How Lone Worker Protection Technology Enhances Employee Safety

The introduction of lone worker systems ensures that you are always aware of where your employees are. How do you guarantee the safety of your lone workers?

How Lone Worker Systems Enhance Your Employee’s Safety

Posted by MarketingPosted on March 27, 2023

How do you guarantee lone worker safety?

Security companies and other employers relied on paper reports and radio check-ins to learn about shifts in the past. Today, the availability of lone worker systems means you always know your employees’ locations and that they’re safe. This includes GPS tracking and other two-way communication features.

Lone workers in industrial, healthcare, or custodial positions (like those working nights) and delivery drivers face an increased risk simply because they’re alone. It could be a medical emergency, workplace injury, or car accident. There’s no one nearby to provide immediate assistance or call for help if needed.

However, lone workers in security face added risks due to criminal involvement. A cardiac arrest, chemical spill, or slip-and-fall accident is just that – an accident. Security officers have to be prepared for acts of violence against them and/or the property they’re guarding.

Read on to learn how new technologies like guard tour tracking software can make a difference in lone worker management. Discover how it can help you meet industry safety standards and keep your officers safe.

What is Lone Worker Protection and Guard Tour Tracking?

Lone workers perform their jobs out of sight of their superiors. Lone worker protection is the equipment given to employees. It does things like:

Detect hazardous substances
Enable communications
Provide their location to managers in the event of an emergency

One example? A badge that triggers an alert when exposed to toxic gas or after a specified period of inactivity by the wearer.

The security industry takes lone worker protection to the next level because of the added threat of outside aggressors. Not only does guard tour management software provide real-time GPS monitoring of officers on patrol, but the better ones also support advanced features. Guards can document incidents and dispatchers can quickly send help when called.

Why is Lone Worker Safety Important?

Lone worker safety is important because it allows employees to do their jobs with confidence. They can rest assured knowing that help is available if something goes wrong. Lone worker tools help minimize damage from incidents that can’t be contained by a single person. These tools can quickly alert authorities to a fire or call for emergency medical response.

Most importantly, lone worker safety should be a priority for you because it is the employer’s responsibility to protect lone workers from risk. You could be held liable for damages or hit with compliance violation fines. It could cost you if an employee is injured on shift and it’s proven you didn’t take adequate steps to protect them.

Top Lone Worker Protection Features for Security Firms

You have to provide lone worker protection. Let’s take a closer look at four key features a lone worker protection solution for security officers should provide:

1. Real-time Location Tracking

One of the most important lone worker protection system features is GPS security guard tracking. It allows you to keep tabs on a guard’s exact location at all times. This enables managers to:

Make smart redeployment decisions
Track the progress and speed of guards on patrol
Make sure guards are where they’re supposed to be
Ensure guards are safe

Many lone worker tracking apps take things a step further with geofencing systems and other alarm features. Geofencing works with the live GPS tracking feature of the guards’ device to create an at-a-glance map view of a site. Geofencing allows you to establish boundaries and checkpoints. You can also define permitted and restricted areas and receive notifications when guards enter and exit zones.

2. Automated Notifications and Check-Ins

Having visibility into where your guards are – or where they aren’t – and monitoring patrol speeds and routes are critical to keeping lone workers safe. Establishing geofence boundaries for a particular site means your lone worker system will automatically alert you by SMS and email if a guard were to go outside their assigned area. You can check in on guards and make sure everything is okay.

Checkpoints along guard routes also make it easier to track patrol progress and safety. Lone worker systems can send automatic notifications when a guard reaches a checkpoint or when they fail to show up on time. Like geofencing, automated notifications allow you to become aware of potential incidents, even if your guard hasn’t called in to report a problem.

Lone worker protection apps help reduce overtime expenses. Many support flexible scheduling and dispatching tools and provide automated overtime alerts to managers when guards are approaching hourly ceilings. You can more evenly distribute shifts, avoid overtime spending, and increase staff satisfaction by setting customized rules and alerts.

3. Panic Button and Emergency Alerts

Including a panic button ensures that guards can send immediate alerts to your dispatch team. This is great for situations when officers are in serious trouble.

The emergency alert must be taken as more than just a general call for help. It should trigger a series of automated, escalating notifications via email, text, and/or phone messages with the guard’s exact location to the right people. Your emergency contact can then take swift action to coordinate providing proper support. This can include calling units closest to the guard for assistance.

Responding quickly to an emergency can save lives.

4. Video Recording for Dispute Resolution

The best lone worker protection apps capture video evidence of on-patrol guard experiences. On-demand video recording provides indisputable evidence of what your security guard saw, heard, and how they responded to a situation.

This can be especially useful in proving guard or suspect actions in situations where there are no witnesses. The video doesn’t lie. A lone worker system that utilizes mobile features like video recording not only protects guards on patrol but also your firm and its reputation.

Video recording also helps with suspect identification. They can ensure you’re not relying simply on a guard’s memory for an accurate physical description. Images can instead be turned over to law enforcement to help identify the culprit, their clothing, or the make and license plate of their vehicle.

How to Implement a Lone Worker Protection System & Policy

How do you implement a lone worker protection system that’s right for your security firm? Here are five steps:

1. Identify Your Lone Workers.

Any guard posted to a site working alone for part or all of a shift is considered a lone worker. Examples include the officer guarding the entrance of a retail store, manning the booth at a gated residential community, or in a vehicle patrolling the campus or parking lot after hours.

2. Identify Common Hazards.

These are physical, environmental, or biological dangers associated with guard posts. Work with clients to identify any potential risks on the property. Make sure guards are aware of things like chemicals, viruses, trip hazards, hot surfaces and liquids, high voltage areas, valuable assets, aggressive customers, and other hazards.

3. Assess and Manage Risk.

It’s time to decide if taking on a certain client is worth the potential risk. What are the odds of something going wrong? You may struggle to fill the position at prevailing wages if the assignment is too dangerous. What steps can you put in place and what knowledge can you provide to minimize the chances of harm if the risk is reasonable?

4. Establish a Lone Worker Policy.

Draft a set of guidelines for the types of contracts your firm will and will not accept for solitary guarding services. Outline for clients the information they must provide your firm before assigning guards to a post.

Clients should list any hazards present (refer back to #2 on this list). Step-by-step safety procedures and processes should also be documented for guards to follow.

These can be used in the event of an emergency and must include preferences for how to report incidents. Part of your policy should establish a rule for supervisors to periodically visit solitary guards at their worksite. Check on their mental health and overall well-being.

5. Deploy a Lone Worker Safety System

The final element is to supply each guard with lone worker protection devices and software. Some apps run on smartphones, or you can provide tablets to officers in the field.

The chosen solution should:
Share real-time guard location
Allow for check-ins, geofencing
Support video recording
Come equipped with panic button features

It should also provide in-depth reporting tools and dashboards for managers to monitor and communicate with frontline officers. Be sure the solution you choose addresses the hazards from step #2.

Protect Your Lone Workers with the TrackTik Guarding Suite

Officers have access to immediate assistance when equipped with effective lone worker software tools. Managers can rest assured knowing the exact officer locations at all times and that they’re safe. Clients have the peace of mind knowing their property is protected at the minimum expense and that backup is only a call away.

TrackTik’s Guarding Suite allows your business to operate with increased transparency and a better approach to client safety, while also ensuring that your employees receive the additional protection and support they need.

To learn more about how TrackTik lone worker protection software can maximize your resources, enhance scheduling, deliver better service, and ultimately improve your bottom line, book a free demo today.

Introducing TrackTik and Amaka’s Xero Integration

This latest release helps empower businesses globally to harness the power of TrackTik and Xero accounting software integration.

Posted by MarketingPosted on March 22, 2023

TrackTik, an innovative, cloud-based security workforce management solution, and Amaka, the gold standard in accounting integrations, are excited to announce an addition to our existing partnership with the introduction of the Xero integration.

This latest release helps empower businesses globally to harness the power of TrackTik and Xero accounting software integration. Connect TrackTik to Xero to automate billing and wage expense data entry with ease. Customers can ensure that invoices, credit memos, and wage expenses are automatically synced daily, reducing time spent on once manual and disparate work.

TrackTik and Xero Accounting Integration Setup Guide

If you have a TrackTik account, integrating with Xero is easy. See how by clicking the play button icon below to view our Xero integration setup video.

Xero Integration and Updated QuickBooks Online Integration by Amaka

Amaka’s QuickBooks Online integration with TrackTik has also been updated to ensure stronger connectivity and efficacy than ever before.

Brian Strasser, Trackforce Valiant + TrackTik’s vice president of partnerships, stated that “This new integration provides our customers with an exciting, best-in-class partner solution – the Connector for TrackTik and Xero from Amaka. Paired with the QuickBooks Online update, it’s a strong addition and enhancement to our already robust partner ecosystem we’ve been building since 2013. The introduction of the TrackTik integration to Xero adds to the resources our customers can use to increase productivity and simplify once-complicated processes.”

To learn how Amaka’s QuickBooks Online or Xero integrations can enhance the power of TrackTik’s workforce management solutions and help security organizations run smarter businesses.

