IN-DEPTH BACKGROUND SCREENING
Recruitment of key people
In-depth and discreet background screening ahead of senior appointments. Independent verification of integrity and background, beyond the CV and self-selected references.
LEADING IN
Integrity Due Diligence
in the Nordics since 2002
GLOBAL COVERAGE
80+
countries
EXPERIENCE
20+
years of experience
ABOUT THE SERVICE
Beyond the CV and self-selected references
What the candidate chooses not to show
01
An interview and the references a candidate provides give a picture the candidate has selected. A basic check confirms that degrees and employments are accurate. What neither captures is judgement, integrity and the parts of the history the candidate would rather not highlight. We build an independent picture from sources and records that lie outside the candidate's control.
A complement to the recruitment process
02
We do not replace the executive search firm or your own recruitment process. We add a layer of independent verification on top of it, focused on integrity and background. Unlike ordinary reference-taking, we hold a permit from the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY) to process personal data relating to criminal offences, which not all providers have. We are often brought in when a key recruitment is already well advanced.
Adapted to the position
03
The depth follows the role. A board member or the CEO of a listed company is reviewed more thoroughly than other positions. Where the role warrants it, we also carry out independent reference-taking, that is, conversations with people the candidate has not referred us to.
Human capital is a company's most important asset, and its greatest risk factor.
LOOK CLOSER, SEDAN 2002
WHAT A REVIEW CAN REVEAL
What would otherwise go unsaid
Examples of what can emerge in an in-depth review and rarely shows up in a CV or with a nominated referee.
Criminal cases and disputes
Judgments or ongoing proceedings that have a bearing on the role and on trust in the organisation.
An embellished CV
Results and positions presented as better than they in fact were.
Bankruptcies and company involvements
Earlier involvement in companies that have gone bankrupt or are otherwise worth knowing about.
Questionable tax planning
Arrangements or transactions that could pose a risk to the organisation's reputation.
A finding need not stop a recruitment. The purpose is to let you make the decision fully informed, and to put the right questions to the candidate in good time.
WHEN IT APPLIES
When do you need us?
1
Appointing a CEO or management team
The most business-critical roles, where a wrong decision has far-reaching consequences.
2
Board members and nominations
People who will represent the owners and carry ultimate responsibility, often in a listed environment.
3
Recruitment to a regulated position
Roles where regulatory requirements and fit-and-proper assessments apply.
4
An international candidate.
Candidates with a global footprint and a history in several countries.
5
High reputational risk
When an unsuccessful appointment would damage trust in the organisation.
“You can never eliminate all risk, whichever recruitment you choose to make. Every situation and every company is unique, and a candidate has to step into those new conditions, so you never know in advance exactly how it will turn out. But it is about minimising the risks and creating the best possible conditions.”
Lars Navéus, Partner at Alumni Global
OUR APPROACH
How we work
The review is adapted to the role and runs in step with the recruitment process.
01
Scoping
We discuss the role, the depth and the timetable so that the screening matches the process.
02
Authorisation and release form
The candidate is asked to complete a form that also serves as their formal consent.
03
Research
We collect information from open sources and, where needed, carry out discreet enquiries
with people who
know the candidate's
background well.
04
Analysis and assessment
We weigh the facts in context and separate what is a genuine risk from
what is not.
05
Report and debrief
A written report and a verbal debrief, prepared so that it can be shared with a nomination committee or board.
DELIVERABLES
What you receive
REPORT
Written report
An assessment of the candidate with clear flags, ranked by severity.
DEBRIEF
Verbal debrief
A debrief with the partner responsible, where you can ask questions directly.
DISCRETION
A protected process
The review is carried out without the market becoming aware of it.
PACE
In step with the recruitment
As far as possible, we work at the pace the process requires, so that the screening does not become a bottleneck.
FOUNDATION
Basis for the decision
The report is designed to be shared with a nomination committee and board.
INDEPENDENCE
An objective assessment
We are independent and have no vested interests in the outcome of the recruitment.
Why LOOK CLOSER
Independence is the whole point
Look Closer is the leading independent adviser in integrity due diligence in the Nordics. We are not an executive search firm and we gain nothing from whom you choose. Our only task is to give you an accurate and balanced basis for the decision.
Independence
We do not recruit ourselves. No fee is tied to whether a particular candidate is appointed or not.
Discretion
We work with sensitive material, and the process is protected at every stage, for you and for the candidate.
Partner-led delivery
Every assignment is led by an experienced partner. You always know who you are speaking to.
CONTACT
Discuss an assignment
Are you facing a key recruitment? An initial conversation is always without obligation.
info@lookcloser.se
lookcloser.se
Norra Kungstornet
Kungsgatan 30, 8 tr
111 35 Stockholm
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