executive looking out window

Deep Background Investigations

Will your company’s next CEO be a mercurial visionary like Steve Jobs or a shrewdly methodical manager like Bill Gates? Does your new prospective CFO have a history of personal credit problems? Why does your top job candidate for Chief Marketing Officer bounce from firm to firm every two years – is it a sign of incompetence or ambition?

The majority of investigative firms offering executive vetting and pre-employment screening aren’t qualified to address these questions. Their services only scratch the surface: criminal, civil, and bankruptcy searches (generally limited to 7 to 10 years); verification of degrees; dates of employment; title; ending pay; duties; reason for leaving; eligibility for rehire.

Yet when vetting applicants for senior positions, corporate decision-makers need to look much deeper to accurately evaluate the top candidates. It’s not enough to verify they have a Harvard MBA and never filed for bankruptcy. Beyond the public record, in-depth interviews of current and former colleagues are necessary to accurately evaluate their strengths and weaknesses – strategic vision, management style, and how well they perform under pressure.

Deep Background Investigation Reports

Here are a few examples of the information Beacon Investigation Solutions compiles in our high-level executive background reports:

  • Career and Colleagues: Revealing and Honest References
  • Social Network Profile: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Klout
  • Criminal History: Comprehensive National/International Checks
  • Civil/Financial Liabilities: Lawsuits, Judgments, Bankruptcies, Liens
  • Adverse Relationships with Past Colleagues and Business Partners
  • Compensation: Salary, Stock, Options, Severance, Clawbacks, etc.
  • Fringe Benefits: From Dental Coverage to Corporate Jets
  • Reputation Among Industry / Wall Street Analysts
  • Entrepreneurial Evaluation: Success or Failure of Private Ventures

HR departments typically struggle with developing these kinds of insights. If a senior executive from a competing firm is applying for a position, for example, the personnel office may be constrained from contacting the other company until the deal is all but done.

In addition, businesspeople can be notoriously reluctant to give a negative reference for an under-performing coworker. Their reasons may include fear of litigation or retaliation; or they may realize providing a good reference for a bad coworker will help their organization eliminate dead weight, making room for a more talented replacement.

Sensitive and Nuanced Information 

The corporate investigators at Beacon Investigative Solutions are accustomed to developing sensitive information in an ethical, legal, and effective manner that protects the confidentiality of their clients. They are skilled at developing inside sources and getting reluctant witnesses to talk – to share not only the official story but also the latest scuttlebutt at the water cooler.

Beacon’s investigative team includes a number of former federal agents and law enforcement officers with specialized training and experience necessary to speak comfortably with uncooperative subjects and get them to “open up.” We also have seasoned corporate investigators who understand the culture and dynamics of large corporations, having consulted Fortune 500 companies for decades on sensitive matters ranging from pre-merger due diligence to competitive intelligence to executive vetting at the highest levels.

For more information, please call

800-535-2136

We assist clients nationwide.

Corporate Headquarters
Beacon Investigative Solutions
4200 Regent Street, Suite 200
Columbus, OH 43219