Book a Demo

10 Strategies to Reduce Turnover Rates, Increase Engagement, and Retain Your Security Officers

Security office and security guard turnover rates are thought to be over 100% annually. Fortunately, these strategies help to reduce turnover, improve engagement, and increase employee retention in the private security industry.

Posted by MarketingPosted on March 13, 2023

A recent Gallup poll found 70% of Americans aren’t engaged at work. This may be caused by boredom, low pay, lack of communication, or slow career development. Many industries are feeling the impact. They may see it in slower service, reduced attention to detail, missed sales targets, or upset customers.

But the consequences are greater when a security guard checks out. People can get hurt, businesses may be exposed to increased theft and vandalism, and stressful situations (a lost child, crowd control, or medical emergency) may get out of hand.

Around $11 billion is lost annually due to overall employee turnover according to the Bureau of National Affairs. This isn’t representative of only the security industry. That number considers more than just lost hours. It factors in the cost of finding, training, and equipping replacement workers as well as reduced productivity.

But nowhere is the issue of turnover more acute than in the manned guarding industry. High turnover rates, low retention, and employee engagement have always been a challenge for security firms and corporate security departments. Today, the high turnover rate in the security guard industry is a key challenge.

Security office and security guard turnover rates are thought to be over 100% annually. That means that the average private security firm has a completely new workforce every 12 months. It’s why it’s so necessary for security companies to do things like offer competitive wages. This can help reduce churn in a role that occasionally asks employees to risk their lives.

In addition to going over the common reasons for employee turnover, we’ll discuss wages and a few other tips in this blog that can help reduce turnover rates, increase engagement, and retain your best security officers.

Leading Causes of Employee Turnover in The Security Industry

Let’s acknowledge the reasons behind the industry’s turnover problem before diving deeper into how to fix the problem. Here are a few:

Low pay and minimal benefits

The average hourly rate for an unarmed security officer is $15 per hour according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics. This equates to a median annual wage of $31,470 in 2021, making living on a one-income salary difficult in most U.S. cities.

Quality security industry benefits are rare and typically limited to full-time employees. A lack of hours can knock a guard down to part-time status and potentially impact benefits eligibility.

Result: Security officers will leave for the slightest pay increase or access to better benefits.

Low employee engagement

Employee engagement is defined as the level of involvement and enthusiasm employees have for their work and workplace. An “engaged” employee will make decisions that are in the best interests of the company. They may also take the extra step for the customer.

Disengaged employees negatively affect company performance. This is through increased absenteeism, a rise in workplace accidents, and a drop in productivity or profitability. Maybe it’s a lack of recognition, training, feedback, opportunities for advancement, or a combination. Regardless, employees who don’t care are headed for the exit.

The connection between low employee engagement and high turnover rates has been well-researched. Highly engaged teams show 21% greater profitability according to Gallup. Organizations with high employee engagement outperform those with low employee engagement by 202%.

Result: Security officers will leave for another employer who makes them feel valued.

Ineffective leadership/bad corporate culture

Employees want to like their manager and perform for them. In return, they expect their manager to have their backs. However, a lack of training/mentoring, ineffective supervision, and poor communication can impact employees. They may feel isolated, underappreciated, disrespected, and ultimately become disengaged.

Result: Security officers will leave when they feel management isn’t supporting them or is being insensitive to scheduling and posting preferences.

Poor recruiting and talent management strategies

Retention starts with hiring. It takes a certain personality to be a security guard. They must be confident, aware, and compassionate. Security firms that don’t screen candidates for these qualities can expect continuous turnover problems.

These firms should also perform due diligence (background checks, personal references, drug tests, competency tests) and make applicants understand the full scope of their role.

Result: Security officers will leave after they realize they may not be the right fit for the job.

Top 10 Employee Retention Strategies for Security Officers

There are many effects of high turnover at security firms and corporate security departments. These include:
Increased client or organization risk because of inexperienced security personnel
Increased recruitment and training operations costs
The inability to provide quality service due to a lack of available workforce.

Combined, your business may be negatively impacted. Future opportunities may also be limited as a result. Physical security firms need to know how to reduce employee turnover and increase employee retention. But not to worry. We’ve got 10 actionable tips to better retain your security workforce.

1. Increase wages and improve benefits

Offering your security offers competitive wages is critical. High turnover is often the result of low wages and too few hours to make ends meet. Not sure of the going rate for quality officers in your market?

Our 2022 Physical Security Outlook eBook has average security employee hourly pay and billing rates. This data can help you benchmark your firm and attract the best talent as well as reduce turnover within your workforce.

If raising wages or offering a signing bonus isn’t possible, consider offering some type of basic group healthcare plan, or secondary benefit such as a financial wellness package. With an app like Rain, security employees can access a part of their wages before payday.

Other things to think of include supplying uniforms at no cost, giving out commuter passes, encouraging flexible schedules, or taking assignments close to home. Such perks make it difficult for an employee to leave.

2. Set up efficient schedules

Scheduling security shifts evenly can reduce overtime expenses while making sure everyone draws a paycheck. Poor scheduling and attendance practices can lead to manual work and frantic phone calls.

It may also lead to errors such as mismatched resource allocation as it relates to client requirements. This ultimately leads to increased overtime spending. Regular no-call/no-shows may be a symptom of wider employee apathy. It can also indicate a structural problem in your scheduling operations. To retain your security officers, offer them shifts that suit their lifestyle and family obligations.

3. Ensure employees can succeed

Match officers to assignments based on mutual goals, skills, and interests. Your guards will become a trusted face and part of the client’s workforce over time. It’s important that they like their post.

Do they prefer to work alone at night or with a group? Do they prefer to walk patrols, or remain seated in a guard booth or behind a corporate reception desk? Hire to fit the role.

Next, provide your officers with the tools and technology they need to effectively do their jobs. Implement a guard tour system that officers can access on mobile devices. Checkpoint tours are a smart way to keep boredom away while ensuring officers are performing their duties.

The right security workforce management solution allows officers to do things like log incidents, display messages, open report forms, capture images and video, ask questions or trigger incident alerts from anywhere on the premise.

4. Offer advance and recognition opportunities

Recognize security officer contributions by increasing their wages when possible. Spell out prerequisites and/or schedules for raises or advancement.

Reward guards after they’ve completed certification training assignments or have gone the extra mile for a client. Find security officers that stand out on your team. Think about giving them more responsibility. This can be something like a promotion to team lead. Employees who feel they’re on a career path are more likely to stay with the firm.

5. Provide ongoing training and education

Prepare your security officers for real-life scenarios by providing practical and interactive training. Make sure the training is engaging, interesting, and relevant to official duties. Consider outsourcing training. Partner with a company dedicated to providing customized online unarmed security officer training.

Know that learning doesn’t end with initial certification and licensing. After those are complete, offer continuous education, management classes, and advanced firearms training. These can all act as opportunities for career development and will help keep employees engaged.

6. Offer physical and mental health support

It’s a must to invest in security officers. Provide access to the support services they may need.

Over the past couple of years, security guards have been at the forefront of a string of both large and small crises. They’ve experienced increased aggression, verbal abuse, and threats of violence.

Security officers are also at a greater risk of experiencing gun violence simply by being on duty. It makes sense why a growing number of security officers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Security firms must help protect their officers’ mental and physical health. This can be done by offering counseling services, medical care, or worker’s compensation after having been involved in a violent event. Such services will stand out to employees and clients.

7. Determine your security officers’ long-term goals

Few want to be frontline security guards for their whole careers. Identify the officers who aspire to be supervisors or leaders.

Make sure your officers don’t get bored with their duties. This may cause them to start looking for new opportunities. Create mutually agreed-upon paths for promotion or schedules to rotate through various management positions.

Maybe an officer wants to own their security firm one day. Take a page from Pablo Rosa Jr., who leveraged his field experience and knowledge to go from security officer to founder of the Rosa International Group. Rosa International Group provides services within the retail, hospitality, and multi-tenant property sectors.

8. Create a strong company culture

A study by EngagementMultiplier.com found 77% of employees agree a strong culture allows them to do their best work. Around 76% see the impact on their productivity and efficiency. Another 74% draw a correlation between culture and their ability to serve their customer base.

Consider these ideas when building a culture that makes your security officers feel valued and appreciated:

Two-way communication. Company higher-ups should schedule regular status meetings with managers and supervisors. These meetings will help foster open communication and feedback. Leading by example can encourage managers to do the same with their officers.
Team building. Actively work to stay engaged. Sponsor team-building activities such as company game nights, office parties, and karaoke sing-alongs.
Field check-ins. Encourage managers to check in with field officers regularly. Even have officers check in on each other. This will help make sure that everyone in the company is engaged and actively contributing to the culture.

Kudos and recognition. Use a company newsletter or email blast to give shout-outs to exceptional employees. Everyone likes to be recognized. Use incentives like gift cards, and tickets to a ballgame or concert, or offer extra paid days off. Make sure everyone knows about both the kudos and rewards.

