Corporate Background Screening Services

Social media posts, blog posts, media quotes, and other online content can strengthen a person’s reputation. Or they can ruin it. As we have seen on multiple occasions, even posts and articles from several years ago can resurface and make national headlines. Before making a new hire, it is imperative that companies conduct adequate online and social media tracing to ensure that bringing a new person onboard will not lead to a public relations nightmare.

When it comes to conducting a background investigation, online research is just the start. We rely on numerous sources throughout the United States and around the world to help our clients make informed decisions. Whether your company is hiring in the U.S. or abroad, and whether your company does business in the private sector or needs employees who can obtain federal top-secret security clearance, we can gather all of the information you need to know.

No matter what your company’s contracts say, your clients and customers will assume that your company is responsible for its vendors’ acts and omissions. While your company may ultimately have legal recourse against a vendor that fails to perform, being forced to take legal action is far from an ideal scenario, and recovering from a vendor’s failure can lead to unnecessary costs, delays, and customer dissatisfaction. Conducting thorough prospective vendor reviews can help mitigate this risk, and it can help ensure that your reliance on a vendor to meet your company’s or clients’ needs is not misplaced.

Just as companies must carefully select their personnel and vendors, they must also carefully select their clients. Serving clients with bad reputations can negatively impact a company’s goodwill, and serving clients that lack the financial wherewithal to pay their bills can negatively impact a company’s bottom line. We help companies select reputable and financially sound clients that they can serve with confidence.

As we mentioned above, background screening takes on heightened importance at the leadership level. History is replete with examples of companies hiring executives and directors only to terminate them a short time later after discovering information they should have discovered during their due diligence. If your company is conducting an executive search or seeking to fill a board vacancy, we can help ensure that the person you choose has the reputation you, your company’s customers or clients, and the public expect.

Staff screening needs can vary widely depending on a company’s industry, clients, and the requirements of the particular position in question. We conduct appropriately tailored staff screenings to help our clients avoid unknowingly hiring individuals who present threats to their organizations.

With today’s online environment, conducting employee background screenings is becoming increasingly complex. Companies need to example all potential sources of information, and new potential sources (i.e., new social media apps) come into play on a regular basis. But companies must avoid overlooking traditional sources of background information as well. As a result, conducting an effective background screening requires as structured and strategic approach, and it requires up-to-date knowledge of information sources and best practices.

Conducting a background screening for a potential executive or board member involves many of the same practices and procedures as screening lower-level employees. But there are also several unique considerations involved. From reviewing past employers’ public filings to speaking with individuals who may have relevant information about a candidate’s personal life, it is imperative to leave no stone unturned.

Vendor screening is vital, and yet it often goes overlooked. Engaging an unqualified, incompetent, or financially unstable vendor can have drastic consequences. So can engaging a vendor that lacks adequate logical or digital security protections. If a vendor’s acts or omissions could put your company at risk, then it is worth doing your due diligence before making a decision.

Screening clients is also vitally important. While some companies and firms may be tempted to sign any prospective clients that inquire, this approach can prove costly. Not only can problem clients be frustrating, but they can present reputational, financial, and legal risks as well.

There are several reasons to engage an outside firm to conduct your company’s background screening rather than attempting to handle the process in-house. The off-the-shelf products that companies typically use when conducting screenings in-house simply are not effective in the vast majority of cases. Conducting an adequate background screening requires a comprehensive and tailored approach, and it requires the insights of a team of investigative professionals who know how and where to look for relevant information.