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How to make your Security Guards more effective

Mika, Staff Writer

Monday, 3 May 2021

Hiring a security guard is a tried and tested method of keeping your building and all those who work in it safe. But, just like when you employ anyone else in your business, it’s never enough to simply leave them to it. Instead, you want to be looking at how you can make their role as impactful as possible.

Here’s our top advice on how to make your security guards more effective to tell you more.

Clear mission briefs

The nature of security work is that the individual will always be on the lookout for something that doesn’t look right. Though it also helps if they know what the main issues are from your standpoint as a business. For example, a retail store may want to lower their theft rates. Or a pub may want to reduce antisocial behaviour on the weekends.

If your security knows exactly what and where the trouble is, they will be a lot more successful in being able to deal with it. As a business owner, this may include informing them of particular offenders or the times of day in which a particular crime usually takes place.

Mentoring

Security guards need to be fully trained and have an up to date SIA license to be able to work in the first place. Though like in any profession, it helps if they have a sound ear to listen and learn from. Someone who has plenty of wisdom and experience that they can pass on to others.

If your security consists of a large team, then the more experienced team members should work closely with the newer ones to bring them up to speed with the main issues the business is facing. A tight-knit team will also ensure effectiveness long term, especially if they learn to work together to achieve the same goals.

Incident reflection

Security guards are on the frontline of any challenging or dangerous situations that may occur. Sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts things don’t always go to plan. Or, the response may be so good that others can learn from it.

Whatever the outcome, it can be extremely worthwhile for everyone to be able to reflect on the incident, to see if their strategy could have been improved. By constantly looking to step things up, your security guard will be more resilient in their approach.

Progress meetings

As security guards largely work independently away from the rest of your main team, it’s easy to let progress meetings pass you by. However, your security has goals to achieve to improve their performance just like everyone else.

It’s not about giving them a grilling, rather, making sure you are both on the same page about current issues that pose a threat to the safety or security of the business. You should be aware of what steps they are taking to resolve the problems, and whether there is room for improvement.

To sum up

An effective security guard will swiftly dissolve conflict and have a sixth sense about the potential danger before it has a chance to escalate. They also need to be excellent problem solvers and able to think on their feet.

For that to be the case, the business as a whole needs to work cohesively with your security so that their objectives can be met. Great communication is key, as are regular reviews on what could be improved.