The people in leadership roles can make or break the success of a business. This is why the choices we make in appointing key figures, such as executives, co-founders, and business partners, can have significant consequences. Common elements that cause damage are fraud, corruption, bribery of domestic and foreign officials, facilitation payments, criminal history, civil litigation, etc.
In the past, true due diligence was typically only done when hiring executives, especially C-suite level leaders, and when acquiring or merging with another company. Due diligence brings to light any risks that could have serious consequences, such as loss of reputation, revenue, or clients. Our Deep Dive Due Diligence includes much more than felonies and the occasional bankruptcy. We also look into items such as a criminal past in other countries, online activity, conflicts of interest, financial irregularities, civil suits, personal improprieties and more.
The Human Risk Factor
Executives, co-founders, and business partners are the backbone of any enterprise, but they also come with their fair share of risk. When choosing someone for a leadership role, it is important to look beyond impressive resumes and charming personalities. It’s about understanding the risks that may lurk beneath the surface.
According to recent studies, a significant percentage of business failures can be attributed to issues related to leadership:
- 40% of executives fail in their first 18 months in a new job. Prudent due diligence throughout the application process can greatly reduce the risk of failure and damage to an organization’s credibility.
- 3 in 4 HR managers (75 percent) have caught on in lie on a resume.
Know Your Executives Through Deep Dive Due Diligence
Deep Dive Due Diligence is your secret sauce for prudent business decision-making in hiring and vendor choices. It’s not about snooping into personal lives but rather about peeling back the many layers of professional history, financial practices, resolved and unresolved legal entanglements, ethics and personal characteristics.
Rexxfield can undertake lawful deep due diligence for both private persons and corporate entities with whom you may have a financial, reputational or legal exposure. Taking into account legal compliance, we provide deep and layered intelligence to help you determine risks associated with the subject, without them knowing that you have engaged us.
There is a lot you can do yourself to evaluate someone for a leadership role. However, by taking a comprehensive look at a candidate’s experiences, financial dealings, and even their online presence, you’re arming yourself with the insights needed to make an informed decision. It’s like x-ray vision to see beyond the polished exterior and into the real substance of a person.
Rexxfield’s private investigators can lawfully uncover information that is not accessible to law enforcement per due process restrictions, without time-consuming court orders or warrants.
Our intelligence gathering is always legal and compliant due to Rexxfield’s trust-based access to global intelligence resources. However, some intelligence findings can not be admitted in court due to requirements by many Rexxfield sources who wish to remain anonymous. Non-attributable intelligence such as this is for your information and discrete, decision-making purposes only.
Validating Ethical Integrity:
Looking into someone’s ethical track record is a critical part of due diligence. We look into past business transactions, adherence to industry standards, and their demonstration of steadfast ethical conduct. By doing so, you can make sure the candidate’s ethical integrity aligns with the company’s core values.
Benefits of screening executives:
- Protect Your Business and Reputation
- Protect Your Shareholders and Board of Directors
- Identify Misrepresentations and Red Flags That Could Potentially Harm You or Your Business
- Identify Potential Discrepancies or False Information in Candidates
- Verify or uncover Sensitive Information
- Mitigate Potential Future Risk
- Identify Conflicts of Interest
- Identify Insider and External Threats
- Identify Hire Risks Before They Start
- Avoid Compliance Violations and Potential Sanctions
- Avoid PR Nightmares
Some of the things we can uncover with Deep Dive Due Diligence:
- Global criminal record checks
- Current and historic aliases
- Checks against Child/Adult barred lists
- Checks against sanction lists
- Political affiliation checks
- Full online and social media analysis
- Complete financial history
- Bribery, corruption or fraud checks
- Involvement in money laundering activities
- Corporate entities controlled by the target
- Extensive intelligence risk analysis report
- Crypto currency activities
The Takeaway
People in leadership have a significant impact on a business’ success or downfall. To navigate the hiring process of these crucial roles, the human element and potential risks must be taken into consideration. Rexxfield’s Deep Dive Due Diligence can help to uncover these risks.
So, the next time you’re on the brink of a pivotal decision, remember – it’s not just about resumes and handshakes. It’s about peeling back the layers, uncovering the potential pitfalls, and ensuring that the people at the helm are not just impressive on paper but aligned with the values and vision that drive your business forward. Â