When you are hiring security guards, you are hiring them to serve a purpose. Whether they will be able to serve that purpose successfully depends on their qualities. If you want to have very good security guard service, then you must hire the right individual for the job. So, what qualities make a good security guard? And what should you look for in applicants?

Integrity

Integrity is the most essential quality you should look for in a security guard. You want guards that have a strong moral compass and will be honest with you. If you hire anyone without integrity, then they will take advantage of the job, and you might be leaving your business open to misconduct.

Focus

The ability to focus is a must-have for a good security guard. For adequate property supervision, this is a necessary skill. Keep in mind that every now and then, shifts might feel boring as there will be no action, and guards will only be on the watch. If the guards aren’t focused in times like this and get lost in other activities, they might forget to guard their post. That is not what you want to happen when you hire security guards.

Boring days for security guards mean the business is safe, but you don’t want to make them so comfortable that they lose focus. Remember, don’t give anyone who struggles to focus the responsibility of safeguarding your business.

Social Skills

Typically, security guards interact with people a lot, and that is why they need to have good social skills. If they lack social skills, they won’t be able to prevent a situation from spiraling out of control fast.

If you hire a guard with good social skills, he will be able to deescalate a bad situation. Having social skills also makes it easy for guards to investigate crimes and question suspects.

Physical Fitness

You should get someone who will be able to manage the physical aspects of the job. Screening applicants based on their physical fitness can be difficult. It is also challenging to distinguish who is being dishonest about their fitness level. A good security guard company will do the screening for you before offering you their service. So, you can have peace of mind knowing that your guard can deal with the physical aspects of the job.

Strong Legal Knowledge

While a security guard candidate doesn’t need to have knowledge equivalent to a lawyer, he certainly should know the law well to perform his job better.

You don’t want a security guard breaking the law in an attempt to protect your business. That is why you should look for applicants with a bit of law enforcement background. A security guard with the knowledge of the law is likely to get involved only when it’s necessary. 

Good security provides peace of mind for your staff as well as business. Both guests and employees will feel safer. This will attract them more to your business.