More and more businesses these days are cottoning onto the idea that healthy corporate culture drives performance and profits. But what if leadership doesn’t know good culture indicators from their elbows? You might imagine that the red flags indicating that something is off would be blatant, but the cues telling you that your corporate culture has hit the skids can actually be pretty nuanced.
Yes, when a workplace is ingrained with habitual practices, it’s easy to miss the warning signals. So let’s examine the signs of a toxic work environment a little more closely. These are pointers that you can look for from the leadership perspective, or simply as a concerned member of the team. Check out our toxic workplace checklist so that you can claim a greater understanding of your organization’s current cultural state:
Red Flag #1: Runaway Employee Turnover
One of the first signs that your workplace is veering into toxicity is an escalation in employee turnover. You might not see clear signs on the office floor that things are going wrong, but if you’re getting a lot of notice letters or employees are getting laid off or fired at a faster rate than usual, don’t assume that this issue will correct automatically. There is a reason why your team is jumping ship, and those earning the ultimate discipline are likely not doing so in a vacuum.
Red Flag #2: Running Burnout Due to Poor Work-Life Balance
Next on our toxic workplace checklist, we find the gremlin of poor work-life-balance. If you notice that employees are exhibiting signs of burnout, it is likely that a lack of healthy work boundaries, unrealistic expectations, lack of recognition, and always-on-the-clock stress is to blame. Long gone is the era when leaders imagined that griding employees toward their targets would yield long-term results. Balance is essential if performance is to be optimized and sustainable.
Red Flag #3: Poor Communication and Mismanagement
Poor communication can have your teams running around in circles, looking productive but not getting much done. This might mean a lack of clarity around projects, inefficient siphons leading to duplicated efforts, frustrated employees who feel unheard, and micromanagement from leaders who overcompensate because they don’t know how to direct their teams effectively.
Red Flag #4: Cliques and Bullying Run Rife
Among sure signs of a toxic work environment is when things start to get passive aggressive, hostile, harassing, bullying, gossipy, cliquey, preferential, or selectively withholding. At best, these kinds of behaviors can trigger your greatest talent heading for the door. At worst, you can expect to see discrimination, sexual harassment, or bullying complaints landing on your desk, and potentially a downward slide towards litigation laid out before you. Clique-ish behavior should always be taken seriously, before it gets the chance to escalate.
Red Flag #5: Forward Movement Has Stalled
A lack of opportunity for progression, poor team morale, staff that feel underchallenged or overchallenged, an a lack of alignment between company values and the truth on the ground will all contribute to employees switching off in a big way. This can stifle growth, slam on the breaks, and even trigger a high-rev reverse away from your brand’s success. So don’t allow neglected corporate culture to erode what likely took years to build. Re-review this toxic workplace checklist and decide if further action needs to be taken.
What To Do When Concerned About Corporate Culture
Fixing corporate culture gone awry begins with understanding the why and how of it all. The best way to achieve this is with a comprehensive corporate culture audit. This process will serve-as a health check for your organization, bringing to light the toxic traits that are undermining your brand’s success and the wellbeing of your team.
It’s important to know, too, that these issues can arise across work-from-home teams just as readily as they do in a shared work environment. So turn to a skilled and trusted auditor from Lauth Investigations International to turn the tables on a toxic company culture. Learn more about the process or reach out to our corporate team today. A consultation is no-obligation and we’re ready to explain exactly how we can help.
For many business owners, white collar theft seems like a pretty abstract concept until faced with its fallout first hand. We tend to romanticize the idea of the white collar criminal, and how could we not? Over the years, cinema has glorified this kind of perpetrator—from Leonardo DiCaprio in the Wolf of Wall Street to Christian Bale in American Hustle. But as fascinating as the idea of a well-paid professional taking an insane risk for illicit gain may be, at the end of the day there are always victims left behind.
The FBI reports that white collar theft costs the United States upward of $300 billion per year. And while its true that 31% of this kind of illegal activity is undertaken by operations staff, the vast majority was ultimately traced to trusted leadership. Yes, some 34% of white collar theft was found to be committed by middle management and 26% by senior management. That means that if someone’s going to engage in this kind of behavior within your business, the chances are they’ll be doing so from somewhere within your core leadership team.
