UK security trends - GuardPass Resources

Understanding Security Guarding Company Structures (Operations)

Rollo Davies — Wed, 14 May 2025 12:26:11 +0000

There is a veritable ocean of management job descriptions in the UK security guarding sector. If things were not confusing enough, many companies use different names for similar traditional roles. Most companies will choose the security company management structure that best suits the way they work, with either a myriad of managers or very few. No two companies will have the same set-up, so this is quite a tricky subject to tackle, but, in general, this chart provides the more popular job titles and a very brief summary of what they do and where they fit in any organisation.

I have worked for companies that have quite literally asked me what job title they should put on my business cards, so I have left out some of the lesser-used roles I’ve done, including ‘Client Relationship Manager’, and ‘Special Projects Manager’.

If this isn’t the way your employer or company does things, please don’t shoot the messenger, but this should give you a general idea of who does what and where. I also recommend checking out our blog on steps employers can take for security industry improvement.

Listed in order of operational importance:

Front Line Security Officers

(& site based management & supervisors)

The most important men and women in the company, without whom the rest can not exist.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

The “big cheese” & the final arbiter of all strategic decisions.

Managing Director

Responsible for day-to-day operational & commercial decisions.

General Manager (Optional)

Supports and stands in for MD. Usually responsible for specific business aspects (bid writing, staff welfare, training, etc.)

Operations Director

Again, the operations director works closely with the MD / CEO. Normally, the senior manager is involved with monthly & annual client KPI meetings and service reviews. Ultimate responsibility for the quality of service and incident handling.

Head of Operations (Optional)

Provides support and guidance for operations managers. Ensures issues are investigated and resolved, and client relations are maintained to a high standard.

National Account Managers (Optional)

Where utilised, these managers are responsible for large, important clients, with sites across the country and potentially beyond.

Regional Managers (Optional)

These are senior operational managers who normally support the Head of Operations. Where used, they are normally responsible for large geographical areas and have several operations or area managers working for them.

Area / Contracts / Operations Managers (Interchangeable)

The ‘engine room’ of any company’s guarding operations. Hands-on regular client liaison, staff welfare, and troubleshooting. Bad contract managers can ruin businesses.

Operations / Contract Support Managers

These helpful office-based managers enable operations managers to spend more time visiting sites and servicing clients. They handle the bulk of routine admin. (Chasing vetting, uniforms, holiday booking, arranging cover, and more.)

Control Room Supervisor / Manager

This is a vitally important role, taking overall responsibility for operational communications. This manager needs to ensure that any blowouts, incidents, emergencies or enquiries are dealt with promptly and accurately.

Mobile Supervisors (Optional)

When Operations Managers have larger portfolios, mobile supervisors are important to ensure that sites are visited on a regular basis, including weekends and nights.

Controllers / Schedulers

Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the control/communications room. Ensuring that any gaps in staffing levels are covered, and that all incoming calls, incident reports, and enquiries are correctly triaged.

Recommended Read: How To Write The Perfect Job Ad

How Security Company Structures Typically Work

The list above isn’t a simple security company structure by any means, but it would be extremely rare to have a single company use all of the job descriptions mentioned. Most small to medium-sized companies get along just fine with a set-up like this: Security Officers – CEO – MD – Operations Director/s – Operations Managers – Controllers.

I hope this has been of use to my front-line friends and indeed, some of the security company start-ups that I’ve spoken to recently.

Build the Right Team with GuardPass

Whether you’re a security start-up designing your team structure or an established firm scaling operations, understanding role hierarchy is key to success. At GuardPass, we help you find and vet the right people to fit every layer of your security company’s structure — from frontline officers to operations directors.

Explore how GuardPass supports your hiring strategy.

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Security Guarding Charge Rates: When Buying Cheap Fuels Organised Crime

Rollo Davies — Fri, 02 May 2025 08:50:01 +0000

There has been a great deal of talk about a ‘race to the bottom’ within the UK security industry over the last decade or so. This has been driven by naive clients constantly demanding the cheapest possible security guarding charge rates, while still expecting some level of quality service. ‘Cheap’ and ‘professional’ never ever go together, despite the promises of well-rehearsed sales representatives during contract tender presentations.

