What to Look for in Retail Store Background Checks

As you likely know, a well-designed, consistently applied background check policy reduces the risk of loss from crimes like theft or fraud and improves the quality of a company’s workforce. That’s why retail employers should work with an experienced retail store background check vendor who addresses concerns such as employee theft, administrative fraud, conspiracy to defraud, vendor fraud, and consumer protection.

In the late ’80s, in the infancy of background screening, one of the first industries to adopt background screening was the retail industry. One of our first sales calls was to Toys “R” Us, and their immediate adoption was exciting. I soon discovered that not all industries were ready for a solution. Retail shrinkage and workplace violence was a serious challenge and a costly problem, and risk management was eager for a solution.

In the past three decades, retail risk management has only become more complicated and difficult, trying to turn a profit rather than turning over employees.

InfoMart has plenty of experience providing retail store background checks. We have worked with a variety of retail employers, from national convenience store chains to small boutiques. Our screening software suite has integrated with POS systems since before the background check industry went online, and it’s only gotten better as we have innovated new solutions for the modern world of work. We continuously focus on how to enhance our services to meet the needs of the retail industry while maintaining compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Changes to Retail Store Background Checks

Applicants with a history of fraud, theft, or conspiracy put your company at a higher risk of shrinkage, administrative fraud, and other costly issues.

The retail risk landscape has changed with online shopping, inventory returns, and electronic payments. In the past, the retail risk manager didn’t have a solution outside of cameras to monitor current employee theft. Now employers can monitor current employees for new arrests throughout the U.S. with real-time alerts when one of your employees has been booked.

Additionally, InfoMart conducts low-cost due diligence on all of your suppliers, confirming ownership, websites, and bank accounts. It ensures your vendor is legitimate as well as discourages employee supplier fraud.

Comprehensive Criminal History Search

Retail stores actively work to protect themselves against shoplifters, but what about the people you trust to represent your brand? A global study found that retail employees who steal from their employer average $1,890 in theft. Compare this to shoplifters, who only steal an average of $438. Mitigating the chance of hiring risky employees for retail industry jobs begins with a comprehensive background screening program. A thorough retail store background check reveals whether a candidate has a history of violence or theft.

InfoMart’s criminal history search cross-references applicant data against national social security records to vet all variations of an applicant’s name. We conduct a wide-ranging search, covering multiple jurisdictions in which a candidate has lived, worked, or attended school.

Continuous Criminal Monitoring

Wondering what your employees are up to everywhere in the country – maybe they were arrested for shoplifting while on vacation? Or do you want immediate awareness of a current employee’s arrest for conversion of property? Continuous criminal monitoring has you covered. Our employee monitoring service scans nationwide data constantly to deliver near-real-time alerts when one of your retail workers is arrested. This means you can act instantly before a risky employee gets the opportunity to negatively affect your store. Interested? Check out this introductory webinar.

Drug Testing for Retail Job Candidates

Retail businesses rely on excellent customer engagement and brand promotion. Customers expect a fun and safe shopping experience when they visit your retail location. Therefore, retail employees must represent their employer’s brand to the best of their abilities by remaining drug-free. Adding drug testing to retail store background check policies confirms that workers are putting their best faces forward.

InfoMart offers a robust drug screening program for the retail sector, including onsite oral fluid screenings for quick results and more comprehensive lab-based urine testing or hair specimen analysis. Implementing pre-employment drug testing reduces the likelihood of making poor hiring decisions that increase turnover, and maintaining a random drug testing program protects against ongoing drug abuse. It also lowers the risk of workplace drug use or hiring retail delivery drivers who might operate company vehicles while impaired.

Secure Online Retail Store Background Check

For convenient results retrieval, you can integrate your existing software with InfoMart. Integration seamlessly connects the systems you work in every day with InfoMart’s, so you can submit and view background check requests in one platform. Here are a few things to consider when integrating your HR tech with background screening software.

Don’t want to integrate? No problem. InfoMart’s WebASAP system offers fast and convenient access to screening results and applicant tracking tools to streamline the jobs of human resources employees in the retail sector. When a candidate’s results are ready, hiring managers can view them at any time through our user-friendly online system. This is especially helpful for retail operations with multiple locations. Whether they are on the road, visiting distribution centers, or working onsite at a retail store, hiring managers at regional headquarters can keep track of any candidate’s application status.

WebASAP also allows hiring managers to set access levels for other staff members and administrators. Controlling access protects candidate information, reduces data entry errors, and eliminates the need for paperwork. It streamlines the hiring process by making your HR technology work faster since applicant information is only routed and accessible to authorized personnel.

Fighting Vendor Fraud

Retail risk management is a costly department – not just in loss but also in theft prevention. InfoMart has a solution that will reduce risk and cost you nothing: supplier-pay background checks. Your supplier pays for a due diligence background check, and InfoMart ensures they are a legitimate business that meets your criteria. Additionally, this screening solution will identify if you have an employee that might be an owner of the entity.

Our supplier employee screening program reduces vendor fraud by ensuring that your suppliers screen employees who have access to your inventory or store. Additionally, requiring your suppliers to conduct employee monitoring for arrests will assist in quickly identifying risk.

Get the Whole Story on Retail Employees

With a robust suite of tools for a retail store background check, InfoMart ensures that hiring managers have the information they need to make the best hiring decisions. We have worked with retail operations of all sizes, so we understand that each company has unique needs. Our dedicated team of FCRA-certified background screening specialists works with each company on an individual basis to customize our screening solutions accordingly.

To learn more about how we can fit our services to your retail business’s needs, reach out to an InfoMart sales representative.

Get the details for retail store background checks.

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About Tammy Cohen

Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record. To learn more about Tammy, visit www.tammycohen.com.

About InfoMart

InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.