Why Comprehensive Background Checks are Critical to Our Society
Some in our society believe letting people’s past stay in the past is the best practice. In many cases, they are correct. However, there are numerous reasons why a business, individual, or agency would need to know if something in a subject’s past will influence future behavior. For example, would you want a pedophile teaching at your local public school? Would you want someone who has gone through numerous bankruptcies as a bank manager? Would you like to marry someone who is still married to someone else?
Privin Consulting Network is an expert professional team of private investigators who have military, legal work, and law enforcement backgrounds. We can tell you from direct experience that sometimes, people hide who they are because they do not want to deal with the possible repercussions of a rough past. We can respect this need for privacy but also believe people entering into personal or business relationships should always have the transparency of knowing who they are dealing with. That is why we offer due diligence in the corporate, government, and other sectors to ensure everyone is on the same page.
A comprehensive background check uncovers critical information that shows:
1 – Government Watch Lists and/or Affiliate Organizations
Political history and activism can make a significant difference to employers and agencies seeking information about a subject. Someone that has spent time in extremist groups most likely shares some of the more dangerous aspects of that movement. An often-cited example is a member of the KKK. They may seem like a perfectly reasonable person on the outside, but prescribe to racist undertones that will affect their decision-making and may reflect poorly on you or your organization.
2 – Criminal Records & Warrants
This is probably the number one reason we conduct due diligence investigations. From employers to potential marriage partners, everyone wants to be sure there are no hidden convictions buried in someone’s past. Our private investigators go over where a subject has lived and connect local, county, state, and national databases to see any outstanding warrants or criminal convictions related to that individual.
Sometimes we work with an organization that is only trying to confirm what was previously disclosed. As nearly 1 in 3 U.S. adults of working age has had some form of a run-in with the law, it always makes more sense for people to be upfront about their past and have a reasonable conversation. In our experience, this does not tend to hinder their ability to conduct business or be hired and gives the organization seeking the investigation a certain peace of mind that they can trust the openness and honesty of the person who disclosed the information to begin with.
3 – Professional & Employment History
This line of due diligence goes beyond simple confirmation of when and where an individual may have worked for a short time. We also want to uncover the documented evidence of the decision-making related to the work being done. It is easy to say a Nurse has spent a year and a half at a medical center. That information can be confirmed with only a cursory background check. But we also want to be sure there were no infringements or possibly dangerous activities while on that job. That is why we will sometimes conduct interviews, check local resources, and go deeper to ensure an individual’s professional background is authentic.
It is important that people understand there is no federal law governing what an employer can and cannot say about previous staff. The only thing that restricts their testimony is privacy concerns related to information on specific groups like medical patients or if the company in question has a policy that prohibits the release of this information. Even in those cases, we can usually get a basic overview of an individual’s job performance.
4 – Personal Reputation
At times, our private investigators will go deeper and uncover any news media reports, social media posts, and available public discourse to reveal an individual’s personal reputation. Unfortunately, many of our subjects have one persona they show their professional coworkers and an entirely different one they have when out of the office.
An excellent example of this type of research is on social media. You may have a lawyer you wish to hire for your firm with a stellar reputation for precise legal work, but if they are spending their time harassing the local LGBTQ organization in online forums, that may affect or change your mind to hire that individual.
5 – Civil Records
We at Privin Consulting Network conduct both county and federal civil history background checks. These are designed to uncover any liens, lawsuits, contract disputes, or other legal disagreements that could influence an individual’s behavior.
This is an especially critical part of our due diligence for those organizations ensuring no civil rights violations or claims currently exist on a subject’s record. It can be a real challenge to enter into a business relationship with someone who has to spend time, money, and focus on a civil matter, resulting in significant fines and negative news reports.
6 – Identity Verification & References
Many times our services are secured to verify the identity of a subject. This could be for hiring a future employee or for personal reasons related to possible aliases used by someone claiming to be another person. These aliases are used to avoid difficult past convictions, registry inclusions, or other concerns that may be embarrassing.
We have specialized services for those that have been the victim of relationship fraud or misrepresentation due to identity theft. That is why we will also interview and verify any references given by an individual. We want to paint a complete picture of who they are for our clients.
7 – Credit History
This is primarily used for subjects entering specific government work or jobs in the financial, banking, and investing sectors. We uncover any missed payments or credit-damaging behaviors resulting in severe financial duress like bankruptcy during this background check. This is also a surprisingly handy tool for identity verification because it is so comprehensive in showing all of the historical data on a single individual related to where they lived, who they did business with, and how they acted during that business.
Why this Matters
It is important to remember that backgrounds checks are not designed as an “I’ve got you!” moment. Instead, they are meant to insulate people from entering into a personal or business relationship with someone who is not being honest about who they are. There are many things a background check can reveal that do not matter in the grand scheme of hiring an employee, conducting a partnership, or entering a marriage, but the fact they were kept hidden speaks volumes to the character of an individual.
The point is to protect yourself from potential harm. We live in a litigious society where people often lie or hide their backgrounds due to a situation beyond their control. The best course of action is to be upfront with any previous concerns related to a job application, marriage, or business partnership. Yes, it may be harder to accomplish things, but in the long run, it provides the trust capital everyone wants to receive when working with another human being.
If you would like to learn more about the due diligence features of Privin Consulting Network’s professional private investigators, please reach out to our support team. We are happy to answer your questions and give you a more detailed outline of the background check you are requesting. From driving records to employment history, Privin is your leading choice for comprehensive background checks.
