Employee Background Checks-3 WC Blog 348
Pre-employment Screening-3
Stressful Workplaces Can Be Improved When Employee Background Checks Are Used Part 1
I haven’t had a good rant in a while so maybe this is the perfect time for me to go on one. My rant today is about stress in the workplace. It came up in at least two of my conversations this week and it caused me to recall times I went through my own stressful situations. It also made me start thinking about solutions to those situations. The first conversation was about the lack of accountability for employees who work in a friend’s store. Employees choose to call out on a regular basis, they don’t get work complete, some have a tendency to question directions of managers and roll their eyes when they don’t want to do something. Recently the store manager decided to bring back an employee who had at least 5 no-call no-shows on her record and had been let go. Is it any wonder there is stress in this store? I approached the second person about the possibility of applying for a temporary job where I work that would not interfere with his primary job. He is an assistant manager in my part time job. Having seen his work ethic and manner of dealing with personnel and customers I know he would be a good fit on my other team. He declined my offer because his wife was considering leaving her job due to stress in a management position at a campground. They have a young child and a new car payment and work their schedules around caring for their child. It’s a shame that stress in the workplace is influencing them to this degree. Life happens. Car payments, bills, school, house/rent payments, food, utilities, etc. it all is a fact of life, but how much easier would it be if work wasn’t so stressful on us? I can’t offer solutions to every issue but you KNOW I have a solution to part of the problems and suggestions for fixing other parts. It might surprise you but I think one way to start fixing stressful workplaces is to conduct pre-employment screening of employees.
By conducting employee background checks on prospective new hires, it is possible to identify red flags that could very well raise questions about whether someone should be on your team. It is possible to find that an applicant has been misleading about the length of time they worked for a company. Sometimes people will exaggerate how long they worked somewhere in order to hide gaps in employment. They may also use this technique to cover up that they worked somewhere else between jobs and were fired from there for one reason or another. A company that completes pre-employment screening can confirm if someone is eligible for rehire for a former place of employment. Though there are laws that can prevent a company from revealing why an employee was fired from a position, companies ARE allowed to confirm if that employee is eligible for rehire as a yes or no response. You as the prospective employer can use the information gathered from background checks in addition to any interview and hiring questionnaire results to make hiring decisions.
By vetting your candidates through pre-employment screening you can reduce the chances the candidate has been able to lie to you in the application process. Frequently those who are job hopping or are considered ineligible for rehire are problem performers in one fashion or another. It may be they have been the person who frequently calls out for shifts or has excessive no call/no shows on their record. There is a strong possibility that this is the person who is the gossiper and rumor-monger that stirs up strife in the workplace. You may not learn what the underlying causes were that led to the employment gap or lie, but if a discrepancy in employment history is found through employee background checks you can avoid bringing on that person who could be the cause of a stressful workplace. In Part 2 I will continue my rant and a few additional suggestions for making your workplace productive AND a place employees want to work at.
Need information on Employee Background Checks? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
I haven’t had a good rant in a while so maybe this is the perfect time for me to go on one. My rant today is about stress in the workplace. It came up in at least two of my conversations this week and it caused me to recall times I went through my own stressful situations. It also made me start thinking about solutions to those situations. The first conversation was about the lack of accountability for employees who work in a friend’s store. Employees choose to call out on a regular basis, they don’t get work complete, some have a tendency to question directions of managers and roll their eyes when they don’t want to do something. Recently the store manager decided to bring back an employee who had at least 5 no-call no-shows on her record and had been let go. Is it any wonder there is stress in this store? I approached the second person about the possibility of applying for a temporary job where I work that would not interfere with his primary job. He is an assistant manager in my part time job. Having seen his work ethic and manner of dealing with personnel and customers I know he would be a good fit on my other team. He declined my offer because his wife was considering leaving her job due to stress in a management position at a campground. They have a young child and a new car payment and work their schedules around caring for their child. It’s a shame that stress in the workplace is influencing them to this degree. Life happens. Car payments, bills, school, house/rent payments, food, utilities, etc. it all is a fact of life, but how much easier would it be if work wasn’t so stressful on us? I can’t offer solutions to every issue but you KNOW I have a solution to part of the problems and suggestions for fixing other parts. It might surprise you but I think one way to start fixing stressful workplaces is to conduct pre-employment screening of employees.
