Introduction to the benefits of using security contractors
We are often approached by businesses of all sizes managing their own in-house security only to discover that it is causing a drain on financial and human resources and becoming an administrative headache.
When it comes to business security, the choice between contracting a security service or maintaining an in-house team is an important one.
With the safety of premises, stock, assets, employees, and operations at stake, it’s a choice that needs a thorough analysis of benefits, risks, and long-term implications.
In this post, we will guide you through the problems, and the solutions and explore in more detail, the reasons why managing an in-house security team can be problematic and how engaging with a security contractor often presents a more budget-friendly and effective alternative.
If you already understand or have experienced the problems associated with managing security in-house and want to jump straight to the advantages that security contractors bring to the table click here.
5 Reasons Why In-House Security Can Cause Problems
- Escalating Costs: Security is a dynamic sector where risks and remedies evolve quickly. When you consider salaries, employee benefits, uniforms, equipment, training, staff turnover, and ongoing operational costs, an in-house security budget can quickly spiral out of control.
- Limited Expertise: In-house teams may lack specialised expertise in some aspects of security, such as advanced surveillance technologies, incident and emergency response, and customer-friendly people skills
- Scalability Issues: While it is true that many businesses expand over time it is also a fact that many are scaling back as technology and AI start to replace human resources. Businesses often find that scaling in-house security teams either up or down to meet changing security needs or sudden increases in risk and threat levels can be a complicated process full of traps for the unwary
- Loss of Objectivity: A natural outcome of joining an employee team is that relationships develop. Over time, in-house security teams may be more prone to biases or conflicts of interest, potentially compromising their ability to make impartial security decisions. As daily routines take hold and familiarity settles in it is easy for an air of complacency to seep into daily security activity.
- Administrative Burden: Managing an in-house security team can soak up administrative and managerial resources that would be better served by concentrating on the core business. This might include recruitment, onboarding, performance evaluations, compliance with labour and security industry regulations, certification and training, staff turnover, and management and supervision.
When we talk to new clients who previously managed security in-house, many of them cite the two issues of scalability and performance that they found particularly difficult, so let’s now have a closer look at those.
1. A Deeper Dive Into Scalability Problems
Issues often crop up for businesses attempting to scale their in-house security teams up or down. These difficulties come from the legal, contractual, and moral obligations that come with managing an internal workforce.
Managing an in-house security team can absorb a lot of administrative resources, including recruitment, induction, performance evaluations, compliance with employment law and security industry regulations, certification and training, staff turnover, and management and supervision.
These elements can be particularly time-consuming and resource-intensive. They involve job vacancy advertising, and candidate vetting, including criminal record and background checks, interviews, and initial induction training.
Finding qualified candidates with the necessary certifications and experience can also be challenging, especially in competitive labour markets due to low unemployment.
Legal: From a legal perspective, scaling an in-house security team involves navigating a complex web of employment laws and regulations. When scaling up, businesses must comply with employment and recruitment practices and equal opportunity requirements. Scaling down often involves redundancies and terminations, causing legal problems if not handled properly. Employers must observe fair labour practices, including providing adequate notice periods and avoiding wrongful termination claims.
Contractual:. In-house security personnel are typically employed under contracts that outline the terms and conditions of their employment. These contracts may include provisions related to job duties, pay, benefits, and terminations. Scaling up may involve renegotiating or amending existing contracts while scaling down could involve legal issues if layoffs breach previously agreed terms.
Moral: Scaling an in-house security team can affect team morale and cohesion. Frequent changes in team size can disrupt established dynamics and cause uncertainty and insecurity among the remaining team members. This can be detrimental to both security performance and effectiveness often resulting in higher absenteeism and staff turnover..
Businesses have an ethical responsibility to treat their employees fairly and with respect. Scaling down an in-house security team can have a profound impact on the lives of the affected individuals and their families.
Layoffs can lead to financial hardship, emotional distress, and a sense of betrayal, particularly if the employees have been loyal and dedicated. Businesses must carefully consider the human impact of their decisions and handle layoffs with sensitivity and support,
2. A Deeper Dive Into Loss of Objectivity and Performance
A natural outcome of joining an employee team is that some work relationships become friendships. These relationships lead to better work environment. However, over time, in-house teams may become more prone to biases or conflicts of interest.
