Step inside the hidden world of corporate undercover investigators
How can a corporate undercover investigation improve your workplace?
When it comes to your business, you don’t know what you don’t know. 75% of employees have admitted to stealing from their employer at least once, and 35% will steal at least twice. That’s to say nothing of misappropriation funds, theft of industry secrets, and various forms of fraud. Many employers do their best to foster a positive corporate culture landscape in which they can thrive. When employers do not engage in the health and happiness of their employees, they can fully expect a corporate crisis to arise as a direct or indirect result. Issues such as internal theft, workers’ compensation fraud, harassment, and discrimination are just some of the corporate crises that arise from the lack of oversight on part of leadership. However, once these problems develop, it can be difficult to document them in an overt investigation. This is where a corporate undercover investigation can provide the crucial clarity needed to preserve a corporation’s mission.
Today’s corporate landscape is fast-paced and constantly in flux, but leadership must find time and budget to have their daily operations properly assessed. In order to conduct a successful corporate undercover investigation, leadership and human resources must first know when it’s time to hire an investigator, and what criteria to use when hiring them. Many executives and CEOs may not wait for a corporate crisis to occur, but rather invest in a corporate undercover investigation for auditing purposes. The average time it takes for frauds to be discovered is 2 years, and when the fraud is allowed to continue for 5 years or more, the financial losses can surpass $2 million. It’s not hard to understand why employers and human resource departments alike may wish to be more proactive when it comes to protecting the business and its assets from the ruins of corporate crisis.
In a corporate undercover investigation, investigators will insert themselves into the workplace or worksite, typically in a capacity where they will be easily ignored, such as custodial staff, messengers, or even security. By inconspicuously infiltrating the workplace, investigators can observe daily operations without disrupting the true nature of the corporate culture. They can document the unseen factors in any corporate crisis. Whether it’s as small as thefts from office supply closet, or major theft of product from a warehouse, investigators can place covert surveillance cameras in strategic locations to capture the theft on tape. The best and most seasoned investigators will have the ability to seamlessly enter the workplace and develop a rapport with employees. This allows them to break down the unseen interpersonal factors in the staff, develop leads, and get corroboration regarding aspects of the case. Corporate undercover investigations can also be the ideal way to handle high-stakes corporate crises in which upper management is suspected to be involved. The more elevated the position, the more devastating the impact of that employees misconduct will be. At the conclusion of the investigation, investigators prepare a complete report of all their findings and return it to the client in order to ensure they have the full scope of the problems within their organization.
If you have need of a corporate undercover investigation, call Lauth Investigations International today at 317-951-1100 for a free consultation on all of our corporate investigation services. We are staffed by former military and law enforcement and carry a glowing A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Get the clarity your company needs today with Lauth. Call today or visit us online.