By conducting employee background checks on prospective new hires, it is possible to identify red flags that could very well raise questions about whether someone should be on your team. It is possible to find that an applicant has been misleading about the length of time they worked for a company. Sometimes people will exaggerate how long they worked somewhere in order to hide gaps in employment. They may also use this technique to cover up that they worked somewhere else between jobs and were fired from there for one reason or another. A company that completes pre-employment screening can confirm if someone is eligible for rehire for a former place of employment. Though there are laws that can prevent a company from revealing why an employee was fired from a position, companies ARE allowed to confirm if that employee is eligible for rehire as a yes or no response. You as the prospective employer can use the information gathered from background checks in addition to any interview and hiring questionnaire results to make hiring decisions.
By vetting your candidates through pre-employment screening you can reduce the chances the candidate has been able to lie to you in the application process. Frequently those who are job hopping or are considered ineligible for rehire are problem performers in one fashion or another. It may be they have been the person who frequently calls out for shifts or has excessive no call/no shows on their record. There is a strong possibility that this is the person who is the gossiper and rumor-monger that stirs up strife in the workplace. You may not learn what the underlying causes were that led to the employment gap or lie, but if a discrepancy in employment history is found through employee background checks you can avoid bringing on that person who could be the cause of a stressful workplace. In Part 2 I will continue my rant and a few additional suggestions for making your workplace productive AND a place employees want to work at.
Need information on Employee Background Checks? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Employee Theft-3 WC Blog 323
Training to reduce employee theft-3
Employee Background Checks-3
“Sweethearting” May Not Be So Good For Your Business; Find Out How Training To Reduce Employee Theft Can Help You Identify And Stop This And Other Dishonest Activity
I went to a coffee shop located next to the campus library where I work and for the second time in recent weeks I had something happen that has prompted me to write about the issue. I work late nights at the library and this particular coffee shop closes about an hour after I arrive to work so I occasionally grab a cup of coffee a few minutes before they close. The employees know I am a staff member and take my order and are supposed to ring my transaction, give me an employee discount and take my payment. Twice now the employees have tried to tell me not to worry about paying, I assume because it is near the end of the night and they will probably be throwing out the remainder of the coffee. Because of my background in Loss Prevention I am uncomfortable with this and insist on paying for my drinks. I know some of you may be thinking I am being silly, that they are closing soon and dumping it anyways, why not just take the drink? In my opinion, there is a bigger issue at stake here, at what point do you draw the line for your employees? Can being “flexible” on little things like this lead to larger issues of theft? It can be a slippery slope when you permit grey areas for employees. Many managers have a difficult time making the distinction because they have not had training to reduce employee theft. Consideration should also be given to the possibility that this can snowball into full blown associate crime. When employers lack knowledge of theft concerns they are probably not aware that employee background checks can help prevent a store being the victim of employee theft and fraud.
Why do managers need training to reduce employee theft? Because associate theft takes many forms and the untrained owner or manager can miss the indicators that would point out that theft is taking place. Losses could be in the form of return fraud, cash theft, merchandise theft, price manipulation and so much more. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. has experienced Loss Prevention experts that can train you and your managers on identification of theft, prevention techniques and warning signals that can lead to employee theft.
Additional modules from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. include optional training on pre-employment hiring and how it can help employers avoid hiring people who may harm your business. In cases, like the one I experienced at the coffee shop there is a term for it called “Sweethearting”. In an article in LPMInsider, “Sweethearting: The Dark Side of Good Customer Service”, by Richard C. Hollinger, PhD, March 6, 2017, the author provides the definition of Sweethearting from an article he cites; “Service Sweethearting: It’s Antecedents and Customer Consequences”, by Michael K. Brady, Clay Voorhees and Michael J. Brusco, March 2012 issue of Journal of Marketing, “Sweethearting occurs when frontline workers give unauthorized free or discounted goods and services to customer conspirators.” While this activity can start off with good intentions of providing the great customer service employees are encouraged to practice, it can quickly turn into a regular exercise that costs businesses money. Dr. Hollinger writes, “Pre-employment Screening tests can head off sweethearting if we add measures that look for high scores on “personal ethics” and, alternatively, low scores on the “need social approval from others.” http://losspreventionmedia.com/insider/employee-theft/sweethearting-the-dark-side-of-good-customer-service/ In other words, employee background checks can help in weeding out potential employees who may be inclined to engage in these behaviors.