9. Provide strong leadership

Great leaders know that creating an engaging culture starts at the top. Things like employee engagement are prioritized. They’re treated as a competitive advantage and a point of differentiation.

Great leaders communicate with their managers regularly and openly. They also rely on using metrics to hire and mentor great managers. Expectations of guards are widely communicated.

Strong leaders develop and stick to strategic business plans. These set the company tone and direction which can improve employee retention.

10. Use software to find and retain talent

The security industry is notorious for high turnover and makes recruitment continuous. It’s been difficult as a security manager to walk the line between tight margins and retaining your best resources. But today’s technology makes it easier to create an environment that favors retention.

Human resources (HR) recruitment software can help security firms find the best talent, by:

Streamlining administrative tasks
Speeding up the application process
Scoring candidates
Retaining seasonal employee data for callbacks

The best HR recruitment software works well with payroll and scheduling applications post-hire. Sometimes HR recruitment software is part of a larger solution suite referred to as Human Capital Management (HCM).

No matter the name, recruitment software helps find stronger candidates. Great recruitment software publishes links to job postings on popular websites, provides scheduling, helps conduct video interviews, sends offer letters, and helps with compliance reporting.

Time and labor management solutions like TrackTik’s HCM software use actual scheduling data to run accurate and regular payroll. This helps reinforce the firm as a responsible and reliable employer. Managers can limit overtime expenses while keeping more officers happy with tools to distribute staff shifts.

Plus, tracking and analyzing operational data can help supervisors recognize and reward high-performing individuals. Managers can consider ways to incentivize officers as appropriate.

Reduce Guard Turnover While Increasing Retention and Profitability with TrackTik

Physical security industry recruitment and retention are ongoing and require constant attention and improvement. Knowing how to reduce employee turnover must remain a priority for private security firms. But it’s worth the effort, especially when knowing that the average cost of replacing an employee is 25% of their total salary.

Understanding the causes of officer turnover is step one. Implementing our suggested hiring and employee retention strategies is step two. Step three is knowing whether you’ve got the right solution to support your operations.

We’ve made it easy and have laid out all the information you need to consider in our guide, Why (and how) To Switch to a New HR & Payroll Platform.

Discover Top 2023 Physical Security Technology Trends

Innovative and automated surveillance and communication technologies are needed to augment the guard workforce and reduce stress levels on overburdened employees. This article examines several key physical security challenges facing the private security industry in 2023, and how new physical security technology can be used to overcome them.

Posted by MarketingPosted on March 10, 2023

It’s 2023. For many in physical security, a new year brings new information that shows how much has changed in the industry. This info gives us a look into a world where the pandemic is behind us, and people have returned to offices, classrooms, stores, hotels, stadiums, and restaurants. Things like traffic, travel, and crowd size have all increased, and so has the need for security.

A new year also brings with it new challenges facing the private security industry. Industry surveys tell us that in 2023, security professionals are concerned with higher crime rates and increased threats of violence in the workplace. Criminals are getting better at exploiting businesses’ security vulnerabilities, and private contract security firms are struggling to meet staffing requirements.

Security Challenge: Higher Crime Rates
Security Challenge: Mass Violence & Workplace Safety
Security Challenge: Digital Vulnerabilities Leading to Physical Attacks
Security Challenge: Labor Shortages

Security Challenge: Higher Crime Rates

Inflation has boosted the value of stolen goods and criminals are well-aware that most police forces can’t respond to events or emergencies in a timely manner. This has led to increased criminal activity across all economic sectors. Higher crime rates will continue being one of the major challenges facing the security industry. In fact, 28% of survey respondents saw an increase in physical security incidents in 2022, and 91% believe the number of physical security incidents will increase or stay the same in 2023. One leading-edge security technology solution that can help understaffed security firms address higher crime rates is drones.

Drones

The latest security camera technology, aerial drones are multi-use security tools that give authorities an eye in the sky to monitor large areas and events for suspicious activity with minimal manpower. Drones provide expanded video surveillance beyond typical sight lines and help with perimeter security, crowd monitoring, and search and rescue operations.

Drone operators can quickly direct officers to where they’re needed most, enhancing protection efforts and response times for short-staffed security teams. One of the new trends in security technology that has lasting power, drones are great for:

Recording events in real-time
Pre-event site surveys
Helping design emergency evacuation routes
Tracking subjects on the move

Useful for perimeter security on the ground and in the air, drones can also be used to prevent unauthorized drones from entering the airspace over private properties and outdoor events.

Security Challenge: Mass Violence & Workplace Safety

Unfortunately, mass violence remains one of the challenges facing private security personnel. Every day, it seems like there’s another mass shooting reported in the news. This is a big factor adding to the security officer shortage – fewer people are willing to risk their lives protecting others from random gun violence.

And as employees return to work, there are additional safety considerations. With events like layoffs comes concern about increased workplace violence by disgruntled former employees. Businesses need to proactively prevent incidents of mass violence and improve worker safety without turning corporate offices, distribution centers, and factories into intimidating environments. Well-paced physical security technology can add layers of unassuming protection that blend into the structure yet complement personnel capabilities.

Modernized ACS

Modernized access control systems (ACS) are the latest security technology tools that automate or eliminate the need for in-person approvals or entry for authorized personnel and help overcome the front-line security staff shortage. Research indicates that 67% of organizations are planning to invest in modernized ACS in the workplace in 2023 as employees and visitors return to the office. It’s important and needed, with 30% of mass shootings happening in the workplace.

Examples of modern ACS include:

Fob- or keycard-controlled entryways
Anti-climb doors
One-way turnstiles
Magnetized emergency exit doors
Remote-controlled vehicle barricades and bollards
Smart combination locks
Biometric identification systems
Motion detectors
Cloud-connected devices

Video surveillance is another great tool to manage staffing shortages. Properly positioned cameras can keep officers stationed at central spots while monitoring other site areas for suspicious activity.

Intelligent Video Capture (IVC)

The latest technology in security cameras, Intelligent Video Capture (IVC) takes video surveillance to the next level. It uses smart heat- and motion-sensing cameras to alert guards to any suspicious activity they might otherwise miss. When applied to A.I, systems, IVC supports applications beyond human capabilities such as license plate scanning in parking lots, crowd-specific facial recognition for wanted individuals, airports and train stations, or the ability to quickly search through gigabytes of security footage for specific markers missed real-time or post-event investigation.

Soon, A.I.-enhanced IVC will be able to identify a wide range of activities and learn the difference between situations that do and don’t need attention. For example, recognizing a friendly embrace of two individuals versus aggressive behavior allows officers to focus on the most pressing issues.

Security Challenge: Digital Vulnerabilities Leading to Physical Attacks

Many criminals will choose to take the path of least resistance. They know most businesses cannot afford around-the-clock manned guarding services and will exploit areas lacking additional defenses.

Before even looking for the open door or unguarded trailer on site, many criminals will try to expose digital vulnerabilities remotely through phishing attacks and malware to access passwords, accounts, and customer data that could do more damage to the business than equipment theft – or use that information to follow up with a targeted physical attack to steal assets identified digitally. In response, a survey found 36% of IT and security professionals are looking to invest in cybersecurity-related tools to improve their physical security capabilities in 2023.

The following are two examples of how physical security technology can help overcome existing digital vulnerabilities.

Cybersecurity and Physical Security Integration

Integrated security technologies is one of the most popular new trends in security technology for good reason. Compensate for the lack of around-the-clock physical security by integrating cybersecurity tools such as remote video monitoring systems, robust access control measures as discussed above, alarm systems, and robotic patrols. Security integration technology solutions like tying video monitoring to artificial intelligence and analytics (IVC) can enhance security effectiveness and responsiveness to threats without human intervention.

Cloud-Connected Equipment

Providing officers with cloud-connected equipment that supports edge computing while on patrol enhances security over large areas, events, and campuses that normally present communication challenges. With A.I. becoming increasingly popular in security applications, it’s necessary for the tools and devices used by security personnel to be connected to the cloud. This helps with activities like ticket scanning and facial recognition and enables real-time secure communications among team members that are stationed far apart.

Security Challenge: Labor Shortages

Despite the fact that there are plenty of job openings, the public perception of being a security officer – low pay, long hours, solitary patrols, intensive training, and personal risk – shrinks the candidate hiring pool. Add high burnout and turnover rates and it’s clear that the other challenges facing the private security industry today stem from the root cause of labor shortages.

Asking employees to monitor assets and deter theft while on shift is much harder now. Pair that with the national police shortage most major cities are facing and it’s no wonder criminals are taking advantage. Cities are reporting longer response times to calls, fewer crimes solved, and higher crime rates.

As a result, businesses have turned to private security firms to help. While that’s great news for the industry, unfortunately, the same staffing issues affecting businesses and police departments have also impacted private security firms.

It’s hard to find enough qualified people, and even harder to retain them. There just aren’t enough hands and eyes to monitor every entrance, watch every customer, guard every asset, or track every vehicle. In fact, 50% of survey respondents said their physical security team experienced human resource challenges in 2022. That’s why security firms need to leverage innovative and integrated security technologies to address labor shortages.

