16 Desirable Private Investigator Qualities

The mechanics of being a private investigator doesn’t make someone a good private investigator.  There are numerous desirable private investigator qualities that private investigation companies want from employees and it’s the same thing clients want from the private investigators they hire.

As you go through the extensive list of desirable traits for a private investigator, there will be explanations as to why some of these traits are important for private investigators to have. These traits are agreed upon by private investigators across the board and the author of this article has observed the benefits of these traits firsthand as it relates to advancement in the industry and with successful investigation companies.  

If you are someone looking to hire a private investigator, please note that not all private investigators are created equally.  Listen for some of these traits as you interview the potential private investigator before hiring them.

If you would like to become a private investigator or become a better private investigator, it is our hope that you embrace the areas and reflect on your strengths and even weaknesses. When you identify weaknesses, focusing on personal development will help you improve those areas.  I have written about personal development for private investigators if you are interested in specific suggestions.

Let’s get into desirable qualities for private investigators

Being Inquisitive

An inquisitive private investigator means that they are curious and investigative. When conducting interviews with individuals an inquisitive investigator will dig deeper into questions and not accept surface-level answers.  They ask for further explanation or details regarding a situation.  

As it relates to other areas being inquisitive could relate to the research of an individual or a case in general.  Being curious could lead an investigator down research paths that some might not bother to explore which would be a benefit to the investigation and the client.

Being inquisitive as a surveillance investigator might happen during neighborhood pretexting or digging deeper into researching an individual after observing daily activities.  The more that is observed during surveillance, the more it might lead to further research or paths for an investigator to follow that may relate to the assignment as a whole. 

Understanding Human Nature

Understanding human nature is an incredibly valuable quality for an investigator to have.  The experience of just being a private investigator and experiencing what a private investigator will experience will not be enough to understand human nature. If anything, it may be a perverse view of human nature.  

I have noticed this firsthand after 16 years of investigative work where I believed I truly understood human nature only to find out how much I didn’t know after adding more personal development and entering a different industry of work.   

When understanding human nature, it has the ability to change the way a person interacts with other people and it can help an investigator anticipate the responses or actions of others.

Acting Ability (For Pretexting, Surveillance efforts, etc..)

Acting or blending into a situation or environment is important when working as a private investigator. If an investigator is awkward or has a hard time fitting into a social situation, this may bring unwanted attention to the private investigator.

Acting is particularly important when an investigator conducts a pretext. An investigator will have to play a part when conversing with others without revealing their true identity.  

Pretexting and Acting will require preparation, practice, and the ability to think on your feet and pivot as needed.  A successful private investigator will need to be proficient in this ability to be well-rounded. 

Persistence (Due Diligence)

There are times during an investigation when the investigator just can’t find a person. Other times investigators may have a difficult person they are conducting surveillance on.  Maybe an investigator is looking for that one clue that leads to many more areas of investigation.  

Without persistence and perseverance when things get hard, a lot of information can be missed.  It’s the persistent investigators that find the information before the investigator hits a bump and gives up too early.

Objectivity

Objectivity can be difficult when you work in the investigation field. Private investigators can become jaded over time and assume the person they are investigating is always guilty of whatever the client has hired them for.

Investigators who work for defense teams or the prosecution need to be objective and be open to possibilities that might lead them in a direction they don’t anticipate. Ultimately investigators are seeking the truth regardless of where that leads.

Insurance investigators can find themselves being less objective in their investigations, especially when encountering fraud year after year. Whether it be a surveillance investigation or interviews, if an investigator isn’t truly objective or inquisitive, it will affect their ability to find the truth.  I have seen many investigators that assume wrongdoing before truly investigating and that will affect the outcome of finding what is really happening during an investigation.

Honest with Integrity

Believe it or not, not all private investigators are honest or have integrity.  But this is an incredibly important trait of a private investigator. If a private investigator is found not to be honest or have integrity, it can affect their employment or business but more than that, it can affect how their previous cases are viewed.

A private investigator without integrity can’t be trusted as an employee or someone that can be hired which seems obvious but it doesn’t always get caught.  

What if an investigator gets burned but doesn’t let a coworker know that it happened?  The investigator doesn’t document the incident in the report or case notes as well. 

Then another investigator works the file assuming that the subject of the investigation is none the wiser of surveillance taking place and then something bad happens to the investigator as a result.  The first investigator’s efforts (especially if there is a pattern of this behavior) can never be trusted. In fact, the entirety of all the cases the investigator had worked on would be subject to question.