While they may start innocently, like giving away a cup of coffee at the end of a shift because it is going to be thrown out anyways, I have personally seen these situations multiply to include more people and bigger losses. I have apprehended groups of employees who started out giving unauthorized discounts on food and drinks to friends that spiraled into full blown employee theft cases involving passing of merchandise. It is amazing how much that $1.89 cup of coffee can really end up costing you in the long run.
Don’t allow sweethearting to develop in your business. You can prevent lost profits through training to reduce employee theft and conducting employee background checks. Find out how much you don’t know from the experts who have worked in the field.
Training to reduce employee theft is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
I went to a coffee shop located next to the campus library where I work and for the second time in recent weeks I had something happen that has prompted me to write about the issue. I work late nights at the library and this particular coffee shop closes about an hour after I arrive to work so I occasionally grab a cup of coffee a few minutes before they close. The employees know I am a staff member and take my order and are supposed to ring my transaction, give me an employee discount and take my payment. Twice now the employees have tried to tell me not to worry about paying, I assume because it is near the end of the night and they will probably be throwing out the remainder of the coffee. Because of my background in Loss Prevention I am uncomfortable with this and insist on paying for my drinks. I know some of you may be thinking I am being silly, that they are closing soon and dumping it anyways, why not just take the drink? In my opinion, there is a bigger issue at stake here, at what point do you draw the line for your employees? Can being “flexible” on little things like this lead to larger issues of theft? It can be a slippery slope when you permit grey areas for employees. Many managers have a difficult time making the distinction because they have not had training to reduce employee theft. Consideration should also be given to the possibility that this can snowball into full blown associate crime. When employers lack knowledge of theft concerns they are probably not aware that employee background checks can help prevent a store being the victim of employee theft and fraud.
Why do managers need training to reduce employee theft? Because associate theft takes many forms and the untrained owner or manager can miss the indicators that would point out that theft is taking place. Losses could be in the form of return fraud, cash theft, merchandise theft, price manipulation and so much more. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. has experienced Loss Prevention experts that can train you and your managers on identification of theft, prevention techniques and warning signals that can lead to employee theft.
Additional modules from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. include optional training on pre-employment hiring and how it can help employers avoid hiring people who may harm your business. In cases, like the one I experienced at the coffee shop there is a term for it called “Sweethearting”. In an article in LPMInsider, “Sweethearting: The Dark Side of Good Customer Service”, by Richard C. Hollinger, PhD, March 6, 2017, the author provides the definition of Sweethearting from an article he cites; “Service Sweethearting: It’s Antecedents and Customer Consequences”, by Michael K. Brady, Clay Voorhees and Michael J. Brusco, March 2012 issue of Journal of Marketing, “Sweethearting occurs when frontline workers give unauthorized free or discounted goods and services to customer conspirators.” While this activity can start off with good intentions of providing the great customer service employees are encouraged to practice, it can quickly turn into a regular exercise that costs businesses money. Dr. Hollinger writes, “Pre-employment Screening tests can head off sweethearting if we add measures that look for high scores on “personal ethics” and, alternatively, low scores on the “need social approval from others.” http://losspreventionmedia.com/insider/employee-theft/sweethearting-the-dark-side-of-good-customer-service/ In other words, employee background checks can help in weeding out potential employees who may be inclined to engage in these behaviors.
While they may start innocently, like giving away a cup of coffee at the end of a shift because it is going to be thrown out anyways, I have personally seen these situations multiply to include more people and bigger losses. I have apprehended groups of employees who started out giving unauthorized discounts on food and drinks to friends that spiraled into full blown employee theft cases involving passing of merchandise. It is amazing how much that $1.89 cup of coffee can really end up costing you in the long run.