Unified Security Solutions

Implementing unified software solutions optimized for security workforce management – like TrackTik’s talent management software – can streamline recruiting, hiring, and scheduling tasks, automate processes, and enhance overall team efficiency. The TrackTik Guarding Suite is another solution that can unify security operations, with features like real-time insight into checkpoint tour progress, dynamic location tracking, incident reporting, and more.

Automation and Analytics

We’re all being asked to do more with less, which only highlights the need for automation and analytics to meet security SLA commitments. Security technology trends like smart equipment (listed below) can take the stress off understaffed security teams:

Facial recognition
Robots
Robotic patrols
Access control
Automated alerts

Smart equipment can inform command center personnel of an impending hardware failure before it occurs. This allows security staff to focus on tasks that require critical thinking and judgment.

Leverage Technology to Meet the Private Security Challenges of 2023

There’s so much that we can learn about the state of the security market from 2022 data, and one thing is clear – the future of security is a combination of human and fully connected technology assets.

Security firms can use data and A.I. to enhance physical security, create safer environments, and develop a more skilled workforce. Combined, leveraging these emerging security technology solutions can help drive your firm forward. TrackTik can help you face the security challenges of 2023 with confidence.

Learn more about how the added value of TrackTik’s workforce management software can help you overcome 2023’s security challenges.

Download White Paper: The Added Value of TrackTik 360

5 Benefits of Using HR Recruitment Software for Security Businesses

hand holding a tablet with graphics of applicant profiles floating above it

Posted by MarketingPosted on February 22, 2023

What is recruitment software and how is it part of an HR software suite?

Think of recruitment software as a way to take all the redundant, manual labor that makes up the hiring process and automating it while improving outcomes. From writing and posting job descriptions to sending out employment offers, recruitment software streamlines nearly everything, leaving you with only the necessary processes that require human intervention.

Recruitment software typically integrates into a larger HCM (Human Capital Management) software suite by contributing data and analytics to other programs like employee engagement and payroll. It also feeds employee information directly into these other systems, meaning you never have to enter information twice.

Suppose you’re using security workforce management software. In that case, it’s possible that your HR recruiting software can feed employee information into those systems as well to avoid redundant data entry and give a complete picture of your security business.

TrackTik HCM Suite — TrackTik’s Human Capital Management Suite *Learn more about the TrackTik HCM Security Solution*

The main benefits of recruitment software for security firms

Security businesses want to hire the right guards and admin staff. Ideally, they’d like to keep them around as well. Recruitment software can help you find the right employees with less work while at the same time improving employee retention. It can also remove bottlenecks in the hiring process, preventing unnecessary labor costs, and helping you avoid audits with tax reporting features. Read more about the benefits of recruitment software below.

1. Prevent and even predict real labor cost problems

Overtime prevention

Nothing affects the overhead of your security business like unplanned overtime expenses. Your HR software can help prevent these costly mistakes before they occur by giving you warnings during scheduling and shift changes while predicting when you need to address staff shortages.

2. Reduce the likelihood of IRS, Department of Labor, and ACA compliance audits

Staying compliant with tax laws used to involve lots of manual labor to avoid fines and penalties. But HCM recruiting and reporting software eliminates most of the complexities in reporting, making compliance easy.

For the security industry, there are extra challenges that come from higher turnover and unique tax reporting requirements. Some HR software suites are specifically designed for security reporting needs, eliminating hours that could be devoted to more pressing priorities.

HR compliance tools can also help you avoid losing track of employee eligibility across administrative periods with automated reminders that flag eligible staff members and display remaining hours. For example, if any of your guards are eligible for benefits, you’ll get the right reminders needed to maintain compliance and satisfy employee expectations.

3. Avoid administrative bottlenecks with ease

Clunky manual processes can grind the recruiting process to a halt. That’s why automation is so key in removing bottlenecks that typically add weeks to the hiring process and is especially useful when you need guards and admin staff in days. HR recruitment software has the ability to quickly eliminate these bottlenecks that prevent talent management teams from finding the right guards.

Application times

Application processes should be quick. A Paycor study suggests that you can lose 50% of applicants if your application takes more than 10 minutes to complete. A good HCM software solution will feature ways to cut down application times by avoiding steps like requiring applicants to log in and offering speedy application templates to work off of. The registration process is a needless bottleneck that can add extra time to the process and is redundant for prospective employees.

Remember that other security firms are competing for the same workers. Something as simple as reducing application time can ensure that you have the best chance to recruit top physical security talent.

Offer letters

Avoid leaving the system with HR software that lets you send offer letters directly. Ask for an e-signature rather than requiring prospective employees to find a printer and scanner or come in physically.

4. Interview stronger candidates

A reported 75% of recruiters and talent managers use some form of HR recruiting software, with 94% saying it has improved their hiring process. HR recruitment software enables you to find those candidates that are like needles in a haystack. To increase your odds of finding the right employee, you need to meet them where they are: whether that’s on their phone, tablet, or laptop. Job applicants can apply from anywhere and at any time, giving you more options to fill open roles. Given how hard it can be to find guards in this day and age, it’s critical to open up job postings to as many qualified job seekers as possible.

Better yet, you can even schedule video interviews within the HR recruitment software platform. This is crucial when setting up interviews for potential security workers that live far away from your primary office.

Want to avoid digging through your notes? Save interview feedback automatically through handy features like talent scoring that make candidate assessments a breeze. Talent scoring is especially useful if you’re looking to justify the quality of new hires to key stakeholders.

Job postings

Good HR recruitment software will cut countless hours from your job posting tasks by allowing you to automatically publish job postings to websites like Indeed and LinkedIn. You can also easily create a career site that matches your branding, an extra touch that speaks volumes about your security firm to candidates that are evaluating job listings.

Worried about sorting through unqualified resumes? HCM software features screening that can automatically block resumes that don’t meet your standards.

5. Increase employee retention

There’s no denying that employee turnover is an issue the security industry struggles with. Guards either work in security temporarily in their careers or find their roles lacking in some way. Fortunately, HR recruitment software is able to help you retain employees in a few different ways.

Engagement

One way employees grow disinterested in their work is through a lack of positive recognition. In-person praise and rewards are always critical, but you can easily make a guard’s day by recognizing them over a mobile device or computer. Such communication makes guards feel more connected to your team and overall workplace culture, enhancing their sense of purpose.

Reports and analytics

Data and analytics can help you understand where and why you’re losing guards. With HR recruitment software, you can cross-reference compensation and turnover rates to see what wages are necessary to retain your best guards and admin staff. Also, look at absenteeism and other factors that contribute to employee reviews.

Conclusion

In an environment where the labor market is more competitive than ever, HR recruitment software is not only necessary but essential for top security firms looking to differentiate themselves. Upon implementing such a solution, taking advantage of the many benefits of recruitment software is equally as critical.

After all, software that streamlines the hiring process opens the recruitment field to as many talented workers as possible. And when you find the right people for your roles, you don’t want anything to slow you down.

When you’ve landed key personnel, don’t forget to take the necessary steps to keep them in your workforce. For that, you’ll need HR recruitment software.

Learn more about TrackTik’s new talent management software by reading our Buyer’s Guide.

Top 10 Security Company Marketing Tips

How do you market a security guard company, or more specifically, how do you win new clients for a security guard company? There is no single “right” way to market your security guard business; you need a unique and effective marketing plan. Utilize these marketing ideas to improve the marketing strategy of your security guard firm.

Posted by Kristen WeberPosted on January 19, 2023

How do you market a security guard company, or more specifically, how do you win new clients for a security guard company? Many firms put their name and logo on company patrol vehicles and uniforms worn by staff on the job. They’ll have a website and maybe a Google business listing. And while that’s a good start, it’s not marketing – it’s advertising.

Marketing your security company is about:

Knowing what you’re good at
Where you stand out
Effectively communicating the value your service delivers to an identified target audience
Providing easy avenues for customers to engage with you to grow the business

There is no single “right” way to market your security guard business; there are too many variables to build a one-size-fits-all strategy given different target markets, workforce sizes, areas of expertise, competitors, economic pressures, and of course, budget. You need a plan.

An effective marketing plan for your security company should answer these questions:

What are your goals?
- Acquire X number of customers or achieve X% sales growth

What is your marketing mix?
- Local event sponsorships, print publications, search ads, social media, email campaigns, etc.

What is your budget?
- Include the cost of events, ads, and expenses for in-house staff or a marketing agency

What is your timing?
- Aligned with local events, or are campaigns running all year or only during specific months

How are you tracking the results?
- Reporting tools, spreadsheets, or CRM software

Here are 10 tips to help you answer these security marketing questions. Utilize these marketing ideas to improve the marketing strategy of your security guard firm:

1. Understand Your Market
2. Perform a Competitive Analysis
3. Build Your Messaging Strategy
4. Leverage Branding
5. Maximize Your Website
6. Email as a Campaign
7. Advertisements
8. Online Listings
9. Social Media
10. Report, Refine, Repeat

1. Understand Your Market

Who do you provide local security services to? To find the right clients looking for security services, learn what kinds of businesses dominate your market, can use protection, and are a good fit for your services. Adapt your services to those types of companies and zero in on your target audience. Analyze maps and business demographics. A local chamber of commerce is a good place to start.

