What do you do if you’re a homeowners’ association (for example) who hires a security firm that doesn’t do their job well? You find another firm to take care of business.
Some security guards are lazy and misguided. Instead of making their rounds, walking paths they’re supposed to check hourly, and/or writing down stuff they observe, they fall asleep on the job– literally– or spend their hours texting their friends, etc. Not ideal.
So what makes a security guard good at his or her job?
First, a security guard needs to be the kind of person who is very alert. You wouldn’t want to hire a guard who doesn’t notice details or seems aloof. A guard has to be ever-vigilant, noticing things that seem out of the ordinary. Laziness is not a good trait. Being the kind of person who wants to know “what’s going on” is! Good security guards are not easily distracted. They’re focused, mindful and alert.
Next, honesty is always the best policy and that goes for security guards. If you can’t trust a guard to tell you the truth, who can you trust? Security companies need to do an extra good job at making sure their guards aren’t the type of people who are going to lie, cheat and steal. It could be argued that honesty is the most important thing about being a good security guard.
Thirdly, good communication skills matter. A guard needs to communicate with all sorts of people, and they should be able to do so in a way that’s not condescending or rude. They should be articulate, coherent and have a voice that makes others pay attention to them.
Also, good security guards care about physical fitness. To be a guard, one might have to stand or sit for long periods of time. Or they might have to walk a lot. In some cases, guards may have to run after people. Obviously, guards should be a healthy weight with the ability to bend, lift and run. Appearance-wise, they should wear some sort of uniform that’s neat and clean, too.
Finally, a good security guard shouldn’t be all about themselves. Guards need to always keep in mind whom they’re serving. Their clients’ needs come before their personal interests. Therefore, instead of playing guitar in the security booth, they should be doing their job, on patrol, writing reports, or whatever the client expects of them.
Chicago’s LawDog Security hires, trains and utilizes good security guards. Call 773-233-5742 for more info.
I love what you said about honesty being the best policy and how that goes for security guards as well. Security guards have countless benefits, such as improving the overall safety of any neighborhood or commercial complex. If I were to need the services of security guards, I would look to hire some from the most reputable company I could find.
I thought it was interesting when you talked about how it is important to find a security guard that has good communication skills when you are looking to hire one. It seems to me that businesses that see large crowds of people on a daily basis would probably want to use a guard service. I think in general, knowing that there is someone overseeing your protection would help people feel a lot better.
Henry,
We appreciate your comment, and than you for being engaged in a blog.