Rogue Operators and Criminal Tactics

This increasing demand for cheap services has driven the growth of rogue security companies. I use the term rogue to include companies that in reality are far more insidious. Hiring security workers who have had zero or dubious mandatory SIA training, paying cash in hand off the books, arranging student visas to import cheap foreign workers, putting up workers in houses of multiple occupancy, and paying rates way below the legal minimum wage are all part of the MO of these companies.

Recommended Read: Security Hiring Challenges

Enforcement Struggles and Regulatory Gaps

The Security Industry Authority is working hard with bodies like the Police, HMRC and Border Force to find and prosecute these companies, but without mandatory business licensing, they close down on Monday and pop up again on Wednesday with a new name and company number.

Stamping out this sort of criminality and malpractice in the industry would seem simple. Just make sure that clients are fully aware of the amount they need to pay to ensure that the security services they want are going to be legally and ethically supplied. But what is that magic charge rate?

GLAA’s Framework as a Model

For some years, a Government organisation called the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) has been publishing a fair charge rate framework covering the purchase of services in the sector they are responsible for, mainly seasonal agricultural workers. This provides crystal clear guidance for employers and clients alike, and red flags are easily raised if security guarding charge rates below the published minimum are offered.

Recently the security industry has obtained its very own fair charge rate framework, and although it has not yet been officially approved by the Security Industry Authority, it has growing support. John Lambert, Chair of the International Professional Security Association, has been campaigning for the adoption of a security industry-dedicated document similar to the GLAA.

Introducing the IPSA 2025 Fair Charge Rate Framework

Recently, after a lot of hard work, the IPSA published their 2025 Security Industry fair charge rate framework. This is a huge step towards industry improvement, and its importance cannot be overstated.

With the new minimum wage for persons over 21 years old, going up to £12.21 per hour from the 1^st April, an unenlightened potential client may think that £15 per hour is a perfectly acceptable rate to pay for guarding services. Surely £15 per hour gives at least a pound profit for the security company, right? Let’s have a look at the reality.

Using the IPSA 2025 fair charge rate framework, let’s see how much profit a £15 per hour charge rate leaves for the security company providing the service:

Cost Item	Cost
Minimum Wage	£12.21
Employer’s National Insurance	£1.76
Holiday Pay	£1.47
Sick Pay	12p
Pension Contribution	33p
Apprenticeship Levy	7p
Uniform	10p
SIA Licensing & ACS Costs	7p
BS7858 Vetting	8p
Account Management	19p
Equipment (Phone, patrol recorder)	17p
Premises Costs	26p
Overhead Contribution	26p
Business Insurance	12p
Subtotal (Before Profit)	£17.54 (A rise of 11% or £1.75 per hour over 2024)
+10% Profit on Basic Pay	£1.22
Total Charge Rate Needed	£18.76 per hour

Blimey! That potential client, thinking that £15 per hour was a reasonable amount to pay, is wrong. Very wrong. In fact, by a minimum of at least £2.54 per hour! Any security company that is legal, decent, honest and true will walk away.

It is worth remembering as well that these figures only refer to MINIMUM WAGE operatives. Regardless of what a client may expect for this price, they will be getting the poorest quality licensed security available. For decent calibre professional and experienced security officers, a charge rate of £25 per hour is in no way unreasonable.

Recommended Read: Security Industry Trends For 2025

Illegally Low Rates Are a Warning Sign

Questions must be asked of any security company out there that would accept that contract at £15 per hour, as they can not be doing business legally or ethically, and somewhere a crime is being committed, be it tax evasion, worker exploitation, assisting illegal migration, or fraudulent SIA licence acquisition. Alas, in many cases, it will be most of the above.

The Way Forward

Educate potential clients. Show them the IPSA charge rate framework and make it crystal clear that getting a good deal will still always mean paying a fair amount to ensure the services that they want are legally supplied.

