There are more than 1 million security guards working at various locations throughout the United States at this time. So if you ever have a need for security personnel at your company, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding people to fill the job.
It can, however, be somewhat difficult to track down good security guards who will do their jobs well. There are many people who accept security guard positions without obtaining the proper training, and as a result, they’re not always qualified to deal with conflict appropriately.
But before you hire security guards to protect your place of work, you should use these tips to ensure you get the best guards possible.
1. Specify What You’re Looking For in Security Guards in Your Job Listing
The best way to get your search for security personnel started is by putting together a job listing for the position. This job listing should be as detailed as possible and should lay out exactly what you’re looking for from interested applicants.
Your job listing should include information on:
- How much experience your security guards need
- Why you are hiring security personnel for your company in the first place
- What responsibilities your security guards will have while on the job
- How often your security guards will need to work
- How and where those interested in the job can apply for it
Overall, you want to give applicants the information they’ll need to decide whether or not they’re a good fit for a position with your company. You also want to be able to weed out those who might not be a good fit for your company based on their background.
2. Make Sure Security Personnel Can Communicate Clearly
Once you have put up a job listing for your security personnel position, you can sit back for a week or two and watch the applications come in. After you have enough of them, you should then go through them, decide which candidates deserve a shot, and arrange to interview each one.
During your interviews, you’ll want to make sure each candidate can speak English and can speak clearly. Communication is a big part of being a successful security guard, so you need people who can communicate well with others. You’ll be able to tell if a person is able to communicate the way you need them to during your initial interview with them.
3. Ask Security Guards About Past Work Experience
When interviewing potential security personnel, you should speak with them at length about their past experiences in the security field. Feel free to ask them about where they have worked in the past and what challenges they have faced while working security for other companies.
The more experienced a person is when it comes to security, the better since they will likely have the tools they’ll need to offer you and your company the best possible protection.
You should, of course, take into account the fact that you might need to pay extra for that experience. But when you dig into a person’s history and find out exactly what they can offer you, the extra expense might suddenly seem well worth it in the end.
4. Speak With Security Guards About the Approach They Take to Their Jobs
When most people think about security personnel, they think about big, burly guards fighting with people or using weapons to take control of a situation. While some situations call for this kind of behavior, the real job of a security guard should be to de-escalate situations and keep the peace at all costs.
You should, therefore, ask prospective security guards what approach they take to their jobs. If they’re too hung up on resorting to violence to solve conflicts, they might not be the best fit for you. In fact, you might want to steer clear of them altogether since they could end up landing you in legal trouble at some point if you hire them.
5. Place Security Guards Into Hypothetical Situations to See How They Respond
One of the most effective ways to learn about how a security guard operates is by putting them into a hypothetical situation and asking them how they would respond to it. Try something like this:
- “You are working late one night when a former employee walks into the building unannounced and demands access to a locked room in an office. The former employee claims you have given them permission to get into the room to get something, but you weren’t told anything about it. The former employee is acting belligerent and refuses to leave the premises without getting into the room. What do you do?”
Each individual security guard that you interview will likely come up with a different reaction to this scenario. The answers will tell you a lot about the security personnel and what you will be getting from them if you bring them on board at your company.
6. Run a Background Check on Security Guards
This should probably go without saying, but any time you hire security personnel to work for your company, you should consider running a background check on them. Fortunately, companies like Tri State Enforcement exist to help companies obtain the security personnel they need.
This is especially true if you’re hiring someone who could potentially have access to sensitive or confidential data. You want to be able to trust the security guards to do the right thing when they’re working for you.
7. Work Closely With a Company That Can Provide You With Trained Security Personnel
While you could go about finding security guards for your company on your own, there are plenty of companies out there that will help you do it.
You just need to work with a reputable company known for providing businesses with qualified candidates. It will ensure you end up with the best possible security team capable of protecting you and your most valuable assets.
Become a Trained Security Guard Today
Being a security guard can be dangerous, but you’ll be able to greatly mitigate the risk through proper training. Luckily, we have guidance for those who don’t know where to begin.
Check out our blog for tips on becoming a security guard or tackling a new profession in a different line of work.