Kate

The Californian 2021 Q3 – IMPROVING CONTRACT MANAGEMENT FOR BETTER BUSINESS STRATEGY

, ,

IMPROVING CONTRACT MANAGEMENT FOR BETTER BUSINESS STRATEGY

Brandy Tomasek, TEAM Software, CALSAGA Network Partner

 

As a leader of a security company, managing your contract updates can become an incredibly daunting task, especially given today’s ever-changing environment. Not only are customers requesting more from your business in terms of the services you provide, but you’re also being required to monitor your service delivery to meet new and specific compliance standards. As contract management becomes more complicated, you’re simultaneously being asked to provide more visibility to your customers through business data and proof of service — a process multiplied by each dispersed job site spelled out in your contract agreements. 

As contract management evolves, one thing is clear. Your business strategy needs to evolve as well, namely in finding a way to leverage your technology so it’s working for you, not against you. Managing a contract across multiple platforms — or worse, through only paper-and-pencil processes — is tricky, messy and ultimately a drain on your resources. Even with regular communication to and from the field, you’re more likely to end up with answers that don’t line up across systems, discrepancies in how information is processed and assigned, and a loss of customer business. It’s important to use technology specifically designed for the needs of the security industry to counteract these dangers and better manage your contracts. 

Trainings, Licensures and Breaks

With your contracts, it’s important to make sure you have officers with the correct qualifications fulfilling the requirements of any given job, and that you’re providing fair and equitable hours whenever possible. Employees need to be onboarded thoroughly and appropriately with ongoing training and licensure requirements accurately tracked, so when a job does require specific certifications, you can fill those service-level agreement needs appropriately. When your officers are on duty, a holistic workforce management solution can monitor time worked against necessary compliance regulations, ensuring you accurately track time, including meal or rest breaks. This is especially important for instances when meal or rest breaks could theoretically be attributed to a different week due to how shift schedules fall, mistakenly resulting in more overtime expenses on your payroll. Without a software solution working to provide accurately, timely data to produce outputs, you’re relying on human subjectivity to manage minute details where error can result in headaches and liabilities for your company to handle down the road.  

Scheduling and Your Bottom Line

As a service contractor, labor costs are one of the biggest expenses narrowing your profit margins. Seemingly harmless scheduling gaffes, like an officer coming in early or staying late, can quickly add up in expenses your company is on the hook for but that you ultimately can’t bill to your customer. By eliminating manual processes from the scheduling equation, you can more accurately manage shift punches and rule out any de minimis time by setting up configurable default time and attendance settings. From a contract standpoint, this helps with cost attribution, while minimizing any back-office reconciliation work before payroll is due. Plus, a tool that monitors open posts, offers positions to employees and schedules based on compliance requirements (guard licensing, driver’s license, weapons permit, CPR training, etc.) ensures you’re still able to identify gaps in coverage, prevent pre-scheduled overtime and receive notifications if an officer doesn’t clock in for a shift. 

Communicating to Field-Based Officers

Manual back-and-forth communications can get the job done, but a software solution that provides communication to and from the field helps provide visibility to your security officers, supervisors and management. System notifications help identify things like gaps in coverage for contracts and better manage compliance requirements via messaging solutions. Plus, the ability to notify employees of open posts via push notification and SMS texting helps shorten the lead time of filling gaps in coverage and ensuring contract management. By tracking all communications within one system, executives have peace of mind — and a paper trail to refer to when reviewing contract fulfillment or queries from customers. 

The possibilities of software built specifically for the needs of the security industry are endless. Take advantage of tools that work for you to help manage your contracts. 

 

Brandy Tomasek joined TEAM Software in 2016. She’s a part of the Professional Services team, working as a Sr. Business Consultant. Prior to joining TEAM, Brandy earned a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Marketing, as well as her MBA in Organizational Leadership. Brandy’s professional experience spans a range of disciplines from management and leadership, to training and accounting. In her free time, Brandy enjoys spending time with her family, training their puppy and DIY everything.

/by
Kate

The Californian 2021 Q3 – HIRING PROBLEMS & YOUR SOLUTIONS

HIRING PROBLEMS & YOUR SOLUTIONS

Armand Adkins, Guardslink

One of the most recurring problems in the security industry is finding and hiring qualified security officers.  If there was a show of hands, I don’t think many members of CALSAGA would say hiring, when and how they want, is easy.  It just isn’t. Building the team of security officers your company needs will require creativity as well as a rigorous process to search and employ the right people to service your existing clients and move your company forward.

We need to recognize that finding the right candidates is even harder for security companies than in other industries as those we select are expected to protect lives and properties. Qualities such as experience, fitness, and appropriate training are only a few of the things security companies look for from their pool of candidates. While there are endless in-house problems that get in the way of an effective hiring process (administrative time commitment, costs, etc.), the good news is, as hard as these problems might seem, there are practical ways to effectively tackle them.