Those companies that are still happy to take on contracts at £11 – £17 per hour? Report them to the SIA, and let the regulator and the courts educate them.

Raise the Standard with GuardPass

Understanding and applying fair security guarding charge rates isn’t just about compliance — it’s about protecting your business, your people, and the industry at large. The IPSA framework sets the benchmark, but tools like GuardPass help you meet it.

From BS7858 vetting to a database of fully screened, licensed professionals, GuardPass ensures you hire ethically and efficiently, without cutting corners.

Ready to hire smarter and stay compliant? Explore GuardPass and start building a security team you can trust.

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Security Industry Membership Organisations: Should My Company Join One and What’s In It For Me?

Rollo Davies — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 08:12:20 +0000

The reasons that an individual may want to join one of the numerous UK security industry membership organisations are many and well discussed, but why would a company want to join a trade body?

Very much in the way that individual membership of an organisation may be driven by several motivations, there are different trade bodies with widely differing roles, and corporate membership will be driven by what a company wants out of it. So firstly, let’s have a look at what your company primarily wants to gain from membership.

Building Connections

If you need to build your company brand awareness, make friends and influence people within your sector, then you’ll need to look for an organisation that provides high quality networking opportunities.

Check out our GuardPass 100 guide on the UK security industry figures to learn more about key individuals driving change.

Staying Informed

Some sectors of the security industry are more highly regulated than others, and both legislation and best practices evolve regularly. Some membership organisations are great at providing updates and expert advice for their member companies.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Many organisations take great pride in their charitable work, and fund industry or indeed society improvement initiatives. Corporate involvement in these bodies helps to tick some desirable ‘social responsibility’ boxes regardless of the sincerity of your motivation.

Increasing Standards

Many security industry membership organisations are dedicated to education and raising professional standards. In general, they will have partnered with training organisations to provide subsidised courses for members at all levels. These include quick online e-learning to advanced academic degrees.

Many of these trade bodies are ‘Institutes’ or ‘Guilds.’ Some also allow members to use post-nominals (or letters after their names) to indicate their membership level.

Recommended Read: Security Industry Trends for 2025

Top 8 UK Security Industry Membership Organisations

So, what are the main UK security industry membership organisations or trade bodies, and will they benefit my company? In alphabetical order only, these are the main organisations and my very brief summary of their work:

1. ASIS – UK Chapter

ASIS (American Society for Industrial Security, although the original full name is now very much obsolete) is, by some margin, the biggest security industry membership organisation in the world. Although probably sitting in 3^rd place for UK members, it is world-renowned for its training courses. Its most prestigious training is the Certified Protection Professional (CPP) qualification, globally recognised as the gold standard non-degree course. ASIS holds UK seminars and conferences, but there is also an opportunity to attend European or Global (US) based events.

2. BSIA

The British Security Industry Association is the UK’s biggest corporate security trade body, with departments covering every sector from alarm installers to guarding companies. They have a helpline providing guidance and advice. A and produce a regular newsletter containing news of legislation changes and best practice. They also sponsor the British Security Awards. Always a great networking opportunity.

3. GSIP

Founded just five years ago, the Guild of Security Industry Professionals is increasingly popular among frontline security industry professionals. It advocates improving standards by personal professional development, and has a range of free CPD courses. Membership is also free to SIA licence holders. It is supported by corporate sponsorship, and involvement is a very “good look” for guarding companies.

4. IFPO – UK Chapter

The International Federation of Protection Officers was started in the United States and made it to the UK a few years ago. It provides a range of courses for different levels of operational security professionals. Courses and individual membership are not free, however, unlike the GSIP.

5. IPSA

The International Professional Security Association has been around for a very long time in one form or another, but has experienced something of a renaissance over the last few years. It primarily supports frontline security workers, and individual membership is free. It has very lively corporate engagement, however, and company membership once more indicates commitment to staff welfare and development.

IPSA is also the driving force behind the increasingly widely recognised and adopted security industry fair charge rate framework. The IPSA is also very active across social media, and their corporate partners are often featured, be they worthy or blatantly ‘virtue signalling’.