Don’t allow sweethearting to develop in your business. You can prevent lost profits through training to reduce employee theft and conducting employee background checks. Find out how much you don’t know from the experts who have worked in the field.
Training to reduce employee theft is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Background Check Company-3 WC Blog 330
Pre-Employment Screening-3
If Your Employees Get Into Fights You Could Be Responsible Under Negligent Hiring Laws; A Background Check Company Can Protect You In Your Hiring Decisions
Did you know that as an employer you could potentially be held liable if someone you hire injures a customer or another employer? The internet is filled with videos of employee – customer altercations, some initiated by the customer and some by the employee but in all the situations the images are disturbing. I happened to see one video of a well-known fast food chain employee beating up a woman in front of the woman’s two-year old son. In this case the assault took place outside of the restaurant but the uniform was a dead giveaway and the NBC news affiliate website reported where the employee worked. In another video several employees from another fast food chain got into a fight with a patron. In the NBC6.com story it was reported that the customer was intoxicated but the employees began the physical altercation by throwing cups at the customer then came from behind the counter and started fighting. Videos also abound of employees fighting each other in retail stores, fast food restaurants and other locations. While one must be careful not to conclude that these videos are representative of the majority of American workers, it would be unwise to dismiss the possibility that this could happen in your business. There is also a possibility that if a fight takes place in your business and it involves one or more of your employees, you could be held responsible for injuries under “Negligent Hiring” and/or “Negligent Retention” Laws. To protect your business, employees and customers, it is wise to hire a background check company to conduct pre-employment screenings of applicants.
A background check company can dig into the personal history of someone you may be considering bringing onto your team. While your job application may ask if someone has been convicted of a felony, what resources do you have at your disposal to verify if the applicant lies and does not disclose a criminal past? In addition to conducting criminal background checks, a pre-employment screening can determine if the person has worked where they said they worked on their application. It may be that the person you are considering hiring has indicated they have received a degree from a college or university, without checking on it do you know if they are telling you the truth? Background check companies can do the legwork so that you can feel confident in the person you are considering working in your building.
The importance of making sure you are hiring the right person for a position is revealed when we consider what exactly is meant by “Negligent Hiring” or “Negligent Retention”. According to the website smallbusiness.findlaw.com, referring to negligent hiring or negligent retention, “The most common example of this is to hold the employer liable for the criminal conduct of an employee which is obviously outside the scope of employment. The basis for liability is that the employer acted carelessly in hiring a criminal for a job that the employer should have expected would expose others to harm.” In other words, if you don’t take precautions in your hiring practices and you hire a person with a criminal history and at some point an altercation or assault takes place, you may be held responsible. The website goes on to say, “… to avoid liability for negligent hiring, an employer should always run a background check on an employee…” http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/liability-and-insurance/an-employer-s-liability-for-employee-s-acts.html It appears the only conclusion that can be made from this is that a pre-employment screening is the best way to keep from becoming liable in a lawsuit should one of your employees become involved in a fight, especially if injuries are sustained by the victim.
A background check company can be invaluable in your efforts to hire the best applicants and keep your business a safe place for customers and employees alike. Lawsuits are expensive and can drain your bank accounts, let professional investigators keep your company profitable.
Need information on a background check company? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Did you know that as an employer you could potentially be held liable if someone you hire injures a customer or another employer? The internet is filled with videos of employee – customer altercations, some initiated by the customer and some by the employee but in all the situations the images are disturbing. I happened to see one video of a well-known fast food chain employee beating up a woman in front of the woman’s two-year old son. In this case the assault took place outside of the restaurant but the uniform was a dead giveaway and the NBC news affiliate website reported where the employee worked. In another video several employees from another fast food chain got into a fight with a patron. In the NBC6.com story it was reported that the customer was intoxicated but the employees began the physical altercation by throwing cups at the customer then came from behind the counter and started fighting. Videos also abound of employees fighting each other in retail stores, fast food restaurants and other locations. While one must be careful not to conclude that these videos are representative of the majority of American workers, it would be unwise to dismiss the possibility that this could happen in your business. There is also a possibility that if a fight takes place in your business and it involves one or more of your employees, you could be held responsible for injuries under “Negligent Hiring” and/or “Negligent Retention” Laws. To protect your business, employees and customers, it is wise to hire a background check company to conduct pre-employment screenings of applicants.
