The credibility of the security industry is suffering from a lack of investment in staff skills and we need to take training more seriously, says Stuart Lowden
The security guarding industry will never have a better opportunity to clean house and gain some much needed respectability. Two key pieces of legislation, the Minimum Wage and Working Time Directive, are helping to remove, or at least reduce, the biggest obstacles to progress, namely poor wages and very long working hours. The more ethical companies are making a genuine move towards better terms and conditions, lower working hours and fairer working conditions. And more good news is around the corner; at last the security industry is to be licensed and the less scrupulous operators will be forced to ply their trade elsewhere.
There will never be a better time for the security manpower companies to establish themselves as true professionals within the service industry, to offer genuine careers to their staff and to offer a wide range of added-value services to their clients. And clients have shown themselves willing to invest in a better service, provided that they can see a positive return from this investment.
Unfortunately, the majority of the security companies may miss this most golden of all opportunities. Worse, they may soon disillusion those clients who, by paying higher prices, are giving their valuable support to help promote higher standards. For the security industry has an Achilles heel, one that could well prevent it from rising to the standards it should be aspiring to.
The Achilles Heel
The Achilles heel of the security guarding industry is training. Years of operating in a fiercely competitive marketplace have persuaded many security companies that clients buy on price not on quality. And having persuaded themselves of this, they then trim support costs to the bone to get their prices as low as possible. Training and operational management costs have proved to be the softest targets.
What training does take place has been focused at the lower levels, i.e. basic job training for new recruits. But this training is only two days in length and merely scratches the surface of an officer's future duties. Added value training such as customer service skills, first aid, health & safety and fire awareness is rarely provided unless the customer asks for it. And to price this training in as a standard item increases the selling price, a foolhardy decision if the cynics are right and price is the sole driver in the purchasing decision.
But where the security companies regularly let themselves, and their customers, down is in the field of supervisory and management training. Just as they are afraid to invest in officer training because it increases the direct costs of the service, they are similarly afraid to invest in the ongoing training of supervisors and managers, because it impacts on their overhead costs. And because buying decisions are often taken on the basis of each bidder's on-costs, it explains why so little is currently being spent on developing the industry's managers of the future.
The need to train our managers
The most common complaint from clients is not about the security staff themselves. They are often described as loyal and hard-working but, more often than not, poorly supported by their contractor's management team. And whilst some of this may well be due to inadequate management resources, most of it has been caused by a total lack of management training within these companies. They do not know how to communicate with the staff under their control, they have not been taught key business skills that are relevant to today's commercial world, they fail to delegate authority. In short, they fail to get the most out of their staff.
And this lack of training does not stop at the visiting or support management. It also applies to managers and supervisors on site. Very rarely do you hear of site supervisors being given the style of management skills training that would enable them to do their jobs considerably better. Yet, if they were taught how to manage their staff better, this would surely lead to a better-motivated, more stable workforce. Staff would have a better understanding of their jobs, be more committed and be able to add genuine value to their core function. And surely those being asked to train others in their team should given some training skills?
Relevant training
So what type of training should the industry be investing in? During the course of this year, Wilson James established a training group whose brief was to create the syllabus for a management training programme for the company's support and site-based managers and supervisors. In designing this programme, the group sought feedback from clients, site managers, site supervisors, security officers and support managers.
The end result was that the following eight areas of training need were established:
Each of these areas underpins the day-to-day activities of managers and supervisors. For example, in a performance appraisal the manager or supervisor has to give feedback on an individual's performance, actively listen to what is said to him/her, give further feedback, motivate, recognise problems, possibly assert him/herself. Managers and supervisors need to be taught a consistent way of dealing with these issues.
Of one thing the group was in no doubt - there was a need for our management team to receive a greater level of skills training than could be provided by the industry training bodies alone. The training would therefore need to be modular, conducted over an initial period of 18 months to two years and would include a mixture of internal, external and site-specific classes. We would also need to have some form of benchmarking in place to monitor the success of the training initiative.
The group recommended that the training should not end there. There was a belief that the management team could offer more to clients if they had a more extensive knowledge of their own profession. So, rather than being no more than a 'body shop' for their clients, they would be able to offer a wider risk management solution. Areas to be addressed would include fire prevention, health & safety, security technology, risk assessment and disaster recovery planning. This more extensive product knowledge training would run in parallel with the management skills training outlined above.
The Future
It seems clear that we must, as an industry, commit to a significant investment in the training of our managers. We must persuade ourselves that the investment is justified; it should not be sacrificed to achieve next year’s overhead reductions.