The responsibilities and workforce needs of commercial property management and security are different from retail, residential, corporate, or event security, for example. Is your geography populated with a string of automobile dealerships, a college or university, a large stadium, or industrial parks? Is there an unmet demand for armed guard services in your market? Position your firm as the security expert with businesses popular in your market and build a niche.

2. Perform a Competitive Analysis

Any marketing strategy for your private security company is incomplete without competitive analysis. Research your top competitors with an eye on scale. What are they doing to market their services? Analyze their messaging and tactics used. Is it working? Emulate it. Is it off-base? Position your firm differently from them. What types of customers are they focused on winning? Is there enough business to go around, or have they monopolized a segment of the market to the point where you should focus on another facet of security?

Also, when comparing your firm to others, do so against businesses of a similar size. If your firm employs 50 guards, benchmarking performance against a competitor with 500 guards and 10 times the marketing resources will not yield apples-to-apples results.

3. Build Your Messaging Strategy

From the customer’s perspective, the purpose of physical security guard services is to protect their business assets and ensure the safety of their employees, visitors, and customers. Tailor your marketing message to address your audience’s goals –and highlight what makes your business unique. If you have targeted Business Improvement Districts (BIDS) for example, focus on how your firm can ensure the safety of the entire community through guards trained to use technology for real-time monitoring and response. Going after retailers? Talk about how your guards are trained to deal with incidents of smash-and-grab theft. Specializing in event security? Explain how your guards are thoroughly versed in crowd control, emergency evacuation procedures, and first aid. Addressing multiple markets? Segment your message by the motivating factors specific to each target audience.

4. Leverage Branding

Your brand – the sum total of your company name, logo, colors, imagery, and design – should be implemented consistently across the business. Employees should be instantly recognizable as security officers by the public as well as by would-be criminals for visual deterrence. Your security company branding should be prominently displayed on officer uniforms, patrol vehicles, video recording and monitoring equipment, letterhead, incident reporting forms, and signage. A sign saying, “These premises are patrolled by XXX Security,” with the company logo present never hurts. And of course, your website and social media sites should present a professional image to potential customers and to employees for recruitment and training purposes.

5. Maximize Your Website

Besides presenting a professional branded image to potential customers and employees, your website should be secure, mobile-friendly, and reinforce the message that your firm is the local market leader in your chosen area of security expertise. Digital marketing for security brands typically starts with a well-built website. Populate the website with search-engine-optimized (SEO) articles, service pages, case studies, and videos that will help drive traffic to your website from search engines. In addition to pages about the services you provide and markets you serve, be sure to have clear calls-to-action that encourage visitors to contact you, request a quote, or view employment opportunities. If your firm provides digital insights, analytics, and advanced online reporting of criminal activity and key performance indicators (KPI) to clients, showcase those capabilities and solutions as well. List all professional associations in which your firm participates. Finally, have a page of customer testimonials and reviews to build credibility.

6. Email as a Campaign

Email marketing for your security company can also be an important element of your digital marketing strategy. When emailing customers and prospects, design your communications as a series of short, related messages rather than a one-time note. If you are focusing on a niche – take auto dealerships as an example – spend time researching and building a list of prospective customers to include in your campaign. Develop a theme and point them to interesting content on your website about a new solution, upcoming event, or criminal trend. Follow up with a message asking if they had time to check out what you sent, and then another with how your firm can replicate the results, or prevent a similar fate from happening to them. Include calls to action in every message, like a free security consultation offer or an invitation to subscribe to a newsletter. Ask for an appointment to discuss next steps or invite them to read content that requires a form fill in order to capture contact information.

7. Advertisements

Security company marketing should include advertising. Advertise in both online and traditional media. Website banner ads and print ads on local publication websites can be inexpensive and effective. Paid search pay-per-click (PPC) ads such as Google ads are highly effective, but you’ll need to dedicate a budget and need someone experienced in digital marketing to manage the campaign. Is your firm handling security at a concert, ball game, or auto show? Take an ad in the playbill or program touting the security services provided by your firm at the event. Print your brand and contact info on promotional items and give out pens, calendars, or stress relief squishy balls at local community events to keep your name top of mind. Signs posted outside the entrances of client businesses are free advertisements for your firm. Ask clients for permission to post signage at every entrance.

8. Online Listings

Make sure your firm is accurately included in local online business directories such as Google My Business, Yelp Biz, and even lesser-known search engines such as Bing Places under “Security Guard Services.” There are also services like Yext that will help you manage dozens of business listing sites in one place. According to a 2022 Brightlocal consumer survey, 93% of consumers use the internet to find a local business, with 34% searching every day. Put your name out there.

Social media has evolved into an effective outreach tool. The key to effective social media marketing for security companies is having a presence in the right digital spaces and matching the message to your clients. Start with a Facebook Business page. It’s okay to be informal on Facebook. Use a mixture of high-profile photos, videos, and posts showing your guards in action. Include customer comments and always have a link to your website in Facebook posts. Instagram is a great way to reach people on their mobile devices. Post pics of your team and boast about your employees and their accomplishments. Tagging people and locations in photos can help spread the word among user groups.

Use LinkedIn to reach other professionals outside your established network to promote your business and engage with prospects. Always maintain the highest levels of professionalism on LinkedIn. LinkedIn Jobs is an inexpensive and effective means to help you recruit new talent. It’s critical that you consistently post content on these platforms that feels fresh and informative to keep your name in front of prospects and prevent your social media accounts from getting stale.

10. Report, Refine, Repeat

How effective is the marketing plan for your security company? It can be hard to tell until results come in. How much did you spend, and how many new clients did you land? Track the results through your Customer Retention Management (CRM) application or by using a spreadsheet. When evaluating your efforts, be sure to pick a consistent metric, such as the same time period from a year ago, or only clients that fit a specific profile. Identify the triggers that moved a client to sign a contract or increase their hours and focus on those factors in your next marketing campaign.

Marketing is about customer acquisition AND retention

At the end of the day, security marketing is not just about finding new business, but also retaining current customers. The costs associated with customer acquisition mean that technically, every new account comes to you at a loss. It is only through customer retention over time that the account contributes to the profitability of the business. Building these tips into your marketing efforts will not only reduce the cost of customer acquisition, but will also lead to long-lasting relationships that will improve your bottom line.

TrackTik offers this advice because we want to see all security guard firms realize their potential. We provide security workforce management software tools and solutions that help security firms optimize their workforce to achieve their growth objectives.

Top 12 HR & Payroll Service Features for Security Operations

As a business in the security industry, you’ve got a few options when it comes to HR and payroll. You can do it all manually in-house, outsource to a bookkeeper or CPA, or you can choose an HR and payroll service provider which comes in the form of HCM software.

Posted by MarketingPosted on January 12, 2023

As a business in the security industry, you’ve got a few options when it comes to HR and payroll. You can do it all manually in-house which comes with a ballooning workload and a significant risk of costly errors. You can outsource your payroll with a bookkeeper or CPA. This is an expensive but largely stress-free route as long as you can trust the person or agency you’re outsourcing to. And lastly, you can choose an HR and payroll service provider which comes in the form of HCM software.

What is HCM software?

HCM stands for Human Capital Management. It’s software that includes human resources and (often) payroll solutions for your business.

HCM software is a big step up from manual systems such as Excel spreadsheets or notebooks. The best HCM providers offer the gift of automation to remove countless hours from the workweek while helping you avoid compliance mistakes that can cost thousands in fines.

However, not every HR and payroll service is going to give you the right solution for your security business. Some services will not suit your size of business, while others may not have the implementation program that gets you up and running properly with your HCM system.

To save hours of work while growing your business, you have to make sure you’re choosing the right HR and payroll provider. They’re your partner in growth and choosing the right partner requires careful consideration. You need to ask the right questions.

Is the HR and Payroll Service Compatible with your Business?

The most critical consideration for your potential HR and payroll partner is compatibility. As in all relationships, you have to make sure that your partner is the right fit. To choose the right HR software, consider the following criteria.

1. Expertise on Industry Challenges

The security industry has unique HR and payroll challenges. Specific regulations apply to the guard staff and your business as a whole. Ideally, you want an HCM software and payroll service provider that is able to accommodate your industry-specific needs and has experience with other security businesses.

2. Size

You also want to make sure the human resource software you’re using makes sense for your size of business. Some software providers only focus on Enterprise-level businesses which likely wouldn’t suit your security operations. You also need to know if the service provider is appropriate for your plans to grow your business. Can they grow with you or are they best suited for a business of your current size?

3. Payroll and Labour Expertise

The right payroll and human resources software provider will have years of experience working with HR and payroll leaders. It takes a long time to properly hone a software solution that meets their needs and that can only come from a long and direct relationship with leading professionals.

4. Integrations

Security operations are often using Security Workforce Management Software (SWMS). If that’s the case for your business then you would greatly benefit from a HR and payroll provider that integrates seamlessly with your SWMS. This setup comes with numerous advantages. With an integrated HR and payroll system, you can avoid re-entering information for employees and have any changes made within one piece of the software reflected immediately in the others.

