How To Hire A Security Guard

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Depending on the kind of business you run, you may consider hiring additional security to protect your business assets. Hiring a security guard can help protect valuable merchandise or help your customers feel safe when they visit your store. Employing an armed guard on your property is a great way to deter theft.

Key Takeaways:

It costs an average of $50 to hire a Security Guard. However, this figure can vary greatly depending on the level of security you are asking them to provide.
Hiring a Security Guard can be of average difficulty compared to other jobs. Those looking to become a security guard do not necessarily need any education or training, so while you may have a large number of candidates for your open position, you may need to do some work sifting through resumes and interviews.
Before hiring a security guard, determine if you would like to work with a third party or hire the individual yourself. Remember to do your due diligence with background checks, referrals, and any proper licensing or training required.

Regardless of your motivation behind hiring a security guard, there are a few steps you should consider before starting your search. Your needs may be different depending on your business and overall reasoning for hiring a security guard on your premises. Here are some steps you should take when hiring a security guard.

Identify your security guard needs. The first step before hiring a security guard is identifying your unique needs. Your business may have valuable assets, money exchange, or secure servers that it looks to protect.

Whatever the case, it’s important to understand the details of your needs so that you can adequately write a job description and hire the right person for the job at hand.

Security guards act as the first line of defense in many circumstances. Big or small businesses can use security guards. For example, technology companies or pharmaceutical companies may employ security guards to protect proprietary information. Security guards can also be employed at banks, schools, or businesses that operate in areas with high crime rates.
Determine a budget. Determining a budget for your security guard is essential to understand when it comes to hiring. It may be more affordable for a business to hire a personal security guard as opposed to someone employed through a third-party business.

However, if you have more to spend, a third-party guard may be a more comprehensive solution.

Certified security guards will be more expensive upfront. However, even though it’s more money, using a company that employs certified guards can help businesses be more efficient by handling everything from uniforms, to liability insurance, and training so that your business doesn’t have to worry about it.
Write a compelling job description. Once you have all of this important information at your fingertips, it’s time to write a compelling job description.

With your needs and budget in mind, it should be relatively straightforward to write a description of what you’re looking for and the ideal person for the job. Be sure to consider shifts as well, if your business is open for longer than 8 hours per day.
Post your job. Like any other job opening, be sure to spread your job posting far and wide. Utilize local promotion outlets and consider checking in with your local police department to see if they know any retired service people who may be interested in this type of job. Utilize online job boards for additional exposure.
Interview candidates. Once you have collected and sorted through candidate resumes, it’s important to interview each candidate thoroughly. Although these individuals will be working in a security position, they’re still a part of your team and company culture, so you’ll want to be sure they are the right fit for your existing employees and culture.
Call references and do background checks. One of the most important parts of hiring a Security Guard is to call their references and do a background check. Most of the time, if you are working with a third party, this will already be done.

However, if you are hiring a personal security guard or hiring outside of a third party, you must do your due diligence and check in with references and a background check.
Make an offer. The most exciting part of the process is, of course, making an offer to your selected candidate or candidates. Be sure you agree on a start date and starting salary, along with any bonuses, if applicable. Make sure your new employee understands what they are expected to wear and when and where they are expected to arrive.

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How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Security Guard?

It costs an average of $50 to hire a Security Guard. However, a Security Guard’s average hourly rate is between $15-$20 an hour, so you should factor that into your budget as well.

These figures can also vary greatly depending on the level of security you are asking them to provide. It can also be impacted by the time of day they are expected to work as well as whether or not they will be armed. It’s important to also remember that this cost may include training, certification, or equipment.

Hiring a Security Guard is less complicated than hiring for many other jobs. Those looking to become a security guard do not necessarily need any education or training, so while you may have a large number of candidates for your open position, you may need to do some work sifting through resumes and interviews.

