An Applicant Management System Helps Curtail Criminal Activity Pt.2

In part 1 of this series I discussed the value of an applicant management system not only for keeping hiring paperwork organized but also the value of the other parts of the hiring process. For example we looked at how retail shortage is climbing but despite this many employers are ending pre-employment background checks and drug screening. We established that there is evidence to suggest that those with prior convictions hired into retail positions have a greater tendency to steal than those without records. In part 2, I intend to delve into the issues surrounding substance abuse and why it is a concern that fewer retailers would be relying on this as part of their process for screening applicants.

If you missed the previous article you may not be clued into what I am referencing with respect to an applicant management system. Quite simply it is a program that has brought together all of pieces of a hiring process into one location. Many employers have their hiring process spread out amongst different functions. One computer has the application and an assessment tool. Paperwork is signed giving permission for the company to request a vendor to complete a criminal background check. Another waiver form is signed that allows the company to send the applicant to a contracted lab to complete a drug screening. Additional paperwork for the I-9 is signed verifying the candidate is eligible to work in the U.S. Let us not forget the forms for direct deposit, acknowledgement of receiving the company handbook and any other miscellaneous paperwork that has to be complete. All of this then goes into a file folder and stashed in a file cabinet. Then there is no guarantee the applicant will remember to bring back all of the papers they are to return with or the vendor mails documents and they get lost. Bill Bregar is the CEO of Loss Prevention Inc. and he is familiar with the headaches posed by mishandled files. That is the reason behind his company offering the applicant management system that will keep everything digitalized, up to and including electronic signatures for waivers for criminal background checks and drug screening. 

I have always been in favor of pre-employment drug testing. As long as I have been in Loss Prevention I have felt that hiring those who use illegal drugs, drink on the job or show up hungover pose safety and security risks. In spite of the years of experience I have I recognize that there are people who will not be swayed by opinion. With that in mind here is some information from a U.S. government website. According to the National Institute On Drug Abuse:

Employers with successful drug-free workplace programs report improvements in morale and productivity and decreases in absenteeism, accidents, downtime, turnover and THEFT (emphasis added by this author).

Employers with long-standing programs report better health status among employees and family members and reduced healthcare costs.

NIDA.”Drug Testing.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 4 May. 2017

With this information it would seem that an employer, especially a retail owner would be more inclined to enforce pre-employment screening to prevent theft (and accidents) rather than shrink from it (no pun intended).

So why are there indications that there may be a trend of moving away from drug screening? According to an article in the money section of time.com, “Why More Employers Are Skipping Drug Tests”, by Rebecca Greenfield and Jennifer Kaplan/ Bloomberg March 7, 2018, the writers give two reasons that shed light on the issue. “Drug testing restricts the job pool, and in the current labor market, that’s having an impact on productivity and growth.” They go on a little further in the story, “Failed tests reached an all-time high in 2017, according to data from Quest Diagnostics Inc. That’s likely to get worse as more people partake in state-legalized cannabis.” For retailers I ask the question, is it in your interest to discontinue screening applicants for illegal drugs because the applicant pool is smaller in an improving economy? The increased risk of theft and fraud, not to mention safety risks and ensuing medical costs should dictate a resounding, “NO”.

The increase in retail shortage is cause for employers to put MORE emphasis on background checks and drug screening, not less. The use of an applicant management system improves the efficiency and ease of the process. Don’t allow concern over applicant availability outweigh your concerns over operating a profitable and safe business. You owe that to your current employees and yourself.

 

Drug screening is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk. 

 

 

 

 

Drug Use In The Workplace Can Lead To Employee Theft

Retail owners and managers have you ever thought about how substance abuse can contribute to employee theft in your store(s)? Have you considered the negative impact an accident related to drugs or alcohol accident could have in your shops? Then there is the impact on morale, teamwork, productivity and customer service to consider if an employee is under the influence at work. According to mayoclinic.org, symptoms or behaviors of drug use may include:

Feeling that you have to use the drug regularly

Having intense urges for the drug that block out any other thoughts

Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug

Spending money on the drug, even though you can’t afford it

Not meeting obligations and work responsibilities, or cutting back on social or recreational activities because of drug use

