Warehouse Security with Criminal Records

Criminal Record Tools Ensure Warehouse Security

Warehouses are vital to the American economy. For any item purchased by consumers in stores, there is a warehouse environment somewhere in its past. Without warehouses and distribution centers, the economy would grind to a slow halt – the delivery of goods would take weeks, whereas today it takes only hours or days to accomplish. In addition, companies would be forced to raise prices on goods, due to the increased cost of delivery and transportation expenses. In addition, warehouses are specialized environments, with numerous security issues. Therefore, criminal record tools are essential when hiring staff for these unique areas. Why are criminal record tools so important for a warehouse situation?

Of course, criminal record checks are important for many other industries and businesses, and should even be utilized by consumers and schools. However, the warehouse environment carries unique requirements for security and criminal record checks are the only means to ensure that these requirements are met. Here, you will find out more about how criminal record search providers can benefit warehouse management teams.

Use Criminal Record from the Top Down

Warehouse security begins with the management team. If you, as the administrator, cannot trust your management team, then you have serious problems with security. Therefore, you should institute criminal record checks beginning with those in charge of the warehouse. Regardless of the area in which they exert their influence, these managers represent one of the single largest potential threats to your security.

In many instances involving theft in a warehouse environment, the managers not only turned a blind eye to the activities of other employees, but also participated. Some were even responsible for starting theft rings and allowing items to “fall off the truck.” This situation has a dramatic impact on the entire business in question, whether the warehouse helps supply a department store or stocks janitorial supplies. The cost increases due to nefarious activities and theft instigated by the management team increase operational costs, which reduces profits. In order to recoup lost profits, companies bump up the cost of their products, reduce employee hours, slash benefits and more. Obviously, criminal records can help you ensure that the management team you have in place is sound and trustworthy.

Employee Theft Prevented by Criminal Record Searches

Employees are, ultimately, responsible for the vast majority of theft that occurs in a warehouse environment. While suppliers might shortchange deliveries and the management team might turn a blind eye or accept money to stay quiet about these activities, the employees are ultimately the ones taking product out of the warehouse. Therefore, it pays enormous dividends to conduct criminal record searches on any new hire.

Why should you do this? What information can be gleaned? When you conduct a criminal record check on a potential new hire, you will find tremendous amounts of information. Obviously, you will be able to peruse their criminal history. This will include charges pressed for theft by other companies, charges of petty larceny and more. However, a criminal record check is usually best performed with a full background check. This will give you more information about the potential hire. For instance, you will be able to determine if their credit is shot, whether they’ve held similar positions in the past and what their education level might be. Therefore, a criminal record check can reveal whether the potential new hire poses a security risk to your warehouse before you hire him or her.

In addition, it is highly recommended that ongoing criminal record checks be performed on all existing employees. Why is this? Why should you bother investigating the criminal record of an employee who has been with you for some time? It is not uncommon for employees to encounter serious legal problems without the employer being aware of the fact. Your employees might have new charges on their criminal record that will change your opinion of them. This can be an invaluable tool to help ensure that you promote the right people and that you are able to weed out any undesirable elements that managed to get past the hiring process.

Criminal Record Checks and Background Research Help Reduce Loss

Loss in a warehouse environment doesn’t necessarily only come from outright theft. You will find that quite a bit of the total amount is actually attributable to damage and loss. Warehouses are large places and it can be quite simple for smaller items to be lost. However, these still count against the bottom line. That said, a more insidious threat is inventory damage stemming from negligent employees. If your employees do not take great care with the items in your warehouse, it can be simple for them to be damaged and no longer salable.

Unsalable merchandise might be able to be returned, if it is damaged in transit to the warehouse. However, if it was damaged onsite, then your company has to eat the cost. Considering the enormous propensity for profit loss and increased costs, it is imperative that you conduct criminal record checks on all new hires. While you might not find charges of theft, criminal record information can give you a look at charges of negligence pressed by previous employers. The background check information will also include previous employer information that will help you determine if the person has ever been reprimanded for negligence or willful property damage.

Criminal Record Check Tools Online

You’ll find that while the traditional method is to send the employee for a drug screening and to obtain their criminal record from the local sheriff’s office, there is a better way to gain access to this information. You can make use of online criminal record tools that will give you instant information about anyone at all. In addition, because these providers offer you access to national criminal records, you will not incur the usual drawback of only being able to verify the person’s criminal record for the local area, which can be a tremendous boon considering the number of people who relocate to other states each year.