It seems clear that we must, as an industry, commit to a significant investment in the training of our managers. We must persuade ourselves that the investment is justified; it should not be sacrificed to achieve next year's overhead reductions.
If a chain is as strong as it's weakest link then it is also true that a service company is only as good as its weakest manager. We rely on our managers and supervisors to teach good habits and to lead by example. If by investing in our managers we can raise their knowledge and core competences, the benefits will flow through our staff, standards will rise across the board and we will offer genuine added value to our clients.
Cheapest is not always best
John Berry of SST bemoans the lack of investment in training and calls for a greater commitment to continuous training that addressesthe practical needs of the individuals and the sectors they operate in.
In response to the article by Stuart Lowden, I would have to agree that the standard of managers within the industry leaves a lot to be desired. To my knowledge, SST is the only training company currently providing an academic qualification in security management.
I can state from experience that many of those attending (already in post) lack the core skills required to be effective leaders and more worryingly, often don't understand the fundamental subject matter which his/her security officers are expected to have learned at induction.
That said, I strongly believe that the industry is reluctant to invest in training in general. Yes, to some extent basic training is being given but that is where it appears to stop. My question always has been and maybe always will be, "Would you trust a raw recruit with two days training and an introduction to a blue chip site, to be competent to be left alone to guard millions of pounds of building, equipment and materials?"
Sadly it's being done every day of the week and, in addition, these two day champions are then being re-routed into other security disciplines such as retail, leisure and so on, all on the back of the basics.
If we ever see legislation, I would like to see an individual's licence include a training record which only allows the individual to work within the sectors of the industry for which they are qualified.
To my mind this should also encompass promotional awards like supervision and management. Standards in the UK are better than they were ten years ago but nowhere near what they should be.
End users should be aware of the need for the continuous training of their contract staff and also aware that the cheapest price is often not the correct solution for their needs.
Balance of profit and best value
Peter French of SSR Personnel responds to Stuart Lowden's article on the need for training with some views of his own.
Stuart Lowden's article promotes a practical application of scant resources. The pre-contract promotion to end-users by contract providers is usually the depth of management experience they possess. Yet drilling down into contract management training, incentives, or even competency testing and in the job review, many companies fail to live up to their aspirations.
In an industry expected to meet laid down (and, hoped by some, legal) standards, but in which many clients fail to elevate site staff to any meaningful role and so pay to the lowest level, WE the security industry, have tied one arm up our backs and are in constant danger of tripping over one of our legs.
A key to raising the public perception of our industry is by grooming new recruits and ridding ourselves of road-block mentality managers who perceive the sharp end of guarding management as the cajoling and bullying of those who deliver the service, namely those who are delivering the pennies per hour profit. As a human resource provider the manned service companies have to provide visible support, a mentoring culture and coaching management to stop the erosion of margin through high turnover of personnel.
Therefore the soft issues of people management should have as equal importance to knowledge of Safety or BS7499.
When end-users change contractors we consistently hear the reason for change as being intransigent incumbent management. "Keep the site staff", clients say to an incoming contractor.
So it is radical to encourage contract providers to concentrate on field management skills. In the exposed world of contract or outsourced providers, budgets are set, so who picks up the cost! Well partly this comes from slowing the head line staff churn. With basic costs of recruitment an all-sites guard at £800, this rapidly accelerates to £2,000 if you have a selection process that will filter out those personnel who have no interest in a customer-facing role. Therefore in a fixed charge contract it is impossible to move around the costs of management coaching unless you firmly believe that this investment will eventually deliver a reduction in recruitment introduction costs.
Stark choices
Coming from a low base the security industry is faced with stark choices. How do we differentiate between security guarding company A and B? Well, it is a shame that we do not have a definition, rather than just trade bodies, that protect those who invest in the ISI and ISO standards, in which we could consider their attainment to be generic for the definition of a security manpower provider.
We could also enforce the WTD so that no security officer or their manager worked more than 48 hours reducing by 2003 to 45 hours per week. Therefore we would have the basis for promoting the function of the security officer to protect life and property in the equal sense that such words meaninglessly trip off the tongue. This would allow the BSIA or IPSA to legally pursue the array of low cost service providers who masquerade with warning boards in new office block developments of many major UK PLC's because they call themselves the X92 Security Company.
This is an evolving life-cycle for all types of contract management, the past 5 years of being told you are partners with a client but only to be met with confrontational management is not a basis for either party to invest time or money in the relationship.
Shared risk and reward is the only recognition of a contractor's efforts and the fact they can be knowledge providers, epitomising best practice.