A background check company can dig into the personal history of someone you may be considering bringing onto your team. While your job application may ask if someone has been convicted of a felony, what resources do you have at your disposal to verify if the applicant lies and does not disclose a criminal past? In addition to conducting criminal background checks, a pre-employment screening can determine if the person has worked where they said they worked on their application. It may be that the person you are considering hiring has indicated they have received a degree from a college or university, without checking on it do you know if they are telling you the truth? Background check companies can do the legwork so that you can feel confident in the person you are considering working in your building.
The importance of making sure you are hiring the right person for a position is revealed when we consider what exactly is meant by “Negligent Hiring” or “Negligent Retention”. According to the website smallbusiness.findlaw.com, referring to negligent hiring or negligent retention, “The most common example of this is to hold the employer liable for the criminal conduct of an employee which is obviously outside the scope of employment. The basis for liability is that the employer acted carelessly in hiring a criminal for a job that the employer should have expected would expose others to harm.” In other words, if you don’t take precautions in your hiring practices and you hire a person with a criminal history and at some point an altercation or assault takes place, you may be held responsible. The website goes on to say, “… to avoid liability for negligent hiring, an employer should always run a background check on an employee…” http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/liability-and-insurance/an-employer-s-liability-for-employee-s-acts.html It appears the only conclusion that can be made from this is that a pre-employment screening is the best way to keep from becoming liable in a lawsuit should one of your employees become involved in a fight, especially if injuries are sustained by the victim.
A background check company can be invaluable in your efforts to hire the best applicants and keep your business a safe place for customers and employees alike. Lawsuits are expensive and can drain your bank accounts, let professional investigators keep your company profitable.
Need information on a background check company? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Training to reduce employee theft-3 WC Blog 320
Stop shoplifting-4
Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. Provides Training To Stop Shoplifting And Reduce Employee Theft And Keep Your Employees Safe In The Process
Before I get too far into this article about the importance of training to stop shoplifting and training to reduce employee theft, I would ask you to take a few minutes to take a look at some of these headlines:
• Walmart loss prevention officer killed pursuing suspected shoplifter, WSB-TV, Apr 12,2016 http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/gwinnett-county/loss-prevention-officer-killed-at-lilburn-walmart/207995435
• Loss prevention officers stabbed at JC Penney, Jan 24, 2013 http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/20700570/loss-prevention-officers-stabbed-at-jcpenney
• Kmart loss prevention officer killed by shoplifters, Jan 18, 2010, http://www.nbc-2.com/story/11839243/kmart-loss-prevention-officer-killed-by-shoplifters
• Police: Margate Walmart Employee Killed By Fleeing Thief, Sep 21, 2012 http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/09/21/police-margate-walmart-employee-killed-by-fleeing-thief/
• Man wanted for fatally stabbing worker at Va. Burlington Coat Factory, March 4, 2017 http://wtvr.com/2017/03/04/burlington-coat-factory-employee-fatally-stabbed-potomac-mills/
• Police: Employee attacks manager, co-workers while being fired, Friday, November 8, 2013 http://komonews.com/news/local/police-employee-attacks-manager-coworkers-while-being-fired
• Prescott Walmart employee arrested after attempting to harm co-workers, December 05, 2016 http://www.12news.com/news/local/arizona/prescott-wal-mart-employee-arrested-after-attempting-to-harm-co-workers/362586930
What is my point in showing you these headlines? In the first 5 reports, trained Loss Prevention employees were injured or killed in their attempts to do their jobs and prevent criminals from stealing merchandise. Let me repeat that, they were attempting to stop shoplifting and preventing criminals from getting away. In the last 2 instance employees posed a danger and/or harmed co-workers and managers. Shoplifting is not a game and many of the people who perpetrate the crimes are dangerous. Employees who steal can be just as dangerous. How prepared are you to handle a shoplifting situation? Are you or your managers truly prepared for events that could get out of hand?
