One of the biggest
questions I am asked is “Who should I work for? What are some of the good
companies out there? Who should I hire?” I usually find myself in a diplomatic
catch 22. On one hand if I recommend a provider I am bias to my other clients,
on the other hand if I recommend a company and they do no foot the bill my
credibility is affected negatively... and I display bias towards my other clients
Here are somethings
you should look for when you are either out on the job market or looking to
hire a security company to protect your assets.
1. Learn about the market
You want to look at
how many companies are in your area and what their specialty is. Generally private
guard companies specialize in retail security while others lean more towards
the corporate office market. There are other firms which specialize in various
forms of investigation and some who’s primary focus is overseas security,
either close protection, or Private Military Contracting (PMCs). Others are
often seen at large events and venues and some cater to a specific niche such
as government buildings, hospitals, residential or industrial areas.
2 2. Meet the people
I’m not referring to
simply the management. A company owner or business development manager will
always feed you the goodies and why they are the best or why you should select
them. Speak to the people who work there, strike up a conversation, ask them
about their company and their job. Do they like it or not? Why they like it or
don’t like it? Do they receive training? What type of training and how
frequently? How often do they work? Get
a feel for their personality and observe their work. Are they personable,
approachable, do they project professionalism? Is this someone you would want protecting your
assets? Or is this someone you could work with? Most important, is this person
trustworthy? Your best market research into an organization will always come
from those who are doing the job.
3. 3. Pick Three
It’s great to have
options however having too many can be bad. The Marine Corps Officer Candidate
School teaches it’s officer candidates to come up with three options to a
problem, too many and the candidate can become confused or disoriented too
little could lead to indecision. Pick three companies in your area that you
think that could foot the bill and judge them based on the information you
received in your research.
4. 4. You Get What You Pay/Settle For.
Good
service is not cheap and cheap service is never good. In the Halifax area, the
average security worker makes between minimum wage (10.65/hr) and $12.50/hr
with a select few companies here and there who offer more. The wage of the
security worker is often determined by the billable hourly rate set by the
company for the service. This can be anywhere from $13.00 to $18.00/hr
depending on the contract and the level of service required, not including
holidays. Some company’s pay their employees a salary wage where they are
guaranteed a certain level of income and are required to perform work up to a
predetermined number, usually 40 hours per week. Some companies pay bottom dollar, overwork
their employees, pay no overtime through legal loopholes and tax their
employees for things like uniforms, training, or “miscellaneous” deductions.
One company here in
the Halifax area withholds more than $33,000 per year from their employees for
training many of whom never receive it, and those that do? Are paid for their
training using the same funds to which they were deducted for.
5 5. Do Not Hire a Security Company in Place of a
Temp Agency/ Know What the Job Entails
For the most part many
security workers possess a variety of skills, some may be high school educated
or have no high school education at all. Some have university or policing
experience while others are using the work to supplement their income from another
job unrelated to the security field. Hire a security company for one purpose,
securing your assets or property. Security workers are not temporary labourers
and in fact, a security worker will most likely do the absolute minimum they
are required to do because “this isn’t what I signed up for” and could adversely
affect your productivity. Many in the security field take on that role with a
sense of pride and commitment, often times with a goal of advancing into
another related field such as the military, law enforcement, corrections, or other
form of civil service. If they are not doing security related work or feel
their abilities and potential are being wasted, they will most likely quit.
It costs more money and productivity to train 10 people for one job were 8 or 9
will quit in the first year, than to train one or two for the same job who will
stay on for 2-3 years and up.
6.
6. Be Wary of Dubious Claims and Potential False
Marketing.
The biggest thing I
see when it comes to the marketing done by some private security firms is
either inaccurate information, omission, or flat out lying. During your market
research you will often see that large security firms do not gloat or boast. They
may highlight where their experience is drawn from, in either case, question
it. Military experience and police experience are often showcased by many
security providers. Question it. Many former military or police members usually
have no issue speaking to their experiences face to face. An honest man usually
tells a short simple story, a salesman can never shut up. Experiences can also
vary. A person who spends 30 years in law enforcement working within a variety
of areas such patrol, K9, general investigation, emergency response team,
forensics, narcotics, etc. will have a variety of experience in a wide range of
areas. You wouldn’t hire a 20 year SWAT veteran to forensically audit your
books (unless S/he has higher education
to perform that task, obviously). Military experience is the same way, a
person who spends 30 years in the regular force infantry is far more credible
and experienced than a 30 year infantry reservist who has never left the
continent or fought in a theatre of war. (not
to say that reservists cannot attain a high level of proficiency or experience.
However, part-time soldiers, generally, do not experience the same operational tempo as their
regular force or active service counter-parts). The same standard and
scrutiny should also be applied when the terms “military or police trained”, “State/Provincially
certified”, “highest quality training” are used. Find out what the province or
state mandates. Is there standardized training? If not, what training does this
company offer? Who provides the training? Do they have the education or
background to be teaching the subject matter? Can they provide documentation
showing their expertise? If you’re looking at potential employers, ask to see
their instructor(s) teach. Sit in on a class if you can. The unfortunate reality is that the private security market is overloaded with "self-proclaimed" experts who do not pack the gear to be teaching the material they are passing on, or profit from old, outdated, and irrelevant material no longer being taught to the professional community but is being sold the unaware, and uninformed civilian market.
7 7. Vet ALL of the Information.
I recently held
meetings with a new potential client, I had met one of the individuals many years
prior, it was simple chance that we happened to run into one another at a local
store. Information I had been lead to believe many years earlier did not paint
a very good picture for this person so I kept my interactions with them to a
minimum. It was only after running into this person and later sitting down to
dinner with a group of friends that I realized I had made a huge mistake many
years earlier. It turns out the information was so far from the truth it
was offensive to call it a lie. I was ashamed of myself for following the herd
like so many others whom I had worked with.
It taught me a valuable
lesson. Believe nothing you see and only half of what you hear.
Even after you have
had your meetings with potential security providers or employers. Take the time
to fact check.
8 8. READ THE FINE PRINT, use a lawyer.
One of the biggest
mistakes I made when I was first hired by a private security firm was to sign
an “Employment Agreement” without taking the time to fully read and comprehend
what was actually in the agreement and what it meant. A mistake made by a much
younger and eager Cameron. (18 years old)
Not only was I in a rush and too preoccupied with all the wonderful things this
company claimed to be able to give me. I signed a document that was not only
illegal, but borderline criminal on a moral scale. No Overtime pay or any
compensation for it. Illegal. I had
to pay for my own uniforms and equipment, even cold weather gear, I was
deducted $10 per pay check to cover training which I could never participate in
for many months because I was always scheduled to work the evenings when
training was conducted. I was paying for
a service and was not receiving it, illegal. I was often scheduled to work
with little to no time for rest, Occupation
Health and Safety, Transportation Safety, and Commercial Trucking Regulation violations.
On one occasion, I was injured on the job during a range shoot, after a firearm
owned by the company exploded in my hand leaving a permanent shard of shrapnel
lodged in my upper left lip. No OH&S report, No Workers Compensation, No
Investigation by any regulatory body that I was made aware of or asked to speak
to.
If you are asked to
sign a document, ask for time to read the document in full 24 hours is
perfectly acceptable. Longer, if you are signed a contract for a security
service. If you have a lawyer use them or ask a lawyer to review the
documentation. If you are told “These documents cannot leave our office” There
is a reason, walk away.
