As a business owner, it’s never a good feeling when you sense you’re being stolen from, especially when you suspect the culprit is one of your own employees. Unfortunately, it happens a lot more often than you would think. You should be able to operate your business with peace of mind and trust the people you’ve hired to work for you, but sometimes it’s better to be safe than sorry. Be proactive, and follow these tips to keep your property, important data and other team members protected while preventing employee theft, even if that means installing security systems to monitor the ins and outs of your Redding business.
Conduct Background Checks
Background checks are a good place to start for any business owner when looking to hire new employees, particularly if they will be handling money, valuable merchandise or sensitive company and client information. If any red flags pop up in an applicant’s background, you must consider the circumstances carefully before allowing them access to your business.
Invest and Install High Quality Security Systems
Security systems aren’t just for home protection anymore and are very beneficial in a business setting. Systems can be as complex or as simple as your company specifically requires, and advancements in technology mean that your options go way beyond the standard alarm. Access control systems give you the opportunity to decide which personnel may gain entry to different areas of the property through the use of key cards, passwords, fingerprints, voice or retinal recognition. Video surveillance cameras frequently work to deter would-be criminal scheming, and in the event that it doesn’t, they will at least catch the offender in action. In addition, security systems with a remote monitoring feature give business owners the chance to watch employee activity from anywhere at any time.
Plan Unexpected Audits
Knowing that there could be an audit at a moment’s notice can help discourage employees from stealing and committing fraud. The higher the chances they could be caught, the less likely they’ll take the risk. Periodic audits will also assist you in keeping track of all the inner workings of your company, keeping violations from going unnoticed for long periods of time.
Take Thorough Inventory
Always be aware of the merchandise you have on your property and the amount of cash in your registers. Business owners that pay attention to the details and have strategies in place to have their exact inventory noted at all times are unlikely to have employees that can get away with theft.
Implement a Zero Tolerance Policy
Set a precedent from the beginning and let it be clear to your employees that any actions of theft will not be tolerated and will result in immediate dismissal and legal action. These guidelines should be given to each person at the start of their employment and cover every possible scenario of theft and fraud.
Ensure your Redding business isn’t left vulnerable to employee theft by enforcing these safety practices and choosing a security system that fulfills your needs.