Training to reduce employee theft and stop shoplifting is important for all managers, especially those in stores with no Loss Prevention personnel available to prevent theft and help deter dishonest employees. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. offers training sessions that can help you prevent shoplifting by teaching you about who it is that is stealing from your business, how to develop programs to deter criminals and how to approach them SAFELY. You will learn about anti-theft devices that make your store less appealing to thieves and send them elsewhere. Training programs are also available to help you with the methods of identifying employee theft and the various methods they use to steal. Were you aware that employee theft may include theft from your customers as well as your business? Employees may steal credit cards, gift cards, even receipts from your customers and in the process damage the reputation of your business. How do you repair that? Sometimes the best prevention is weeding out bad apples before they get a foot in the door. To that end, Loss Prevention Systems also has training available for teaching about pre-employment hiring and background checks. The potentially violent or dishonest employee can often be identified in a proper screening and avoided altogether.
If the stories I linked to do not persuade you of the real danger shoplifters can pose or that there are dangerous employees out there, then let me tell you about my personal experiences. I have nearly 20 years of Loss Prevention experience and 27 years of total retail experience. As a Loss Prevention manager for a major chain we went through training on how to properly approach shoplifters, how to detain them and if necessary physically restrain them. All of our L.P. personnel attended these sessions. While the training did prevent some dangerous situations my team and I still experienced being pushed, bitten, punched and verbal threats from thieves that they were in possession of a weapon. In some cases this was simply when we approached the suspect and hadn’t yet fully engaged in a stop. There are proper ways to try to approach shoplifters or deter them. Loss Prevention Systems Trainers can help keep you and your team safe.
Dangers from employees can be just as real. I have had an employee who was going to be fired and he threatened to kill himself. I have had employees who were terminated from their job and threatened to meet our Human Resources Manager in the parking lot when they got off of work. I have responded to the store in the early morning hours when a freight team member pulled a box cutter on a cleaning crew employee. Background checks, pre-employment screening and training on how to be ready for these situations should be required for your managers.
Don’t let criminals rip you off or employees steal your money and reputation. Let Loss prevention Systems, Inc. give your managers training to reduce employee theft and stop shoplifting.
Before I get too far into this article about the importance of training to stop shoplifting and training to reduce employee theft, I would ask you to take a few minutes to take a look at some of these headlines:
• Walmart loss prevention officer killed pursuing suspected shoplifter, WSB-TV, Apr 12,2016 http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/gwinnett-county/loss-prevention-officer-killed-at-lilburn-walmart/207995435
• Loss prevention officers stabbed at JC Penney, Jan 24, 2013 http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/20700570/loss-prevention-officers-stabbed-at-jcpenney
• Kmart loss prevention officer killed by shoplifters, Jan 18, 2010, http://www.nbc-2.com/story/11839243/kmart-loss-prevention-officer-killed-by-shoplifters
• Police: Margate Walmart Employee Killed By Fleeing Thief, Sep 21, 2012 http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/09/21/police-margate-walmart-employee-killed-by-fleeing-thief/
• Man wanted for fatally stabbing worker at Va. Burlington Coat Factory, March 4, 2017 http://wtvr.com/2017/03/04/burlington-coat-factory-employee-fatally-stabbed-potomac-mills/
• Police: Employee attacks manager, co-workers while being fired, Friday, November 8, 2013 http://komonews.com/news/local/police-employee-attacks-manager-coworkers-while-being-fired
• Prescott Walmart employee arrested after attempting to harm co-workers, December 05, 2016 http://www.12news.com/news/local/arizona/prescott-wal-mart-employee-arrested-after-attempting-to-harm-co-workers/362586930
What is my point in showing you these headlines? In the first 5 reports, trained Loss Prevention employees were injured or killed in their attempts to do their jobs and prevent criminals from stealing merchandise. Let me repeat that, they were attempting to stop shoplifting and preventing criminals from getting away. In the last 2 instance employees posed a danger and/or harmed co-workers and managers. Shoplifting is not a game and many of the people who perpetrate the crimes are dangerous. Employees who steal can be just as dangerous. How prepared are you to handle a shoplifting situation? Are you or your managers truly prepared for events that could get out of hand?