Doing things to get the drug that you normally wouldn’t do, such as stealing

Driving or doing other risky activities when you’re under the influence of the drug.These are not all of the symptoms or behaviors listed by the mayo clinic and I did add emphasis to the last four behaviors noted. If you will notice these behaviors could have the impact on your business I am referring to.   https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/symptoms-causes/syc-20365112
     

If drug use or substance abuse can lead to problems in the workplace it means owners and managers have to find ways to prevent it from being an issue to begin with. If it does find its way into the workplace a manager has to be able to correctly identify a worker who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol or the after effects (i.e. a hangover). Manager training to stop employee theft and Manager training to prevent drug use in the workplace is available from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. The training courses complement each other since the substance abuse issue can lead to a dishonest employee stealing from the store. A comprehensive training program will go into how pre-employment drug screening can significantly reduce the odds of hiring someone who uses illegal drugs. It will also provide instruction on how to identify employees who may be using narcotics or demonstrating signs of substance abuse and how to address those individuals in an appropriate manner.
   

Some of you may have experienced being tipsy at one time or another and believe you would be able to readily identify someone who is under the influence or hungover at work. It would seem unnecessary to have to go through manager training to prevent drug use that would help you identify what you believe you can already identify. That may sound logical but there is a problem with that line of reasoning. What happens if you aren’t seeing what you think you see and make a false assumption? Did you know that some signs of medical issues can mirror the symptoms of a person under the influence of alcohol or narcotics? Listed below are some of the symptoms associated with just two categories of drugs according to the Mayo clinic.

Some of the signs of marijuana use:

Red eyes

Dry mouth

Increased blood pressure

Difficulty concentrating

Anxiety or paranoid thinking

Some of the signs of barbiturate use:

Drowsiness• Slurred speech

Problems concentrating or thinking clearly

Dizziness

The lists go on but I also want to point out some signs of common illnesses that can be found in the users of the drugs I mentioned above:

Hypothyroidism can cause thinking problems

Conjunctivitis can cause eye redness

Dysarthria can cause slurred speech

Kidney disease and diabetes can cause high blood pressure

Depression or sleep apnea may cause drowsiness

I will even tell you that as a U.S. Air Force Law Enforcement Specialist I was trained to be aware that a person with diabetes can exhibit symptoms that mirror someone who is intoxicated by alcoholic beverages. You have to be careful before making judgements. Without going through a class about manager training to prevent drug use you could very well make a mistake if an employee exhibiting unusual behavior.
     

Those who use drugs or alcohol and work for you can become liabilities to your place of business. Don’t wait for something to happen such as an employee theft or a drug or alcohol related accident before you face the problem. Receive training on how drug screening and drug use identification can save you time and money in the long-term.

 

For more information on manager training to prevent drug use call us at 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

 

Theft Is Happening Under Your Nose; Sensormatic Labels Can Stop It

There are plenty of reasons for store owners to use Sensormatic labels on merchandise and I experienced one of those reasons at my retail job last night. I was working on the salesfloor putting out merchandise, providing assistance to customers and jumping on a register as a back-up cashier. I had just completed a transaction at the register and the Manager on Duty called me on the radio. I responded to her request to meet her in the middle of the building. She told me of a suspicious customer in the store that she has dealt with before regarding questionable returns without receipts. She told me the woman was in the store and had a large handbag on her shoulder and thought the woman had taken something out of the bag. As a former Loss prevention Manager I assured the M.O.D. I would watch the customer so she could attend to other matters. I first went to the customer, greeted her and offered her assistance. I also used the moment to assess what she was holding, what she was looking at and to see if I could identify any obvious stolen goods. She only had a notebook in her hand and quickly refused my gracious offer to help her. She immediately left the aisle we were on and went down several more aisles near the front of the store. I pretended to put away merchandise but using my Loss Prevention skills, I positioned myself so I could observe her without being seen by her. The customer picked up a small box of laminating sheets, looked around and placed them under the notebook but she did not conceal them in a purse or bag. She walked past me as I continued to pretend I was working and she stopped at a table behind me. I positioned myself so I could continue to watch her without being obvious. The woman was mumbling to herself about prices then turned to walk out the door. She walked past the electronic article surveillance towers but no alarm sounded. I did know she still had the laminating pouches in her hand and called to her that she had forgotten to pay for the item. She initially acted like she could not hear but when I called to her again in a more forceful manner she turned, stepped back in quickly and handed the merchandise to me and left muttering a barely audible, “I forgot” as she scampered off to a waiting car. 
   