This can happen as team members grow closer and their personal and professional lives mix, potentially compromising their ability to make impartial security decisions. For instance, a security officer might overlook a colleague’s mistake or downplay a security risk to avoid damaging a friendship.
As daily routines take hold and familiarity settles in, it is easy for an air of complacency to seep into daily security activities. Team members might become too comfortable with their established processes and less vigilant about potential threats. This complacency can lead to a lack of critical assessment of security risks and a reduced capacity to respond effectively to new or evolving security challenges.
Many business security issues are caused directly or indirectly by employees. An in-house security team needs to adhere to a set of boundaries and protocols to ensure that they maintain tight security even though they may be dealing with people they work with.
Can Contractors Get Security Back on Track and Reduce Costs?
By outsourcing security services to a contractor, businesses can reduce the administrative burden and costs associated with business security. Contractors typically have efficient processes for staff recruitment, induction and management, along with a pool of staff, checked, trained, certified, and ready to go to work.
Security Contractors providing access to a pool of qualified security personnel reduces the need for constant recruitment due to staff turnover, holidays and illness.
6 Reasons Why Engaging with a Security Contractor is a Great Alternative
1. Cost-Reductions
Security contractors often offer competitive pricing and flexible contract terms, allowing businesses of any size to stay in control of their security budget. Security contracting is a competitive field and contractors often offer great deals for longer-term and permanent contracts and even a price promise to attempt to match or beat genuine and verifiable quotes from a competitor
2. Specialised Expertise
One of the most compelling advantages of working with security contractors is their ability to provide access to a pool of highly skilled professionals with extensive experience and expertise across a full spectrum of business sectors. Contractors will assign the most appropriate staff according to the complexities of the task.
3. Scalability
The ability to scale services is another significant benefit of partnering with security contractors. As your security requirements and the threats you face evolve, contractors can quickly adjust their services to match those needs. This flexibility allows businesses to efficiently scale their security measures up or down, whether it involves increasing or decreasing personnel or deploying specialised resources.
4. An Objective Viewpoint
Security contractors are typically independent and unbiased, providing a fresh perspective and ensuring that security decisions are free from bias or complacency. Whether carrying out a security audit and presenting a security strategy, or implementing services, security targeted at the most immediate vulnerabilities and threats is always going to be more effective.
5. Reducing the Administrative Burden
By outsourcing security, organisations can eliminate the administrative overhead associated with managing an in-house team, freeing up resources for core business activities. This includes reducing the time and costs associated with recruitment and induction, certification and training, staff turnover, and management and supervision. By handing all of this over to experienced professionals, businesses can get back to the core functions of securing growth and boosting profits.
6. Introducing the Latest and Most Innovative Security Technology
Security technology has come a long way in recent years. With the incorporation of AI automation and machine learning into security systems, manned guarding may not always be the most appropriate or cost-effective solution. When security for your business demands advanced protection and threat detection capabilities, security contractors can share their expertise to guide you in the right direction. Most will have access to the latest security technologies through established supply chains, meaning that they can recommend and supply the latest technology at the best prices available.
Wrapping Up
In this post, we have outlined the problems that can occur when managing security in-house, and of course, we are making the case for the benefits of using a security contractor to resolve them.
However, the choice between contract and in-house security is not one-size-fits-all. It depends on the unique needs, values, and circumstances of each business. While contracting may offer cost savings, flexibility, and specialised expertise, an in-house team can provide consistency and a tailored approach to security.
The answer might even be a blend of the two. Most experienced contractors know how to integrate their personnel into existing teams and even take over the management function to inject expertise and relieve administrative pressure.
Whether a business needs input to address an urgent issue or a long-term partnership to develop a comprehensive security strategy, contractors can tailor their services to meet those demands effectively.
For companies considering the leap to contracted security or looking to bolster their in-house team, it’s essential to weigh these factors carefully to make an informed decision that safeguards the company’s interests and produces security that works.
Why not have an informal chat with the experts at Titan Security Europe and involve the professionals in your decision-making?
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