2025 Industry Outlook and Tips for CRA Success

Note: This is part three of a three-part blog series recapping the background screening industry trends of 2024 and helping CRAs prepare for what’s next in 2025. Check out part 1 and part 2.

Welcome to 2025! The InformData team is excited to enter a new year filled with opportunities, including finding new ways to support you, our partners, and our peers.

We wrapped up 2024 and set the stage for 2025 in our recent webinar, “Prepare to Thrive in 2025: Top Background Screening Trends of 2024 and What's Next.”  Industry experts Ryan Crawford, Jeff Anop, and Adam Abbruzzese shared the key product and industry trends observed in 2024, along with 2025’s industry outlook and advice to help Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) prepare for success.

In previous articles, we summarized the product trends and overarching industry trends. This final piece of our three-part series summarizes how those key trends will shape the industry's trajectory in 2025. Let’s dive in!

  This post is a summary of their insights- you can watch the on-demand webinar for free here!

An Overview of What We Expect in 2025

One thing is clear—the background screening industry is optimistic about what’s next in 2025! Here’s a snapshot of our panelists’ predictions, drawn from 2024’s product insights and industry trends:

• The demand for enhanced data products will continue to grow, driven by client needs for deeper accuracy and actionable insights.
  
  
• CRAs will continue to shift toward outsourcing complex, resource-intensive processes like verifications and federal record validation, freeing up internal resources for high-value tasks.
  
  
• International background screening is expected to continue to grow, fueled by remote work trends, global workforce growth, and evolving compliance requirements. Businesses will increasingly seek seamless, standardized screening solutions to navigate the complexities of varying country requirements.
  
  
• Monitoring solutions will solidify their position as a key revenue stream for CRAs. Products like criminal, healthcare, and driver monitoring will address the growing need for post-hire oversight while enabling CRAs to transition from one-time transactions to subscription-based models.
  
  
• Economic recovery indicators suggest cautious optimism for 2025 – be ready for a potential surge in volume.
  
  
• Technology and AI will play a critical role in shaping the future of the industry. Businesses will increasingly rely on automation to optimize processes, scale efficiently, and deliver unique insights that set them apart in a crowded market.
  
  
• We predict sectors like healthcare and logistics to be key growth areas. License and certification monitoring in healthcare and hybrid driver monitoring solutions in logistics are expected to see heightened demand.
  
  

Your Peers Have Spoken!

During the webinar, we polled attendees to gauge industry sentiment heading into the new year. Here are the results:

Poll 1: What are you expecting for your incoming demand in 2025?

• More than 2024 78.4%
• Less than 2024 0%
• Flat 7.2%
• Blow it out of the water in 2025! 14.4%

We were so thrilled about these results! Not one person polled expects less demand in 2024. Yep, 2025 should be a good year!

Poll 2: In which product do you see the most opportunity internationally?

• Identity Verification 75.5%
• Social Media Checks 10.2%
• Other 14.3%

Identity verification is gaining popularity in the background screening industry as employers seek reliable methods to confirm identities, reduce fraud, and meet growing compliance demands.

Poll 3: What trend or concern is on the top of your mind heading into 2025?

This open-ended question sparked a wide range of responses – check them out here.

Expert Tips for Success

As always, we’re happy to share some advice to help you succeed. Here is each of our expert panelists' number one piece of advice for you to thrive in 2025:

1. Digitize operations to streamline processes, boost efficiency, and enable scalable growth. Automation is key to building a resilient, future-ready business. 
   – Jeff Anop
   
   
2. Proactively identify new product opportunities that align with market demands. Focus on essential offerings to win business and establish leadership. Expansion drives growth—embrace innovation.
   – Ryan Crawford
   
   
3. Evaluate your business goals and expectations, and discuss them with partners to ensure they can support your growth and adapt to your needs. Strong partnerships are vital for long-term success.
   – Adam Abbruzzese

Let’s Blow 2025 Out of the Water

The future is bright, and together we can achieve incredible things. Whether you’re looking to overcome challenges or seize new opportunities, InformData is here to support your success every step of the way.

Contact us today to explore how we can partner with you to make 2025 your most successful year yet.

Click here for our overview of 2024's product trends, and click here for the overarching trends shaping the background screening industry.

Cheers to a new year... Let's do this!