There's no sure-fire way to prevent employee theft. But Read
Hayes, president of Winter Park, Florida-based Loss Prevention
Specialists, offers these steps to safeguard your business:
1. Maintain a culture of honesty. "Define what's
out of bounds and what's not," says Hayes.
2. Carefully screen employee applicants. "Past
behavior is the most powerful [indicator] of future behavior,"
stresses Hayes.
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3. Institute procedural controls that limit the opportunity
for theft.
4. Make use of available surveillance technology.
5. Follow up on the safeguards you use. Hayes notes,
"If nobody looks at [loss-prevention] reports, you're not
going to have deterrence."