A friend and I were recently out shopping at the mall and I asked her opinion on whether I should let my daughter, who is 8, walk or ride her bike to school. We live in a small rural town, which is quite safe, and the school is only three-quarters of a mile from our house. She has been asking me for a while now, and I am hesitant to let her. She is capable but I worry about other factors. After being a police officer for 15 years, I have a somewhat jaded view of society, and I worry about someone abducting her or her getting hit by a car or worse. My friend said that walking for her kid is not an option, but she said she wouldn’t let her daughter walk because there are too many creeps out there. She said you can never be sure about a person’s true nature, even the people you work with. She then described an incident she had at work with a new hire employee, which re-affirmed how important it is to do Pre-Employment Screening.
My friend is an HR specialist for a small company and deals with hiring new employees. She stated that her company is not willing to pay a background check company for Pre-employment screening of new applicants, so she can never be sure what type of employees they are hiring. She recently interviewed an applicant who looked great on paper. She said that they verified the applicant’s employment and references and had no reservations about hiring him. After the employee was on the job for about two weeks, another employee came to her and told her that they thought the new hire was a registered sex offender. My friend did some more research on her own and confirmed that the employee, she had hired was a registered sex offender, and only lived a few miles from her home. This caused her great concern and made her wonder what other crimes he had been convicted of, including the offense that got him on the registry. Now she and other employees feel awkward and uncomfortable around him at work and she doesn’t know how to handle the situation.
I am the Director of Security for a mid-size company and I manage our pre-employment screening program. Our company understands the importance of conducting employee background checks and how pre-screening allows us to hire quality employees and reduce overhead by decreasing turn-over. I have discovered that employee background checks also provide peace of mind to existing employees by ensuring a sense of safety and security within the work force. I think about how my friend and her co-workers are now uncomfortable around this employee and how that impacts their performance and ability to work as a cohesive team. She can’t fire him based on this information, and now she has no option but to try and have a positive working relationship.
Our company utilizes a background check company that manages our employee background checks. This is an important process for us, because it allows us to complete an individualized assessment for each candidate to determine whether their background could have a negative impact on our company based on the job they are going to perform. Our background check company also ensures we are compliant with FCRA requirements and that we are abiding by state law in regards to the type of information we are using to make employment decisions. My friend is right. There is no way to know a person’s true character, by simply reviewing a resume, checking references and conducting an interview. We have no way to truly know what may exist in a person’s background without performing pre-employment screening. The same holds true in our personal lives, and I think I will continue to go with my gut feeling, and have my daughter ride the bus to school. I am sure being in law enforcement and loss prevention make me a more conservative parent, but it also allows me to be more knowledgeable of the risks so I can make better decisions both personally and professionally.
I strongly believe that paying a small up-front cost to perform pre-employment screening is imperative to maintaining a strong, competent and dedicated work force. So if you own a small business please consider background screening as a necessary expense and factor it into your budget. I promise it will save you time and money in the long run.
Need information on Pre-Employment Screening? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
As the holiday season comes to a close it is time to already begin thinking about inventory. There are so many things to do to prepare to ensure you get the most accurate results. Will you count your store with your own staff? Will you hire an outside agency to do the inventory? How soon will you start to prep your store(s) before inventory? Regardless of how big or small your store is these are all questions to consider. Having been involved in store inventories for over 26 years, I have been an Inventory Leader for a big box retailer, an Audit Captain in charge of inventory prep, a prepper and a counter. I have some personal insights I would like to share that can assist a store owner or manager in their preparations. One important consideration I have for all stores is that this is the perfect time to ensure proper retail theft prevention tactics are in place. From top to bottom look at your Checkpoint Security System and make sure it is functioning properly and Checkpoint tags are protecting all of your merchandise.
When I speak of inspecting your Checkpoint Security System I am referring to several things. Place a service call to have a technician ensure the antennas are all functioning properly. If any tuning or tweaking is in order they can make sure it is taken care of. A technician can also verify all of the deactivation pads are working at peak efficiency and replace any equipment that may be faulty. Just as you get your car inspected occasionally to make sure it is performing at its best, a Checkpoint Security System should be given the same care. In this way you will ensure you are taking proper steps to stop shoplifting AND internal theft.
I also would suggest that store managers use the time of preparation for inventory to verify that all merchandise is protected withCheckpoint tags. Prepping involves making sure each product has a scannable barcode on it so it will be counted accurately. As employees are verifying that barcodes are in place, the time should be used to validate that Checkpoint tags are also on the item. Not only will this ensure you will stop shoplifting of those items in the future, you will also protect against potential theft by an outside inventory crew, if you choose to hire one. Just like any other company, the vast majority of employees are honest but during my years as a Loss Prevention Manager I did have a few inventory counters I caught stealing and others I suspected of stealing. Remember, these people will have access to stockroom areas and “off-stage” areas not normally accessible to regular customers. If you don’t normally protect your merchandise with Checkpoint tags until the product hits the sales floor, I recommend using this preparation time to tag it while it is in the stockroom. Again, you are already checking for product barcodes anyways so why not maximize the productivity? Retail theft prevention should start in the stockroom anyways, this helps protect against employee theft.
A few other suggestions I would like to share for a successful inventory:
– Whether you are going to have an outside agency or your own team count, have a group of employees ready to do random audits. Auditing will catch errors and identify if there is one person making multiple mistakes.
– Check everywhere for stray merchandise, under base decks, in offices, desks, on top of fixtures. Remember, every piece of merchandise counts.
– Think about when you want to conduct inventory. Will you do it before or after store opening? Will you do it overnight? Some stores conduct it while still open. Do you have enough staff to operate the store and conduct an inventory?
– Will you provide food for your employees during inventory? Not only does it help morale, it can provide energy to keep your employees alert and attentive.
– If you provide food, avoid sugary desserts and sweets until after inventory is complete. Instead, fruits, vegetable trays, even subs or pizzas may be alternatives to consider. Sweets will give a brief energy burst and then wear off.
Be ready for inventory and improve your results this year and the following year by getting your Checkpoint Security System checked. By validating all merchandise is protected with Checkpoint tags you will deter the chance of theft during inventory and strengthen your retail theft prevention strategy for the rest of the year.
Get more information on Checkpoint Security Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Issue concerning employee background checks
Question: What is the purpose of a Social Trace?
Response
Answer: A Social Trace looks for addresses associated with the Social Security Number. These addresses provide what states to be searched for possible criminal records. An applicant can have a clean record in the current state of residency and have a criminal history in another state.
LPSI (Loss Prevention Systems Inc.) is the leading nationwide seller inside the U. S. for Checkpoint Systems and Alpha High Theft Solutions. We have nationwide sales, supplies, and services. Loss Prevention Systems delivers more than shoplifting prevention products; it also brings knowledge in retail industry while providing actual guidance on using methods to prevent retail thefts and merchandise losses. Prevent Retail Loss NOW with Loss Prevention Systems and Checkpoint Systems solutions.
For additional info on Checkpoint Systems, go to the website atwww.LossPreventionsystems.com or call 1 (770) 426-0547.