Your schedules can be created in the back end, verified by software on the front end and automatically sent to payroll for processing after approval. This will significantly speed up the time to process payroll while automating routine tasks that normally take hours.

5. HR and Payroll Software Implementation

With your service provider, you need a partner, not a seller. Ask about their implementation model. Does it include quality training and adoption and is their end goal to create confident users? Or does it seem like the person assisting you will be more focused on upselling?

If you can’t get insights directly from the service provider, you can always go to impartial review sites, such as Capterra and G2, to get valuable insight from other users.

6. Implementation Rollout

Before getting started, you’ll need to know what the HR and payroll software implementation timeline is going to be like and what fees occur at each stage. Will your system go live all at once or incrementally? See if your potential HR and Payroll service can provide you with a couple of references so you can inquire about how the implementation went.

You will need an understanding of what’s required of you and what data you’re going to need when you get started. Typically, your provider will require department names, job classifications, deductions and specific employee information such as their Social Security numbers and home addresses.

7. Platform Usability

HR and Payroll platforms often look nice when presented in a demo but aren’t always user-friendly when you go hands-on. A good service provider should offer a user-focused software experience that meets employees where they are: on a mobile device. That’s why any platform you consider should have strong mobile app support.

8. Employee Self-Service

Your time is valuable and you don’t want to be spending it sending your guards their schedules or pay stubs. Your platform should enable employees to get that information on their own and have the flexibility to give your security personnel what they need based on your company’s specific requirements.

9. Security Functionality

Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is a necessary security feature for any company to protect sensitive data such as employee information. Make sure the HR and payroll platform has this security feature including the option to allow for social sign-in (SSI). You want to be secure but don’t want to needlessly annoy your employees. SSI will help ease the burden of MFA.

10. HR Reporting and Analytics

When one of your stakeholders needs a report, the last thing you want to do is make them wait. With a truly integrated platform, you should be seconds away from an up-to-date report at any given moment. And your software should be able to give you true analytics that are easily interpretable and provide answers to business-critical issues. Need to benchmark against your competitors? Your software needs to make this comparison quick and easy.

11. HR and Payroll Compliance

Filing personal income taxes is nothing compared to what small businesses have to go through. Business taxes can be a literal nightmare with fines looming around every corner for every error. In fact, 77% of small businesses say income taxes create extra burdens for them (National Federation of Independent Business).

As a business owner, you have to comply with ACA, equal opportunity, fair labor, federal, state and local tax laws and many more. If you make a small error such as incorrectly classifying an employee, it could get you in a lot of trouble with the IRS. A staggering 30% of companies misclassify employees and have faced potential fines or worse (National Employment Law Project).

Finding an HR and payroll service provider that helps you stay compliant is critical in today’s business environment. While HR compliance tools and software help decrease risk, smart automation will ensure that if you’re not in compliance, you’ll receive handy notifications to let you know.

12. Audits

If you do happen to face an audit, your software provider should be able to give you the reports you need right away. A good service will have IRS reporting built in so that you don’t have to stress when you get that dreaded audit notice in the mail.

There’s one last thing to look for in your HR and Payroll service provider and it’s a pretty obvious one.

Ask some questions about their customer service. Will your company have a dedicated service representative? Will you be able to talk to someone the second you have an issue or will you have to take a ticket and wait? And how helpful are their customer service reps really? You may have to talk to some of their references to get the answers you’re looking for but it will be worth it. Choosing the wrong service provider can be a costly mistake.

Check out our latest webinar, “For the Love of Payroll”, to learn more about how to implement a payroll solution tailored for the security industry.

How to Win Security Contracts and Beat The Competition

Win more contracts, stand out from the crowd, and be the go-to security firm in your region by understanding the market, and following these tips.

Posted by MarketingPosted on January 5, 2023

Win more contracts, stand out from the crowd, and be the go-to security firm in your region by understanding the market, and following these tips.

We’ve all been there before. The schedule is starting to thin out, and you’re wondering how to secure more security contracts for your firm. You might be searching online for things like “How to get more contracts for security guard services” while you begin to sweat about making payroll two months from now. This guide will show you how to win security contracts and expand your business presence.

1. Know Your Competition

The first step in growing the success of your security firm is to know and understand your competition. How do you find out who your competitors are? Start by using your state’s business license database to find out how many other firms operate on the same market you are in.

Most states host this info on their respective Secretary of State website, and it should be free to use. This will allow you to find out not only the name and location of your professional peers, but also valuable contact info of who is in charge.

After you gather that data, start contacting these firms to ask about things like base pricing, number of employees, and the availability of those firms to get guards on site. If most of them are booked solid, that means there is a high demand for the service in your area, meaning plenty of room for you to grow.

Another important piece of info to have is how much they are paying their employees. Understanding the pay rates in your area can give your company the advantage. You might be on the low side of competitive pay for your market, or you could offer their staff more to come work for your firm. Check out this resource to learn about pay rates in your area.

2. Understand Your Market

Start by finding out how many businesses exist in the area you want to grow into that use contract security services, and who they currently use. Since you already have the data from the first step about existing security contractors, you can easily track down who has contracts with the clients you want to capture.

Using the same state business database you obtained competitor info from, you can also get the same info on potential clients looking for security services. Also, scour your local and regional news outlets for upcoming events that you could bid on for more security contracts in the short term. This will be invaluable as you gather the details on how to get more security contracts for your firm.

3. Make Your Firm Stand Out

What special security services can you offer? What security guard management technology can you use? How well are your employees trained?

These are the questions you should be answering to win more contracts, and have your firm be ahead of the curve. Employee management is another critical component of success, and the latest tools will greatly assist you in that task.

4. Make The Investment

Your employees should be your top investment priority when looking at training, management, and equipment expenditures.

If you are not taking care of the people who represent your firm to clients, how do you expect them to take care of your firm? Competitive pay is only one aspect of maintaining a strong workforce, another is what you invest in your team.

Can your team manage their shifts, communicate with other team members, request time off and review their benefits with ease? Investing in how you manage your team (Human Capital Management) can save guard managers time managing HR tasks and improve your employees’ experience. It’s important to learn more about time management for yourself and your people.

5. Your Marketing Message

When you are putting your firm out into the digital jungle, effectively communicating the message you are trying to convey is paramount to getting more security contracts. Working with a marketing team can ease this burden and show potential clients that your security firm is ready for any task.

It’s also important to show potential clients how you effectively use technology to enhance the scope and efficiency of your private security company. Another trick of the trade is to showcase your team and share their specialized training and some brief personal details to help clients learn about your firm and its talent.

6. Building Professional Relationships

We’re all trying to accomplish the same task: win security contracts and provide the best service to our clients. Often, we might want to cast our competition in a negative light to win a new security contract, but cooperation will get you much further.

By building up positive and helpful relationships with your competitors, you might find them sending potential clients your way, or referring your firm directly for a new security contract bid.

A great starting point is to find info for your local chamber of commerce and see what networking events they have scheduled. Some other great ways to build professional contacts is to attend trade events, get registered and certified training from ASIS, and invite your competitors to professional outings like lunch or charity events to build those relationships.

Winning More Security Contracts is Essential

Your security firm’s success depends on beating the competition and winning security contracts. Positioning your company to best respond and meet the needs of each potential client is key to landing more contracts.

By following these steps, you are well on your way to cementing your firm as the best choice for clients looking to address their physical security needs into 2023 and beyond.

Holiday Security Services: More Than A Seasonal Opportunity

Holiday season is here and for most that means it’s time to relax, maybe take a little year-end vacation, spend some time with family, go to parties and events, and do a little shopping. But for those in the private security industry the holidays can be the busiest time of year. Providing security services during […]

Lone Workers: Staying Calm in the Eye of the Storm

Posted by MarketingPosted on December 16, 2022

Providing security services during the holidays is a tremendous opportunity for business growth. Clients that do not normally utilize live guards suddenly need them, those that do have a live guard presence on-site increase their man hours, plus a number of public and private annual events means there’s more than enough work to go around.

This is the time to upsell additional services such as event security, parking lot monitoring, and supplemental guards to address existing clients’ holiday needs and extended hours. Approach new accounts about adding security to this year’s holiday party or doorbuster event. Speak to local government agencies about providing security services for large scale public events.

The Need for Seasonal Holiday Security Services

The 2022 holiday season is expected to see a return to pre-pandemic levels of crowds, travelers, shoppers, traffic, and partygoers.

That means more vehicle break-ins and incidents of purse-snatching and pickpocketing, more crowd and traffic control, more fights among intoxicated people, more shoplifting, more separated parents and children, more medical emergencies and accidents suffered by visitors and guests, more, well, everything.

Security guards are needed to provide a visible, physical deterrent to crime and to stop incidents of theft in progress by those bold enough to try. They assist in directing foot and vehicle traffic at events, bring order to chaos at the entrance to retail stores on Black Friday, watch for shoplifters, handle crowd control at a parade while looking for signs of terror, and serve as first responders and a liaison to police in case of emergency.

