It is easy for employees in large corporations to get away with petty theft, such as stealing supplies, cash, or foodstuffs. However, small businesses are bound to feel the pinch when their employees steal from them. Research reveals that employee theft is one of the major causes of bankruptcy in a company. If you suspect your employees are stealing from you or notice a huge sum missing from your account, here are steps you could take to conduct an employee theft investigation.
Protect the individuals involved
When the other employees discover that you are investigating one of their co- for theft, they are bound to stigmatize or harass them. Since the investigation is ongoing, the suspect is innocent until proven guilty. You wouldn’t want to put them in a position where they feel oppressed and unable to be productive. Therefore, it would be best to let them take time off work or tweak their schedule until after the investigation.
Formulate a plan for the investigation
As the saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. Start by jotting down everything you know about the case and make a list of the people you plan to interview. It would also be wise to prepare for the questions you will ask the accused and the witnesses. Since the interviewing process is dynamic, expect to uncover new information you had not anticipated to know.
Consider ethical hacking
In some cases, employees might try to hide incriminating information that could tie them to the suspect. The guilty party could also refuse to cooperate during the investigation. You could consider hackers for hire who can conduct ethical hacking and help you obtain helpful information from social media, emails, and cell phones to catch the culprit.
Hire an investigator
Now that you have a robust plan in place, the next step would be to hire an investigator. Your detailed plan could make the investigator’s work easier and help them catch the culprit. Characteristics of a good investigator include attention to detail, excellent communication, and listening skills. The investigator should also be impartial and have no relationship with anyone in your organization.
To see a list of the services and expertise your investigator should offer, Bond Rees investigations is a great place to start.
Reach out to your insurance provider
Employee theft cases could turn messy when the disgruntled employee decides to sue your company for terminating their contract. You might also need to replace stolen assets. Therefore, it would be best to call your insurer to find out whether they have dealt with such cases before and what insurance coverages they could offer your company.
Gather evidence and document everything
With the help of your investigator, you can begin the interrogation of suspects and witnesses. Ensure you obtain consent to record or take down notes during the interview. It would also be wise to gather evidence such as CCTV footage, emails, text messages, and call recordings to streamline the investigation process.
Wrapping up
Once your team finds the culprit and is sure what happened, it is time to decide whether you will let the dishonest employee go or consider other disciplinary actions. It would be wise to stay out of the decision-making stage if you cannot remain neutral.
Author Bio: Nora Roberts has worked as a full-time content writer at Submitcore for the past two years. She's also a voracious reader and writer who contributes frequently to business and technology-related blogs.