 6 working days away | Once a day, in your morning block | Day 2, or as soon as a reply is missed |
| 1 to 2 working days away | In every chase block | Today, and you tell the client what is missing |
Each candidate's place in this table belongs in the "last chase" column of your list. That way the morning block tells you exactly who is due.
After day 0, only name what is still outstanding.
What should a chase message actually say?
A good chase message names the exact document, says how to send it, and gives a reason tied to the candidate's start date.
Here is a day 1 nudge you can adapt:
Hi Priya, thanks for sending your passport. Two things left before Monday: your DBS certificate (a photo of the first page is fine) and proof of address from the last 3 months. You can reply here with photos. Any questions, just ask.
It thanks them for progress, names two documents rather than "the rest", says a photo is fine, and ties the ask to their start date. Check your own requirements first: a manual right to work check needs the original, not a photo.
Which documents should you chase first?
Chase the documents that legally block a start first, then the ones your client needs, then the rest.
| Priority | Documents | Why first |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Blocks the start | Right to work, ID, DBS (for regulated roles) | The candidate cannot work without them. |
| 2. Client requires | Training certificates, qualifications, professional registration | The client or framework will refuse the booking. |
| 3. Needed soon | References, occupational health, proof of address | Often needed before the first shift, but sometimes in parallel. |
| 4. Admin | Bank details, P45, emergency contact | Needed for pay, not for the start. |
Right to work sits at the top for a reason. The Home Office employer's guide to right to work checks was updated on 1 October 2026. It treats an agency supplying temporary workers as their employer for the check. From that date the scheme also covers workers 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, photo or screenshot is not enough. Our UK right to work checks guide covers the detail.
For DBS, ask early whether the candidate is on the DBS Update Service. If they are, you can run a free status check online with their permission. You still need to see the original certificate, and it must be the right level and workforce for the role. See our DBS checks for agency workers guide and the GOV.UK DBS Update Service page.
What do you do when the start date is close and documents are still missing?
Escalate to the recruiter and the client in writing, with the exact documents missing, at least 2 working days before the start.
Use this order:
- Recruiter calls the candidate. Ask directly what is stopping them. Often it is a lost certificate.
- You confirm in writing. One message listing what is missing and the new deadline.
- Tell the client early. A start moved on Thursday is a problem. One moved at 7am on Monday is a lost client.
- Never start without blockers. No right to work or required DBS means the start moves. No "they will bring it on the day".
How do you stop expiring documents turning into a new chase?
Run a weekly expiry sweep and start chasing renewals 60 days before anything expires.
Here is a weekly routine to sit around the daily blocks:
| Day | Task | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Expiry sweep: list everything expiring in the next 60 days. Add to the chase list. | 30 minutes |
| Tuesday | Follow-up right to work checks due in the next 30 days. Book them in. | 20 minutes |
| Wednesday | Clear out the list: remove placed candidates, close dead files. | 20 minutes |
| Thursday | Start-date sweep for next week. Escalate anything missing. | 30 minutes |
| Friday | Audit spot check: pick 5 random compliant files and check every document is filed and in date. | 30 minutes |
Chase renewals at 60, 30 and 14 days. Training certificates and professional registrations are the usual culprits. Time-limited right to work needs a follow-up check before permission ends, so track that date separately.
The Friday spot check is your audit insurance. Clean files every week means no scramble when a client or the CQC asks.
How can you reduce the admin of chasing candidates?
You reduce the admin by removing steps, not by chasing harder.
- Drop the portal for first requests. Let candidates reply with photos on WhatsApp or by email.
- Use saved templates for each cadence step, so you never write a chase from scratch.
- Check each file as it lands. A blurred photo found on day 5 is a new chase you could have sent on day 0.
- File as you go. A document sitting in your inbox is not on the candidate's record for an audit.
Where does Amy fit?
Amy, our AI document agent, runs this cadence for you. 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.
Candidates get no portal and no login. Candidates have a conversation on WhatsApp or email sent from your agency's own domain. A chase rule in your ATS decides who gets chased for what, and documents already on the record are not asked for again.
Amy checks each document. Blurred photos, cut-off pages and wrong documents are rejected and chased again. Accepted files go to the candidate's record in the ATS and to Google Drive. See the live ATS integrations.
You keep the parts that need you: the escalations, the client conversations and the audit.
Frequently asked questions
How do you chase candidates for compliance documents without it taking all day?
Chase in fixed blocks, usually morning, midday and late afternoon, from one list sorted by start date. Each message names only the documents still missing. Outside those blocks, leave chasing alone and do focused work.
How often should you chase a candidate for missing documents?
With a week or more to the start, chase on day 0, day 1, day 3 and day 5, with a recruiter call on day 3. Closer to the start, chase daily or in every chase block. Every chase after the first should name only what is still outstanding.
Who should chase candidates for compliance documents: compliance or the recruiter?
The compliance team should run the routine chasing from one list, so nothing depends on a recruiter remembering. The recruiter should step in for a call when a candidate stalls or the start date is close. Recruiters own the relationship and often hear the real reason for the delay.
What should you do if a candidate still has not sent documents before their start date?
Escalate to the recruiter for a call, confirm the missing documents in writing, and tell the client at least 2 working days before. Do not let the candidate start without right to work or any required DBS. Move the start date instead.
Can you automate chasing candidates for compliance documents?
Yes. An AI document agent can send the chases, answer candidate questions, check each document and file it to the ATS. You still own escalations, client conversations and audit decisions.
Ready to stop chasing by hand?
Want to see this routine running without you? Book a call and we will walk through your ATS, your document list and 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 Disclosure and Barring Service before relying on it.