Aley Moyer

The Californian Q1 2023 – Polished and Professional: 7 Tips to Building Your Brand

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Polished and Professional: 7 Tips to Building Your Brand

Tony Unfried, CEO, CSA360 Software, Inc

Security companies play a crucial role in ensuring the safety & security of people & businesses. With the rise of technology, security companies have become increasingly competitive, & it’s essential to have a polished brand that sets you apart from the rest. Here are some ways that security companies can make sure their brand is professional & stands out.

1. Professional staff: Your staff is the face of your company and the first point of
contact with clients. It’s essential to have well-groomed and professional staff,
who represent the company’s values and standards. Encourage your staff to wear a uniform that represents the company and ensure that they are well- informed about company policies and procedures.

2. Website: Your website is often the first impression that potential clients will
have of your company. It should be professional, user-friendly, and easy to
navigate. Make sure your website is up to date, with accurate information
about your services and contact details. Use high-quality images and videos to
showcase your services and include testimonials from satisfied clients.

3. Social Media: Social media platforms can be a powerful tool for promoting
your brand and connecting with potential clients. Use social media to share
updates about your company, industry news, and promotions. Make sure your
social media profiles are professional, with a consistent look and feel.

4. Marketing Materials: Consistent branding across all marketing materials helps
to establish a strong and recognizable brand. Use the same colors, logo, and
font in all your marketing materials, including business cards, flyers, and
brochures.

5. Customer Service: Excellent customer service is essential in building a strong
brand. Respond promptly to customer inquiries and ensure that clients are
satisfied with the services provided. Encourage clients to provide feedback and
use this feedback to improve your services.

6. Training: Regular training and development programs for your staff can help to
improve their knowledge and skills and ensure that they are equipped to
provide the best possible service to clients. Regular training also helps to foster
a positive company culture and promote a sense of teamwork among staff.

7. Reputation Management: Your online reputation is crucial in establishing a
professional brand. Monitor online reviews and ratings and respond promptly to
any negative feedback. Encourage clients to leave positive reviews and use
this feedback to improve your services.

Building a professional brand is essential for security companies in today’s competitive market. A polished brand helps to establish trust and credibility with clients and sets your company apart from the rest. By focusing on professionalism, a user-friendly website, consistent branding, excellent customer service, training, and reputation management, security companies can ensure that their brand is polished and stands out. CSA360 Software can help you with all your needs from your website to your operations platform.

Tony Unfried, CEO of CSA360, holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs and Criminal Justice from Indiana University, where he graduated with honors. While enrolled in his master’s program, Tony worked for The TJX Companies, Inc., leading the region in loss prevention and moving the company toward technology use in Security. Tony went on to join the most significant security company in Indiana, managing more than 500 employees and 50 sites, including the Indiana Convention Center, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center. Seeing a noticeable gap in technology use in the physical security sector, Tony created his first security software application, launched at the Super Bowl in 2012, and recognized twice for Excellence in Mobile Technology by Techpoint. Tony has also spoken on Tech in Physical Security on panels with ASIS and IAVM.

 

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q4 – HIRING INTO 2022: HOW TO GET THE RIGHT OFFICERS IN A TOUGH MARKET

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HIRING INTO 2022: HOW TO GET THE RIGHT OFFICERS IN A TOUGH MARKET

Jeff Davis, TEAM Software, CALSAGA Network Partner

As a security contractor, you’re well aware the current labor market is pretty crazy. You’ve got a lot stacked against you, and you’re not alone. National applicant trends across industries aren’t keeping up with those of hiring. That’s a problem for your hiring efforts. So, how do you attract applicants to your open jobs?  

First things first. 

Promote your jobs. Due to the lack of job seekers, employers have sponsored more job listings on job boards, leading to an all-out bidding war. With placements coming at a premium, companies have had to aggressively increase their job board spending budget to remain visible. Before you start throwing money around, though, consider your options. 

Diversify your applicant search. One source of job postings may garner lots of applicant volume, but with low quality. This means you may end up with candidates in your hiring funnel who have little interest in being there or who aren’t qualified. Or, the opposite may be true. A job board could only generate a sliver of applicant volume, but with applicants who are highly qualified with long-term retention potential at your company. Evaluate what your KPIs are in the hiring process and parcel out your advertising process accordingly. Then make postings on job boards based on those KPI goals. 

Next up, marketing. 

One of the best ways to improve your candidate quality is by improving your job listing. If the listing is unclear, people won’t apply. If it is misrepresentative of work tasks, you could have officers apply, begin work, then decide the job isn’t right for them and turn over quickly. Speak to what’s unique about your company, what might make it a good fit for the right candidates, and why people should be excited to join your team. Highlight benefits, even if you can’t afford to pay rates as high as some of your competitors. Unique benefits could attract candidates who might otherwise skip based on wage criteria alone. Make each listing easy to read and quick to process and use social media to increase job visibility. 

Look beyond the obvious. 