No longer do security officers serve only to intimidate, they now have a significant role in reassuring customers and providing support to other members of the organisation within which they are placed. This means more emphasis on so-called ‘softer’ skill
This sentiment has to be injected at all levels of both end-user and contractor. The hierarchical rather than flat organisation will always foster a 'blame' culture. It can be hard to consider anything else when those in charge of your asset have a major failure. So perpetuates the sentiment of road-block management, those clients who sack first (well, it is easy to push a contractor's employee off site) rather than require contract management to manage their human assets. But then there is the rub, when - how - to what standard can - should a client invest in a contractors' management when they may only see that person for 2 hours per week?
Contractors should be rewarded by outputs that include employee retention. Sixty percent of those who churn in the security marketplace will cite fixable differences for their moving on, wage queries, lack of uniform, inconsiderate rostering etc. So can we provide a quick fix? The complications are evident, investment and support of contractors management can only be practical if they are allowed to undertake roles which do more than deliver persons to site. If this is promoted then perhaps investment in management development of softer skills will be recognised as having a tangible value in both delivery and client satisfaction.
It takes a management board with vision to invest in the future and to persuade your clients to invest time in your vision, but that sounds like sharing risk and reward.
Qualifications are up but can we learn more?
Sarah Dhanda, of City & Guilds takes a look at how training can meet the needs of both the industry and its customers
As with many sectors there is, at present, an increased emphasis on professionalism sweeping through the security industry. Proposals for greater regulation have in part been an influence but there is a more general drive to improve standards and overcome perceptions of a poorly skilled industry. To achieve these improvements there is already a growing emphasis on training in the sector - although there is still room to learn more.
The knowledgeable security officer
City & Guilds has provided vocational training for the security industry now for over ten years. Working in partnership with SITO (the National Training Organisation for the Secure Environment), City & Guilds provides a broad range of qualifications covering both technical and manned security disciplines. Specific qualifications include Security Guarding, Security Management, and Installing and Maintaining Security / Emergency Systems.
The uptake on these qualifications has been positive, for example in 1997 there were 1,900 registrations for the Security Guarding qualification compared to over 2,400 last year. They have proved invaluable to officers within the industry, as well as private companies and the armed forces, in establishing the security knowledge needed to do the job.
An asset to reputation
A well-trained security officer reflects well on your business and the industry as a whole, as well as the companies for whom you operate.
It is essential we remember that the security officer is often the first person a visitor will come into contact with when arriving at a business. And first impressions count.
This benefit to reputation gives companies a real edge when marketing services. Not least because across all industries we have witnessed increased emphasis on customer care with many viewing it as core to business operations. And companies are looking for customer service qualities both in their staff and in those of their suppliers.
No longer do security officers serve only to intimidate, they now have a significant role in reassuring customers and providing support to other members of the organisation within which they are placed. This means more emphasis on so-called 'softer' skills such as the ability to communicate effectively, to get on with a wide variety of people and operate as part of a team.
More functions than before
Furthermore, as officers have become more integrated into the culture of your client organisations, they are fulfilling more functions than ever before.
For example, officers are using more technical equipment, providing health and safety support, operating switchboards and manning receptions. Again broadening the emphasis and scope of training.
And for those in positions of authority, the training emphasis needs to include both business management and man management skills. The latter being particularly important if we are to identify and act upon the training needs of our staff and in doing so react more readily to the needs of customers.
Training staff effectively reflects well on business and meets the needs of both our staff and those companies that buy our services. And adopting nationally recognised qualifications helps to formalise and give structure to the training process.
Where next?
As changes in technology continue apace, the modern security officer needs to be kept up to date on the latest applications making the more technical qualifications increasingly important.
In line with the drive to improve overall standards, behavioural training is helping officers to find new ways to reassure customers and the public, as well as deal effectively with aggression. And supporting all levels of staff to serve customers better is helping to transform the industry into one far removed from old perceptions of a low-skill, poor quality sector.
To continue in this transformation, companies need to recognise the increasing need to train staff and that there are real benefits to be had from looking far and wide for inspiration and new ways of delivering training. Multimedia learning products, used for sometime to develop administrative skills, are soon to be released by SITO. Quality interactive training materials will benefit all sectors in the industry, but could prove particularly useful in the systems sector where we will be able to work with manufacturers to adapt generic materials to provide product-specific training.
Time for a people-led transformation
Training is not just about knowledge of procedures to carry out assignments, although this is becoming more complex as technology is integrated into the service. It is increasingly about giving officers the confidence, skills and ability to learn and adap
Jenni Moore of Securicor Guarding calls for the industry to respond better to the needs of both customers and staff
In the past the general perception of the security industry has been of a low pay, poorly skilled sector. And although this may be unrepresentative of the industry as a whole, it is something that we must tackle.
