Managing high-performing security guards doesn’t need much effort but that doesn’t mean as a manager you don’t need to do anything. Despite their ability to achieve and excel at everything they do, they still need support to continue thriving at work. Security guard companies don’t often recognize this and therefore do not put the effort into retaining their top talent until it’s too late.
Eventually, it turns into a very or extremely challenging task for the managers. Which is why here we are today to share with you the not-so-secret weapons to retain high-performing security guards. Despite these strategies being at their disposal all the time, security guard companies don’t properly use them, we hope you will.
Offer More Flexibility
No matter how dedicated your high-performing security guards are, they’d still want to maintain a great work-life balance. GuardsPro guard tour system’s scheduler offers a great way to ensure that by allowing the guards to make their availability known for the week in advance. Using the scheduler, you can also create open shifts that enable them to pick and choose the shifts they want to work.
The security guards can easily get notified of their schedules ahead of time and even swap shifts with other guards effortlessly. They can apply for leaves right from the GuardsPro mobile patrol app and get notified when they are approved.
Giving security guards such an opportunity can not only be a great beginning to reduce attrition but also a great way to positively impact retention without trying too hard.
Appreciate Them
Everyone likes to be appreciated, valued, and recognized for a job well done. Won’t you like that too? But a lot of employers struggle to effectively celebrate their employees. If not that, in the process of growing they forget how important it is.
When that happens, and the security guards are routinely made to feel their best work is ignored, it can reduce their morale to the point they will think about quitting. It is in fact one of the many legit reasons why good security guards quit.
Communicate Proactively
Lack of communication is often considered the main catalyst for employees’ frustrations. Your security guards are no different. It will also affect the performance of your top performers. So, make it your priority and work on improving the way you communicate with them.
Have more one-on-one conversations with them to eliminate problems before they become an issue. Take into consideration good communication strategies to increase the productivity of your security guards. For instance, provide genuine feedback more often.
Increase Employee Engagement
There’s nothing like boredom that deteriorates the performance of high-performing security guards. Keeping them engaged can drive business performance and improve your bottom line significantly.
Do that by assigning them new responsibilities, letting them play a more integral role, keeping them in the loop on important decisions, and allowing them to share their ideas, thoughts, and concerns.
It will help them stay entirely focused on the success of the organization. This will also result in increased customer satisfaction, high levels of productivity, and higher employee retention.
Invest In Their Future
High-performing security guards are more likely to leave if they find that their career is not progressing as expected or is completely stagnant.
What you can do is begin by showing them the big picture and how they fit in. Once they understand it, help them grow in their career by providing personalized training. It will make them feel empowered with a certain degree of control over their career paths.
The majority of security guard companies miss this element. They forget how it will create a pool of potential new leaders within the company, and also improve their security guard services significantly.
Challenge And Reward Them
Ensure the work that not only the high-performing security guards but also everyone else is doing is challenging and stretching their abilities in the best possible ways. If not, make sure to set targets that challenge and encourage them to learn and take on additional responsibilities.
When those targets are achieved, ensure they are rewarded appropriately. On-spot rewards and recognitions go a long way to make them feel more inspired, motivated, and engaged. And that will help to retain them for a long period of time.
Empower Them By Trusting
Be it your security guards or any other employee, they are all unique. They all have their unique strengths and weaknesses that can be beneficial in numerous ways. All you need to do is, trust them to use them in the best possible way every single day.
Before you do this, recognize their individual needs. Develop an understanding as to how much support or encouragement they need to be empowered. Remember not to create an environment that kills your best employees but give them wings to fly.
Equip Them With The Right Tech
If you are not a tech-savvy security services company in the 21st century, you are already in trouble. For you, as well as, the security guards to deliver incredible security guards services your clients are expecting will require technology.
If your security guards are not equipped with the right technology, it will make their job complicated and put you in a tough position.
Ensuring and investing in the right technology like GuardsPro guard tour system and its various add-on modules will boost their morale, and make their job a lot easier.
For instance, reporting in real-time, messaging fellow guards, GPS tracking, ability to access schedules, post-orders, conduct guided site tours, and so much more right from the GuardsPro mobile patrol app can make a big difference.
Understand What Motivates Them
The process of retention begins with the hiring process. This is why it isn’t just about finding the right security guard with the right set of skills and experience to add value to your security guard company. It’s also about getting to know them as they get to know your company to retain them.
Often a lot of security guard companies fail to recognize it. Don’t become like them. Understand your security guards and what motivates them. Provide a great onboarding experience. Set a strong foundation for retention because everyone remembers their first few weeks on the job, forever.
Set Clear Expectations
Provide your security guards with clear expectations the first time around. Make sure you are as specific as possible, especially when they are already on the client site ready to patrol.
To do that, you can use GuardsPro guard tour system to update last-minute changes in the post-orders, share them with the security guards in real time, and have them acknowledged by the guards. Thus ensuring everyone’s satisfied and the results are as desired.
When security guards are clear about what your expectations are, it eliminates confusion, frustration, stress, and especially unsatisfactory results. It also helps understand if there are any skill-related issues, rather than communication problems, which makes it easier to address.
What measures are you going to take to retain your high-performing security guards? Comment below to let us know.
