Security Officer Engagement Stems from Opportunity

By 2016, more than 655,000 individuals in the United States will have careers in the security services industry according to The Freedonia Group, a leading international business research company. These security professionals work around the clock to protect people and property in a variety of industries and settings. How can an organization help ensure that their security team is engaged and prepared to meet their needs? 

One area crucial to engagement is the establishment of a career path that includes learning and development programs. A limited focus on training will lead to officers who are uninformed, disengaged and unmotivated, which can create security vulnerabilities. As security professionals, we know how important training is to a quality security program. 

Security companies need to offer an extensive learning and development curriculum that gives security teams the option for program-directed and self-directed opportunities. These opportunities are tangible and employees see that their organization has invested in them for the long term.

Training is instrumental in helping these valued, trusted and loyal employees meet their career goals and provide the best possible service. Industry-specific, educational opportunities help to motivate employees, and in turn, they feel valued.

As our industry and the demand for security officer services grows, so does the need for more training. Today, security officers do more than observe and report. They provide customer service and emergency response, and they are trained specifically for their location and market. These officers must be technologically savvy, have people skills, be engaged and prepared to respond to a variety of situations at a moment’s notice.

Educational opportunities are meaningful to the security provider, the security officers and ultimately the location where the security officers are assigned. An ongoing learning and development program can greatly enhance security officer engagement by nurturing talent and allowing them to learn new skills that will improve their performance. It also gives security officers educational opportunities they may not otherwise have. Employee engagement stems from the opportunities presented to them. 

  About the Author 
  Brent O'Bryan is the Vice President of Training and Development for Allied Universal. He leads the development, design, implementation and evaluation for all non-exempt and exempt learning and development, including security, management, business development and leadership.