6. ISRM

The Institute of Strategic Risk Management is the brainchild of the widely respected Dr David Rubens and has rapidly grown to global status. It provides a peer support, education and idea sharing platform for senior security and risk management professionals. Its members contain some of the most senior people in the field from across the world, and it has recently gained recognition for the geopolitical think tanks that are now examining some of the major international security problems that have evolved over the last few years. Corporate membership indicates support for and an appreciation of the significant work they are doing.

7. Security Institute

The Security Institute is currently the UK’s largest security industry individual membership organisation. Again, as the term Institute would suggest, there is a heavy emphasis on learning and development. Despite the efforts of several people over the years, there is little support for or interest in the rank and file of the security industry. Since the departure of their dynamic former CEO, Rick Mountfield, a few years ago, the SI seems to have lost its way somewhat, but a couple of high-profile events during the year, and the associated positive publicity, still attract the involvement of corporate partners.

8. UKCMA

For security companies operating in the events space or looking after large sports or entertainment venues, the UK Crowd Management Association is hugely popular. With a code of conduct for members and an emphasis on keeping up to date with trends and legislation, membership is quite an important ‘badge of quality’ for appropriate companies.

Make Security Industry Membership Work For You

It isn’t all about the money with corporate partnerships & memberships. Assess what your company wants to achieve by joining a security industry membership organisation. Make sure you do your homework first and ensure that your corporate objectives will be satisfied.

Membership of all of these organisations, however, will benefit from active participation, and the most worthwhile experience requires a degree of time and effort. Factor this in when attempting to quantify any return on investment.

If you’re exploring membership to raise standards, improve compliance, or attract quality talent, GuardPass can help amplify those efforts. With access to licensed professionals, built-in vetting tools, and expert-backed hiring support, we make it easier to align your recruitment with the professionalism these organisations represent.

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The Hidden Cost of Slow Hiring in 2025

Maryam Alavi — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 13:07:09 +0000

Imagine this: You’ve posted a security job, expecting the usual flood of applicants. Days pass. A few apply. One looks promising. But by the time you get around to reviewing their CV and making contact, they’re gone. Hired at a company that’s not a victim of slow hiring.

Sounds familiar? It’s happening every day across the industry.

In fact, 49% of candidates abandoned job applications in Q4 2024, most often because of missing salary info, vague job details, or painfully slow response times. And in security hiring, where roles are urgent and margins are tight, slow hiring isn’t just frustrating; it’s expensive.

So, what’s really costing you candidates? Let’s dig into the numbers and explore how speed (or lack of it) could be sabotaging your recruitment.

What It Looks Like on the Ground

The impact of slow hiring isn’t always obvious at first, but over time, the cracks show in the form of missed shifts, lost revenue, and increasing pressure on your existing team. For companies managing security hiring, these delays quickly become operational risks.

Here’s what that looks like in real terms:

Guards booked for upcoming events or shifts drop out, leaving you scrambling
You lose out on contracts because you couldn’t staff up in time
Subcontractors become your default (and expensive) fallback
Your job ads go ignored because they lack the clarity candidates now demand

This all adds up to one thing: wasted time and lost money.

In 2025, hiring isn’t just about filling roles; it’s about keeping up with a market that expects speed, clarity, and action. The latest recruitment trends don’t lie. If your process is slow, your competitors will win.

What Candidates Expect in 2025

If 2024 made anything clear, it’s this: job seekers aren’t waiting around. Especially in frontline industries like security, where demand is high and competition is fierce, the expectation is for job ads to be clear, quick, and mobile-friendly, and for responses to come in hours, not days.

Here’s what’s driving candidate behaviour in 2025, backed by the latest hiring data.

49% of Candidates Abandon Applications

According to public UK hiring reports from 2024, nearly half of all candidates (49%) abandoned job applications in Q4 2024. Why?

Missing salary details
Vague job descriptions
Overly long or complicated application processes

In security hiring, where roles are urgent and staffing gaps are costly, this kind of drop-off isn’t just inconvenient. It’s unsustainable.