The security officer is an ambassador for the industry, for the customer and for the firm with which he is employed. He is in the frontline, being seen by customers and the public each and every day. It stands to reason then that an ill-trained officer is a poor ambassador for us all. The success of our business and the industry rests on the quality of our training.
The focus on training has increased in recent years but more needs to be done to overcome the lingering perceptions of a poorly skilled industry. As I see it, there are two particularly strong drivers for changing and improving perceptions through training - customer needs and the needs of our employees.
An increasingly discerning customer
As our customers' businesses have grown and developed in an increasingly competitive economy, they have in turn expected much more from their suppliers, including those of us who provide security.
At Securicor Guarding we have seen a real change in the way customers view their security requirements. They want more than just the fulfilment of basic security needs. Our officers find themselves doing a range of added-value functions such as reception duty, being a point of contact for health and safety and even manning the switchboard. In some sectors, such as retail, airports, alarm response, ports and transport, we have felt it important to build specialist divisions to deliver those added-value services.
Furthermore, businesses have recognised the role customer service plays in gaining competitive advantage. What we are now seeing is a desire for security functions to be geared to the needs and culture of both the client and the site itself.
This increased emphasis on broader skills and meeting customer needs has caused us to rethink the training we offer, acknowledging that it now needs to be more customer-specific and site-specific.
A good example of this is our work in the retail sector where we are in the process of developing an intensive induction course. Working in partnership with our major customers, we are introducing retail-specific programmes. These will take our staff through 17 weeks of training in order to bring them up to standard, the most exacting standards.
And to support the process, which will be in place by the end of the year, we have created new positions for retail-specific training officers. We are also using training professionals to develop and support modular programmes for clients in other sectors, such as City of London institutions.
Staff: the face of the industry
The widening of customer needs has inevitably meant that we have started to develop our staff in different ways. Training needs are broader than ever with staff needing not just security knowledge but also such things as customer service skills and an understanding of new technology.
And despite this broadening of remit, the security industry continues to suffer from the negative perception that we only offer jobs as opposed to careers; that staff are poorly skilled and rarely stay in the industry for long.
All of us in the industry have a great deal to do in changing those views. Not least because it is getting harder to recruit and retain staff in current economic conditions.
Although new legislation brought in by the National Minimum Wage and the Working Time Directive helped to rid the industry of disreputable employers, we still need to convince many people that a career in security is worth having.
Just as in any other job, employees look to a company to provide them with real career prospects as well as good rates of pay and working conditions. We need to motivate and reward security staff, as well as train them to perform what is an increasingly valued role. SITO (the National Training Organisation for the Secure Environment) has provided minimum standards, which have helped us get the essentials right. But the training of security officers needs to move on a stage in order to respond to needs and preferences of customers and staff.
Training is not just about knowledge of procedures to carry out assignments, although this is becoming more complex as technology is integrated into the service. It is increasingly about giving officers the confidence, skills and ability to learn and adapt to the changing circumstances they face.
At a bare minimum, this requires regular performance review, feedback and support from their managers. Those in such positions therefore need good quality training and coaching to help them fulfil this supportive style of management.
Meeting staff and customer needs
To better achieve this balance between staff needs and those of the customer, Securicor Guarding has recently completed the company-wide introduction of a new customer-focussed management initiative known as OSCAR (Organisation Structure Culture and Restructure).
Central to the new system is the devolution of responsibility to a new tier of contract managers. Each contract manager is directly responsible for a selected group of customers representing around £1million worth of turnover. They also manage those security staff involved in servicing the contracts. Effectively they are managing directors of their own "mini-business."
The contract managers play a pivotal role in training and developing security officers in order to meet the specific needs of each customer and the needs of Securicor Guarding. Each one has undergone intensive training on a broad range of management skills such as finance, customer service and staff training to ensure they are confident with this increased responsibility.
It is early days for OSCAR but we have at least started to tackle the underlying negative perceptions that the industry continues to face.
To really change though, the whole of the industry needs a people-led transformation, giving customers what they want and giving staff the support and training needed to ensure a rewarding career in security.
Other organisations, including SITO, were invited to add their comments to this issue but, at the time of going to press, had not responded. We anticipate receiving further comment for the December issue. SMT believes that training is an issue that is vital to the integrity and credibility of the industry and would welcome any further discussion and comment on this vital subject.
Source
SMT
Postscript
For more information on training in the security industry please contact SITO - 01905 20004 - or City & Guilds - 020 7 294 2800.
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