Shortage of Candidates

Always surprising – even though the physical security industry is a long standing and established sector of our economy, the Service Employees International Union still records an annual turnover rate of 100%-300% for security officers. This means that security officers leave a job within 1 year and sometimes within their first four months in a new company. This makes the market very competitive for companies looking to hire security officers, with the demand typically higher than the available talents.

There have historically been three proven ways to get candidates, and now there’s a fourth new approach.

 

Method One: Get your job openings in front of as many potential candidates as possible to raise the visibility of your hiring needs.

This can take the form of job boards such as Indeed, Ziprecruiter, etc that will post your positions on their websites for a fee since they are able to draw a significant number of job seekers looking for work.  The second, is a job ad in a physical or online circulars.  Examples of these sorts of circulars are Craigslist or PennySaver USA.  With job boards and circulars, you cast the net as wide as possible but you can never be sure of the response rate.

If your company takes the traditional route of job boards / employment ads, do you have a firm sense of the amount of money involved?  Are you factoring the actual costs of posting, boosting, as well as the labor cost of resume reviewing, candidate communications, interviews, negotiation, and sometimes the added need to train, live scan coordinate and apply for a guard card license. All steps involve time, which means money.

 

Method Two:  Those already in your circle of influence.  This method includes adding career / job openings language or a dedicated page on your website for those already familiar with your company and coming to your site.  In addition to just job openings, you may want to consider adding testimonials / testimonial videos from your existing security officers to share their positive views of working for your company. Your sphere of influence also includes asking your existing employees for referrals out of the goodness of their hearts or for an incentive.  This is a solid approach to take with the exception that it limits the reach of your potential pool.

While this technique may seem like a bargain, you will most likely face actual costs in terms of referral bonuses as well as the unseen cost of limiting your reach to find qualified candidates if you are looking to grow your business.

 

Method Three: Traditional recruiters. Going with a standard recruiting firm is definitely an option if your company is in an immediate need for a position to be filled and Method One and Method Two have not panned out.

Using traditional recruiters really should be seen as a last resort as they greatly increase your cost to hire in terms of potentially upfront and certainly hourly rate premiums that you would be contractually obligated for.  However, in a pitch, they exist.

 

New Method Four: There exists a brand new model for flat fee placement providers.  GuardsLink is an example of one such service provider that has recently expanded its offering beyond online training and tracking to include hiring assistance.  Qualified candidates that already have their unarmed or armed guard licenses can be presented to your company for interviews, and if you hire one or more of the candidates, you pay a relatively small flat fee per hire.

There is a cost per hire, but it is simple and transparent – no unknown return for money spent like in Method One, no limitation of your network of people familiar with your employees and company like in Method Two, and no expensive hourly rate premium like with traditional recruiters.  However, your company would need to be willing to try new business providers, and not all companies are open to expanding options from what they already do.

Each of these four methods can find you candidates, it is simply up to you if you choose one or more of the methods to implement in order to improve your odds.

Making the offer

It is one thing to have found the perfect fit for the job, it is a different task to get to a mutually agreeable “yes,” resulting in potential time wasted on negotiations.

To solve this specific hiring problem, the wage range should be included in your Employment Postings. This will streamline the candidate pool applying to fit your budget as those that seek different rates of pay will self-select and not apply.  This is a huge time saving as you and your staff won’t need to spend your time reviewing resumes, contacting to coordinate interviews, interviewing and discussing the position with someone who will not be accepting the job for monetary reasons.

A completely different approach that some employers have been known to use is to let each candidate freely lead the negotiation phase. This will give you an insight into each candidate’s expectations. If there are unrealistic wage expectations for the position, this may serve as a warning flag that despite ultimately accepting the position, this new hire may become part of the turnover statistic and you enter into the employment relationship with eyes open.

Not enough time to make decisions

No good hiring process is done in a rush. Adequate time is needed. To tackle the problem of time, ensure that you have a good work policy that allows your staff to inform you ahead of resignation. This will give those involved in searching for new hires ample time to run the hiring process. In urgent situations, even a short notice or resignation will give you the breathing room to temporarily cover work shifts with your existing employees.

Side note, the company culture that encourages some amount of resignation notice is a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If you honor resignation periods, employees are more likely to give you sufficient resignation notice.  However, if you accelerate the last day of a security officer who gives advance notice of resignation, you are setting an unspoken company standard and few employees in the future will provide the same resignation notice for fear of impacting their final checks.  As CALSAGA is made up of mainly fellow employers, it is a hard decision whether to honor or not honor the resignation notice period, and no one can tell you the right balance, but you.

 

Also on the subject of time to vet candidates, it may make sense to have a process in place to be continuously searching for new employees, whether through an evergreen job posting, a referral bonus program, or an ongoing relationship with a flat fee placement provider.  If you are regularly searching, the odds are in your company’s favor of finding a qualified security officer sooner rather than later.