This is a bad situation for the company and the other investigators that work with this investigator. 

Good Writing Skills

No matter what you specialize in within private investigations, report writing is a fundamental part of the investigation industry. A report is the product of your investigative efforts, details information learned, what was observed, and questions that were answered.  

A good report articulates investigative efforts in a manner that the client can understand and in an objective opinion-free narration.

Private investigators with good writing skills are also able to write professional-sounding reports that will hold up as evidence in court. 

Professionalism

Private investigators need to be professional in all investigative scenarios.  Private investigators represent the companies they work for, their own company, or the clients they work for. 

Those who lack professionalism will struggle to move up within an investigation company. If they are an investigation agency owner, they will struggle to find clients.

When communicating with individuals within the scope of work, if they find the investigator to not appear professional, there will be a lack of respect and it could hinder investigative efforts.

Legal Knowledge (Private Investigator Laws)

A private investigator does not have to be a legal scholar or a lawyer but it will be important for an investigator to know laws that relate to private investigators themselves.  Investigators should know laws related to privacy, stalking, trespassing, pretexing, etc..

If you would like to read more about pretexting laws, I have written extensively about them here. 

Competence when Testifying In Court

When testifying in court there are a lot of dos and don’ts.  With that being said, if they are prepped by the attorney and follow simple rules when on the stand, investigators can find themselves doing very well when they testify.

While testifying in court is important, this skill is easy to learn.

Creative and Resourceful

Private investigation is such a unique occupation that not many days are the same. Investigators need to think on their feet in many situations in order to figure out difficult scenarios.

Surveillance investigators in particular (not to say that other areas of investigation don’t require this) will find themselves needing to be creative and resourceful frequently to do well as a surveillance investigator.

Ability to Videotape Undetected

The ability to go unnoticed while conducting mobile surveillance or surveillance on foot is a skill that will take development but is invaluable.  Private investigators need to secure as much surveillance footage as possible on any given surveillance day. If an investigator can’t go undetected and is discovered by the individuals they are conducting surveillance on, the surveillance day will come to an end.

For the investigator, it is very difficult to make a living if they can’t go undetected.  For an investigation company, it will be difficult to make money if the investigator can’t bill out surveillance days.

As for the client, if they find that hiring you ends up in more compromised surveillance assignments than actually getting video documentation they may stop working with you.

Life Experience with Personal Development

Life experience can go a long way though working on personal development can help some people catch up with those who already have a lot of life experience.

Life experience is experience gained through living.  Some investigators have more life experience than others.  Life experiences can help with communication or even understanding human nature.

That doesn’t mean just because you are older you are smarter or more suited for investigations.  But there are some things that come along with life experience that someone with less life experience would understand.  

Regardless of your age and life experience, there is much to be said about personal development. And investigators that pursue personal development and work on themselves are an asset to their clients or the company they work for.

Communication Skills

Communication skills can make or break an investigative assignment or can help create trust with a client.  Good communications investigation managers build trust with investigators in the field.

Communication skills can put someone an investigator is interviewing at ease which may help them to open up and lower their walls when answering an investigator’s questions.

For these reasons, having good communication skills is very valuable in the investigation industry. 

If you are looking to build better communication skills, consider joining Toastmasters near you.

Computer Literacy

Computer literacy is a must in the investigator industry.  Being able to research, send files, write emails, write reports, type, and navigate through programs is a mandatory skill set.

Most investigators are computer literate before they enter the investigation industry.  If they aren’t for some reason, it shouldn’t take long to learn and build up competence in it. 

Work Without Supervision

As investigators gain experience, they will be making decisions to further the investigation and will work without supervision.  Investigators that can be trusted to investigate a case without a case manager directing every move make for a more productive work environment.

Self Motivated

Private investigators that are self-motivated and don’t need a carrot to get them to perform at a higher standard are ideal candidates not only to work for an investigation company but to have their own company. 

An investigator that has initiative and is a go-getter is likely to be improving themselves and performing well in the field. 

Investigators Don’t Have Them All

Most investigators haven’t mastered all these desirable traits.  Some are amazing at surveillance investigations but don’t know how to communicate professionally.  

And because of this, they may find it difficult to move up the investigation corporate ladder.  They may also find it difficult to grow a successful investigation agency.

Many of these skillsets and traits can be developed so even if you don’t have them coming into the investigation world, it is something you can develop.   And I hope you keep developing yourself throughout your career and life as it will take you much further than not pursuing growth.