Check out our guide on innovative hiring tools for assessing talent.

5.1 Weeks: The Average Time to Hire

Speed is the name of the game. But the average hiring process still takes 5.1 weeks, which is far too slow for most candidates, especially those seeking shift-based or temporary work.

In industries like security, where urgent cover is often required, this delay leads directly to lost revenue, missed shifts, and increased pressure on subcontractors.

1 in 3 Workers Plan to Switch Jobs in 2025

The candidate market is shifting. One in three UK workers is planning to change jobs this year, which means opportunity is everywhere—but only for the companies that can act fast and present themselves well.

With this much movement, your job ad has one chance to capture attention. And if it’s not hitting the mark? Someone else’s will.

75% of Candidates Prefer Automated Applications

Today’s applicants don’t want to be passed through outdated processes. 75% of candidates prefer automated application systems, especially if they’re intuitive and mobile-friendly.

They want to:

Apply in minutes, not hours
Get confirmation or feedback quickly
Avoid duplicate form-filling or unnecessary steps

If your hiring process still relies on manual comms or clunky forms, expect drop-offs—and fast.

Recommended Read: Security Industry Trends for 2025

Key Candidate Priorities Right Now:

In 2025, job seekers expect:

Salary transparency: No numbers? No application.
Mobile-first experience: Job seekers expect to apply from their phone in under five minutes.
Communication: A fast, human response matters more than ever.
Clarity: They want to know shift patterns, expectations, and what comes next before they hit “apply.”

In security hiring, where urgent cover and shift-based work is common, these expectations can make or break your pipeline. If your hiring process doesn’t meet these standards, you’ll lose candidates before you’ve even had a chance to speak to them.

How GuardPass Fixes the Slow Hiring Problem

In security hiring, time is rarely on your side. Whether you need urgent shift cover or fast turnaround for a new contract, traditional recruitment methods aren’t built for the pace the industry now demands. GuardPass is.

Created specifically for the security sector, GuardPass removes the barriers that lead to slow hiring and replaces them with tools designed to move fast and deliver results. This allows us to automate security hiring.

Here’s how we help:

Access to over 200,000 pre-vetted, SIA-licensed professionals
Video introductions to help you assess candidates quickly, without the need for a full interview
Instant messaging to reduce delays and improve candidate engagement
Transparent, mobile-optimised job ads designed to convert
Guaranteed 10+ applicants within 5 days, or we boost your job at no extra cost

Bonus: Fast, Compliant Vetting with GuardCheck

Even with the perfect candidate, delays can creep in during onboarding, especially around compliance. GuardPass includes GuardCheck, our fully digital BS7858 vetting tool, which enables screening and compliance checks to be completed in under 48 hours.

No paperwork delays. No manual chasing. Just a secure, compliant, and fast process built into the same platform where you post jobs and find talent.

With GuardPass, you don’t just hire faster. You hire smarter and stay fully compliant while you do it.

Speed Up. Stand Out. Hire Better.

In 2025, the most successful security companies aren’t just hiring — they’re doing it faster, smarter, and more transparently than ever before. Candidates expect clarity and speed. Clients expect reliability. And businesses that adapt are the ones winning contracts, reducing employee turnover, and staying ahead of the curve.

If your current hiring process feels slow, outdated, or simply ineffective, it’s time to make a change.

GuardPass is already helping hundreds of security employers:

Reduce their time to hire
Improve the quality of applicants
Cut their dependency on subcontractors
Stay fully BS7858 compliant

Whether you’re filling last-minute shifts or building out a long-term team, GuardPass gives you the tools and talent to do it better.

Start hiring faster today and set your security business up for success. Post a job on GuardPass.

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Security Industry Awards: Why Enter Them & How To Win

Rollo Davies — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 07:16:38 +0000

There is a lot of cynicism voiced on the subject of security industry awards. To some degree, with justification. Recently, I was contacted by an organisation that will remain nameless, not for fear of embarrassing them, just because I hadn’t heard of them before, and I hope to never hear from them again.