 

Making the final decision is hard

For security companies with great visibility, an extensive job posting strategy or a flat fee placement structure with a trusted organization like GuardsLink, the problem might come down to making the final decision to pick the perfect candidate.

Tools may make the difference in viewing candidates as objectively as possible to help make the right choice in a way that can be referred to later (for runner-up candidates if your top pick doesn’t join your team), and provide a process to try to eliminate any unconscious bias or hiring disorganization.

A classic tool that most are familiar with and capable of using are our old friends, Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.  A well thought through spreadsheet, with columns that help sort the pros and cons of each candidate with added notes can give you the one page comparison needed to drill down on a ranking order of  candidates you wish to make an offer to and hire.

In addition to spreadsheets, you can also reach final decisions with the use of paid and free online tools that sort and select candidates. These are easy-to-use soft automation tools that work by helping companies to sort applications according to their preferences and instructions. Most human resource platforms will contain or be able to connect to such tools.

 

Conclusion

At the end of the day, we can all agree that there is no one silver bullet to solve all the problems and costs associated with the hiring process.

The goal of this article is to shake your organization out of its complacency and share the hurdles, as well as opportunities available to your company to try new approaches for finding your next hire.  If there is one or more of the four methods discussed above that your company has not already explored, give them a try – whether it’s employee testimonials on your website, new places to post jobs, or reaching out to a flat fee placement service like GuardsLink. The hiring of security officers is difficult enough without limiting your avenue of potential candidates.  Remember, without a pipeline of employees, you not only risk not being able to service the clients you already have but artificially limit your company’s ability to expand.

Much success, and good hiring!

 

/by
Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q3 – HIRING CHALLENGES CONTINUE

HIRING CHALLENGES CONTINUE

Jeff Davis, TEAM Software, CALSAGA Network Partner

Every market seems to be haywire right now. Low interest rates, high building costs and excess disposable income has led to unprecedented demand and price increases in the housing market. The stock market has also been a rocket since hitting lows at the beginning of the pandemic. So, why should we expect anything less from the security labor market?  

Let’s go ahead and address the 800-pound gorilla in the room: security firms are not getting enough applicants. While pundits debate the reasons for the drop in applicants, we can assume the answer is likely due to multiple factors affecting job seekers. Before we look at the possible causes, let’s take a look at recent trends in hiring and applicants. 

Hiring Trends

Hiring has steadily grown week-by-week in 2021, with the most new hires coming in late June. Overall, hiring for April 2021 was up 62% year over year. Demand is strong for contract security services. As the world reopens, it makes sense that demand for security services would increase.  

Applicant Volume

Applicant volume has not followed the same path as hiring. Where hiring has steadily built each week, applicant volume started high, dipped in the spring, and has somewhat leveled off to first quarter (2021) numbers. This presented a very challenging spring when trying to fill security positions, as well as in other industries, as new applicants were hard to find. 

Key Factors

Steady hiring with lower and inconsistent applications makes for a difficult hiring environment. Recruiters are in a fight against the lingering effects of the pandemic, state and local policies, and outside industries to lure employees back. The most discussed (and politically polarizing) factors right now are unemployment benefits and specifically the additional $300 federal benefit. California is allowing the full benefit to be paid through September as reported by Zip Recruiter:  

“The maximum unemployment benefit available to individuals in California is $750 a week, or about $19 per hour, through September 6, 2021. After that, the maximum weekly benefit for individuals is $450 a week, or about $11 per hour.”

Using Indeed’s salary estimator tool, the average hourly base pay for a security guard in California is $15.98. Based on the numbers alone, luring guards on unemployment back in the workforce is difficult. Many states are offering bonuses for returning to work, but to date, California has not joined the trend.

Other factors such as child care and fear of COVID-19 variant strains are also keeping some at home, but the biggest trend may be a shift in the workforce itself. A recent ZipRecruiter survey found 70% of job seekers who last worked in the leisure and hospitality industry say they’re now looking for work in a different industry. This isn’t specific to contract security, but if the hospitality industry is having this type of movement, it’s logical to hypothesize much of the security employee base may be looking to switch industries as well.  

Moving Forward

One side effect to the labor market is classic supply and demand: rising job board advertising costs. Due to the lack of job seekers, employers have sponsored more job listings on job boards, leading to an all-out bidding war. Where organic (free) postings used to get visibility on the first page of a job board, they’re now buried on the third and fourth page behind the high volume of sponsored advertisements.  With placements coming at a premium, companies have had to aggressively increase their job board spending budget simply to remain visible. 

With rising labor costs, increased unbillable overtime and slimmer margins, how do we find employees to fill the demand? While there may not be a magic bullet, there are tactics you can implement.

