How secure is your warehouse? Is it really as secure as you think it is?
As much as we’d like to not think about it, employee theft is very real. It costs U.S. business owners $50 billion each year.
Believe it or not, your employee turnover rate can play a role in that number.
High-quality warehouse security guard staffing can help, but employee turnover can still take a toll. Why is that? Keep reading to find out.
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Lack of Familiarity with Staff
In order to enforce security measures properly, your security guards must know who’s allowed to be there. If your staff is constantly changing, this directly affects security’s ability to enforce access rules properly.
If security guards know exactly what faces are and aren’t allowed in the warehouse or distribution center, they’ll be more equipped to do the job correctly.
Security Team Requires More Management
Because your security team isn’t as familiar with other staff members, they need to be managed more carefully. More time and effort must be spent helping them understand who should be allowed into the warehouse and who shouldn’t.
This requirement for more management eats away at the time you need to spend on other things. If employee turnover isn’t as drastic, the security team can be more familiar with the staff and won’t need as much management.
Less Familiarity with SOPs
If your company is constantly adding new workers to your warehouse, you’re bound to have people who don’t have security badges or codes. While they’re waiting to obtain those security devices, they’ll have to be let into the warehouse without them.
Stepping around SOPs in this manner makes it hard for security to do their job properly. It allows for gaps in security, which may allow people in or out of the warehouse when they shouldn’t be allowed entry or exit.
Make sure all employees know your code of conduct. Make sure it’s refreshed in everyone’s minds regularly and that the code is strictly adhered to.
Have new employees wait to enter the warehouse until they have secure access. Or provide new employees with security devices. Actions such as these may limit entry of people who shouldn’t be there.
Reasons Why Theft Occurs
Theft is likely inevitable if you own a warehouse or distribution center. Where there’s a huge amount of product, greedy hands will likely follow.
Greed may not be the root of the problem, though. Employees may have various other intentions behind the thefts they perform.
Employees may develop a sense of entitlement, which may lead them to think they have a right to the product. Or, they may carry some resentment due to mistreatment (or what they think is mistreatment).
While many employees will remain with the company and do their job well even if they don’t love the circumstances, others won’t. If employees are dissatisfied, theft may result because they’re looking for compensation they feel they’re owed.
No matter the circumstances, you may just have an employee who’s prone to stealing. Because of that, it’s important to know what measures to take to prevent employee theft.
Ways to Prevent Employee Theft
The best way to limit theft is to prevent it in the first place. While you probably won’t prevent 100% of employee theft, some simple things can lessen employees’ thoughts of stealing.
Do your best to hire honest people. Run thorough background checks, psychometric tests, and check references. Find out who each person really is before granting them access to your warehouse.
Enhance your security by changing locks and passwords often. Requiring all employees to change passwords often is ideal.
Video surveillance can help prevent theft. Employees need to know if they’re being videoed. That knowledge alone will help hinder attempts to steal.
Create a Great Environment
Warehouse work can be tedious, strenuous, and repetitive. It can also be boring and not pay well. But that doesn’t mean your warehouse has to be that way.
The best way to prevent employee turnover is to create a great, positive environment for your workers. This, in turn, will help tighten security.
Compensation is likely the first thing that comes to mind, but higher pay isn’t the only way to keep workers around. All workers should be fairly compensated. That may mean a combined package of good pay, safe working conditions, and some additional benefits, such as insurance.
Create a culture of appreciation. Encourage employees in their jobs and help them see how important they are to the company. Reward accomplishments and focus on creating a team attitude.
Does your company engage in philanthropic activities? If so, let your employees participate in them. They’ll love being a part of something that helps others, and they’ll appreciate that the company offers service opportunities.
Ultimately, you need to create an environment of trust. If the employees trust you and they feel like you trust them, any desire to do the company harm will decrease.
Get High-Quality Warehouse Security Guard Staffing
Not every employee will have a desire to steal from your company, but there’s a chance that one or some will. Even if you do your best to prevent it, employee theft may happen.
Employee turnover can have a direct impact on the security of your warehouse, but high-quality warehouse security guard staffing can help.
At OPS Security we take our jobs and your company very seriously. We’ll provide the dependable security you’re looking for. Contact us today to see what services we have to offer.
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