When you’re at the helm of an enterprise in motion, it might not seem that a missing stapler could derail you, but what if this tiny example of employee theft is just the tip of the iceberg? In truth, a steady drift of office supplies should be seen as stark waves of warning—because they are a measurable metric for the health of your corporate culture.
Yes, someone raiding the supply closet might not seem like a serious form of employee theft, but don’t be fooled. When culture in the workplace begins to erode, it often marks a beginning of a steady slide into more troubled waters ahead. If you want to avoid future woes such as inventory losses, malingering, embezzlement, and fraud, then this article is for you. Let’s look at the facts.
Why Small-Scale Employee Theft Requires a Serious Response
While its true that missing office supplies can be the handiwork of a single trouble-making employee who slipped through the net of your recruitment screening process, it is important to ask yourself: might it suggest that there is a problem with your wider organizational culture?
Perhaps you’re a whiz at spotting employees engaged in the act of petty theft—you might even enjoy apprehending them. However, if you’ve come to expect their presence and encounter them frequently, then you are accustomed to an unnecessary reality. In fact, not only is it unnecessary, but you also have to wonder, what is the accumulated value of all of those drifting supplies? What if employees comfortable with stealing are finding other ways to rob you of your assets? Perhaps most poignantly, what will this be doing to the morale of your honest employees—are you losing high-caliber talent because your company culture has soured?
Fixing Corporate Culture to Eliminate Employee Theft
Sure, some people feel entitled to steal from the get-go, but in many cases, this behavior didn’t manifest in a vacuum. Employees who feel disgruntled in one way or another can often slide into feeling that the company owes them recompense. This might be due to poor leadership attitudes, an unhealthy cliquey environment, being overlooked too many times for advancement without understanding why, or feeling stressed and overstretched by unrealistic expectations and a lack of work-life balance—to name but a few examples.
Making matters more complicated, as soon as a company grows beyond a small team, it becomes increasingly challenging for the central leadership team to keep tabs on culture as it evolves. At times, it is the most trusted and long-serving managers who are unwittingly dropping spanners between the gears, while at others, a bad hire can become a bad apple that rots much of the barrel before being identified. This is exactly why those little office supply losses should be viewed as a canary in the coal mine.
If you’re lucky, then company culture breakdown is in its earliest stages and you can course-correct immediately. If you are less fortunate, you’ll at least be able to uncover serious problems and stop financial losses before they get any worse. In either case, a Corporate Culture Audit is an excellent place to start.Â
We Can Help
This savvy service from Lauth Investigations International will afford you a birds-eye view of your organization’s inner workings. Once armed with the facts, you can explore following our guidance on how to enhance the health of your corporate culture, launch fully supported investigations into any employee misconduct discovered, and eliminate any procedural vulnerabilities to minimize future risk. Are you ready to learn more? Then connect with our corporate investigations team today and lets get those office supplies back where they belong.
In the corporate world, it’s essential for businesses to have a comprehensive understanding of their key personnel, from foremen and managers to executives and board members. This is where lifestyle investigations come into play. A lifestyle investigation is a thorough examination of an individual’s personal and professional life to provide a holistic view of their background, behaviors, and potential risks. When leadership has all the facts regarding their personnel, they can make crucial decisions that will affect the overall health and well-being of their company.
Understanding Lifestyle Investigations
A lifestyle investigation is a specialized form of due diligence that goes beyond basic background checks. It involves an in-depth examination of an individual’s lifestyle, personal habits, financial history, social connections, and reputation. The purpose is to identify any red flags, potential conflicts of interest, or hidden risks that could impact the individual’s role within the corporation. While many private citizens may wish to initiate a lifestyle investigation into a prospective in-home employee, contractor, or assess the judgement of a potential caretaker, the applications of lifestyle investigations in the corporate sector can improve every aspect of an operation from top to bottom.
Steps in a Lifestyle Investigation:
Research and Gathering Information: The first step in a lifestyle investigation is to gather relevant information about the individual. This includes public records, financial disclosures, social media profiles, and any other publicly available data. Private investigators often utilize their expertise to access databases and resources not readily accessible to the general public.
Interviews and Source Verification: Private investigators conduct interviews with associates, colleagues, and acquaintances to gather insights into the individual’s reputation, work ethic, and lifestyle choices. This step involves careful verification of sources to ensure the information collected is reliable and accurate.
Financial Analysis: Examining an individual’s financial history, including assets, liabilities, and financial transactions, can provide insights into their financial stability, potential conflicts of interest, and overall integrity.
Social Media Analysis: A thorough analysis of an individual’s online presence can uncover valuable information about their personal life, associations, interests, and potential risk factors. It can help assess their suitability for key roles within the corporation.
