Human Resources has a tough job when it comes to screening future employees. They’re betting on someone whom they’ve only met in person maybe three times. Not every candidate can be a winner, but that doesn’t mean you should accept the losers.
Every business takes on some level of risk when they bring on a new-hire, but how serious is employee theft? The 2015 US Retail Fraud Survey says, “Overall the biggest area of store loss remains employee theft with 38% of respondents citing it as the number one area of store loss and, across first, second and third highest causes of loss, scoring 59 points.” Here are some ways Human Resources can better vet employees and prevent future theft.
Ask tough questions throughout the interview process
Interviewing job candidates is the best chance you’ll get to learn who they are before hiring them. Take advantage of these opportunities to ask candidates tough questions about their past. This may seem like an obvious tip, but it’s one many people can find difficult to execute.
People can be surprisingly candid about things they’ve done in the past and may be more open than one would expect. In these moments of truth human resources is given the opportunity to evaluate the honesty of the candidate.
Follow-up with multiple references
There’s a reason every business asks for multiple references when considering candidates for a position. After you’ve interview a candidate face-to-face you’ll have a better idea of who they are and what questions you still have about them. Following up with a candidate’s references can be very illuminating.
Calling just one or two of the references should not be seen as enough. Every candidate should supply at least three references to be considered for employment. These should be professional references, not friends or family. Call at least three references when considering any candidate.
Use a Private Investigations firm to help
Human Resources departments only have so much manpower they can put towards vetting employees. With all of the duties HR handles it increases the chances that someone will slip through the cracks and get hired when they shouldn’t have.
You might not need them for every candidate, but Private Investigation firms can help any business be certain about the people they’re hiring. When businesses are expanding they may need to hire people rapidly. Instead of asking HR to do more with less, contact a private investigations firm and see how they can help shoulder the load.
For Private Investigation Inquiry contact Thomas Lauth, Lauth Investigations 317-951-1100
David Schroeder, Blog Writer, Lauth Investigations International
What good is a child custody agreement if you’re unable to have it properly enforced? Everyone expects or at least hopes the agreement will be respected by both parties, but that isn’t always the case. When you suspect child custody agreement violations and potential abuse, you need to document them and keep records. That may sound like a lot, but here are tips to make keeping records a little easier.
Take pictures
The easiest way to document violations and abuse is by using the camera on your phone to take pictures. If you think you see bruises, cuts, or marks on your child then you should be taking pictures of them. Photographic evidence is some of the strongest evidence one can have.
Timestamps will tell you the date and time the picture was taken. By default most phones have timestamps on every picture they take, but make sure your’s does too. If it doesn’t have timestamps then go into the app store on your phone and find an app that does it. It won’t be hard.
Write down notes and details in a journal or notebook
The details are important in cases of child custody agreement violations and abuse. No matter how good your memory is, recording as much information as soon after it happens as possible will help in court. If you write about the events and pair them with the timestamped photographs it will bolster credibility.
Back-up your data
When are records useless? When they don’t exist. You must back-up all of your data and records. No one thinks it will happen to them, but one power surge and your hard drive is fried. One slip and your phone is shattered on the pavement. Backing-up your files requires little to no extra effort and can be automated on most devices.
If you’re taking pictures on an iPhone, make sure your saving the photos to iCloud. If something happens to your phone you’ll be able to download the photos to a new one or to a computer. On Android and iPhone you can plug your phone into your computer and back it up to the computer’s hard drive. Back-up your data at least once a week and anytime you’re saving something of particular importance.
Hire a private investigator
Proving violations of the agreement and abuse can be difficult. Depending on how often you get to see your child or the time you need to work each week, your ability to track everything your ex is doing might be limited. How can you prove your children are being taken places they’re not allowed to be at?
Private investigators have nothing but time for their clients and can document everything while keeping an eye on your children. If anything happens that violates your custody agreement then it will be documented. If there is abuse happening you will get the proof you need for court. PIs can be your eyes and ears and help you protect your children.
For Private Investigation Inquiry contact Thomas Lauth, Lauth Investigations 317-951-1100
David Schroeder, Blog Writer, Lauth Investigations International
Skip tracing is a difficult, but valuable tool for any private investigator. Skip tracing is the practice of tracking down someone who has skipped town. Typically used to find people that are trying to avoid paying a debt or have skipped out on bail, a skilled skip tracer can run down sources to find just about anyone.