Training to reduce employee theft and stop shoplifting is important for all managers, especially those in stores with no Loss Prevention personnel available to prevent theft and help deter dishonest employees. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. offers training sessions that can help you prevent shoplifting by teaching you about who it is that is stealing from your business, how to develop programs to deter criminals and how to approach them SAFELY. You will learn about anti-theft devices that make your store less appealing to thieves and send them elsewhere. Training programs are also available to help you with the methods of identifying employee theft and the various methods they use to steal. Were you aware that employee theft may include theft from your customers as well as your business? Employees may steal credit cards, gift cards, even receipts from your customers and in the process damage the reputation of your business. How do you repair that? Sometimes the best prevention is weeding out bad apples before they get a foot in the door. To that end, Loss Prevention Systems also has training available for teaching about pre-employment hiring and background checks. The potentially violent or dishonest employee can often be identified in a proper screening and avoided altogether.
If the stories I linked to do not persuade you of the real danger shoplifters can pose or that there are dangerous employees out there, then let me tell you about my personal experiences. I have nearly 20 years of Loss Prevention experience and 27 years of total retail experience. As a Loss Prevention manager for a major chain we went through training on how to properly approach shoplifters, how to detain them and if necessary physically restrain them. All of our L.P. personnel attended these sessions. While the training did prevent some dangerous situations my team and I still experienced being pushed, bitten, punched and verbal threats from thieves that they were in possession of a weapon. In some cases this was simply when we approached the suspect and hadn’t yet fully engaged in a stop. There are proper ways to try to approach shoplifters or deter them. Loss Prevention Systems Trainers can help keep you and your team safe.
Dangers from employees can be just as real. I have had an employee who was going to be fired and he threatened to kill himself. I have had employees who were terminated from their job and threatened to meet our Human Resources Manager in the parking lot when they got off of work. I have responded to the store in the early morning hours when a freight team member pulled a box cutter on a cleaning crew employee. Background checks, pre-employment screening and training on how to be ready for these situations should be required for your managers.
Don’t let criminals rip you off or employees steal your money and reputation. Let Loss prevention Systems, Inc. give your managers training to reduce employee theft and stop shoplifting.
Need information on training to reduce employee theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
Pre-employment Screening-4 WC Blog 301
Background Check Company-4
Make Sure You Score Big With Your Next New Hire Use Pre-employment Screening To Verify Credentials
How many of you are sports fans out there? I happen to fall into the casual fan category. I like to watch the games and I know a little about my two favorite sports, football and baseball. On the other hand I’m not one of the fans who can quote every statistic about the team they love. What I do know is professional teams don’t just hire unknowns. Usually players are scouted out well in advance of any consideration for recruitment. This being said, wouldn’t it be great if an employer could hire their staff like the Pro’s scout and draft? You send scouts out, they watch the way your candidates perform. You sit in a room and watch tape of them to see for yourself how they did their job. Applicants go through skill tests to see just how they have mastered fundamental requirements for the position. We all know life doesn’t happen that way. Sometimes you can get lucky and run across someone doing their job and you try to steal them away for your own business but in general those are rare occasions. Usually you put out a job ad, get some applicants and take a chance on a few who “look good” on paper and you conduct interviews. Did they do well? Were you impressed at the answers they gave in response to our interview questions? You may not have a scout unit but a Pre-employment screening can be your scouting report on an applicant.
A background check company has the ability to dig into a job candidate’s background information in order to help you know who it is you are contemplating bringing into your business. You may be able to read information from a job application or a resume but can you be sure what you are reading is truthful? There are people who fluff up their resumes with achievements they never really earned or exaggerate the scope of the work they did. Employee background checks are run by experienced professionals who have the tools that are needed to verify the information a candidate provides to you. Criminal convictions, driving records, education background and validation of social security numbers are a few of the items a pre-employment screening can properly clear.