The truth is, COVID-19 has changed the hiring landscape. Even if changes aren’t permanent, it’s possible we could see continued impact on when and how applicants return to the hiring market. Even as applicants do return, there could be a shift in who is coming back to what jobs. As a result, you may need to rethink the type of candidate you’re trying to attract, and how you move them through your hiring process. Make it speedy. Quick apply tools and ATS systems with data capture help gather applicant information, meaning you have a larger pool of candidates to draw from, even if they aren’t able to complete an application in full. Move even quicker by keying in on what really matters to your open jobs and focusing on collecting secondary information, like historical job information past a few years ago. 

Whatever you do, don’t ghost. 

You know how hard it is to source and hire qualified applicants to join your team. It’s a whole other challenge to actually convert a new-hire into a member of your security workforce who stays on past sixty days. It’s not uncommon to hire a new employee, then have that employee “ghost” you, or never show up, before day one. 

Knowing this is a challenge for your security business, it’s imperative that you as the hiring agent also doesn’t ghost your potential employees, either. Don’t leave applicants in the hiring funnel too long. Don’t ignore potential candidates, or waste time holding out on an offer. While you still want to find a candidate who is a good fit, gone are the days that afforded you time to be super selective in your hiring tactics — at least for now. If you don’t move quickly, your competitors will. 

Keep these “get” strategies in mind as you enter into 2022. It’s likely the hiring market will continue to keep us on our toes as current challenges evolve, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared. And, don’t forget to focus on your retention efforts, too. Once you have the right officer on your payroll, you want to do everything you can to keep them. 

Jeff Davis was president of Kwantek, a recruiting and onboarding software provider acquired by TEAM Software, the leading provider of integrated financial, operations and workforce management software for cleaning and security contractors, in 2020. Since joining TEAM, Jeff is the VP of Strategic Growth North America, acting as a subject matter expert and thought leader for TEAM in the security and cleaning industries and assisting with global sales and marketing initiatives. For the last 20 years, Jeff has focused on technology, working in sales and marketing to executive leadership, with four years specializing in human resources technology. He has an MBA focusing on Information Systems from Tennessee Tech and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Louisville.

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Kate

The Californian 2019 Q3 – HOW TO GET THAT BETTER JOB

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HOW TO GET THAT BETTER JOB

Mark Folmer, TrackTik

Security means different things for different people.  Ultimately, all definitions are correct because the sense of security is personal: where I feel secure, someone else may not and vice versa. As many definitions as there are for security there are different roles in frontline security.

You are reading this because you are part of the security community. Below is some food for thought as you consider your spot in the security world. If you have decided to be a part of it, it is important to understand where you fit, what you do, and how that contributes to the overall security plan of where you are assigned. The function that you are filling means that people or other assets will be secure, but you are not alone: you have tools and you contribute value.

  1. Persona consideration: comprehending what your “persona” is looking for in a role in security both if you’re looking to move on to the next role within the profession or outside of it is an essential first step. Answering the following questions will help point you in the direction of a role that makes sense for you:
    • What sort of training do you want/need?
    • What does risk mean for you?
    • What is your tolerance to risk?
    • Do you like interacting with people?
    • Would you rather work alone?
    • Where do you want to go?
  1. Tech saavy: expectations in security are such so that the company that you work for delivers more than “just a person at a site”. A Deloitte study revealed that 47% of companies are currently going digital. This entails that frontline personnel, essential in delivering on services- reporting incidents in real-time, actioning on post orders, etc. – need to understand the “whats” and the “whys” behind technology. As you spot your next role, ask yourself and the recruiter what the technology stack will look like:
    • Will you have the tools you need to do the job properly?
    • How will you be scheduled?
    • How do you go about finding what work is available?
    • How can you match as closely as possible the desired hours that you want to work with your actual hours worked?
  1. Learning: knowing what role is a fit for you and what the tools of the trade are is important, but considering what new information you need to learn to secure or even progress in your current position is key too:
    • Are there technical abilities that you need (i.e. first aid, physical security information management systems)?
    • Where can you get that knowledge? Is the training offered “on the job”? If so, is it structured?
    • Will you get certification or acknowledgement of any sort once it’s complete?
    • Does the company value me having that knowledge?
    • Is the knowledge transferable? Are the skills that I am learning useable for other clients, sites, or sectors?

Earlier in my career, I decided to join ASIS International in order to learn the business of security more closely. There, it became obvious to me that in order to achieve my goals as a security professional, I would need to obtain certification. Nowadays, there are many more offered than “just” the CPP (Certified Protection Professional): the PSP (Physical Security Professional), the PCI (Professional Certified Investigator), and the APP (Association Protection Professional, the latest being brand new and perfect for novices to the field of security.

Takeaways:

  • As an industry there are numerous opportunities that can be tailored to fit your needs.
  • To come up with a professional roadmap, considering the question of whether you are in it for a limited time or a long time is crucial: the answer to that questions and how you optimise your time accordingly are up to you.

Be clear about what you want to do, understand the environment, what motivates you, and take the opportunities that come up.