Delving Into the Mind of White-Collar Criminals
A substantial part of mitigating white collar theft among your leadership lies in anticipating where the criminally inclined might find means and opportunity. This begins with conducting comprehensive background checks on managerial or high-responsibility candidates—or potentially leaders already in place if this step was overlooked during recruitment.
Introducing security-centric procedures such as segregating and rotating certain duties can remove opportunity to some extent, as can using accounts-monitoring software and making timely audits. Launching an anonymous white collar theft tip line is also a powerful tool that shouldn’t be overlooked. In fact, the #1 way that occupational fraud is detected is via a tip, and companies with a hotline manage to detect white collar crime 33% faster than their counterparts.
Of course, the ill-intended are most likely to thrive in a working environment where many of their colleagues are already bending or breaking the rules. Team members suffering low morale due to work-related stress are also far less likely to feel motivated to report white collar theft if they witness it. These factors alone should be enough to inspire you to prioritize elevating your corporate culture if you aren’t already.
It’s true that organizations with strong culture enjoy better employee performance and greater profits, and the flip-side of that is that those with an eroded culture can become a hotbed of white collar crime—right under the nose of oblivious executives. Fundamentally, your leadership staff are critical to setting the tone on corporate culture, so if you suspect that their example is anything but shining, a corporate culture audit is definitely in order.
Navigating White Collar Theft When It’s Rooted With Leadership
When employee misconduct is coming from lower-level team members, the process to deal with it—from investigation through to discipline or dismissal if required—can be uncomfortable, but is ultimately a part of being responsible for a functioning team. However, when the suspect of workplace criminality is a member of your most trusted inner-circle, and perhaps someone who has been by your side for years, the situation becomes a little more challenging.
While HR may usually take the lead on employee investigations, this can become problematic if the individual in question is senior to the HR team. Simultaneously, impartiality is critical to navigating a potentially criminal corporate investigation, and long-standing colleagues can hardly be expected to assess the facts without bias, making it tricky for fellow leaders to investigate a peer. The only logical option in dynamics such as these is to bring in an external corporate investigator to provide pivotal support.
The investigator’s work may begin with a corporate culture audit or a targeted investigation following an unexplained discrepancy. In instances where discretion is key, an undercover investigator can be placed within your team to covertly gather facts until a case is solid enough to bring it forward. Providing peace of mind to those seeking this support, the seasoned and specialized corporate investigator will be able to advise on how to navigate each unique situation in pursuit of the best possible outcome.
So, whether you wish to initiate a culture audit or risk assessment as a preventative measure against white collar theft, or want to know what truth lies concealed from your suspicions, the expert corporate team at Lauth Investigations International is ready to assist. Learn more about our approach to white collar crime or reach out to us today for a no-obligation consultation and we’ll help you explore your options.
Your organizational structure—does it serve you in preventing embezzlement, or is a loaded gun simply waiting to go off? Countless business owners across the US see employee fraud or embezzlement as something that only happens to other people, but in reality, the statistics sing to another tune.
Starkly, research tells us that embezzlement impacts around 95% of businesses. So if it hasn’t touched your company yet, then you are living the exception rather than the rule. The same data reveals that the average embezzler has worked for the organization they attack from the inside for eight years. This means that perpetrators are trusted, core members of the teams they undermine, making implementing preventative measures an essential pursuit.
One aspect of keeping the horror of a hole in your books at bay is conducting comprehensive background checks on everyone entering your team. Why? Because 4% of embezzlers are found to have had prior convictions—red flags that their employer would have spotted if they’d done the appropriate groundwork. But that defense is only a partial salve. A far larger puzzle piece for preventing embezzlement is building staunch safeguards into your corporate structure. So let’s look at why this tactic is so important, and how you can get expert assistance if you feel your current modus operandi is far from bulletproof.
