Pre-Employment and Background Investigations in Winston-Salem, NC

Winston-Salem has reinvented itself from a tobacco and textile town into a center for academic medicine, research, and corporate headquarters. The Innovation Quarter downtown is a visible sign of that shift. What has not changed is the need to know who you are hiring. 360 Protection Group performs pre-employment background investigations in Winston-Salem, NC for hospitals, universities, financial institutions, and consumer brands.

Call (704) 618-1811 to discuss a position or a leadership search.

Where Forsyth County Hiring Carries Risk

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center employ thousands of clinicians, researchers, and administrative staff with access to patient information. Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University hire faculty and staff who work with students. Truist maintains a large presence in the city, and Hanesbrands and Reynolds American hire for roles tied to valuable brands, sales relationships, and confidential business plans.

Leadership hires carry special weight here. A senior executive coming into a hospital system, a university, or a corporate headquarters may bring past litigation, undisclosed business interests, or a reputation that did not make it into the résumé.

What Our Investigations Examine

• Executive and leadership vetting: Business affiliations, regulatory actions, litigation, and media coverage for senior hires. See our executive and key-hire background investigations.
• Academic medicine and research staff: Verification of degrees, licenses, and research appointments, with anything unconfirmed noted.
• Brand and sales roles: Prior employment and public disputes over confidential information for candidates coming from competitors.
• Court history by jurisdiction: Records from the Forsyth County Clerk of Superior Court, neighboring counties, other states, and federal courts.
• Employment confirmation: Titles and dates confirmed with former employers.
• Civil and financial records: Judgments, liens, and bankruptcies.
• References: Structured conversations with supervisors and colleagues.
• Online presence: Public posts and news reviewed for concerning behavior.

Screening in Line With the FCRA

Hiring decisions based on a third-party report fall under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The candidate must first receive written notice, on its own document, that a report will be obtained, and sign off in writing. Before rejecting anyone on the basis of the report, you provide a pre-adverse action notice that includes the report and the federal summary of rights, give the candidate time to respond, and then send the final adverse action notice. Following that order every time helps protect your organization.

How an Investigation Proceeds

Scoping. We discuss the role and its access, and for executive hires, the specific concerns your board or search committee has raised.

Consent. We confirm written authorization is in place.

Research. Our licensed investigators search courts, contact institutions, and conduct interviews.

Findings. We deliver a clear written report and are available to walk through it with you.

For mergers, partnerships, and investments, our due diligence services provide similar depth on organizations.

Concerns About Current Staff

If the issue involves someone already on your payroll, our corporate investigation services and our article on employee misconduct investigations are the right starting point.

Serving Winston-Salem and the Surrounding Area

We assist employers throughout Forsyth County and nearby, including Kernersville, Clemmons, Lewisville, Pfafftown, Walkertown, Rural Hall, Bermuda Run, and King.

Why Leadership Hires Need Their Own Approach

A standard criminal and employment check rarely surfaces the issues that trouble boards after an executive is hired. Those tend to involve past business failures, lawsuits from shareholders or employees, undisclosed ownership interests, regulatory findings, or public statements that conflict with an organization’s values. An executive investigation looks at all of these. It also verifies claimed accomplishments, such as revenue growth or turnarounds, where public information makes that possible.

We work with search committees and human resources leaders to agree on the scope in advance, keep the candidate’s authorization in order, and deliver findings on a schedule that fits the search.

Court Records in North Carolina Today

North Carolina’s state courts have transitioned to the eCourts system, which changes how records are searched and retrieved. Clerks of Superior Court in each county remain the official custodians. We stay current on these systems, and we still verify records against identifiers before reporting them, because a name match alone is not proof that a record belongs to your candidate.

Winston-Salem FAQs

Do you offer executive-level background investigations?

Yes. Beyond criminal records, we examine civil litigation, business affiliations, regulatory history, media coverage, and claimed accomplishments.

Can you screen researchers and clinicians for Winston-Salem’s medical center?

We verify degrees, licenses, research appointments, and prior employment, and we report anything that could not be confirmed.

Will you look at a candidate’s history with competitors?

We confirm prior employment and search public records for litigation over confidential information or non-competes, when lawful and relevant.

How do you protect confidentiality during a leadership search?

We limit contact to what the investigation requires, share results only with the people you designate, and handle every engagement discreetly.

How long does an executive investigation take?

Longer than a standard screen, since it involves more records and interviews. We will give you a realistic timeline based on the candidate’s history.

Make Informed Leadership and Staff Hires

Call 360 Protection Group at (704) 618-1811 or email 360protectiongroup@gmail.com for a confidential consultation.