The value of the recovered merchandise in this little box was $24! In the bigger scheme of things this doesn’t sound like a lot. But there is more to this story. The store manager called our sister stores in the area and alerted them that the suspect and a male who was driving the car she got into may have other stolen items. The M.O.D. wanted them to turn down non-receipted refunds from the couple. Sure enough, only a matter of minutes passed before she got a call from one of those stores. The woman had label maker tape and two other items she tried to return for a cash refund but no receipt. They turned her down. That merchandise was valued at an additional $30 or more. Not one of these items had an electronic article surveillance tag on them and therefore no alarm was sounded to deter her and/or provide me or the manager an opportunity to ask her about merchandise inside her handbag. To make the whole episode more incredible our store HAS Sensormatic pedestals at the entry/exit doors. The fact that the company only protects a limited number of SKU’s baffles me. The expenditure of a few more dollars to place Sensormatic labels on merchandise could have prevented the theft that did appear to have taken place.
     

Electronic Article Surveillance equipment when used to the fullest potential can significantly reduce merchandise shrinkage. It is so effective if used properly and employees are trained on proper alarm response that a system can pay for itself over time. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc., a leader in retail shortage reduction and helping stores increase profits, is so confident in the impact a Sensormatic system can have in shortage reduction they estimate a system can potentially reduce shrinkage by almost half (a conservative estimation in my professional opinion). They even offer a free Return On Investment Calculator to show how long it would take for a system to pay for itself. 
     

Invest in Sensormatic labels and an electronic article surveillance and begin to reap immediate rewards. Just do me one favor. Put labels on everything! The results on your store profit line will make you glad you did.

 

Sensormatic labels are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.915.0547 and let’s talk.  
     

 

Beware Of Retail Traffic Counting Companies That Promise What They Can’t Deliver

I saw a commercial on television the other day that made me start to think about integrity and retail traffic counting companies. The commercial was geared towards consumers who are thinking about purchasing a new phone. The business offers free phones but fails to mention the contracts involved or the various fees associated with the purchase of the phone. The commercial has a saleswoman holding a phone contract and a person you assume to be a lawyer standing behind her. Every time she uses the word “free” the lawyer puts up air quotes. The gist of the commercial is that a customer may not be given all of the information for a smart decision. What is perceived to be free really has hidden costs and fees associated with the contracts. Business owners are no different than any other customer when they are making purchases for their stores. Whether it is a point of sale system, an inventory management software suite or people counting systems offered by Loss Prevention Systems Inc., an owner has to be confident he/she is going to get what is promised.
     

Retail traffic counting companies are businesses that provide sensors that track customer foot traffic in and out of stores. The idea behind people counting systems is that they assist managers in identifying how many customers have been in a store. They should be able to provide day of week and hourly breakdowns of foot traffic. Knowing when patrons are visiting the store can improve scheduling efficiency and optimize sales. By having more associates on the selling floor at peak times customers are more likely to get the help they need in finding products they want. It even increases the likelihood that purchases can be accessorized or a sales clerk upsells a purchase. The dilemma for store owners is determining which are the retail traffic companies that are going to deliver what they promise? Purchasing a system based on pie-in-the-sky promises that sound too good to be true is a bad idea. Unfortunately many sales people do that and there is never a lawyer standing behind them using “air quotes”.
     

Loss Prevention Systems Inc. is a business that has been around since 1983 and with good reason. It is a company that delivers what it promises. When they sell people counting systems they are able to provide more than a door counting sensor. They can equip stores that have electronic article surveillance (EAS) towers with the LPSI-Evolve store app for real time EAS alarm activity. The aps allows managers to see how many customers are entering and leaving the store at any given moment and they can also be alerted to an EAS alarm activation. Think about the potential this has for impacting sales and shortage in your store. 
     

