How do you keep an employee honest and to not steal from you?
Answer:
Lots of people are saying things about keeping your employees happy to keep the from stealing. This is bunk. Unless you are paying a wage too low to live on, they will not steal because they are impoverished. They certainly don't steal because they are unappreciated!
Thieves come in two flavors: the professional and the opportunist. Most professional thieves you have to worry about are the kind that break in. Where this relates to your employees is that they my try to know your security setup. To secure your business, don't allow employees to know too much about how your business is secured (cameras, motion sensors, etc).
The opportunist is the other kind of thief you need to look out for. This employee will steal if the opportunity presents itself. Therefore, you must takes steps to prevent an easy opportunity.
Keep good books, have oversight built into your system, audit often, inventory your business at least once a year, have a zero-tolerance policy on theft, do background checks, don't hire ex-cons convicted of theft or embezzlement, hire a security guard, and most importantly - know your employees. If you hire honest individuals, theft will not be a problem.
Hire employees too dumb to conceal their thefts.
hire a honest person
Pay them well. Make them feel appreciated.
Well you should not have to worry about getting ripped off by an employee in the first place! But, since this is the real world and people can AND do steal from their employers, I'd say to open the line of communication right from the start of their first day on the job...let them know that you are concerned about employee theft and it is simply a zero tolerance issue, period.
Perhaps letting employees know that theft is a concern to the employer will cause them to think twice about attempting to steal from you...at the least they will feel that eyes are wide open and may not think it is worth the risk.
Paying a fair wage to prevent the employee from feeling desperate enough to take a chance like ripping off his/her employer is another thought..again though, you should not have to worry about whether an employee makes the wrong financial choices or has no sense of budgeting thier income...but I repeat this is the real world...so a fair wage might eliminate the risk of theft.
Also being a keen judge of character can prevent you from getting taken...that takes time and practice to develope, but it can be learned..
None of these suggestions are going to guarantee you will not be ripped off, but perhaps they might deter a few employees who may consider stealing from you.
The funny thing is...you can't keep someone honest. The people who steal from you tend to think that the world owes them something. The best tactics are to deter people from stealing from you. put up cameras, have others double check books so they know that they aren't the only ones in the "cash register" Have more than one book keeper. Lots of audits, Usually the person who is stealing from you is very curious to know how the books are or if their till was over and they usually want to help find the perpetrator to deter you from catching on to them. Just make it as difficult as you can for a thief. It is very unfortunate that so many people think they need to steal.
Keeping your employees from stealing from you is really not the point. The bigger point is how do you keep your employees happy and engaged. Happy people that work well, that feel like they belong and contribute are less likely to steal. There’s no guarantee. But I think keeping your employees happy will be the best overall strategy.
So, how do you do that? It’s not easy, and there’s no single answer, so here are some suggestions. It’s often helpful to understand why people LEAVE a company. I think it may also be a reason people would feel like they could steal from you.
1.Lack of appreciation. There are many managers who are very nice people, but who manage almost exclusively by negative reinforcement.
2.Equity. People, overall, want to make sure that they are treated fairly, with respect.
3.Contribution. Employees everywhere (from the shop floor to the executive boardroom) want to feel like they are making a difference. They want to know that the work they are doing is making a difference. Tell them!
Finding good people that “fit” within your company can be especially challenging too. It’s not always about having the best resume, it’s also about attitude and personality, and their ability to work with, and for, you.
Finally, if you can, pay them well. You don’t need to go overboard, but if you reward your employees fairly, they won’t feel the need to have sticky fingers. Also, “payment” does not’t always need to be money. Depending on what your business is, can you reward them in other more creative ways? Can you bonus them for stellar performance?
Good luck
You cannot make anyone honest but you can reduce the desire for your employees to steal from you by treating them as well as you would yourself. You know, the Golden Rule. Please be aware that even though this may not look so profitable on paper it will save you much money in hidden expenses which can eat you alive if their passive agression takes root. Even the honest employees won't inform you of dishonesties and losses if they feel like they are being treated unfairly or as an inferior being.
You can either pay more now to earn employees loyalty or just pay later through shrinkage, inefficiency, and employee turnover. And one way they will actually like you.
WK
paying her/his salary in time and giving her/him off duty and also giving house allowances, transport allowances e.t.c
Hiring people who are not theives and treating them with respect and open communication are the best points. Aside from that set security measures that will prevent theft and engage your employees in that activity so that they are on your side.
Your enemies are thieves (Some people won't steal and some will no matter what) and employees who feel they need to even the score because they are paid or respected less then they give you.
I would never tell them how concerned you are of them stealing so they should watch out, thats just asking for it.
are you talking about supplies or cash?
First of all if your the owner if the business, you should have a good manager, cause there the first ones to steal, because they can mess with the books and you wont know about whats going on financially untill you do your taxes.
Just pay your employees good. dont pull the minimum wage ** and expect them to give you everything they have and not steal.
make them fell that their work is meaningful.
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