6 Top Tips on Combating Employee Theft

Whilst measures such as EAS security systems and CCTV in retail are generally considered useful to combat external shoplifting, internal theft represents another area of loss for a business. All being well, we should be able to place trust in everyone we meet – unfortunately, the reality is completely different. This is why an increasing number of retailers are taking measures to prevent theft from every level – whether it's through the usage of CCTV or security tagging; knowing the store is protected and being watched, genuine customers and staff members will feel protected and anyone with intentions of stealing, will be discouraged.

Putting In Place A Retail Security Plan: As Important As EAS Security Systems.

Whilst it can be easy to assume that technology such as EAS security systems can prevent theft, no system would work without first putting in place a plan outlining methods designed to work with the technology at your disposal. With this in mind, here are our top tips on combating employee theft:

1. Correct background checks – Run a thorough background check on any new potential employees. Past behaviour is a good predictor of future behaviour. If someone has been convicted of theft in the past, then you don't want them handling your money. Look carefully at any convictions and decide whether you want this person working for your company

1. Pair staff together – Theft is more likely to happen when one employee is alone in the store or at the till for long periods unsupervised. Having two employees work together for sensitive tasks minimises the opportunity for loss to occur. Always have refunds and voids witnessed by a second employee or a manager as well and where possible rotate the employees paired together and avoid having close friends witness transactions for each other.

1. Keep a virtual eye on employees – It's a fact that employees are less likely to steal if they know that you are always watching. Using CCTV in retail doesn't just prevent risk of customer theft but helps to deter staff from being tempted. We would recommend putting cameras at all till points, back of house areas such as cash office, staff corridor or rear exit, bin area at the rear of the store and stock rooms. Use high-definition cameras 2MP and above to clearly record high-level detail for the police. If budgets allow, use an exception-based reporting system at your point of sale. Let technology do the heavy lifting. Systems are available today that will flag possible fraudulent transactions, such as refunds, voids and even the cash drawer being open for too long. Link this to video and you'll be able to pick out any bad apples.

1. Monitor rubbish removal – The bin area at the rear of the store is often a perfect environment for storing merchandise when no one is looking and collecting it after the store has closed. No one wants to root around in the bin, so this is an obvious place to look if you think you have stock going walkies. Making the bin area more secure can help, measures such as using clearing rubbish bags, making sure all boxes are flattened and putting locks on larger commercial bins if necessary. In extreme cases, a covert camera could be installed.

1. Supergrass! – Make it known to all employees that you are setting up a confidential way for honest employees to report fraudulent behaviour. Even go as far as incentivising them by offering rewards for information that leads to a conviction. This method is proving very effective among retailers. Secure email or telephone numbers could be distributed to all staff and or even a suggestion box which is kept locked and only opened by senior management.

1. Get to know your employees – It's much easier to steal from someone you don't know very well but it is much harder to steal from someone when you have a relationship. Connect with your staff, find out as much as you can through conversation about what's going on in their lives outside of work. People are most likely to steal from you when either they think they can get away with it through poor controls in store or when they or their family members are experiencing financial difficulties and need to find a solution. Finally, motivating your employees is a way of getting close to them and building mutual trust. Loyalty can't be bought but when an employee feels valued they are less likely to engage in fraudulent behaviour.

Safeguard Your Business From Profit Loss, With Tagmax.

With the demands placed on any business being potentially stressful, the last thing you need is to be worrying about your products being stolen – especially from the people you employ. Here at Tagmax, we have spent 20 years in the retail security industry, learning and adapting to the modern trends of retailers, as well as the changing technologies offered by CCTV in retail and security tagging. Aside from our HD CCTV systems that are comfortable operating individually or as part of a wider network, our EAS security systems are utterly unique. Able to be used in conjunction with other tagging systems, the frequencies at which these tags resonate at will give you ample room to stop a theft before it can be carried out.

Contact Tagmax With Your CCTV in Retail or Security Tagging Questions Today.

If you need any further information on any of our EAS security systems or CCTV services, please do not hesitate to get in contact with our security experts today. You can call us on 0800 044 3160 or alternatively, you can send an e-mail to sales@tagmax.co.uk.