Recruiting for Temporary Security Guards

The trouble is, with so many people preferring to wind down at the end of the year, it can be a challenge for private security companies to achieve the boost in temporary staffing levels necessary to take advantage of seasonal opportunities.

If you want to hire seasonal security officers, here are a few tips to shore up your holiday recruiting efforts:

Try to rehire the same temporary officers each year. This will speed your ramp up with minimal on-boarding and limit training to refresher courses for experienced officers. Keep a list of those who worked the holiday season last year.
Consider students and retirees. Is there a group of snowbirds who flock to your city every year in time for the holidays, or a local college with students looking for work over winter break
Hire veterans seeking to reenter the workforce. Veterans are usually extremely reliable and familiar with basic security principles.
Contract with an employment agency specializing in temporary workers. There will be a fee, but these agencies are tapped into populations of workers seeking short-term employment.
Hire women. Security isn’t always about the physical attributes males bring to the job, and even if it were, there are plenty of women up to the task of handling it. Don’t miss out on half the population.

Seasonal employment is a great opportunity for newcomers to the security industry. If you actively recruit for holiday security jobs, you may just find a diamond in the rough to keep all year round.

Security Challenges for the Holidays

Holiday security needs and guard behaviors will differ by environment. TrackTik segments the holiday security market into four areas: Holiday Events, Corporate, Independent Businesses, and Retailers.

Consider these tips and techniques to meet the needs of your seasonal clients more effectively:

Holiday Event Security Challenges

Security for one-time or annual holiday events is necessary for company holiday parties, Black Friday sales, bowl games, church events, parades, concerts, and public New Year’s Eve gatherings.

Private security firms should collaborate with corporate clients about holiday plans, and with event organizers, police, and government agencies to assist with crowd control and safety at public events.

Your guards should be monitoring for and trained to deal with risks of crowd control and stampedes, and domestic terrorism stemming from gun violence, vehicle ramming attacks, etc.

Corporate Event Security Challenges

Corporate clients may require after-hours security for events such as office holiday parties on company property. Private security firms can provide office Christmas party security guards to perform access point management, pre-entry checking and escorting of authorized employees and guests, monitor on-premises security cameras, patrol parking lots, and handle intoxicated partygoers.

Your guards should be trained in access control as well as de-escalation tactics to deter party crashers, control inebriated guests, and minimize liability issues like stopping drunk employees from driving home.

Independent Business Security Challenges

Independent businesses see a rise in visitor traffic, shipments, deliveries – and crime – during the holidays.

Private security firms can help independent businesses and their customers stay safe by identifying security vulnerabilities, monitoring the flow of traffic and packages into and out of the business, and patrolling parking lots to protect visitors and unattended vehicles with valuable gifts inside.

Your guards should be trained in situational awareness, identifying suspicious behaviors, use of force, and how to correct surveillance distractions and blockages caused by holiday decorations.

Holiday Shopping Security Challenges for Retailers

Retailers present perhaps the most lucrative opportunities for holiday security services. It’s peak retail theft and shoplifting season. In fact, 54% of small business owners report an increase in shoplifting during the holidays.

An enhanced guard presence is needed to manage large crowds of shoppers during Black Friday and extended retail hours. Private security firms can help retailers direct foot traffic, intervene in customer disputes over the last trendy item, and of course, keep an eye out for shoplifters to minimize losses to theft.

Your guards should be trained in crowd control, de-escalation techniques, and theft prevention. Store management should give guards a tour of the premises to help direct customers to products if asked for directions, or to exits in case of emergency.

Holiday Security Services Can be More than just a Seasonal Opportunity

A positive experience at this most crucial time of year can lead to year-round client relationships and holistic business growth. TrackTik offers the software tools you need to scale your workforce for the holidays.

3 Ways Contract Security Can Improve Customer Retention

Posted by MarketingPosted on December 5, 2022

Recessions affect all industries, but it seems like the physical security sector is affected from two sides. On the one side, supply chain disruptions (a leading cause of the current economic situation) have limited companies’ abilities to procure equipment and supplies. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports an 8.3% price increase on all goods compared to last year. On the other side, security companies’ clients are hurting, and security is typically one of the first expenses cut from the budget.

Since business owners can’t control supply chain issues or the rising cost of goods, the key to survival is client retention and developing a stable customer base. According to research, a simple 5% increase in customer retention can cause a 25% increase in profit — exactly what businesses need during an economic turndown. Follow these tips to build a customer retention strategy that’ll help your security business survive the recession.

Build Deeper Relationships with Your Clients

Customers tend to stick with vendors they like. And making your customers like you is more than just low prices and quality service; it’s about how they personally feel about you and your business.

For example, you might have the lowest prices on the market, but if your customers don’t trust you or even like working with you, do you think they’ll stick around? The answer is, likely not. If you want your security business to become recession-proof, take the time to build your customer relationships.

One of the best ways to increase customer loyalty and develop stronger relationships is to become invested in your clients’ businesses and lives. Communicate with your customers, ask them how their business is going, and talk about what improvements they’d like to see — both with your service and with their industry as a whole. Not only will this grow your relationship, but you might also be surprised by what you learn. You could find a way to make your contract security services even better and more desirable.

Since communication is the cornerstone of any relationship (business or personal), being transparent with your clients is a pillar of a good client retention strategy and another way to deepen your business relationships. Maintain constant lines of communication with your clients and share reporting information from your workforce management software. That way, your clients know exactly what they’re paying for, which increases your trustworthiness and strengthens your relationship even further.

Improve the Quality of Your Service by Investing in Your Guards

You’re not the only person interacting with your clients. Clients will see and talk to your guards more than they’ll talk to you, so it’s important to focus on your employees and improve the quality of your service as a major part of your customer retention strategy.

Quality of service is arguably the most important KPI for customer retention. According to research, 89% of businesses compete on customer service. If you want to beat the competition and retain customers, it’s not about pricing at all; it’s about the quality of service.

In the private security industry, you can’t simply improve your manufacturing processes or use higher quality materials. Your “product” is the security and services you provide. The only way to improve the quality of your services is to invest in your guards.

One of the simplest ways to provide better customer service is to use the same guards for each client. This builds familiarity between your team and the client, improving the quality of the services and building a stronger relationship. This is also when guard retention and investing in your team pays off.

Sharing relevant information is an important part of good security guard management. Before you send your team to a job site, it’s also beneficial to brief them about the client. Let your guards know about the customer’s specific expectations and goals. Guards who understand the customer are more invested in providing quality service. The more personal, the better.

Not only does providing higher quality services increase your customer retention, but it may also bring in more business through word of mouth. If your clients are happy with your service, they may tell others in their industry. It never hurts to have a waiting list of customers during a recession.

Focus on Reputation Management

Your reputation precedes you. This isn’t just something villains say in the movies; it’s true in the business world, too. The better your business reputation, the higher your existing customers will think of you and (perhaps just as importantly) the more clients who will want to work with you — both of which are incredibly important for surviving a recession.

In addition to improving your quality of service and training your guards, there are other backend processes that you can use to manage your reputation. Processes like being reliable with invoices along with reporting and contract management are important aspects to any business relationship.

For example, you could provide the best physical security services in the industry, but if you’re inconsistent with invoicing and difficult to contact, clients won’t want to work with you. Then, they’ll tell others in the industry about the difficulties of working with you, and your business will struggle.

One of the most effective ways to build your business reputation is to focus on contract obligations. Since you can’t always be on site to manage your team, use workforce management software like TrackTik. It can connect frontline operations to your back-office management to ensure client expectations are met (or exceeded) and contract requirements are fulfilled.

Work with your Clients to Work Through the Recession

Inconsistency is the enemy of modern business. Between the varying cost of goods and the economy as a whole, the best way to make your security business recession-proof is to create stability within your client base.

By focusing on your customers and solidifying your relationships with quality service, you can develop a strong customer retention strategy that’ll ensure positive cashflow and get your business through the recession. In the end, your customers are going through hard times, too. Work with them and get through it together.

When everyone on your team has the right information at their fingertips, your business can run more efficiently and provide higher quality services to get you and your clients through these difficult economic times. If you want to see how TrackTik security workforce management software can help your business provide a better customer experience and retain clients, sign up for a demo today.

Are Police Shortages Impacting the Security Industry?

“We’re stretched thin.” That statement exemplifies the situation across many police departments across the US, which are struggling with critical staffing shortages. According to a recent CNN report, “Departments in places like Kansas City, Atlanta, Portland, Dallas, and Seattle are facing staffing shortages numbering in the hundreds.” How bad is the police officer shortage? According […]

Posted by MarketingPosted on November 23, 2022

How bad is the police officer shortage?

According to the CNN report:

Kansas City Police Department: down about 100 crucial non-law enforcement positions, including 911 dispatchers, mechanics and analysts, and down more than 200 officers
Atlanta Police Department: down about 250 officers
Dallas Police Department: down about 550 officers
Portland Police Department: down about 100 officers
Seattle Police Department: down about 135 detectives

Why is there a shortage of police officers?