Skip tracers are only as good as the information they can procure. The first step in skip tracing is building a database of every thing you can possibly know about who you’re tracking. By searching through publicly available databases like telephone directories and social media sites, tracers can figure out who their target is and who they associate with. Skip tracers also search for past bills or debts to see where the missing person has lived in the past and who with.
Once enough data has been compiled, skip tracers sift through it to create a profile of their target. Combing through this data is one of the most difficult parts of skip tracing and will separate the inexperienced tracers from the veterans. Making a mistake at this stage can be costly.
Tracers have to know which bits of information are worth using and which are wastes of times. Some data may be outdated or contradicted by further research. Poorly assessing one data point can send the tracer and their profile in the complete wrong direction and it can take a while before that becomes evident.
With a completed profile, it’s time for the tracer to get out and talk to people in the area to find out more. Friends and family of the missing person can be great for getting an idea of where to look, but how forthcoming will they be? If they know someone’s looking for their friend or kin, they’ll be more guarded about discussing them.
Tracers need to know how to talk people and work them for information without tipping their hand. Slipping up can result in the missing person getting tipped off that the heat is on them. If the target knows people are coming for them, they’ll put more effort into concealing their movement and they’ll become more difficult to predict.
Surveillance and efficient work are the other keys to quality tracer work. Tracers need to be willing to sit on a location and watch it to determine if their target is in the area. Even when their target doesn’t show up, it’s important that tracers are dedicated and willing to determine who is coming around. The target might not have stopped in, but one of the visitors could be their girlfriend or sibling.
When someone is on the lamb it’s not out of the question that they would use a third party to relay messages or transport supplies. The only way to figure out who’s stopping in and why is through consistent surveillance and tracking. Dedicated surveillance is time consuming, but incredibly valuable.
Skip tracing is a skill developed over years of practice. There are seminars and limited classes that can teach people the basics, but veteran tracers will tell you hands-on experience is the only way to truly learn. Skip tracing can help close a case fast and every investigator should either be competent in doing it themselves or have trusted people at the ready to handle it.
For Private Investigation Inquiry contact Thomas Lauth, Lauth Investigations 317-951-1100
David Schroeder, Blog Writer, Lauth Investigations International
Theft in the workplace is a major problem. According to the Global Retail Theft Barometer employee theft costs American businesses even more than theft by non-employees. Employee theft made up 43% of all lost inventory in 2015. That’s an annual cost of roughly $18 billion. It’s $2.3 billion more than the cost of theft by customers. Most of the theft that occurs isn’t an employee taking items and walking out of the store with them.
“Usually it happens during checkout, when an associate manipulates a transaction to benefit themselves or someone else,” Ernie Deyle, a 30-year veteran of the retail loss-prevention wars who leads the business consulting practice at London-based data analytics firm Sysrepublic told Fortune.com. Employees might, for instance, enter refunds, discounts, or voided transactions into a cash register or “cancel transactions, modify prices, or say someone used a coupon when they didn’t.”
The interesting question, of course, is not so much how as why. “Key reasons … include ineffective pre-employment screening, less employee supervision, and easy sale of stolen merchandise,” the report says.
Deyle sees cultural differences at work too. “Internationally, there’s more of an unwritten code that says it’s not honorable to do something dishonest toward an employer,” he says. “Here, it’s a different mindset. There’s so much turnover in retailing, and very little loyalty.”
So what can businesses do to combat employee theft and protect their investments? For starters they can invest in a stronger background check system. The reports says one of the key reasons theft happens is due to “ineffective pre-employment screening.” Everyone’s trying to cut costs and increase their dividends, but a lack of investment in screening employees thoroughly can end up costing your business more down the line.
One of the best ways to prevent losing inventory to employee theft is to get your employees involved in the prevention process. Very few people want to be the one to tell the boss about a coworker’s theft. It’s not that they think stealing is ok or don’t care, but who wants to potentially ruin relationships with people you have to work with every day?
Tip lines in 2016 mean more than just 1-800 telephone numbers. Setting up an email address dedicated to tips allows employees to anonymously report a coworker’s stealing. Everybody text messages nowadays and creating a text message tip line is perfect for younger employees. Tip lines are a great way to empower your employees to report cases of theft without exposing themselves to retaliation from coworkers or the people they report.
Another cause for employee theft is a lack of consistent oversight. Employees don’t want someone constantly standing over their shoulder, but thinking someone is watching them will decrease the rate of employee theft at any business. Cameras are a good option to create the presence of supervision and keep employees mindful of their actions.