Leaving the Door Open to Embezzlers
Sadly, for those of us in the corporate investigations business, this is a story as old as our profession. Company after company comes to rely upon that one gold-standard employee. They’re the dependable one—the bedrock of daily operations—and as such, their reach and control gradually extends and the checks and measures fall away. Of course, not all trusted managers or C-suite executives will leverage the opportunity to embezzle when they meet it. But the right cocktail of means and motive can lead to a slow-burning crisis with a sizable crescendo.
When asked by researchers, employees who stole from their employers, 24% said that they did so simply because they knew they could get away with it. Of course, factors such as personal financial woes or a build up of resentment at work due to poor corporate culture can all contribute to creating that melting pot-moment, but in essence, no employer can predict with certainty which rock-solid employee may take a turn in a far darker direction.
Not only do these factors justify why thoughtful measures for preventing embezzlement are so vital, but so too does the fact that most embezzlers get away with their crimes over an extended period. Among employees committing fraud, the average window within which they are able to siphon off money undetected is 18-24 months. That’s a mighty long time for your company’s assets to be hemorrhaging, so how can changing corporate structure close that window and lock it down tightly?
Preventing Embezzlement By Changing Corporate Structure
The reality is that an embezzler needs space to work—they need the scope to insert their falsified figures and fraudulent documentation; to paper over the cracks that would reveal their misdeeds. This means that developing systems that ensure all numbers are cross-checked and never the responsibility of one individual alone will certainly create a substantial obstacle to such endeavors.
Rotation of duties, multi-managerial verification, and tightly controlled and monitored access to high-value—or even low-value—assets can serve as guard-rails that protect against entry into embezzlement-friendly territory. And while it might seem that these practices are peppered with mistrust, in practice, they allow the opposite to blossom. When anti-theft measures are taken as gospel and followed to the letter, teams can enjoy an environment of confidence and collaboration that is far healthier and far less vulnerable to crime. So, is your corporate structure up to the task? If the question gives you cause to pause for thought then the corporate team at Lauth Investigations International can help. We combine expert services such as Corporate Culture Audits and tailored risk assessments to help businesses just like yours avoid leaving the ranks of the graced 5% of businesses unaffected by embezzlement. We can also aid with detailed background checks and workplace investigations if anything doesn’t add up. Turn to a trusted ally by reaching out to our team today and we’ll be happy to talk you through your options.
Having worked tirelessly to build your company from the ground up, it is a bitter pill to swallow that an interior threat may ultimately undermine it. The harsh reality, however, is that the downfall of roughly 30% of failed businesses is tied to workplace theft of one kind or another. Far too many CFOs, CEOs, and small-business entrepreneurs peer only outward when trying to eliminate vulnerabilities. This can be a costly oversight, certainly, but also one that a private investigator can swiftly help to right
What Is Workplace Theft?
If your business seems to be bleeding out and you can’t locate the wound, there’s a good chance that workplace theft is the cause. This type of employee abuse comes in many guises, including inventory or equipment theft, skimming, fraud, and embezzlement. All too often, these crimes can bring a business to its knees when it aught to be soaring toward success.
The culprits in question may be core members of your ground team, trusted contractors, or even among your leadership. The longer these immoral actors are left to their own devices, the deeper a hole they may dig into the company’s profits and public credibility. The good news, however, is that the moment you become aware of the seriousness of the situation, action can be taken to plug the leak and remove the perpetrators once and for all.
To do this, you not only need to know about it when workplace theft is taking place, but you also need to identify who is behind it and how they are getting away with their crimes. Catching the thief in the act can be tricky for a busy HR or leadership team, but a specialized corporate private investigator will know exactly what to look for; how to trace the criminals and bring the facts to light. So, let’s look at exactly how the PI gets a handle on workplace theft
How a Private Investigator Tackles Workplace Theft
There are two facets to the work of a corporate private investigator tasked with eliminating workplace theft. The first is to discover what drove the losses that have been accrued, gathering evidence of the crime and criminals so that justice can be served and the immediate threat eliminated. The second is to help you modify your business operations to ensure that this kind of trouble doesn’t raise its ugly head again.
To piece together the clues of workplace theft, whether recent or even still underway, the private investigator draws on a diverse skillset. Depending on the situation in your workplace, they may launch a surveillance operation or go undercover within your team. They can investigate the backgrounds and credentials of individual employees, dive into digital investigations, gather documented evidence, and interview witnesses.