For a mere £450, I could be entered into their awards event as a finalist! Erm? For a few hundred pounds more, I would be guaranteed to win one of their “prestigious and highly regarded” awards…as long as I provided them with a unique category of award I wanted to win in. Not likely.

The Credibility Problem in Certain Security Industry Awards

This kind of vanity-driven, award-for-cash rubbish fools nobody, but does cast doubt on the legitimacy of other, more worthy organisations and events. There is also a widely held feeling that companies that work hard to get you to pay for a table, or several seats at their award presentation events, will tend to award the gongs to the companies that have spent the most. I was in this camp to some degree. However, a few years ago, something happened that proved me wrong.

A Winning Moment That Changed My Mind

I was working with a company that had a stake in an innovative lone worker safety system based on smart watch technology. It was clever kit, and I could see the potential for it to save lives if widely adopted. The software was called SALUS, and I enthusiastically nominated it for a Security & Fire Excellence Award. Much to my delight, SALUS made the final in its category.

Despite getting asked how many seats we would be buying for the event, our MD was busy that night, as was our ops director, and I didn’t fancy the trip from the wilds of Kent, into the centre of town, so we decided that we wouldn’t send anyone. I wrote off our chances of success as a result. The next morning, I received an email stating that SALUS had won, and social media posts throughout the day, from the organisers, further celebrated the win. Cool.

Since then, I took a closer interest in security industry awards, and now I very much feel that they are a great way to recognise the hard work and successes of my team members. They are also an easy way to generate positive publicity and help to enhance the reputation of a company or worthy individual. Taking nominated security officers and managers to these events is also a great way to say thank you for your hard work, regardless of whether or not anyone from your party leaves with a trophy.

To recognise talent in all its forms, it’s also worth noting the top security figures in the UK. We’ve covered them in our recently published GuardPass 100 feature.

Playing to Win: How to Maximise Your Chances

An awards cabinet, displayed prominently in your HQ, groaning under the weight of trophies, medals and gongs, looks great to visitors and potential clients, and the positive impression it gives is not to be underestimated. While not all awards events are created equal, in general, they are a pretty good thing to get involved in.

Pro tip: Although it only takes one well-drafted nomination to win over the judges, submitting more nominations and entering more categories will obviously increase your chances of coming away with an award.

Case in point, Mitie Security wins piles of awards every year. Not because they are so astronomically better than other companies (sorry and all that), but because their management is encouraged to nominate their best people and most prestigious sites for any award out there (in fact, I spotted this written in a senior manager’s job description!).

The Most Respected Security Industry Awards

But what are the most well-respected security industry award events? A recent poll on LinkedIn would suggest these:

The OSPAs (Outstanding Security Performance Awards).
The British Security Awards
The Security & Fire Excellence Awards
The International Security Buyer Awards
The Women in Security Awards

Guardpass has been on the receiving end of its fair share of awards as well. We were an OSPA finalist in 2024 and also won “Software of the Year” at the Security Buyer Awards.

Writing a Winning Nomination: Key Tips

There are a few things to remember when writing a winning nomination for any of the above awards:

Read the nomination guidance and category requirements for any submission carefully, and stick rigidly to the instructions provided.
Note carefully any maximum word limits and do not exceed them, as even the best nominations can be disqualified without any judge ever reading them.
If you are permitted to submit supporting documents, ensure you stick to any maximum data limits stated and ensure that additional information is visually engaging, accurate and clearly supports the key points of your nomination.
Although “self-nomination” is widespread and acceptable for most awards and categories, supporting quotes and endorsements from clients, customers or third parties are massively valuable and indeed, required to support your nominations for some awards.
Always try to accentuate innovation, what makes your team/individual/initiative/product better than the competition, key benefits and the outstanding actions or scenarios that reinforce your claims of excellence. Try to avoid repetition, but use positive and relevant keywords and phrases to underline important features or achievements.

Final Thoughts: Enter and Celebrate

Winning awards feels great! They are generally free to enter (please avoid the vanity award purchase malarky). They provide positive publicity, so remember to use your social media outlets to announce your success. They are also a great opportunity to reward your staff and, indeed, thank top clients.