How to Write a Security Guard Job Description

To write a Security Guard job description, you should start with an introduction to your business, the company culture, and the overall workplace. It’s a good idea to start with what services you offer or products you sell, as well as the specific things or people who may need security. It’s also beneficial to share the size of your staff. Consider including:

Responsibilities. Be sure to include the specific job responsibilities of your Security Guard. This should be extremely specific, outlining what they are expected to secure, if they are responsible for investigations or reports, and how they are expected to perform and behave when on the job.
Hours and Benefits. One of the key components to attracting candidates is the hours and benefits you are providing. This should include all expected work hours and any holidays, as well as the benefits or compensation they will receive. Include salary as well as any health benefits, paid time off, or other perks you may offer.
Essential Qualifications. If your business requires specific certifications or qualifications from a Security Guard, be sure to include this in your job description. Articulate if there are specific labor needs, such as the ability to stand for long hours, life heavy objects, or carry a weapon.

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Where to Find Security Guards to Hire?

Now that you’ve written your Security Guard job description, you may be wondering where to find candidates. Here are some good places to hire Security Guards include:

Zippia. Zippia aggregates over a million job openings every month and helps to combine them with its proprietary data on salaries, businesses, and job-based metrics to help job-seekers when applying for jobs. If you’re looking for candidates, Zippia is an essential job site to promote your Security Job opening.
Securitas USA. Securitas is a large business that focuses on security in all formats, including Security Guards. With local branches across the Central Atlantic, Northeast, Pacific, North Central, and South, companies of all sizes and locations are sure to find a comprehensive solution.
Allied Universal. This security company provides its customers with security guard services, access control, and smart technology that helps businesses deter theft. They have offices across North America to help arm local businesses and customers. With experience across industries, this is a great company to utilize for security needs.

Skills to Look for in a Security Guard

Whoever you hire, you’ll want to make sure they are skilled to be able to handle emergencies as well as the day-to-day tasks that happen within your business. Here are some important skills to look for in a Security Guard.

Hard skills

Knowledge of Basic Security and Fire Inspection Procedures. Your security guard’s responsibilities aren’t only related to theft. They should understand basic security and fire inspection procedures in the event of an emergency such as an active shooter situation or fire.
Firearm Knowledge. If you are hiring an armed guard, be sure that they have certified firearm knowledge and can handle a weapon safely and under threat. The requirements may differ by state, but it’s important you do your due diligence when hiring an employee to note that they have existing certifications, or send them to training yourself.
Surveillance Skills. Though this may seem simple, not everyone has good surveillance skills. This refers to the ability to detect any suspicious behavior. To be good at surveillance, Security Guards must have excellent observational skills, critical thinking skills, as well as problem-solving skills. They must also always be alert.

Soft skills

Communication. Security Guards must be good communicators, especially when enforcing policies or rules to customers. They must not be afraid of confrontation and have no problems approaching suspicious individuals. They should also be efficient at diffusing difficult situations.
Emotional Control. Security Guards are not always the most popular employees, so it’s important they bring emotional control to the job. Many times they may encounter hostile individuals or experience stressful situations. They must have the ability to stay calm and level-headed to diffuse the situation.
Judgment. Another important skill is good judgment. You want to make sure the person protecting your business can make good decisions under any circumstances, especially if they are armed.

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How to Interview a Security Guard

Interviewing a security guard may be a little different than interviewing for other positions. Remember what’s important to uncover during the interview process, such as someone who takes pride in keeping things safe, or understanding deeper motivations as to why they entered this career in the first place. Here are some tips when interviewing a Security Guard.

Ask personal questions. Don’t be afraid to get personal. Ask the candidate how their friends might describe them or if they’d ever had to intervene in a physical conflict. Understand if they are able to stay calm in stressful situations and how they deal with combative individuals.
Understand their experience. Depending on the resume, you may not have a full picture of the candidate’s experience. Probe further during the interview to understand their specific experience and how they plan to put it into practice.
Get uncomfortable. Security guards may often end up in uncomfortable situations, so it’s okay to get a little uncomfortable in the interview such as how they may handle certain situations or if they have any discrimination tendencies. It’s important to understand these things upfront, so you hire the right person for the job.

Making a Security Guard a Job Offer

The most important thing you can do when making a job offer is to move quickly. You may not know how many resumes your candidate has in the market or how many interviews they’ve conducted, so waiting could potentially mean you lose them as a candidate. Give them a phone call to tell them about the offer and follow up with an email.

Be sure you provide your reasoning for why they were selected. Reiterate payment and benefits information for your candidate and wait for them to respond to you. Additionally, ask for any additional feedback or requests they may have to make them successful. Then, follow up by sending them their job offer in writing.