At each step in the process, the best interests of you and your business will be held front and center, with absolute discretion assured whenever and wherever it is called for—so much so that your employees only need know that the investigator is there if you want them to.
In addition to pinpointing what happened and how, a corporate private investigator can assist with establishing a new system of employee screening and background checks. You may ask them to run risk assessments of your on-site security, digital security, and daily procedures to weed out weak points. Finally, they can also perform a workplace culture audit to see if workplace theft is part of a larger picture of ill-health within your enterprise. Fundamentally, a seasoned Private Investigator with the specific skillset to tackle workplace theft from every angle can give you the tailored support you need to ensure your company’s future integrity. Are you ready to learn more? The workplace theft team at Lauth Investigations International are always happy to have a no-obligation chat about how they can assist, so get in touch today.
If you are looking for a professional genealogist to conduct an heir search on behalf of your family, what do you need to know? The field of genealogy—particularly in relation to how to conduct an heir search—is one that few people are well versed in. It is likely to be an entirely unfamiliar industry until an urgent need arises; a reality that leaves many private individuals vulnerable to low-caliber services at runaway prices.
With all of that in mind, today we’re going to look at what you need to know when looking to contract a genealogy expert so that you can get the timely and cost effective results you need and rightfully obtain your family’s legal assets. Read on to find the clarity you need to know how to conduct an heir search with confidence.
Why and When are Heir Search Services Required?
What kind of circumstances might lead someone to seek out a genealogist and associated heir search services? This type of professional is poised to navigate issues such as heir search, estate settlement, and probate research. They will conduct this service on behalf of private clients, trustees, and attorneys with fiduciary responsibility. An heir search is commonly required when someone dies without a will, although in certain States, there is an obligation to identify all known heirs and their respective rights to inheritance before an estate can be settled.
To untangle potentially complex webs of lineage, a genealogist will trace the family tree in question and thoroughly document their findings. Completing this task requires not only specialist investigatory abilities but also a distinct note of the detective’s skillset. Why?
Because in a world that sees families dispersed not only between states but also between nations, capacity to traverse borders, navigate diverse legislation, and even conduct in-person investigations can be immensely useful. In any heir search, efficiency is the central tenant, but supporting is the resources to expand the search as required to ensure that the matter can be closed and heirs can find peace of mind. When knowing how to conduct an heir search and who to turn to, the right credentials are an excellent place to start.
How to Conduct an Heir Search: What To Look For In a Genealogist
In recent years, the field of genealogy has seen an influx of professionals adhering to less-than-desirable standards. This makes it critical than families carefully vet an heir search service before agreeing to proceed. There are two factors framing why this counts—beyond the genealogist’s capacity to find the necessary information or individuals.
The first is that their findings will need to meet the standard required to present successfully in court. The genealogist will need to sign an affidavit, delivered with full supporting documentation, and may need to testify on your family’s behalf. This makes the associated expertize and experience an essential prerequisite.
It is also key to ensure that the company you hire is fully certified and transparent about their pricing and practices. You are under no obligation to accept the services of an heir hunter who approaches you cold without confirming their credentials—even if they have already begun the search process. Instead, you can take your time to ensure that the genealogy service you partner with is established and professional, and that you have a clear sense of what lies ahead.
So ask to see certifications, and ensure you have a direct line of communication to the genealogist who will assist you. By taking these steps of caution, you can ensure that your family’s legal assets can ultimately be claimed with dignity.
Turn To Lauth Investigations International for Your Heir Search Needs
Lauth Investigations International is a family-owned and operated investigatory firm that has been operating wold-wide from our Indiana base for more than 30 years. In completing heir searches, we draw on a diverse skillset obtained through decades of collaboration with private individuals, law enforcement, attorneys, trustees, corporations, and many more entities beside. We meet you with a seasoned and personalized service, including established expertize in deft investigation and presenting legally sound findings. Our duty is always to our clients and to truth. So learn more about our comprehensive Heir Search Service, or contact our team today for tailored advice.