And remember, platforms like GuardPass don’t just help you hire faster and better. They also make it easier to identify and nominate standout talent for industry recognition. When you combine great people, great technology, and genuine recognition, the result is a stronger, more respected security industry for everyone.

Stick to the security industry awards listed above and you won’t go far wrong, so get those nominations in and good luck!

The post Security Industry Awards: Why Enter Them & How To Win appeared first on GuardPass Resources.

“Gold” Security Recruitment in 2024.

Rollo Davies — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 07:35:08 +0000

For a whole range of reasons, recruiting decent, professional, front line security officers is increasingly difficult in the UK.

This year’s increase in the legal minimum wage has caused problems. Security companies could not have imagined a 9.8% hike for workers aged over 21, and suddenly what was a fairly decent hourly pay rate just 12 months ago, is the legal minimum. Clients don’t want to pay more, and very few security companies factored such an unexpectedly high salary increase into their standard service contracts.

As a result, what should have been a “minimum wage” is sadly almost the industry standard pay rate for many providing basic guarding services.

With security officers in such high demand, and pay rates in most sectors now so close, finding those engaged security officers is more challenging than ever before. So what do you do?

Job fairs

are a sole destroying experience for the poor HR or operations manager tasked with running the company stall. At the last one I attended, the one and only enquiry came from a decent looking chap, 10 minutes before the end of the event. He looked the part, came across well, and it wasn’t until I asked him what he had been doing for the last 5 years, when his answer, “I’ve just served 15years in HMP Bellmarsh”, underlined just what a waste of time these things are.

Job Centres

seem to have decided early on, that the security industry is easy money for the desperate, troubled, feckless, and disinterested, and have for the last two decades, been encouraging anyone and everyone that can’t do anything else, to look at the security industry. Even to the extent that they sometimes fund SIA training courses and licence applications. Now, I know that not everyone that has joined the industry via this route, is a walking disaster. Indeed, some have turned out to become very good security officers. Just not very many.

Back in the day, local and national newspapers had huge jobs sections with available positions for hundreds of different roles. Replacing them these days is by far the largest recruitment tool for any employer, the internet.

Online Recruitment

There is a wealth of online recruitment services to choose from. Total Jobs, CV Library, Reed Employment to name just a few. For many years, the most popular with the UK security industry has traditionally been the “Indeed” platform.

I have used indeed, on numerous occasions. Yes there is a galaxy of vacancies to choose from, but frankly, a security professional looking for any kind of front line, or even managerial physical security role is going to find navigating the site a headache.

Indeed suffers from the need to be generic. Trying to be a one size fits all recruitment solution, makes finding the type of security work you need, a time consuming struggle. All the filters and parameters in the world do not make it any easier. Typing “security” in to the search bar means you will be bombarded with pages and pages of ads for “Cyber security” professionals or “information security” experts. Good luck finding anything that resembles the work you’re looking for.

Thankfully, now there is an alternative. An industry specific job board. A job board that presents the most important features of every physical security role front and centre. A service that has become so successful, so rapidly, that the overwhelming majority of UK security companies now post their jobs on it.

That service is GuardHire.

GuardHire

is accessed via the UK’s biggest FREE security industry app, GuardPass, and has been downloaded over 300,000 times! The GuardPass app has a wealth of useful features and it has recently won the Security Buyer Magazine, Security Software of the year award! Amazingly it currently has over 170,000 registered security jobseekers. All of these potential new employees, can have alerts send instantly to their phones, the moment a suitable local job is posted on the service. This leads to FAST applications, from engaged security professionals from the areas in which you are recruiting.

Best of all, it has been set up by security professionals that understand your recruitment problems, and it provides some massively useful and time saving features. My favourite is the ability of all registered job seekers to record a 20 second introductory video, available to all recruiters. There is a huge amount of information that can be gathered in 20 seconds, and it greatly assists in rapid shortlist creation, massively reducing the need for face to face interviews. GuardHire also performs integrated SIA licence checks for all registered applicants. More time saved. Recruiters can actively search through stored CVs to find candidates with the skills and knowledge that they need, or just post an ad and wait (Well, for a few minutes at least!) for the applications to arrive.