  • First — build a solid employee referral program and actively promote it. Your best future employees are referred by current employees. 
  • Second — focus on retention of current employees. The cost to acquire and train a new employee is significant and refocusing those funds into retention may be valuable. 
  • Third — look to other industries. When unemployment was high, hiring could be selective and managers could pick and choose to only interview candidates with experience. Now may be the time to explore potential hires with different backgrounds. I hear the workers from the leisure and hospitality industry may be looking for a change.

TEAM Software is dedicated to ensuring our software solutions meet the ever-changing needs of our customers. We’re also continually working to bring you relevant content to help you manage your business better by taking advantage of programs like WOTC. While we’re committed to keeping you informed, it’s important to do your own research, and consult your own legal and tax advisors when necessary, too. For more information on the WOTC tax credit, visit the United States Department of Labor WOTC page.

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.

/by
Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q3 – THE STAFFING DROUGHT

,

THE STAFFING DROUGHT

Tony Unfried, CSA360

We have a new drought among the security industry… It is a staffing drought. Finding new staff has been harder than ever. According to LinkedIn there are over 53,000 jobs available in the US. For various (some valid) reasons, not many people are eager to return to work. Lowering your turnover and improving retention is more important now than ever. Here is how you can help solve staffing gaps.

Art of Incentives
People are competitive by nature and nothing like a friendly competition to motivate your team. Using the art of incentives can be one of the best kept secret methods to encourage your team. This can be your secret weapon to keep your security team motivated. Perhaps finding a good scheduling software that can track this is a good idea.

Transparency
Having transparency within your staff is easier said than done. From knowing the availability of your staff to how they are performing can be difficult. It is a definite must. While having fun, positive incentives are great. It has been proven that people perform better when they know they are being watched and critiqued based on their work performance. Reward the employees who are always on time by giving them the better shifts or their preferred shift or the best positions. While you can keep track of this with a spreadsheet that can become a bit tedious, it is recommended you read into security software which can automate this process.

HR Software
It is nearly impossible to know everyone on your staff’s schedule. You’re only human after all. One thing recommended to help you be on top of your staff is investing in guard scheduling software. It can allow your employees to input their availability. Scheduling software can offer you valuable insights that will help you keep track of who is on time and who is making all the guard tour checkpoints. This can help increase employee transparency.

Keeping your staff engaged and motivated can be easier said than done but make sure you’re setting clear goals and expectations. Keeping things transparent within your staff. Once goals are met give a reward. This will help keep your security staff motivated and help solve staffing gaps.

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.

/by
Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q2 – WOMEN AND THE SECURITY OFFICER INDUSTRY

,

WOMEN AND THE SECURITY OFFICER INDUSTRY

Debbie Howlett, TrackTik, Network Partner

The year was 1945, and equality between men and women was a core tenet in the United Nations Charter. Seventy-five years later, women and girls still live in a world of gender inequality. 2020 marked the 20th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on Women, Peace, and Security, yet the gender gap remains wide. While the past decades have seen some significant progress for women and girls, change has been inconsistent and uneven. “At the current rate of change, the global gender gap will not close for another 100 years. Change is coming at a pace that is too slow for the women and girls whose lives depend on it,” the Secretary-General warned. 

The gender gap, of course, is not unique to the security industry. Even though the calendar may say 2021, there are many professions still unnecessarily gendered in the public’s opinion, with security officer industry being one of them. Today, it is still perceived as man’s work.

In the security officer industry, however, the gender gap is clearly visible. At present in the US, only 25% of security officers are female and the other 75% of security officers are men. The gap is wider in the UK, where the Security Industry Authority (which is the regulator of the UK’s private security industry) recently released data on the demographics which make up their license holders (as of March 2021). According to statistics, only 10.2% of SIA license holders are female and while the remaining 89.2% of license holders are male. 

According to ISTA (the International Security Training Academy), there are several misconceptions about security officers that may be holding women back from pursuing a career in the security industry. Thanks to Hollywood, security officers are often portrayed in one of two ways: They are either gun-toting, macho mustachioed men racing through parking garages in the dead of night, or they are lazy, unskilled mall cops like Paul Blart, Mall Cop. But Hollywood isn’t real life and the reality is that security officers play a key role in protecting people, property, and communities. During the ongoing pandemic, we have all come to rely on security officers to keep us safe, and the sight of a security officer outside a grocery store, a pharmacy, or an office building fills us with a sense of security. 

Dispelling the myths

  • Myth #1: All security officers are men

Simply not true. While at present, men do take up the majority of available roles in the security officer industry, women are slowly starting to step up and take on valuable roles thanks to their covert presence, calm demeanor, and their ability to empathize with the general public, whose nerves are at all-time high right now. 

  • Myth #2: Security officers need to be built like bodybuilders

In some scenarios, size does matter, such as in roles as bouncers outside pubs and bars, or in situations where a security officer is needed to control a sizable crowd. But there are plenty of other opportunities for women in control rooms, corporate security, areas of loss prevention, and more. 