The reasons for police officer shortages are many, but most attributable to “multiple social, political, and economic forces,” including generational differences, negative perceptions of policing and the long hiring process of many agencies, according to a survey by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

On average, officers train for eight months before they can patrol the streets alone, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, which means it can take years to fill open jobs. Additional factors include low pay, burnout, and additional health regulations associated with COVID-19.

The effect police workforce shortages can have on local communities includes longer response times for calls, fewer crimes solved, and higher crime rates. Unfortunately, these nationwide staffing shortages are affecting not only law enforcement, but private security.

The Impact of Security Guard Shortages

Staffing shortages within police departments have trickled into the private security industry. While the demand for private security remains, more and more businesses are seeing security guard shortages.

A recent incident at the at the National Museum of African American History and Culture underlines this increased security threat posed by workforce shortages.

In January, “an unidentified man walked in through an exit-only door, bypassing metal detectors and screening procedures.” According to a report on the incident: “the breach happened because the museum is so short-staffed that no guard was posted at the door.” “He was in the building for more than five minutes. He could have been armed, had explosives. He definitely wasn’t supposed to come in,” said Tanesha Sollers, who works as an armed security guard for the museum. “There was no officer there, nobody to stop him.”

When police departments and private security and guarding teams experience staffing shortages, it raises the threat landscape. Just like in the museum example, security vulnerabilities are more likely to slip past undetected.

Compromised Access Control

If there is a shortage of security guards, access control could be compromised with fewer staff checking access control credentials and preventing “piggybacking.” Video surveillance feeds may not have as many sets of eyes on them. And response to critical situations and assisting in the event of an emergency can be compromised.

What can security companies do?

Security teams can take the initiative to ramp up recruiting and guard retention. With a well staffed team private security companies will be ready to support local law enforcement and meet the contract security demands. Steps private security firms can take include:

Training, mentorship and professional development for new and established security guards
Attract new talent by offering competitive pay and benefits
Recruiting potential new officers from other industries, such as veterans
Marketing security guard positions and highlighting what makes them attractive — particularly, work-hour flexibility and opportunities for career advancement
Ensuring that they are integrated to the enterprise and facility’s security team so they feel empowered
Employing advanced guard tour technology to improve security guard effectiveness and improve guard efficiency

The truth is that there are no quick fixes to the current private physical security and police workforce crisis. The impact on both private and government security is concerning. But through implementing creative solutions and rethinking how to adapt and support local and state police, private security can serve as a key factor in supporting law enforcement in the protection of our communities.

Smart Business Moves to Grow Security Firms in the Recession

Learn what savvy business leaders do when they sense an economic downturn on the horizon.

Posted by MarketingPosted on November 4, 2022

Circle the wagons. Control the controllables. Batten down the hatches. Whichever catchphrase resonates with you, it’s what savvy business leaders do when they sense an economic downturn on the horizon.

The contract security guard industry is not immune to the effects of a recession, in fact its impact might be more acute. When a recession hits, business owners reevaluate their priorities, separating luxuries from necessities and focusing on their most valuable services and customers. Contract security firm owners must do the same because all too often, businesses view security guard services as a luxury that can be cut.

It’s one thing to lower expenses, postpose acquisitions, or outright cancel a service to improve cash flow. Equally important are actions you can take to shore up the business, streamline operations, and build relationships to survive and even thrive during an economic downturn. Here are some activities that smart business leaders do during a recession:

Improved Business Acumen Improves Your Chances of Survival

Strategic Business Planning
Financial Management
Team Management
Reputation Management
Marketing Management

Strategic Business Planning

Don’t wait for the phone to ring. Perform a market analysis to identify the more resilient businesses in your area such as construction sites, schools, auto dealerships, marijuana dispensaries, banks, jewelry stores, and upscale residential communities that are more likely to retain security services during a recession.

Reach out. Take the offensive. If they currently have a security guard provider, are they being served to their satisfaction? Can you adapt or price your services to better meet their needs?

Forecast

What events are on the calendar this quarter? Next quarter? Is there a concert, golf tournament, convention, big game, or state fair coming up to even out the peaks and valleys? Do you have the workforce lined up to adequately staff these events without paying overtime?

Analyze your current client roll

How many clients would you classify as being vulnerable to cutting back security services, and how many do you think are positioned to ride out the storm without much impact? If you have a lot of small clients teetering on the edge of survival, it’s time to start looking elsewhere for new accounts.

What new markets are evolving?

Is there a large residential community or commercial property under development in your market requiring contract security services during construction or after occupancy?

Election integrity is a new vertical for security. Investigate the election cycle in your state. Recent political volatility has seen many election officials and ballot processing facilities across the country seek out security services due to threats of personal harm aimed at election officials. Ensure your team is available and up to the task to help provide safety and security.

Financial Management

Knowing what level of dip in cash flow is acceptable during a slow month and how long your cash reserve will last is critical. Have financing or a line of credit set up behind you to bridge the gap and meet expenses in the event a client pays late or not at all.

To minimize the chances of that occurring, leverage HR and payroll software to send accurate, timely client invoices and issue employee paychecks on time.

Team Management

Security is a people-centric business, and your officers are your firm’s most valuable asset. Keeping guards happy, informed, and trained improves employee retention and in turn the quality of service your firm provides.

Security workforce management software can enhance communications with your team and streamline operations by avoiding scheduling errors and digitizing previously manual processes and procedures such as incident reporting and checkpoint tour status. Invest in the tools your supervisors need to efficiently manage their teams.

Reputation Management

Understand how clients perceive your business and brand. Talk to your customers directly every few months, or at least conduct surveys periodically to gather input; don’t rely solely on feedback from officers posted to the site. They didn’t sign the contract, you did. Ask about what can be improved, or if their needs will change during a recession.

Make sure your guards are living up to expectations and meeting the contractual obligations as outlined. Suggest and commit to mutually-agreed upon key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the performance and efficiency of the services you provide and keep your word.

Marketing Management

Understand your audiences, how to segment them, and how to reach them. The recruiting message to security guard candidates is very different from the quality of service/protection message to potential clients. Use social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, etc.) to target groups of employees about starting an exciting new career in security, and use your website, email blasts, and community forums to promote your services to customers.

Connect with other guard firms in your market. Are there large events requiring the services of multiple security vendors? Team up. Get connected with potential customers in the community through business networking groups, chambers of commerce, and local law enforcement to keep pace with trends and make your name synonymous with security services in your community.

Make the message relevant.

During a recession the knee jerk response is to duck and cover. But when it comes to security a recession is exactly NOT the time to cut back. This is when people get desperate, when frustration mounts, when crime escalates.

Your message should be that this is the time to double down on security, enhancing defenses to protect people and business assets from growing threats. A recession is not the time to leave your business vulnerable to crime.

Control the Controllable’s

Security firm leaders that build flexibility into their business goals, services, and financial objectives while being sensitive to the needs of customers equally affected by a recession will find themselves in a better position to successfully steer their company through an economic downturn.

Our team offers a number of security workforce management solutions designed to enhance the efficiency of your operations and insulate your firm against the effects of a recession.

What is Lone Worker Protection and Guard Tour Tracking?

Why is Lone Worker Safety Important?

Top Lone Worker Protection Features for Security Firms

1. Real-time Location Tracking

2. Automated Notifications and Check-Ins

3. Panic Button and Emergency Alerts

4. Video Recording for Dispute Resolution

How to Implement a Lone Worker Protection System & Policy

1. Identify Your Lone Workers.

2. Identify Common Hazards.

3. Assess and Manage Risk.

4. Establish a Lone Worker Policy.

5. Deploy a Lone Worker Safety System

Protect Your Lone Workers with the TrackTik Guarding Suite

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Leading Causes of Employee Turnover in The Security Industry

Low pay and minimal benefits

Low employee engagement

Ineffective leadership/bad corporate culture

Poor recruiting and talent management strategies

Top 10 Employee Retention Strategies for Security Officers

1. Increase wages and improve benefits

2. Set up efficient schedules

3. Ensure employees can succeed

4. Offer advance and recognition opportunities

5. Provide ongoing training and education

6. Offer physical and mental health support

7. Determine your security officers’ long-term goals

8. Create a strong company culture

9. Provide strong leadership

10. Use software to find and retain talent

Reduce Guard Turnover While Increasing Retention and Profitability with TrackTik

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Leverage Technology to Meet the Private Security Challenges of 2023

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What is recruitment software and how is it part of an HR software suite?

The main benefits of recruitment software for security firms

1. Prevent and even predict real labor cost problems

Overtime prevention

2. Reduce the likelihood of IRS, Department of Labor, and ACA compliance audits

3. Avoid administrative bottlenecks with ease

Application times

Offer letters

4. Interview stronger candidates

Job postings

5. Increase employee retention

Engagement

Reports and analytics

Conclusion

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1. Understand Your Market

2. Perform a Competitive Analysis

3. Build Your Messaging Strategy

4. Leverage Branding

5. Maximize Your Website

6. Email as a Campaign

7. Advertisements

8. Online Listings

9. Social Media

10. Report, Refine, Repeat

Marketing is about customer acquisition AND retention

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