Who Has the Keys? A Vetting Checklist for the People Closest to Your Executive or Family

The people with the most access to an executive or a family are rarely the ones in the threat file. They are the driver, the house manager, the nanny, the executive assistant, the contractor with the gate code. They know routines, travel plans and where the valuables are kept. Most of them are exactly who they say they are. The point of vetting is to confirm that, not to assume it.

A good program keeps three things separate. Background screening checks whether someone meets the basic requirements for a role. A background investigation is a methodical, lawful look at a person’s history. Background vetting weighs what both turn up and asks whether this person, in this role, with this level of access, adds risk. Access should drive depth: the dog walker and the person who holds the travel itinerary should not get the same review.

The checklist

1. Define the access first. Write down what the role will see and touch: residences, vehicles, calendars, financial accounts, children, devices. That list sets how deep the review goes.
2. Get consent the right way. If you use a background check company, the Fair Credit Reporting Act applies. The FTC says you must give a written, stand-alone notice, get written permission, and follow specific steps before and after any adverse decision (FTC). Reports built on interviews about character and reputation count as “investigative reports” and carry extra disclosure duties.
3. Hold everyone to the same standard. Apply one standard to every candidate for the same role. Joint EEOC and FTC guidance is clear that background information cannot be used in a discriminatory way (EEOC and FTC).
4. Verify, do not just collect. Confirm identity, past employment and references directly with the source, not through a phone number the candidate supplied. Check court records where the person has actually lived instead of relying on a single national database.
5. Look at the public footprint. Lawful open-source research shows how a candidate talks about past employers and whether they post about the people they work for. Discretion is part of the job.
6. Put confidentiality in writing. A clear confidentiality agreement and a short briefing on what not to share, such as schedules, photos and locations, sets the expectation on day one.
7. Re-vet when access changes. Moving from groundskeeper to driver is a new role with new access. If you want ongoing checks, the FTC says the original authorization has to say so clearly.
8. Dispose of reports securely. When you are done with a report, shred or destroy it and anything drawn from it, as the FTC requires.
9. Use a licensed investigator. In North Dakota, private investigators and security providers are licensed by the Private Investigation and Security Board, which offers a public license search (ND PISB). Ask for a license number and check it.

Why this fits how we work

At Protection Cell, every threat assessment considers the risk from inside the circle, not just outside it. Quiet, thorough vetting is low-profile protection at its best: no one sees it, it does not disrupt daily life, and it puts effort where the real exposure is. A household or office where everyone with access has been properly vetted is a much harder target.

This post is general information, not legal advice. Check with counsel on your state’s rules for background checks.

Need a discreet background investigation or a vetting process for household or executive staff? Contact Protection Cell for a confidential conversation.