Reporting and Risk Assessment: The final step involves compiling the gathered information into a comprehensive report. This report outlines any potential risks, conflicts of interest, or undisclosed information that could impact the individual’s role within the corporation. It provides the organization with a clear picture to make informed decisions about their personnel.
Benefits for Corporations
Risk Mitigation: Lifestyle investigations help corporations identify potential risks before they become detrimental to the company’s reputation or financial stability. By uncovering any undisclosed information, conflicts of interest, or unethical behaviors, corporations can take proactive measures to mitigate these risks.
Protecting the Corporate Culture: By thoroughly vetting key personnel, corporations can ensure that their leaders and decision-makers align with the organization’s values and ethical standards. This protects the corporate culture and reduces the chances of internal conflicts or reputational damage.
Preserving Stakeholder Trust: Stakeholders, including investors, customers, and business partners, place their trust in the corporation and its leadership. Conducting lifestyle investigations demonstrates the commitment to transparency and due diligence, enhancing stakeholder confidence and preserving trust.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Certain industries have strict compliance requirements, and lifestyle investigations can help corporations fulfill these obligations. By identifying any potential conflicts of interest or illegal activities, organizations can ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
Lifestyle investigations are a powerful tool for corporations seeking a complete understanding of their top-level employees. By delving beyond standard background checks, these investigations provide insights into an individual’s personal and professional life, helping businesses make informed decisions and mitigate potential risks. From protecting the corporate culture to maintaining stakeholder trust, lifestyle investigations contribute to the overall integrity and success of a corporation.
Hiring a private investigator can be a costly investment, but it’s often necessary when it comes to uncovering the truth in certain situations. Whether you’re looking to investigate a cheating spouse, find a missing person, or conduct a background check, understanding the factors that go into calculating the cost of a private investigator and their services is crucial. In this blog article, we’ll discuss these factors in detail.
Determining the cost of a private investigator
Complexity of the case: The complexity of the case is the most significant factor in determining the cost of a private investigator’s services. The more complicated the case, the more time and resources it will take to resolve, which will ultimately drive up the cost. For example, investigating a complex corporate fraud case will cost more than investigating a simple infidelity case.
Time spent on the case: The amount of time spent on the case also affects the cost of a private investigator’s services. Most private investigators charge an hourly rate, and the longer they spend on the case, the higher the bill will be. Therefore, if the investigation is expected to take longer, the costs will be higher.
Geographic location: The location where the investigation will take place also affects the cost. If the investigation requires the private investigator to travel outside of their usual working area, there will be additional expenses for transportation, accommodation, and other related costs. As a result, investigations conducted in remote or rural areas may be more expensive than those conducted in urban areas.
Type of services required: Different types of services require different skills and resources, which can affect the cost of hiring a private investigator. For example, background checks and surveillance are generally less expensive than forensic investigations, which require specialized expertise and technology.
Equipment and resources used: The type of equipment and resources used during the investigation can also affect the cost of a private investigator’s services. Advanced technology and specialized tools will incur additional expenses, such as the cost of renting or purchasing the equipment, maintenance costs, and other associated costs.
Experience and expertise of the investigator: The level of experience and expertise of the private investigator can also impact the cost of their services. Experienced investigators who have a good track record of delivering successful investigations may charge higher fees than less experienced investigators.
The cost of a private investigator is determined by various factors, such as the complexity of the case, the time spent on the case, geographic location, the type of services required, equipment and resources used, and the experience and expertise of the investigator. It’s essential to discuss the cost of the investigation upfront with the private investigator and to have a clear understanding of their fees and billing structure before engaging their services. With this information, you can make an informed decision on whether or not to hire a private investigator for your case.
Contact us
If you have need of a private investigator for your personal or corporate matters, please consider Lauth Investigations International as the private investigator who will sweat the small details and prepare comprehensive reports so you can make complex decisions in your everyday life.
Private investigators are highly trained professionals who are often called upon to assist attorneys with a variety of tasks related to their casework. With their specialized skills and knowledge, private investigators can be the perfect multi-tool for attorney support when it comes to intelligence-gathering in their casework. While it’s true that many attorneys utilize private investigators, the full breadth of their capabilities is only as limited as the imagination of the attorney.
Here are just a few of the ways in which private investigators can be of invaluable assistance to attorneys:
Combing Databases in eDiscovery
Attorney support comes in many forms, but private investigators are especially helpful when it comes to the wealth of documents and records in electronic form. When it comes to eDiscovery, or electronic discovery, private investigators have the access and experience with comprehensive databases that attorneys or their paralegals may find overwhelming. Private investigators have access to a wide range of databases and public records that can be used to gather valuable information about a case. This includes criminal records, driving records, financial records, and more. By combing through these databases, private investigators can uncover crucial information that may be difficult or impossible for attorneys to obtain on their own. eDiscovery is especially applicable to investigations with high, comprehensive levels of information, such as asset searches, background investigations, and social media investigations. A private investigator will not only have the skills to sort through this information, but also have the eye for the most important details, and can organize the information in a way that best suits an attorney’s needs.