  • Myth #3: Most of the available work is for late nights and weekends

Right now, while many opportunities in the late-night entertainment and overnight travel industries are on hold, there are still many security positions available in retail stores, government agencies, office buildings, schools, banks, and other locations. A lot of this work is also performed during a typical day, though the need for security officers is typically 24/7.

  • Myth #4: Security work is too dangerous for women

This myth is a huge misconception. What makes security work dangerous is improper training or not equipping your officers with the techniques and communication skills to diffuse potentially difficult situations. Security officers are hired to protect properties, public spaces, residential complexes, and educational institutions. Not typically known for being high-risk areas.

How to inspire change in the security officer industry

The topic of Sexism and Security was a recent Thought Leadership Webinar sponsored by the OSPAs, Perpetuity Research, and TECAs. The panel discussion confirmed that research in the security sector shows that women suffer from different forms of sexism in the security officer industry, with behavior, attitudes, and language just a few examples. According to a recent survey, 64% of female officers have experienced bullying, sexual harassment, and gender-based violence while working in a security role. 

But sexism is not just a women’s issue to be solved by women. Although women don’t talk about it, they do experience it every day. And while there are more women in security than ever before, we need to encourage women to pursue careers in the officer industry by including women in leadership roles. But sometimes, encouraging women is not enough. Women are at least as competent as men, if not more. Still, if the industry wants more women to join their ranks, they need to create support structures and tailor security and mentorship programs directly for women and encourage them to pursue leadership roles. 

Anyone who claims that men make better security officers than women completely misunderstands the role of the modern security officer. The industry has evolved beyond physical characteristics like strength and towering height, and qualities such as communication, empathy, and industry knowledge are critical to present-day security sectors and sought after by employers.

There are also many situations where there is a real need for women security officers. Female spaces, for example, require a female security officer as some women may feel uncomfortable with male officers entering areas like washrooms, changing rooms, or performing pat-downs and searches for which women security officers are required. Finally, female security officers are often seen as less intimidating to other women and children.

Change can be challenging, but it’s possible with training, awareness, and conversation. On April 20, 2021, Saudi Arabia stationed female security officers at Mecca’s Grand Mosque for the first time in history. The decision to station the female officers is a part of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud’s ‘Saudi Vision 2030’ strategic framework reform.  According to political analyst Ali Shihabi, A Saudi female security officer in Makkah supervising pilgrims. Amazing change for Saudi society!

Women need to be encouraged to join a security officer industry committed to diversity and inclusion. There are numerous opportunities for women in security, but this needs to be recognized and championed by the leadership at the top. Education is critical and acknowledging the lack of women in the industry is the first step towards a stronger, more diverse security workforce. 

Resources for Women: 

SIA: Women in Security Forum Committee

ASIS: Women in Security Community

Women in Safety Excellence Common Interest Group 

Debbie Howlett
TrackTik

Debbie is an experienced writer with a demonstrated history of working in the security industry. She is based in Montreal, Canada, with TrackTik—a dynamic and cutting-edge tech company that sells cloud-based security workforce management software.

debbie.howlett@tracktik.com
Twitter: @TrackTik 

 

/by
Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q1 – HOW EVERY SECURITY COMPANY CAN GROW THROUGH ADDING NEW SERVICES

,

HOW EVERY SECURITY COMPANY CAN GROW THROUGH ADDING NEW SERVICES

Chris Anderson, Thinkcurity, Silvertrac, CALSAGA Network Partner

No matter what stage a private security company is in, growth is a primary goal. The simple answer to growth is winning more contracts. But that is never as simple as it sounds.

There are a lot of methods to secure more contracts as a security provider and it’s helpful to consider them. But one of the most effective ways is to diversify the security services that you offer.

It’s clear that security services are not one-size-fits all. Potential clients will be looking for services that fit their specific wants and needs. So how do you add services to your operation that will win you more bids so you can grow year after year?

  1. Know what security services are in high demand
  2. Learn how to effectively add services based on your current size

If you read this article and still want more resources, check out the day 2 keynote speech from the Virtual Physical Security Summit. Steve Vitale talks all about how to incorporate new security services into your operation.

Types of Security Services to Add

Knowing what specific services potential clients want will help a lot as you start to consider which services you should add to your operation. For example, 2020 changed the physical security industry dramatically and many security clients want things like remote guarding services or security guards trained in de-escalation tactics.

With that in mind, take a look at these 5 services that show big potential for growth in the industry.

  1. Security Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are a service that every security company should offer no matter what size or stage they are because they affect the rest of your service offerings.

When you do a risk assessment, you will be able to see what specific security needs a current or potential client has and how you can address them with the services you provide. Risk assessments can also tell you what services you might need to add to your business.

An initial assessment and property walk won’t tell you everything you need to know about a new property. Steve Vitale – an expert in this area – recommends doing 30, 60, and 90-day risk assessment check-ins with every new client.