GuardHire quite simply:

Produces more applicants per job than any other online platform.
Produces faster responses than any other online platform.
Has a better standard of applicant, as all have downloaded the GuardPass app, are engaged security professionals, and have had their SIA licences verified.
Saves more time, by allowing you to search for candidates, using a variety of sensible, security specific parameters, and review video introductions for applicants and potential candidates!

Have a look at how GuardHire works for the HR team at CIS Security: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNPhbhNUeiA

I have an operations management background, and personally worked for two security companies that adopted GuardHire as their recruitment solution, and they have never experienced such great results.

Still have doubts about just how good the GuardHire system is? Just book a FREE, no obligation, online demo, from one of our expert sales team. Drop them a line at: info@guardpass.com

#FOMO? So don’t miss out!

The Hidden Costs of ‘Self-Employment’ in Security Work

Hamna Ismail — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 21:41:41 +0000

Self-employment is on the rise in the security industry. More and more people are choosing to go freelance, attracted by the chance to control their own schedules and pick their own gigs.

But while being your own boss brings a certain freedom, it also has its downsides, like unpredictable workloads and missing out on the perks that come with regular employment. This changing scene offers both new opportunities and fresh challenges for security pros going it alone.

The Double-Edged Sword of Self-Employment

For many security professionals, the appeal of self-employment lies in the flexibility it offers—being your own boss, choosing when and where you work.

However, this independence often comes with unpredictability in work and income, akin to the changing moods of a crowd at a football match.

Challenges of Inconsistent Work:

Financial Instability: Gaps between contracts can make budgeting a nightmare, leading to financial stress and uncertainty.
Seasonal Fluctuations: Security work can be seasonal, with dry spells, especially during colder months when fewer events take place.

The Hidden Costs of Going Solo

While self-employment offers flexibility, it often lacks the benefits that come with regular employment. Here are some stark realities:

In previous years, only 16% of the self-employed contributed to a private pension plan, compared to 64% of employees (source).

Unlike their counterparts in permanent roles, self-employed security personnel don’t enjoy the safety net of employer-provided health insurance, pension schemes, or even paid holidays.

If you’re guarding a venue and twist an ankle, the time off to recover hits your wallet directly—not just in lost income but in medical expenses, too.

This lack of benefits extends to professional development as well. Permanent employees often have access to training and certifications paid for by their employers, an essential aspect of career advancement in the security field that remains a personal expense for the self-employed.

For Employers: Attracting Top Talent with Ethical Practices

For security employers, the rise of self-employment within the industry signals a need to rethink how work is structured and supported. Here’s how you can attract and retain top talent:

Hybrid Employment Models: Consider offering a mix of fixed and flexible contracts to provide more stability and attract a broader range of candidates.|
Subsidising Training Costs: Support continuous professional development by subsidising training costs, which not only helps your employees but also enhances the quality of service, maintaining high industry standards.
Offering Competitive Benefits: Providing health insurance, paid leave, and pension contributions can make your offers more attractive compared to typical gig work. This is crucial in maintaining a high-quality security workforce that ensures public safety.

The Role of Employers in Enhancing Industry Standards

Employers have a crucial role in setting and maintaining industry standards. By ensuring fair employment practices and offering benefits, employers can mitigate the risks associated with self-employment in the security industry.

Fair compensation and stable employment contracts can help maintain a workforce that is not only skilled and compliant with industry standards but also motivated and less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.

A Call for a More Supportive Framework

The evolving landscape of self-employment in the security sector calls for innovative solutions from both platforms like GuardPass and traditional employers.

By fostering an environment that values flexibility while providing substantial support, we can ensure a robust, reliable, and skilled security workforce.

Step into a community that values your skills and flexibility. Join us at GuardPass, where we connect you with top firms ready to offer quality, flexible roles alongside the stability of traditional benefits. Let’s redefine security employment together!