Suppose you have a mobile device and as you are working you receive an alert indicating a customer has entered your store. You can greet that customer and assist them in finding what they need. If the customer is actually a shoplifter and the EAS tower didn’t make them change their mind about trying to steal when they walked in the building the immediate customer service will. It is a fact that customer service and EAS technology are strong deterrents to theft. Retail traffic counting companies that only tell you how many people visited your stores are giving you old data with limited value. Bill Bregar, founder of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) is aware of the impact live, actionable information can have for stores. Since it is the business of LPSI to assist stores in increasing profits and driving down shortage you can be sure they aren’t over-selling or under-delivering people counting systems and the LPSI-Evolve store app.
     

Retail traffic counting companies are ready to sell you their systems and their sales staff will promise you what they think you want to hear. Are they reliable or do they have the integrity to stand behind their promises? Remember there won’t be any lawyer there to “air quote” each over-inflated guarantee they try to hook you with. Give LPSI a try and see just how people counting systems really can add to your bottom line.

 

For more information on people counting systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

An Electronic Article Surveillance Solution When Merchandise Is Too Small For Tags

As a Loss Prevention Manager it can be terribly frustrating to recognize you have to stop shoplifting of a specific product but recognize there are few adequate anti-shoplifting devices for the item(s) in question. I think back to issues I had with pseudoephedrine products before they were placed behind pharmacy counters. I recall boxes of cold medicines designed for persons with high blood pressure that were being stolen for the effects they could give to drug abusers. Sure, we could tag them with electronic article surveillance labels but the crooks could still open the boxes and remove the contents. The other possibility was to keep them off of the shelf and put up signs for customers to ask for the product at the checklanes or pharmacy. That isn’t convenient for anyone. The legitimate customer has to go back to the front lanes to see if there is even any product in the store. If there is product a manager has to get it from a lock-up cabinet or stockroom. The only benefit is that the shoplifter is prevented from stealing merchandise.

There is a better solution for hard to protect products that preclude locking them up in a secure display case or removing them from shelves altogether. The Sensormatic Flexible Safer is the answer that retailers look for that balances customer accessibility with electronic article surveillance protection. Built of strong plastics, these cases are reusable and yet secure. Sensormatic detachers are required to get a Safer open and therefore stop shoplifting criminals who would otherwise tear open a package and conceal the contents circumventing security devices. An additional feature of these cases is the slim design that has minimal impact on the amount of merchandise that can be displayed. Filling shelves is one important strategy in driving sales. Running out of a popular product and not catching it in a timely manner can cost a retailer money. There is also a shortage prevention technique of intentionally limiting quantities of high theft goods to minimize the damage thieves can do to them in a single hit. Again, this can lead to limiting sales if product runs out for the paying customer who isn’t going to look for an associate to help find more product. The Flexible Safer allows merchants to fill shelves with confidence.

As if the benefits I have already written about aren’t enough to convince you on the merits of using Safers here are some other things to consider. Safers allow merchandise to be hung on peg hooks. Consider that traditional shelving means spacing between shelves has to be high enough to allow stocking of shelves. It also means the spacing is determined by the tallest item on the shelf. Shelving also gathers a lot of dust and dirt. Safers on peghooks can be uniform in placement and make stocking easier. Peghooks don’t accumulate dust and spilled drinks on them either making them easier for planogram changes. As a Loss Prevention Manager I also liked to use anti-theft peghooks that only allowed one item at a time to be removed. This was a great way to stop shoplifting by people trying to sweep peghooks for quick theft.

There are products that electronic article surveillance labels and tags work well on. If we were to focus on health and beauty products alone since we are already talking about cold medicines then I would be happy to use a label or tag on toothpaste. From a Loss Prevention standpoint I would tag as many items as possible not considered high theft. Lip balms, store brand medicines, disposable razors and so on would be on my list. Safers would be my go to for merchandise that cannot be protected with electronic article surveillance tags or protective wraps. Make Sensormatic Flexible Safers YOUR go to device to keep your merchandise safe from criminals.

 

Need information on electronic article surveillance? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 today.