What does that word mean?
I admit my mind jumps straight to thinking of an open relationship.
In the English language, it has various meanings depending on its context. The etymological or alphabetical structure of the word 'open' comes from the Proto-Germanic word 'upanona', meaning to raise or lift. From a language perspective, the word 'open' is labelled as a 'verbal'. This means that it is versatile and can be used for a variety of different speech functions. In this case, the word 'open' can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adjective.
As a noun: The British Open is an annual golf tournament. The word open is used as a synonym for a competition.
As a verb: Could you please open the window? The word open is used as a verb, meaning to take action to make something accessible or initiate a process.
As an adjective: The open road. The word open as an adjective is used to describe a noun that is not obstructed.
One service offered by Agent K Private Investigations Inc. is an open background check for a potential tenant or employee. In this context, what does the word open mean in relation to a background check?
One major item to note in regards to this article is that a background check completed by a Private Investigator (P.I.) is not to be confused with a criminal background check, which can only be obtained with legal justification from the police.
When most people think of a P.I., they will most likely picture someone conducting surveillance from their vehicle, where the person they are watching (the subject) is not aware of their presence. The purpose of this activity is to secretly gather information.
Although Agent K may offer a (closed) background check service to specific clients for specific reasons, she primarily focuses on offering an open background check service for two purposes:
- on a potential tenant of a rental property (the client being the landlord or property management company)
- on a potential employee of a small business (the client being the small business owner)
To complete an open background check, the potential tenant or employee (the 'subject') is made aware of the background check being done and will be partially involved in the process.
How does it work?
The word open, in this context, refers to all parties approaching the relationship with good intentions, transparency, and a promise to be communicative.
The client will provide contact information for the subject, then Agent K will discuss the proponents of the background check directly with the potential tenant or employee. She will ask for written permission to pull and examine their credit report, and will ask for the names of three references, who she will contact directly.
By taking this approach, the subject is given an opportunity to 'show their cards' and raise the subject of any tarnishes that they believe may show up during the background check, possibly before it is found. If someone does not want to go through with an open background check, then perhaps the client does not wish to enter into a relationship with that person, because they may be hiding something.
Who are the references?
The subject is only asked to provide three names as references, without any further qualifiers. Ideally, for a potential tenancy at least one, if not all, references should be for previous landlords, and for potential employment, the names should be of previous bosses. However, it is unfair to the subject to limit them to specific people, as they may have a bad relationship with someone for unrelated reasons. They also may not have a previous landlord or employment experience, so these people may not exist.
The client needs to trust that Agent K has a very good judge of character, knows what questions to ask, and knows how to interpret a person's response. She can sense when someone may not be telling the truth or is hiding something.
Does everyone get all the information?
Private Investigators in Ontario are bound by the Private Security and Investigative Services Act 2005, which also incorporates all Provincial and Federal Privacy laws. Agent K will always use her personal discretion to ensure that only pertinent and relevant information is given to the client. The personal privacy of the subject is always respected and protected.
The subject will receive a copy of their Equifax credit report, but not the full report given to the client. The client will not receive a copy of the subject's credit report, only the pertinent information that has been gathered by Agent K to assist with making their decision to rent to or hire the subject. All report information is generalized.
A small investment.
Obtaining an open background check on a potential tenant or employee only costs a small amount in comparison to the future potential income produced by entering into a contract. By a potential tenant or employee agreeing to have an open background check completed, they are also demonstrating their good intentions for a successful future relationship.
Without obtaining or verifying information prior to entering into an agreement, the client has a higher risk of losing money, time, and effort, should the contract be ended prematurely.
It's not a bad thing.
The purpose of obtaining a background check on someone is simply to gather information and create a general profile. This therefore, includes all information found, both positive and negative. It also may include some personal information found about the subject, which could work to their advantage.
For example, if the landlord resides at the property and has a Golden Retriever dog, they may be more apt to want to rent their basement out to someone who also owns a Golden. If the business owner plays drums in a band as a side hobby, they may be more apt to hire someone who sings.
The intent of the open background check report is to present who this person is, and if they would be a good fit to be a tenant or an employee of the client. If a book represents the relationship between a landlord and tenant or employer and employee, then the report provided could be compared to the brief synopsis written on the back. The report presents this information clearly and objectively, with the final decision of renting / hiring solely on the client.
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For a flat rate of $300 + HST, Agent K Private Investigations Inc. offers an open background check service for potential tenants or potential employees. www.agentkpi.ca
