High turnover has always been a major challenge for Security Guard providers. Although it cannot be eliminated altogether, there are ways to significantly reduce it.
Provide Fair Compensation
Offering your security officers a competitive wage is key. After all, they risk their own safety when protecting your client’s people and property. Security providers should provide their officers with a wage that matches both the possible threats and serious nature that comes with being a security officer. This also means recognizing your officers for their contribution; giving officers raises regularly or periodically and rewarding them when they’ve effectively done their duty as a security officer and protected client’s property. Ultimately, this can cost a lot less than starting again to search for replacements from turnover. Your officers need to feel valued and that loyalty goes in both directions.
Deliver Effective, Interactive Training
Preparing your employees for real-life scenarios they might encounter on the job as a security guard is especially important because they need to learn how to protect themselves as well as your customer’s assets. But the seriousness of the position doesn’t mean training should be mundane.
In fact, training should be engaging and interesting so students will be attentive to the material they’re learning and retain important information. This type of interactive, participation-based training is known as gamification. In a 2013 study from the Universidad de La Laguna entitled, “Gamification of Learning and Educational Materials,” researchers discovered:
Gamification works to satisfy some of the most fundamental human desires: recognition and reward, status, achievement, competition & collaboration, self-expression, and altruism. People are hungry for these things both in their everyday world and online. Gamification taps directly into this (
González, Carina & Area, Manuel
).
This is why Defencify proudly offers quality security guard training online built around gamification. Our 100% online courses are stimulating, relevant, and give students the opportunity to earn badges, medals, and rewards throughout each module. Our training is achievement-based, helping students feel accomplished as they learn about their role and responsibilities in the security guard profession.
Effective online training delivered periodically fosters a strong connection between security officers and their employers. Rather than feeling neglected and forgotten in the field, they are seen as an investment in their own professional development and future growth within the company. Security officers who are better trained, are more confident, more professional, and more capable of providing a better service to your clients.
Finding Ways to Thank Your Officers
Employees feel accomplished when they’re recognized for their effort. This certainly goes hand-in-hand with providing regular raises and benefits, but it goes beyond that. Make sure you get to know your officers. Take an interest in their everyday lives and help them feel important. This will go a long way towards making your officers feel appreciated and respected rather than just a number.
Employers can hold incentives, raffles, and office parties involving team-building activities and games. Even just a simple “Hello” or asking your officers how they’re doing shows you care about them.
No matter how small your efforts may seem, they can make a huge difference.
Conclusion
Officers who feel valued in their position are a lot more likely to stay on with a company. Make efforts to thank your officers, offer fair compensation, and provide effective, interactive training that develops their skills. These methods will help officers feel appreciated and, in turn, keep your employee turnover in check.
Contact us for any questions you have regarding Defencify’s courses.
Best,
Defencify Team
1-800-795-6650
russ@defencifytraining.com