  1. Off-Duty Officers

Off-duty police officers, retired police officers, and veterans are great assets to any physical security company. These are people with tons of experience and training – especially in skills like de-escalation and tactical communication.

Police officers and veterans also allow you to justify higher bill rates (just keep in mind you usually have to pay them more, too). Clients tend to feel better about having experienced, highly trained security officers on the job and are willing to pay for it.

  1. Security Technology

The world runs on information and your clients are no different. Offering security technology as part of your services provides you and your client with more information which means better decision making.

If you don’t have any physical security technologies, guard tour software is a great place to start. It will allow you and your supervisors to see what’s going on in your business and the data it collects will show clients that they are getting what they paid for.

For larger security companies, having a global security operations center (GSOC) will help you collect even more data that will help you use resources efficiently and make better decisions.

  1. Mobile Patrol

Mobile patrols have become more and more popular over the years. They give you an opportunity to win contracts with clients who might not be able to afford a standing guard but still want a small amount of security coverage at their property.

The key to a successful mobile patrol is good private security fleet management. This includes things like managing your mobile patrol costs and knowing what the best vehicles are for private security.

  1. Remote Monitoring

Remote monitoring is a security service that is being requested more and more for reasons similar to mobile patrols. It is great for clients because it usually costs less, and it is great for security businesses because they can pay one officer to patrol multiple locations at once.

Plus, implementing remote monitoring systems has gotten much easier over the years as technology has gotten cheaper and things like artificial intelligence have become more readily available.

How to Effectively Add New Security Services

Adding services is one of the best ways to win new contracts from clients who are looking for those services. Not to mention it’s a great way to grow contracts with existing clients. Use these tips to make sure that you know how to add new services to your company in the most effective way – even if you’re small.

  1. Self Evaluation

If you’re just starting out as a security company, you might only offer standing guards. You might even be the one on site!

Before adding your next service, there are a couple of questions you need to ask yourself:

  • What does our company have the resources to offer?
  • What services do our current and prospective clients need?

Without the right resources, you will quickly find yourself in over your head. Don’t forget resources include personnel.

Make sure you aren’t straining your supervisors by giving them too much to manage. And when you add a new service, make sure you have well-trained employees that can implement it.

  1. Affiliate Service Partners

A great solution for small security companies looking to add new services is to partner with other security companies that already offer those services – especially companies that specialize in the specific services you’re looking to add.

The key here is to make sure any security company you do partner with aligns with your culture, values, and standards. Don’t settle for a company just because they offer the services you need.

If you need help finding companies to partner with, check in with your local and regional security associations, chamber of commerce, or even LinkedIn.

  1. Technology

While security technology can be viewed as part of your services, you can also use it to add new services easier.

Using technology in your security business is one of the most efficient ways to manage the entire operation at scale. As you grow, your security technology should do the heavy lifting for you and allow you to oversee every part of the business.

Security technology will also provide you with data you need during the self-evaluation process. Data from your GSOC and summary reports from the field can show you trends that will help you make informed decisions when it is time to change or add the security services you provide.

Closing

If you’re a private security company in growth mode, adding new services is one of the best ways to win new contracts and grow existing ones. When it’s time to add a new service, keep these two tips in mind:

  • Add services that current and potential clients are asking for
  • Be strategic in when and how you add services

If you want more resources, remember to check out this webinar on incorporating new services into your security operation.

Chris is the Founder of Silvertrac Software and has been working in the security industry for more than 25 years. He enjoys working with our clients everyday to help them grow their businesses and really enjoy what they are doing. Chris currently lives and works in Seal Beach, CA.

/by
Kate

The Californian 2020 Q3 – HOW MANY OFFICERS TO HIRE

HOW MANY OFFICERS TO HIRE

Armand Adkins, Security Alliance Group

Once a client realizes that there is a need for security officers in their business, home, or event, the next issue they face is how many officers they need to hire. This is one of those questions without a cut and dry answer. The number of officers varies depending on several factors, such as location, number of guests or customers, the purpose of the business or event, and if alcohol is involved. We will take a look at each of these factors before making certain people-to-guard ratio suggestions you can bear in mind the next time you have to answer the question of how many officers to hire. Having the correct ratio is essential to all involved in order to  minimize security risks.

 

Factors to consider

Location: This is the first point to consider, for if the event, business or residential home is located in a troubled area, it would necessarily require hiring more security officers than normal.

Venue: Is it a small or large venue? How many doors or entrances does the venue have? At least one security guard per entrance is rule of thumb. Is the venue one big open space or a closed place with different rooms? The smaller the venue, less officers are needed to cover the space, while the larger the venue, the more officers will be needed.

Number of People: As we’ll see later in the suggested ratios of officers to people, the more people, the more officers, while the number of people is closely related to the venue. If you are going to have a large crowd, then the venue should be large enough to accommodate the expected crowd. The better the crowd is accommodated, the less the risk of security situations that may arise.