Think about it like this, just because a baseball player says he bats .400, has a 1.92 ERA or can play multiple positions on the field, would you as a manager hire him on his word? Absolutely not, you might be interested in his story, you might even hear through word of mouth that he has these skill sets but you are going to do your homework. You send your scouts out to his games to watch him. When they think he may have the abilities he says he has you may invite him to spring try-outs for one more look. When everything pans out and the player’s words match his actions THEN you make an offer. As I pointed out, business owners don’t have scouts so what is the next best solution? Businesses can hire a background check company to be the scout on behalf of retailers and other business owners. Need someone who can manage your company social media platforms? You may want a candidate with a computer science degree or marketing degree from an accredited college or university. Pre-employment screening can validate education information entered on an application. Need an experienced Loss Prevention agent to fill an Asset Protection Manager opening? An Employee background check company can verify any employment history a prospective hire has listed on a resume. Do you remember to ask former employers if an employee is re-hirable? A company that does pre-employment screening doesn’t forget to ask such a critical question. Someone may have worked as an L.P. Agent, but were they released for something that would prevent them from being re-hired such as theft or violations of company policies?
You may not be hiring to field a professional sports team but you certainly want a squad that you can trust and will keep you profitable. Don’t try to scout out the backgrounds of job prospects. Use a professional Background Check Company to help you hit home runs in your hiring decisions.
Need information on Pre-employment screening? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
How many of you are sports fans out there? I happen to fall into the casual fan category. I like to watch the games and I know a little about my two favorite sports, football and baseball. On the other hand I’m not one of the fans who can quote every statistic about the team they love. What I do know is professional teams don’t just hire unknowns. Usually players are scouted out well in advance of any consideration for recruitment. This being said, wouldn’t it be great if an employer could hire their staff like the Pro’s scout and draft? You send scouts out, they watch the way your candidates perform. You sit in a room and watch tape of them to see for yourself how they did their job. Applicants go through skill tests to see just how they have mastered fundamental requirements for the position. We all know life doesn’t happen that way. Sometimes you can get lucky and run across someone doing their job and you try to steal them away for your own business but in general those are rare occasions. Usually you put out a job ad, get some applicants and take a chance on a few who “look good” on paper and you conduct interviews. Did they do well? Were you impressed at the answers they gave in response to our interview questions? You may not have a scout unit but a Pre-employment screening can be your scouting report on an applicant.
A background check company has the ability to dig into a job candidate’s background information in order to help you know who it is you are contemplating bringing into your business. You may be able to read information from a job application or a resume but can you be sure what you are reading is truthful? There are people who fluff up their resumes with achievements they never really earned or exaggerate the scope of the work they did. Employee background checks are run by experienced professionals who have the tools that are needed to verify the information a candidate provides to you. Criminal convictions, driving records, education background and validation of social security numbers are a few of the items a pre-employment screening can properly clear.
Think about it like this, just because a baseball player says he bats .400, has a 1.92 ERA or can play multiple positions on the field, would you as a manager hire him on his word? Absolutely not, you might be interested in his story, you might even hear through word of mouth that he has these skill sets but you are going to do your homework. You send your scouts out to his games to watch him. When they think he may have the abilities he says he has you may invite him to spring try-outs for one more look. When everything pans out and the player’s words match his actions THEN you make an offer. As I pointed out, business owners don’t have scouts so what is the next best solution? Businesses can hire a background check company to be the scout on behalf of retailers and other business owners. Need someone who can manage your company social media platforms? You may want a candidate with a computer science degree or marketing degree from an accredited college or university. Pre-employment screening can validate education information entered on an application. Need an experienced Loss Prevention agent to fill an Asset Protection Manager opening? An Employee background check company can verify any employment history a prospective hire has listed on a resume. Do you remember to ask former employers if an employee is re-hirable? A company that does pre-employment screening doesn’t forget to ask such a critical question. Someone may have worked as an L.P. Agent, but were they released for something that would prevent them from being re-hired such as theft or violations of company policies?
You may not be hiring to field a professional sports team but you certainly want a squad that you can trust and will keep you profitable. Don’t try to scout out the backgrounds of job prospects. Use a professional Background Check Company to help you hit home runs in your hiring decisions.
Need information on Pre-employment screening? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
