How much are your employees stealing from you? Are you sure? Many employers know that occasionally – or constantly – they’re losing products. They may blame it on shoplifters and design methods to curtail the loss.
But what about employee theft? Statistics in certain industries show it’s far more of a problem than consumer theft. As an employer, your job is to minimize “shrinkage,” as employee theft is commonly called. And the way to start is with presence.
Ways to be present
Would it be helpful to install video-monitoring cameras? They don’t even have to be working cameras. Their mere presence will deter many employees from stealing.
How about some signs in the employee break room and other areas employees frequent? Walmart posts signs to prevent shoplifting, reminding customers that shoplifters will be fully prosecuted. Signs that remind your employees that they, too, will be prosecuted can be very effective.
Pay special attention to your less-supervised employees. A study in the U.K. revealed that 40 percent of store theft apprehension involved individuals in management. Make sure managers receive regular memos, newsletters, bulletins, et cetera, that remind them that the company or store is watching them and will not tolerate theft. (Obviously, state it in a way that doesn’t sound like you already suspect them.)
If the situation warrants it, hire a plain-clothes security officer, whose job is to watch cash register transactions and the store in general. And let your employees know you’re going to do this.
Or – don’t do it but tell them you did. Either way, the idea that someone they don’t know is watching will deter all but the sneakiest and most determined of thieves.
It has been shown that people who steal usually do so when it is made easy for them. By implementing these and other ideas, you’ll have a strong presence and be on the road to profit instead of loss.
BizCommunity.com has more on this important topic.