Your staff are often referred to as the greatest asset. And there are good reasons for doing so.
Yet, there is academic evidence to show that staff are also the greatest liability or risk for employers. They are not engaged in the workplace, are incompetent at their work, conduct employee theft, and are involved in political manoeuvring.
When these occur, employees will more likely be making self-interest decisions that will not benefit their employer.
Their actions can also cause financial and reputational damage.
Understanding the enemy within will help clients improve their situational outcomes such as personal security, productivity, staff relations and employer engagement.
The inherent risks within personal security environments
The types of inherent employee risk include:
- Lack of employee engagement.
- Incompetent employees.
- Employee theft.
- Employees sharing client’s private information & data.
- Staff becoming involved in family politics and political manoeuvring.
- Staff engaging in corrupt procuring activity.
When these inherent risks are not adequately managed, the following may occur:
- Financial and reputational damage to the client and wider family.
- Damaged employee morale and stakeholder trust.
- Client becoming a victim of crime.
Unlike other staff clients may employ, security personnel have access to the most intimate and private elements of their client’s life. They become familiar with routines, movements and friendship groups.
- They are able to listen in on gossip and private affairs.
- They identify what is valuable along with how it is kept and managed.
- They have access to client’s family and children.
- They have access to client’s communications, texts, emails and photo’s.
- They possess knowledge of the vulnerabilities of the client’s security measures and know what would be missed and what wouldn’t.
Competent and efficient staff can turn at any time. Their personal circumstances can change resulting in them becoming desperate for money, they are involved in gambling or drugs and owe money, or they simply believe it is their right to take something as they do not feel they are valued by the client who can afford to lose it any way.
The first thing a client should do is to carry out a comprehensive due diligence check on the security staff before they commence their role.
Find out who they are, what their background is, are their references true and accurate and been verified.
What is their financial status, are they living beyond their means, would they be open to being scrutinised?
Once they have been vetted and the client is satisfied they are suitable, this discipline of checking and reviewing must continue. Client must be sure their staff are not corrupted and can inflict damage on them at any time.
Clients must understand that one of the most important duties owed between them and the staff is that of mutual trust and confidence. If staff understand the client’s concerns surrounding their personal security and that of their family, they should be open to scrutiny and being challenged.
Unfortunately, it is often the staff member that has been with the client for years, who they trust implicitly, and would never do any harm towards them, that is responsible for the crisis.
The tabloids are full of stories of internal staff who turned against their employer to steal, sell information, cause damage, or blackmail.
For the sake of carrying out some professional employee vetting, clients can be reassured that their staff can be trusted….for now.
For more about information regarding our comprehensive and discreet employee vetting service click here.