Alcohol: Are you having a party where alcohol will be served? Or are you running a bar or club? If alcohol is now part of the equation, more security officers will need to be hired to maintain order and balance among patrons.

Type of Event: What is the purpose of the event or area that needs to be secured? An event where expected guests are VIPs, HNIs (high net-worth individuals), or celebrities, will require more security officers.

Demographics: Factors such as gender and age should be weighed when considering the number of officers to hire. An event with mostly children in attendance would need fewer officers than an event with young male adults or a mixture of males and females.

Parking Lot: Are you providing space for visitors and guests to park their vehicles? Most businesses display a disclaimer relinquishing liability for any loss or damage to properties left in the parking lot. “Cars Parked At Owner’s Risk.” Yet, this does not mean you will not need security officers patrolling your parking lots. Remember, the presence of a security guard is a great deterrent for negative behavior. This should be factored in with the number of officers needed.

Mode of Invitation: Did you put out an open invitation on social media or online? Whether for parties or other events, more security officers need to be hired.

Type of Business: A bank will definitely need more officers than a restaurant. The higher the risk involved in a business, the higher the number of officers needed.

State of Things: The general state of security should be considered. For instance, during play-off games or other major sporting events, the general state of security is tense and on high alert in areas where people are gathering together to view games. Hosting an event during such a period will necessitate hiring more officers. In the current state of lockdown and social distancing, more officers are needed in areas like grocery stores, hospitals, and open essential businesses.

Known Threats: Has someone promised to crash a wedding or vandalize a place of business? Or threatened to steal some property? This necessitates more security officers than usual until the threat is eliminated.

Security Devices in Use: Will most areas be covered by security cameras? This can help you determine the number of officers needed.

Managing a Security Situation: In addition to the above items, it is also helpful to think through the number of officers needed if a security situation occurs that would require the intervention of officers. For example, if a party is underway and two guests get into a fight, how many security officers would you need to keep the situation under control? Remember, you still need someone watching the rest of the guests and the entrance.

While the factors to consider above have no absolute answers regarding the number of officers, they are to be considered as a whole when advising clients on proper security staffing.

 

Guard to Guest General Ratios

The following ratios should be considered a general guide when deciding on the numbers of security officers.

Standard practice is to have one guard stationed at each entry point.

Less than 10 guests with one entrance, 1 security guard.

Between 10 – 50 guests with two entrances, 2+ security officers.

50 – 100 guests with three entrances, 4+ security officers.

100 – 250 guests with three entrances, 8+ security officers.

250- 1000 guests with at least four entrances,30+ security officers.

The above ratios are for considerations and not a dictation of hard rules. Remember, whenever alcohol is involved means more security officers than usual, and where there are young adults and alcohol, the usual number of officers needed can be tripled.

 

Conclusion

After all has been said and done, it is the working knowledge and experience of the security guard company that is paramount. Such a company will provide well trained officers and be familiar with the type of event or business.  And when a company is asked about the level of security to have on-site, the factors and issues raised in this article are here to help in reaching a thoughtful recommendation.

 

Armand Adkins is CEO of Security Alliance Group (SAGPro.com), a provider of best-in-class support services/systems for small to mid-sized private security guard companies.With 25 years of legal, compliance and operational experience, Armand leads a dynamic company that delivers two unique services to address the training and hiring needs of security companies.

GuardsLink platform gives security companies the ability to provide their employees branded online training that is both affordable and quality, and includes an integrated system to monitor and manage guard training. 

SecurityHires (SecurityHires.com) is a security industry focused job board designed and built using cutting edge technology to assist in all the hiring requirements of security companies seeking qualified guards.  

Those looking for an intuitive and robust training solution implemented at no cost with a revenue sharing model, or more information regarding the benefits of the industry specific job board, should contact Armand at info@sagpro.com or call (888) 360-9373.

/by
Kate

The Californian 2020 Q2 – LOS ANGELES SECURITY COMPANIES WILL BE SUBJECT TO NEW RIGHT OF RECALL AND WORKER RETENTION ORDINANCES

LOS ANGELES SECURITY COMPANIES WILL BE SUBJECT TO NEW RIGHT OF RECALL AND WORKER RETENTION ORDINANCES

Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. & Annette M. Barber, Esq., Bradley & Gmelich LLP, CALSAGA Legal Advisor

After much discussion and several modifications, on April 29, 2020, the Los Angeles City Council voted to adopt two controversial new Ordinances aimed at regulating the order of rehiring laid-off employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic and requiring retention of existing workers for up to 6 months in the event of ownership transfers in Los Angeles. The Mayor is expected to approve both. [Although these only apply to the City of Los Angeles, we suspect this will grow into a statewide trend.]

