Security Recruiting: Finding Top Notch Employees For Your Agency

If you are the hiring manager for an agency, you understand the importance of security recruiting. In the security industry, you can’t put a client on hold because you are short-handed. Staying fully staffed is critical. Just as importantly, your agents need the right hard and soft skills.

But the security industry—like most others—is struggling in this era of low unemployment. Security agencies compete for what seems like an ever-shrinking talent pool.

Top 3 Recruiting Tactics For Security

Financial success depends on recruiting and retaining good employees.

Here are proven tips for hiring qualified employees for your security agency.

1. Use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to automate hiring processes
2. Create accurate, comprehensive job descriptions
3. Use screening questionnaires to eliminate unqualified candidates

ApplicantStack Applicant Tracking Software

Profitable security agencies use the right technology for all aspects of business management. To win the hiring game in security, you need current generation software. It gives you speed, flexibility, and keeps hiring costs as low as possible. ApplicantStack is an ATS that helps security owners find exceptional employees. The HR professionals at ApplicantStack are keenly aware of the recruiting hurdles for security businesses.

ATS vs. Spreadsheets

It’s a common misconception that spreadsheets are just as effective. When it comes to recruiting, ATSs are leagues ahead. For hiring processes, spreadsheets are scarcely better that paper-based methods.

Attracting Millennials and Gen Z

The first generation that grew up using apps has become the largest employee demographic. ApplicantStack is especially effective for attracting millennials.

Let’s dive deeper into our top tips.

1. Use an ATS to Automate Hiring

An ATS helps you hire quickly and strategically by:

1. Writing and managing job descriptions
2. Posting jobs to job boards, social media sites, careers pages
3. Creating and administering applications and questionnaires
4. Applying scoring criteria and filtering applicants
5. Sharing feedback with hiring team members
6. Tracking process workflows with task assignments and reminders
7. Creating and managing structured interviewing scripts
8. Scheduling in person and video interviews
9. Candidate communications—emails, texts, phone calls

Your ATS compiles an applicant database without copious data entry on your part. It parses contact info from resumes and applications and stores digital copies of resumes. Plus, it maintains a history of interactions (applications, emails, questionnaires, interviews, reference checks, etc.). Collaboration has never been easier.

Some ATS’ integrate with background check services, video interviewing platforms, onboarding software, and other types of business services/software.

2. Write Accurate, Comprehensive Job Descriptions

It’s expensive to hire an employee. You take a financial hit when a new hire quits after two weeks. The most common reason for quitting is because they didn’t understand what the job entailed.

A comprehensive job description is highly detailed. It includes the required certification(s) and experience. It describes exactly what the employee will do in typical shift. It includes the necessary soft skills that will help an employee succeed.

There is no ‘typical’ job in security. Because job roles and work environments vary widely, highly-detailed descriptions are key. Some employees expect hours of solitude. Others want to actively interact with others at the location. Go into more detail than you think is necessary. This will save you time and frustration.

3. Use Screening Questionnaires to Eliminate Unqualified Candidates

An ATS can filter out unqualified security candidates before you set eyes on a resume. This saves so much time, first-time ATS users are blown away.

You create a custom questionnaire for each job description. When the applicant clicks on your job posting (on a job board, social media site, or your careers page), they are presented with the questionnaire. It includes knockout questions that eliminate candidates without the necessary experience. Regardless of your job requirements, you can do a first-pass screening automatically in your ATS.

ApplicantStack For Security Recruiting

Using these methods, you can efficiently advertise jobs, organize applicants, and isolate a pool of top candidates. Then you can concentrate your time on the most qualified applicants.