 

Named to IFSEC’s Global Influencers list 2018 for Security Thought Leadership, Mark is a business school graduate, CPP and Member of The Security Institute (MSyI). Mark’s background is in security services, corporate security, consulting and workforce software. A graduate of Concordia University in HR Management and International Business, he progressed to several senior management roles responsible for security business units across Canada, including serving as the Senior Manager for Corporate Security at Canada’s largest telecommunications company. He launched a consulting business focused on physical security for corporate clients, and has been teaching part-time at the Université de Montréal since 2016. Currently, Mark is the Vice-President, Security and Industry, in the software scaleup TrackTik, and volunteers as SRVP Region 6, Chair of the Security Services Council, the Private Security Officer Standard Technical Committee, and the Private Security Company (PSC.1) working group.

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Kate

THE CALIFORNIAN 2018 Q1 – HOW TO WRITE THE PERFECT JOB LISTING FOR A SECURITY GUARD

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HOW TO WRITE THE PERFECT JOB LISTING FOR A SECURITY GUARD

Collie King, Kwantek

Years ago, when the recession was at its peak, it was easy to write a job posting and get dozens of applicants.

Our applicant data shows the average job posting for a Security Guard received 30.3 applicants per job in 2012. In 2017, the average job posting for the same Security Guard position receives just 15.9 applicants.

Simply put, there are more jobs available than job seekers in today’s economy. It’s vital that you stand out from your competition (hint: this is NOT just other Security Guard jobs) and write job postings that appeal to the individual.

Kwantek’s Applicant Tracking Software has generated over one million applications for Security Guards, and our onboarding tools give us the data to help us understand how long those applicants stay in the job.

We have found the commonalities in job postings that not only get lots of applicants, but produce long-lasting employees. Here is what we’ve found:

Part One – The Preview: What Gets Them to Read the Next Line?

According to the Pew Research Center, 77% of all adults own a smartphone, up from just 35% in 2011.

And according to Indeed, over 80% of building, grounds cleaning and maintenance job searches originated from a mobile device. It’s safe to say security guards aren’t far behind.

The first step is to get people to click your job listing as they are scrolling through the job board.

If they’re on a phone (and more often than not they are), you have about one sentence to get them to take that action.

So what gets them to read that next line? The first step is understanding how to craft your title and description.

Tip #1) Include specific locations in the title, but NOT just ‘City, State’

Most job boards actually have an algorithm to lower job postings that just say ‘City, State’ in the title. It’s important to be extremely specific about the location.

For example, if your client is in the downtown area of Louisville, KY, make your title say “Downtown Louisville, KY” and not just “Louisville, KY.” Or if your client is in the Highlands Neighborhood, include that in the title such as “Highlands/Louisville, KY”

Tip #2) If you have competitive rates, add it to the title

Competitive rates displayed in the job title are more likely to attract applicants. This may seem obvious, but including the pay (if it’s a good rate) provides a huge boost to your job posting’s click rate.

Tip #3) Post new jobs consistently for better results

The final thing the user sees is the day the posting was created. If you have an evergreen job posting, it’s vital to continuously refresh it. Otherwise, the user perceives the job as being either filled or undesirable, and the click rate will decrease.

Here is a handy graphic to share the differences with you:

Part Two: What’s in it for them?

Retention starts with the job posting.

Let that sink in. It’s vital to get the job posting right, especially with Security Guards. Think about the best qualities of a good Security Guard: they crave structure and a plan and they thrive on facts.

To understand what’s in it for the person applying for the job, ask yourself why somebody would like this job. Also ask yourself why somebody would not like this job.

You must include all the details of the job within the posting itself. Will it require the Guard to work in the middle of the night? Will the Guard be surrounded by lots of people? Will the Guard be sitting or standing? Make sure every possible detail involving essential functions of the job are communicated clearly.

Beyond the essential job functions, why is somebody going to really enjoy the job?

If the Guard is doing their job correctly, they could go weeks or months without ever seeing their boss. Is that the case with your available positions? If so, mention it! Autonomy is something most humans crave.

Will they have access to food and drink? Will they get any kind of equipment? Will they receive ongoing training? Think about all the good things the Guard will receive upon accepting the offer, and be sure to include them in your posting.

Lastly, one of the biggest reasons for not applying to a job is perceived job requirements the applicant may not have. If you require a guard card, feel free to mention that, but also mention that you could help someone easily apply for their guard card. Help them envision an easy path to success.

Remember, you have two goals with your job posting:

Make sure plenty of qualified candidates apply and make sure those candidates have a high likelihood of retention.

In summary, the best thing to do before posting your job is to simply know exactly what you are looking for before you post it. That way, you can create job descriptions that are:

  • Highly specific
  • Focused on them (not you)
  • Descriptive of ‘how’ they will do a job
  • Void of the unknown

To learn more about best practices in hiring security guards, click here to download Kwantek’s free eBook, “The 3-Step Hiring Guide for Growing Security Companies.”

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