The Ordinances will apply to all security companies with 25 or more employees who provide security services to commercial properties.  It also applies to all businesses in the hospitality sectors (includes hotels, event centers and sports venues), property management services, and airport services. It includes those contractors and subcontractors with 25 or more employees who provide janitorial, maintenance and security services to those sectors, as well.

The Ordinances provide a worker the right to bring a private cause of action against an Employer for violating either Ordinance after providing the Employer with an opportunity to cure the alleged violation. Workers can be awarded reinstatement rights, front and back pay, benefits they would have received, attorneys’ fees and costs, and punitive damages for violation of the Right of Recall Ordinance only. The Ordinances are set to be reviewed again on March 1, 2022.

Right of Recall Ordinance

The Right of Recall Ordinance would require Los Angeles businesses that earned gross receipts in excess of $5,000,000 in 2019 and that laid off non-supervisory employees with six months or more of service for non-disciplinary reasons on or after March 4, 2020, to notify the employees (in writing) of any job openings for which they are qualified, and to offer open positions in order of seniority.

Being qualified is defined as holding the same or similar position at the same site of employment at the time of separation; or the laid-off worker can become qualified with the same training that would be provided to a new hire for that position. If more than one laid-off worker is qualified, the employer would have to offer the position to the worker with the most seniority at the employment site. The laid-off worker then has five (5) business days to respond to the offer.

The Ordinance also creates a rebuttal presumption that all layoffs and terminations occurring on or after March 4, 2020 were for non-disciplinary reasons.

 

Worker Retention Ordinance

The Worker Retention Ordinance would apply to businesses that have or will change ownership or control from March 1, 2020 through March 1, 2022, requiring them to provide seniority preference to certain workers if there is a change in business ownership within two years of the pandemic emergency declaration.

Under this Ordinance, within 15 business days following the change in control, the “Incumbent Business Employer” would be required to post written notice advising workers of the change in control in a conspicuous place. The notice must remain posted for six (6) months after the “Successor Business Employer” takes over.

A “Worker” is covered under the Ordinance if:

  • they worked for the Incumbent Business Employer for at least six (6) months prior to the change in ownership;
  • their primary place of employment is a covered business subject to a change in control;
  • they are employed or contracted to perform work functions directly by the Incumbent Employer Business or by one with whom it contracts; and
  • they worked for the Incumbent Employer Business on or after March 1, 2020 and before the execution of the transfer document.

The Successor Business Employer shall be required to hire covered workers of the Incumbent Business Employer for six (6) months after transfer of the business, and make a written offer of employment to each.  The offer must be kept open for ten business days.  If the Successor Business Employer requires fewer workers than the Incumbent Business Employer, workers must be retained by seniority within job classifications. Each worker hired must be retained for no fewer than 90 days, but can be discharged for cause. At the end of the 90 day period, the worker must be given a written performance evaluation for a permanent position.

Lessons for Employers:  If your business operates in the City of Los Angeles and you are restarting your business after layoffs, be prepared to recall laid-off workers by seniority. Also, if you assume ownership of a business in the next two years, be prepared to offer employment to the workers from the incumbent business for at least 90 days, keeping seniority in mind.

Need assistance with managing your workforce during COVID-19?  Contact the attorneys at Bradley & Gmelich LLP.

 

Jaimee K. Wellerstein is a Partner at Bradley & Gmelich LLP, and the Head of the firm’s Employment Department. Jaimee concentrates her practice in representing employers in all aspects of employment law, including defense of wage and hour class actions, PAGA claims, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful discharge, misclassification, and other employment related lawsuits. She also provides employment counseling and training in all of these areas.

Jaimee routinely represents employers in federal and state courts and in arbitration proceedings throughout the state, as well as at administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement, the United States Department of Labor, and other federal and state agencies. Jaimee assists as a Legal Advisor to CALSAGA, and is a member of ASIS International. She is rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell, the highest peer rating available. jwellerstein@bglawyers.com / 818-243-5200.

 

 

 


Annette M. Barber is Special Counsel on Bradley & Gmelich LLP’s Employment Team.  She represents clients providing employment advice and counsel in all aspects of hiring, performance management, training, compensation, and termination. Annette spent 17 years working with a global security company of 100,000 U.S. employees as an employment law attorney and then as Corporate Vice President directing HR Compliance nationwide for all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Guam.

Annette drafts and revises policies, handbooks, and extensive training materials for the firm’s clients. She provides workplace trainings, as well as workplace investigations. She is a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators, numerous bar associations and employment law sections.  abarber@bglawyers.com / 818-243-5200.

 

 

Bradley & Gmelich LLP is 25-attorney AV-Preeminent rated law firm who, for the past 20 years, has represented business clients in all matters of civil litigation, business law, and employment matters. Its Employment Department represent employers in all aspects of employment law, including defense of wage and hour class actions, PAGA claims, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful discharge, misclassification, and other employment related lawsuits. It also provides employment counseling and training in all of these areas. Visit www.bglawyers.com.

 

/by