2021 Security Guard Facilities Near Me!

In recent decades, security guard units and the methods used to manage them have undergone significant transformations. The requisite technical abilities peaked with the ability to use a portable two-way radio twenty years ago, when the tools of the trade were a notebook and a pen. Guard security was not seen as professional, and guard employment were frequently seen as “no special qualifications required” entry-level roles. “If you can remain awake, you can do this job,” recruiters regularly assured applicants.

Transformed by ​Technology

Overnight policemen patrolling vacant buildings, Checkpoint Charlies sitting in booths, and watchmen hiding away in a back room watching security cameras are no longer the only jobs available to security personnel. Many security guards are increasingly coming out of the shadows to work in customer-facing roles.

This tendency is due in part to market growth's spillover effects. The increased frequency of mass shootings in public areas, the continued fear of terrorist strikes, and rising crime rates in some large cities have all fueled the security guard industry's rise. Guards are becoming increasingly frequent at corporate offices, residential facilities near me, and schools as a result of this expansion.

With more guards on duty, it's not uncommon for security guards to double as receptionists or concierges, making them the initial human contact for guests. This new function necessitates a new set of skills, including customer service competence, correct phone etiquette, and a basic understanding of computers. As available technology improves, the latter's requirements will continue to climb.

These new systems provide more detail than the previous systems and enable for real-time reporting. They also include increased reporting abilities. They either employ QR codes to interact with a smartphone's camera or near-field communication technology to scan tokens around the facilities near me.​

Management Ch​allenges

A guard force manager, for example, put up a QR-code-based tour for a client location. Unfortunately, because the management did not completely comprehend the system's capabilities, the GPS functionalities were not activated. The manager's smart security guard discovered that he could do his full tour by photographing all of the QR codes and then printing them on a single sheet. The guard then scanned the codes one by one from the comfort of his office, using that single sheet.

Because the purpose of the visit was to check for risks in the regions of the facilities near me, the guard's choice to improvise and forego the tour was perilous, given the possibility for chemical spills. A leak did occur at the facility, and this is how the guard's misbehavior was found. Thankfully, the leak was minimal, and no harm was done. Despite this, the guard firm was fined and had to pay for the little cleaning.

Recrui​ting

This strategy frequently resulted in a security guard shell game, with guards being shifted from client to client if issues arose. Rather than separating troublesome personnel, security companies would simply relocate them to another location to fill a vacancy. Before the firm eventually fired some guards, they had worked at at least a half-dozen different locations.

P​ersonnel Management

Personnel management is at the heart of guard force management. As a result, management challenges arising from human resource problems should be taken seriously.

Mismanagement can subject a corporation to class action lawsuits in areas like California, which has highly strict wage and hour standards. Several security service businesses have received multimillion-dollar fines in recent years for infractions. Technological solutions, such as the call-in system mentioned before, might be beneficial, but they must be handled and utilized appropriately, just like any other tool.

Previously, a guard force manager's involvement with HR was mostly limited to recruiters. A competent guard force manager today must accept the larger role that many HR managers have assumed in their organizations. Every guard manager's core curriculum should include EEOC education and anti-harassment training. Employee coaching and performance reviews can be avoided by maintaining open lines of communication.

The operations and management of the guard force will continue to evolve. New technologies are being produced, the economic environment is changing, and new problems are being faced. At the end of the day, though, a guard force is made up of individuals. Change will be constant for senior executives all the way down to the on-site guard. As a result, education, training, and experience-based learning should be prioritized.

Policies, Costs, and Compliance on the Business Side

Changes in public policy have an influence on guard force management due to cost issues. When it comes to managing a successful guard force, current developments such as increased minimum wages, obligations related to the Affordable Care Act, and paid sick leave have all come into play.

According to the 2018 white paper U.S. Contract Security Industry by Robert H. Perry & Associates, the average U.S. security guard makes $12–$13 per hour. Security guard businesses often pay roughly $3 over the state minimum salary to recruit skilled staff.

Recruiting will grow more difficult as demands grow and deeper skill sets for guards become more routinely sought. This base salary will rise when more responsibilities and higher-quality candidates are added, widening the gap between the minimum salary and typical guard rates. Higher bill rates are already reflecting the effects of this.

The current public policy tendency of rising minimum salaries is another element in guard cost hikes. New York and California became the first states in the United States to enact a $15 minimum wage, which will be phased in over several years. A $15 minimum wage has also been imposed in some localities, and several other states in the United States have enacted minimum wage rises.

Security businesses will be required to raise both pay rates and bill rates as a result of these increases. In New Jersey, for example, the minimum wage is $8.85 per hour, thus a security guard earning $11.85 is making 34 percent more than the minimum wage. If the employer maintained the same 34 percent compensation gap over the minimum wage, the security guard would earn $20.10 per hour if the minimum wage was raised to $15. A customer's costs would rise from $17.76 to $30.15 per hour assuming a 50% markup for invoicing.

When the Affordable Care Act forced businesses to offer health plans, the expenses of this additional coverage were eventually rolled up and passed on to guard company consumers.

In addition, several security firms are rebranding to provide services beyond than traditional security. These service companies provide mobile guarding, remote monitoring, integrated guarding, and autonomous robots, among other services. The industry is evolving toward leveraging technology to maximize efficiency as a result of a "do more with less" mindset.

For example, numerous sites may be watched from a single workstation by a single guard, or even from an off-site central station, with suitable camera placements and the usage of analytics and alerts. Any needed on-site reaction may be provided by a second guard traveling between the Facilities near me, and it can be logged in real time.