Employee theft is a problem for many organizations; one that can single handedly put you out of business if you’re not careful. So, do we ensure that the people who we hire as our greatest assets don’t turn into our ultimate downfall? The answer is ownership. You need to build a team environment; one where your employees feel that they have an actual stake in the success of the business rather than it just being a paycheck. Your employees’ attitude about their workplace will depend largely upon whether they feel they are being treated fairly by management.
In order to reduce employee theft you need to treat your employees as well as your customers. The old saying “the customer’s always right” may be a good mantra to go by, but that doesn’t make your employees wrong by default. Always show them the proper amount of respect. Keep employees involved in the success of their department and store. Profit sharing, bonuses or gift certificates can go a long way toward giving employees a sense of ownership and pride in the business. Be mindful of the environment you create. Threats, criticism or unreasonable workloads will not help your business. Disgruntled employees look for ways to strike back and they normally do so in your pocket book.
Work with employees on how to respond to a shoplifting situation in a manner that won’t make them feel at risk. Make sure they understand their own limitations and the limitations of the law in circumstances of shoplifting. Acknowledge employees for doing things right, rather than just catching them doing something wrong. You’d be surprised how far you can actually get with the carrot rather than the stick. Preventing employee theft is everyone’s job so make everyone feel involved in the process and you’ll see the difference in your numbers.
For more information about employee theft investigation or internal theft contact us at employee theft or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.