Background Screening

Why Does
Screening Matter?

Family office professionals are trusted with sensitive financial data, long-term investments, legal documents, and the overall infrastructure of a family’s wealth. These roles demand not only expertise, but the utmost discretion and ethical judgment.

Failure to properly screen candidates can lead to financial loss, legal exposure, or breaches of trust. A meticulous background check—along with careful evaluation of experience and references—is a vital safeguard for your family’s assets and legacy.

Of Background Reports Return A Material Discrepancy In A Candidate's Information

38 %

Of Job Applicants Submit Incorrect Or Misleading Information On Their Application

49 %

Of Private Employers Do Not Conduct Any Background Screening On Their Employees

49 %

Get Real-Time
Risk Alerts

Stay informed with real-time alerts on any criminal behavior that could impact an employee’s ability to perform their role—or put your family at risk. Old State Staffing includes one year of Continuous Monitoring for all placed candidates.

After the first year, continued enrollment is available for $89.99/year. You may also enroll employees not placed by us for the same rate.

What's Included

National Criminal File

This database provides information from multiple criminal record sources, including multi-state sex and violent offender records, incarceration records, parole and release records from prisons; some state and local county criminal records, Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN List) from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the FBI Terrorist List and Federal/State/Local Wanted Fugitive Lists.

These searches track a person’s entire adult life with physical searches of court documents from a nationwide network of over 3000 investigators. This investigation reveals: major and minor misdemeanors, felonies, criminal offenses, criminal child abuse charges, criminal sex offender charges, and dispositions with dates and case numbers.

A nationwide search is conducted from sex offender registries, the Department of Corrections and other criminal databases from all 50 states. Violent and sex crimes will be searched through a database of over 252 million records. This search reveals:

The full name of the offender
Last known address of the offender
The location of the crime
The disposition
The sentence
The source that the record was located in

While this check provides access to millions of criminal records, it is not a nationwide search and we do not use this search as a substitute for checking records at the state and county levels.

State & County Felony & Misdemeanors

Statewide criminal records are derived from state criminal repositories maintained by State law enforcement agencies and statewide criminal court indexes available through the State Administrative Office of the Courts. County court records are available at each of the 3,243 counties in the U.S. These checks often involve physically dispatching a court records researcher to manually check the courthouse records as well as online databases.

Social Security Verification

The Social Security Number Verification is a key component in our background screening process. It helps us to verify the accuracy of the information provided on the application; it provides a means of identifying holes in an applicant’s history and enables us to determine where criminal records checks should be conducted and what names to use in our search.

National Sex Offender

Employment Verification

Past employment is verified against the country’s largest centralized commercial database of income and employment information as well as through contact with individual companies to verify length of employment and position(s) held.

Motor Vehicle Records

Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) reports are critically important, as they can frequently identify substance abuse issues. DMV checks also provide another verification of a candidate’s identity via their name and date of birth. Motor vehicle violations generally remain on a DMV report for three years, although convictions for serious offenses are reported for 5+ years (depending on the state).

This report verifies: licensee name, address, date of birth, license number, issue date, expiration date, license status, class and type, driver description, driving arrests, DUI’s, convictions and moving offenses history for the past 5 years. This report includes: suspended, revoked, or restricted license holders.

Personal & Professional References

In addition to verifying employment, we require candidates submit two professional and two personal references. (Many candidates will already have letters of reference from former employers; otherwise our team will contact a candidate’s references directly.)

Online Presence/History

Social media search of the candidate’s online social media activity and history. Information is screened against employer-defined criteria and filtered, so it is legally allowed as part of the hiring process.

Our screening process exceeds industry standards set by:

For clients with additional needs, we offer the following checks at cost:

Civil Court Records

Civil court record checks identify information regarding civil litigation involving the applicant as a defendant or plaintiff in a lawsuit. Civil checks identify litigation involving former employers and temporary restraining orders.

Civil Protective Orders

Civil Protective Orders (CPOs) are also called Restraining Orders or Stay-Away Orders. This search checks for civil protective orders filed against the candidate or filed by the candidate against another individual. Restraining orders are frequently filed in the context of domestic disputes. However, restraining orders may be filed against the subject by other parties, such as former employers. CPOs will be searched in the locations where the subject has resided during the last 2 years. Note: it is not always possible to determine the relevance of a restraining order, particularly when the name is common.

Professional License Verification

This check includes verification of license status and any disciplinary actions on file.

Federal Court Search

This search includes information regarding criminal records at the U.S. District Courts. Federal crimes include money laundering, drug trafficking, kidnapping, counterfeiting, racketeering, and crimes committed across state lines. This search also includes a nationwide search for bankruptcy records.

National Wants & Warrants

Nationwide search for open, extraditable warrants pertaining to the subject. This search only provides information regarding felonies.

Screening Only - $499

We extend our same screening services to anyone looking to hire and screen an employee (includes all searches listed to the left).

Have Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Old State Staffing’s candidate screening process include?

All candidates must pass a multi-step pre-screening process, including social security and work eligibility verification, employment history checks, professional and personal reference checks, online presence reviews, phone screening, and in-person interviews.

In addition to this, we also conduct an independent background check that covers national criminal records, county and state-level offenses, sex offender registries, and motor vehicle records. Additional screening can be run upon request. Visit Candidate Screening for more information.

How do you identify the right fit for a role within a family office?

Our placement team invests significant time evaluating each applicant to ensure only the most qualified candidates are presented to you. We often receive hundreds of applicants per role, so it’s crucial that our recruiters deeply understand your position before our search begins.

While every candidate we present meets will be qualified and capable of success in your role, your feedback is essential in helping us identify the right personality and background to complement your family office’s structure, culture, and long-term goals.

Should I interview candidates by phone, video, or in person?

Video interviews have become the standard—and for good reason. They offer insight into a candidate’s demeanor, presentation, and environment. We’ve seen many candidates disqualify themselves—particularly for finance or operational roles where professionalism and communication style are under close scrutiny.

We strongly recommend in-person meetings as well, especially during final interviews or working trials. However, if you’re meeting several candidates, video interviews can save valuable time. Ultimately, interview format is your choice, and we’re happy to guide you or facilitate the process—whether remotely or at our office.

Can I check a candidate’s references myself?

While you can, we recommend allowing us to handle it. As a neutral party, we’re more likely to receive candid, objective feedback. In addition, employment reference laws vary by state, and our team knows how to ask the right questions without overstepping legal boundaries. For family office roles, this can help surface insights into a candidate’s past fiduciary responsibilities, integrity, and ability to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics.

Why is the background check run after a job offer is made?

In many states, including Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, employers are prohibited from running background checks until after a conditional offer of employment is extended and accepted. This is due to “Ban the Box” laws that aim to ensure candidates are evaluated on qualifications before any criminal history is considered.

How long does it take to receive the results of a background check?

Most background checks are completed within 48 hours, though timelines can vary depending on the candidate’s history—particularly if they’ve lived in multiple states or have an extensive record. As results are received in stages, we’ll keep you updated throughout the process. If anything concerning comes up, we’ll guide you through next steps, including how to legally rescind an offer if necessary.

Why does your background check take longer than the instant ones I've see online?

Unlike “instant” background checks, our screenings include county-level records—where over 98% of criminal cases originate. These records are not part of any centralized, digital database and often require in-person courthouse retrieval.

Thorough checks can also reveal red flags that don’t show up in criminal databases—such as active restraining orders. When hiring for roles that involve financial oversight or confidential family matters, thorough screening is essential to protect your assets and peace of mind.