trustedThe world isn’t perfect, and neither is the field of private security.  Sometimes, private security companies hire the wrong officers, guards, and supervisors for the job.  There needs to be a strong sense of trust from the top-down within the private security company.  Effective security operations are positively correlated with trusted security companies.  The best private security firms display and maintain a high level of trust between a client and the private security firm that goes beyond the terms established in the contract.

Keeping the Guards on Guard

The client needs to have trusted security officers operating on the property of the organization.  This client to security relationship of trust is based on the guard’s awareness, reliability, responsibility, and timeliness.  A security supervisor should always be on the move and checking up on the security guards that are on duty.  Security supervisors help to ensure that the guard arrives to the job site on time, professionally dressed, and prepared to remain focused.  Randomly timed check-ins should also be conducted by security supervisors in order to ensure that the officer on duty is remaining alert, aware, and on guard.

Private security companies typically have a lengthy hiring process which seeks to eliminate unfavorable applicants in order to ensure trusted security guards for the clients.  However, the world isn’t perfect and people make mistakes.  Sometimes, the wrong person is hired for the job and the security guard cannot be trusted.  It is important for security supervisors to actively engage in conversations and site visits with the guards on duty, but it is also important for the management back at the office of the private security company to receive immediate updates on security guard misbehavior.  Management should immediately set expectations and take appropriate action based on the circumstances of the event.

Top-Down Management, Equal Responsibility

A trusted security guard company should always have constant communication with one another, from the owner and management team to the security supervisor and officers on duty.  The owner should be able to establish a solidified professional relationship with all of the employees in the organization.  This alone will help decrease turnover rates and increase job effectiveness and satisfaction.  The owner and executive management staff should regularly be available for all employees to be able to converse with.  Additionally, providing reviews based on client and supervisor feedback and reports are a great strategy to increasing job performance.  Research shows that employees thrive when provided with consistent feedback.

Although many private security firms are set up as a hierarchy, everybody should be treated as equal.  Everybody has a role in ensuring trusted security services to the client.  The two most important goals of providing trusted security services are to keep the security guard safe and to maintain the safety of the clients’ assets, property, and personnel.  Overall, ensuring trusted security services from a managerial approach will translate to trusted security in practice.