Private investigators can help with every aspect of this and more. Recommending and installing cameras in places most likely to disrupt theft is too easy for a good P.I.. They can also operate the tip lines to make sure every tip is investigated and your employee’s anonymity is protected. Investigators are perfect for higher quality background checks too. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Protect your assets today.
For Private Investigation Inquiry contact Thomas Lauth, Lauth Investigations 317-951-1100
David Schroeder, Blog Writer, Lauth Investigations International
Fighting for custody of your children is the most important battle you’ll ever wage. Losing the right to see your kids and spend time with them as you see fit isn’t something anyone should face alone. Custody battles can be long, intimidating, and costly. You need every resource at your disposal to make sure you have the upper hand at every stop. Here are five ways private investigators can make sure you’re not alone in the fight of your life.
1. Did you really know your ex?
How well do you know your ex? When you got married you certainly believed you knew her inside and out, but you also didn’t believe you’d end up divorced. Splitting up will change how you view one another. You’ll start seeing flaws you never noticed before and having questions you thought you knew the answer too. You thought you knew her before you got married, but did you?
When did you first meet your ex? Have you known her since grade school or did you meet later in life? Are you certain this was her first marriage? Does she have a criminal history she kept hidden from you? Where has she worked and why did she change jobs? Private investigators can answer all of these questions and more by running extensive background checks and personally verifying the information for you.
2. Who’s coming and going?
When you and your ex shared a home, you consulted each other before inviting people over. Together you decided who you did and didn’t want inside your house. Now that you’re apart, those determinations will be made separately, which might be cause for concern.
It’s one thing for your ex to bring people over when the kids aren’t there, but what about when they are? Who’s coming and going from the house and what are they doing? Maybe the increase in visitors is nothing. Maybe someone selling drugs from the house.
In an ideal world you’d ask your ex what’s going on and get a straight answer, but that’s likely not the case. Divorce can create tension and difficulty in communication. One way to avoid a big fight that won’t get you the answers you want is to hire a private investigator. An investigator can surveil the home and determine who is stopping by and why. P.I.s will get you vital information while avoiding the drama of asking your ex.
3. Are my kids safe and clean?
Children need a comfortable and clean environment. It’s vital to their development that they have a space they can relax and feel safe in. Who took care of the house when you and your ex were still together? Have your kids made comments about their mom not keeping the house tidy like she should?
It should be easy to find out about the condition of your ex’s place, but maybe she won’t let you in out of embarrassment or scorn. If she’s having a rough time dealing with the divorce it’s possible she’s depressed and not taking care of things like your children deserve. Private investigators can determine the condition of her home and help you ensure your kids are safe and comfortable.
4. Where is your ex taking you children and are they safe?
Worried about where your ex takes your children during her visitation time? At least when she stays home you know they’re somewhere safe and controlled. They’re in a familiar place and near a phone in case of an emergency. What happens when she packs the kids into the car and goes somewhere else though?
Depending on the age of your children they might need booster seats when they ride in the car. Are they to small to safely ride in the front seat? Is your ex properly placing them in safety restraints? Is she making sure they put their seat belts on every time they travel? Where is she taking your kids?
People deal with stress differently. Some people take up knitting or learn to play a musical instrument. Others find themselves seeking the comfort of a bottle or narcotic. Are you sure your children aren’t being driven around to liquor stores and bad neighborhood’s where your ex picks up her supplies?
Private investigators can answer all of these question with mobile surveillance. Investigators can track your ex to make sure your children aren’t being placed in dangerous positions. Not only can P.I.s let you know where your children are being taken and how, but they can document instances of child endangerment for evidence in court.
5. Who are these people?
Splitting up with your ex means going in different directions and starting new lives. Building a new life requires developing new social circles. When you were married you knew you were coming home to each other and your kids every evening. Now that you’re apart, other people will begin filling that void.
Can you trust your ex to keep you informed about the strangers she’s bringing around your children? Maybe she genuinely trusts these people, but how good has her judgement been in the past? She might be a little too trusting for your comfort.
Private investigators can give you peace of mind by figuring out who she’s introducing to your children. Running background checks and surveillance will give you a clear picture of who’s interacting with your children and whether you should be concerned or not. Be certain that your kids are safe and know for sure if they’re not
For Private Investigation Inquiry contact Thomas Lauth, Lauth Investigations 317-951-1100
David Schroeder, Blog Writer, Lauth Investigations International