Locating Witnesses
One of the most important tasks that private investigators can perform in attorney support is locating witnesses. In many cases, witnesses are reluctant to come forward or may be difficult to find. Private investigators have the skills and resources to track down witnesses, interview them, and gather valuable information that can help attorneys build a stronger case. In many cases, witnesses are unwilling to come forward because they fear reprisal by law enforcement, fear for their safety, or simply do not want to be involved. However, because private investigators have no powers of arrest, work under the professional cloak of discretion, and have excellent people skills, they are often well-suited to not only locating witnesses, but also developing a rapport with them that makes them more willing to open up about facts in a case.
Offering Expert Testimony
In addition to gathering information and locating witnesses, private investigators can also offer expert testimony on the stand during court proceedings. As highly trained professionals, private investigators can provide valuable insights and analysis based on their knowledge and experience. This can be especially helpful in cases where complex or technical issues are involved. Though private investigators are retained by attorneys, unless they are employed directly by the attorney themselves, their subcontractor status does offer a greater deal of objectivity when it comes to the solution for a case. Their third-party testimony will stand up to a higher degree of scrutiny in court than an in-house investigator.
Conducting Surveillance
Private investigators are also skilled at conducting surveillance, which can be a valuable tool for attorneys in many types of cases. Whether it’s tracking the movements of a person of interest or gathering evidence to support a claim, private investigators can use a variety of techniques to conduct surveillance discreetly and effectively. A private investigator with a great eye for detail in surveillance is particularly important in matters of workplace investigations, such as harassment and discrimination, worker’s compensation, or white-collar crime.
Providing Support and Guidance
Finally, private investigators can provide valuable attorney support and guidance to attorneys throughout the course of a case. From helping to develop a strategy to providing regular updates on the progress of an investigation, private investigators can be a valuable partner to attorneys as they work to build a strong case.
In conclusion, private investigators can be the perfect multi-tool for attorneys when it comes to intelligence-gathering in their casework. From combing databases and locating witnesses to offering expert testimony on the stand and providing support and guidance throughout the case, private investigators can be an invaluable asset to any legal team. If you’re an attorney looking to build a strong case, consider working with a private investigator to help you gather the information you need to succeed.
Multi-level marketing (MLM) companies have been around for decades, promising a path to financial independence and success to those willing to invest time and money into their products and recruitment systems. However, the corporate structure of these MLMs are often inherently problematic. These flawed structures are just part MLM corporate culture, but not everyone is aware of how toxic they can be.
Multi-level marketing companies can be very diverse in their industry and product type, but they typically do share one crucial characteristic: One of the biggest issues with MLM corporate culture is the pressure to recruit and build a downline. MLM companies rely heavily on recruiting new members and encouraging them to recruit others in turn, creating a pyramid-like structure. The pressure to constantly recruit and build a larger downline can be overwhelming, with distributors often feeling like they are letting down their team or missing out on potential income if they aren’t actively recruiting. This pressure can lead to a culture of manipulation and exploitation, where distributors are encouraged to prioritize recruiting over actually selling products. In fact, some MLM companies have been accused of being pyramid schemes because their compensation plans heavily favor recruitment over product sales.
Another issue with MLM corporate culture is the emphasis on personal development and self-improvement. While personal growth can be a positive thing, MLM companies often use it as a way to control and manipulate their distributors. Distributors are told that if they just work harder, believe in themselves more, and attend more company events, they will be successful. This can lead to a culture of victim-blaming, where distributors who aren’t successful are seen as not working hard enough or not believing in themselves enough, rather than acknowledging the systemic issues within the MLM industry.
Furthermore, MLM corporate culture can be isolating and all-consuming. Distributors are often encouraged to distance themselves from friends and family members who are skeptical of the MLM model, and to spend all of their free time attending company events, making sales calls, and recruiting new members. This can lead to a loss of social support outside of the MLM community and a dependence on the company for validation and social interaction.
Finally, MLM corporate culture can be financially devastating for many distributors. The pressure to constantly buy products to maintain their status within the company and the expectation that they will invest significant amounts of money into attending company events can lead to significant financial strain. In addition, many distributors are paid only on commission and are not provided with any benefits or job security, making it difficult to plan for their future or support themselves and their families.
The corporate culture within multi-level marketing companies can be incredibly toxic, with a heavy emphasis on recruitment, manipulation, isolation, and financial strain. While MLM companies may promise a path to financial independence and success, the reality for many distributors is quite different. It is important for individuals to educate themselves about the risks associated with MLMs and to seek out alternative ways to achieve their goals.
