I’ve been involved in operational security guarding at many levels and in several companies over the last three decades. Some of the biggest challenges I have faced originate from the same basic issue: sourcing, recruiting and onboarding suitable security officers in various locations across the UK.
Add to these already serious security recruitment hurdles, identifying training malpractice or spotting fake/duplicate Security Industry Authority licenses, and it is harder today to onboard qualified, professional and correctly licensed security personnel than at any time in the past. These issues create big problems for overworked HR departments and cause operational delays in assigning appropriate front-line officers when and where they are needed.
Thankfully, these historic headaches are becoming far easier to cope with, thanks in no small part to the security employer services provided by GuardPass, saving time, money, and providing robust compliance. Let’s take a look at what GuardPass can do for your company, and why it is becoming the most popular and trusted name in the UK security sector.
Recruitment
For decades, finding security officers has involved placing ads on traditional, generic online platforms like Total Jobs, Indeed, Reed and the like. I’ve also turned to more local sources when finding decent people in certain areas has proved difficult. Ads in Job Centres, in local papers, cards put up in supermarkets, even spending a day walking around the area speaking to security officers working in shops and offices, to see if they’d like a “change of scene”, desperate times called for desperate measures, so I make no apologies for occasionally trying to poach staff when things have become time critical.
All of this is hugely time-consuming and about as inefficient as you can get. On one occasion, I rented an office for the day and set up local interviews, based on Job Centre and online applicants. I called everyone the day before to confirm the interview location and time. After a two-hour drive, I arrived at the rented office at 07:30 hrs to prepare for a day full of interviews! Ten hours later, I slammed my laptop closed, grabbed the piles of untouched onboarding documents and went home. Out of twelve booked and confirmed interviews, four people rang me up and cancelled, the rest simply did not show up!
There Is Now A Far Easier And More Successful Way
I so desperately needed this on many occasions over the years, but it has proved to be by far the quickest and most cost-effective security recruitment platform that I have ever used: the GuardPass Job Board.
So many security officers are put off by the generic recruitment platforms that never seem to “fit” when looking for jobs in the security guarding sector. Just have a look at the traditional platforms I mentioned earlier, and you’ll find that entering the term “security” in their search tools will throw up hundreds and hundreds of jobs. Unfortunately, you’ll spend a huge amount of time reading through job descriptions, only to find, normally on the last page, that the interesting-sounding job is actually for a “cyber security officer” and not at all what you wanted.
Why The GuardPass App Is Different
GuardPass is a dedicated Physical Security Industry platform accessed via the GuardPass app, available on Android and Apple devices and has been downloaded over 190,000 times! Over 2000 companies use GuardPass to find their new recruits, as it has by far the largest talent pool of SIA licensed security officers in the country, making it by far the UK’s #1 security app.
You don’t have to wade through lists of cyber or information security roles to find the odd applicable job. Every job clearly displays the information you need: Pay Rate, Area, Licence Required, Hours of Work, Duties, and more, so you can quickly and easily find the jobs that are most appropriate to you. You can also apply filters that allow you to view only the jobs you would be interested in, no more, no less. It speaks the language of security and is clear and easy to navigate.
Skills Badges And CPD
Best of all, you can complete an online profile, allowing recruiters and security companies to find and reach out to you! You can demonstrate your skills and knowledge by gaining “Skills Badges” and displaying them on your profile. These badges are awarded after successfully answering a series of questions over a period of days, in any number of important security-related subjects.
Are these Skills Badges easy to obtain? Well, I’ve spent a lot of time collecting them, and I found some subjects fairly straightforward and some, well, let’s just say that I had to have several attempts before finally making the grade and getting that pesky badge! I am satisfied that they encourage CPD (continuing professional development) and provide a useful indication of the ability and, indeed, engagement of the security officer.
Recommended Reading: 10 Essential Traits To Look For When Hiring Security Personnel
The 20-Second Video Introduction
From a recruiter’s point of view, the feature that saves the most time is, without doubt, the twenty-second introductory video that a job seeker can add to their profile. You can learn a massive amount of useful information about a person in just twenty seconds, easily enough to create an efficient candidate shortlist, as you already have a great idea about the communication skills, presentation and attitude of the potential new recruit. Possibly 90% of the information you would need to make an interview decision.
You can also search for job seekers currently available in the specific areas you need, again, saving yet more time.
Vetting
So you have found what looks like the ideal candidate. You now have to make sure that this person is who they say they are, has done what they say they have, and that there isn’t anything lurking in their background that would preclude them from working for your security company. This could not be more important, as getting this wrong is not just reputationally damaging to your company, but may potentially have serious legal repercussions.
The BS7858 Standard
As there are few roles that carry such responsibility and require such a high degree of trust, the security industry has a very specific standard for security officer recruitment and vetting that must be vigorously adhered to. This standard is BS7858.
BS7858 not only looks at the 5-year work history of candidates, but requires verification of address history, explanation of gaps in employment, and thorough verification of identification and National Insurance number.
For the official standard documentation, visit the BSI website.
GuardCheck: AI-Powered Vetting In Days, Not Weeks
This can be problematic, is always time-consuming, and can lead to questions which need further investigation. GuardCheck from GuardPass uses clever AI and vetting experts to quickly and efficiently perform BS7858 and even BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) screening.
GuardCheck provides fully legally compliant files, formatted to be compatible with your current HR formats, and best of all, it holds NSI Silver Approval for methodology and quality of service.
Peace of mind. Efficient. Quality. Value for money. A business no-brainer!
Recommended Reading: How GuardCheck Is Revolutionising Security Staff Vetting Timelines
Training
When your security officers need to renew their licenses, or if you find the right person for the job, but they need to complete the mandatory SIA licence course, you need trouble-free, great value, high-quality training available at centres located near you.
GuardTrain: Access To The UK’s Biggest Training Network
GuardTrain gives your company access to discounted courses from the UK’s biggest training network, the well-respected Get Licensed. With GuardTrain, you can use a dedicated dashboard to find and book courses, check on progress, and even download certificates for your officers. Security Training Solutions – GuardTrain – GuardPass will tell you more about this industry-leading training solution.
Ready To Simplify Your Hiring?
So many of the UK’s top security companies are already using GuardPass services. There is simply no better solution for your security recruitment, vetting, and training needs. When value for money, quality, time, and compliance are of paramount importance to your company, one service ticks all the boxes: GuardPass.
Whether you’re struggling to fill urgent shifts, drowning in vetting paperwork, or coordinating training across multiple sites, GuardPass brings security recruitment, BS7858-compliant screening, and SIA training into one platform. Join the 2,000+ security companies already saving time and hiring better.
Book a free demo and see how GuardPass can transform your operations.