Both large and small businesses fall into a common trap: they don’t prioritize security. Your facility needs some form of security—there’s no exceptions. When you’re searching for the right security company to protect your business, you should first determine whether you are seeking to hire for short or long-term.

Different businesses have nuanced security requirements, yet the main goal remains the same, as you want to ensure the protection and safety of life and property, your most invaluable assets. Therefore, it’s essential to minimize risks for your business by seeking out the best security firm in your area.

Many security-seekers first look to price, which matters but not as much as you may think. Comparing and contrasting prices is important, yet you should focus on the integrity, reliability, and expertise of the prospective security company. It is reputation and results that count most when deciding on the security company to hire for your business.

You must focus on the overall reliability and quality of the security services that the company offers that will help you protect your business against rapid losses. Here are a few things to look for when hiring a security officer staffing company.

So, when you’re whittling down your options or shopping for more candidates on your list of security companies, you must ask the right questions and base decisions on the following criteria:

Is The Company Able And Willing To Accommodate Your Needs?

Will the prospective company work with your schedule, even if it involves varying hours? If the company is not willing to accommodate you, even in small ways, it's not worthy of your business. Ask if the company is amenable to supplying officers short-term. For example, can you hire officers for the holiday, or will it require a long-term contract? Obviously, the more flexible the company can be, the better.

Assess The Company's Reputation With The Community At Large

Conduct some background research on the company’s standing within the industry—are they respected? References and referrals from colleagues or trusted people in the same line of business must also be considered. You can use the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to assess their reputation and to see if there are any unsolved problems and claims made against the company. Take a look at the company’s social media accounts to see if they have elicited any poor reviews. It’s essential to gauge the feedback from past clients they have worked with.

Positive testimonials will help you to narrow down your choices to find a reputable security contractor. Typically, references offer useful insight towards a company's performance as well as areas of possible improvement. Ask for references that help to verify the company's history of relevant experience. Ask how many years the contractor has worked on the property and request that the company provide you with sites similar to yours that they've been working on. Past client references will help you to verify the company's history of responsiveness

How Well Trained Are The Officers?

Regardless of the company you are considering or the nature of the service you need, hiring security officers who are sufficiently trained is crucial to your business's company welfare. Otherwise, you run the risk of hiring officers who are ill-equipped to handle emergency situations or even manage basic tasks. Inquire about the type of training the company provides and whether it meets or exceeds state requirements.

Many businesses prefer veterans or those who have worked previously in the military because of the skills and competence they have acquired over the years. However, younger security officers may have a fresh take on handling security and are frequently more savvy with technology and use of equipment. Licensing and certification requirements vary by state so be sure to check on those before hiring anyone. Inquire too if security officer have had site-specific training or are just trained inside classrooms or computer rooms.

Ultimately, the security company’s proposal will demonstrate whether it is adequately equipped to handle the responsibility and is a solid match for your business.

Ideally, the proposal should also state how they would monitor, manage, and control the security system of your company. The contractor should also be able to explain the documentation process like how incident reports, activity logs, security officer time sheets, crime reports, and other documentations would be delivered and in what frequency duration as well. Probe on whether their security officers are licensed to carry firearms and are skilled in handling different security equipment.

Inquire About The Factors Influencing Cost

As we mentioned before, cost is important, but may not be the determining factor shaping your decision. However, it is important to be aware of the total and detailed rates and costs of the security services. Find out how the prospective company handles billing—will it be weekly or monthly? Consider which option would be more convenient for your business.

Also, inquire about the bill rates and wages of individual security officers—specifically ask how pay for the security officers would be handled. Is it hourly, or is there a flat monthly rate? Is there additional costs for the security equipment? If you can get answer to these questions, you can now decide whether the costs mesh well within your target budget.

Time and again, people have the mistake of signing contracts right away and skipping the reading part. It’s a must to always read and understand contracts before signing your name on it. Ask the right questions. Know whether there would be a price increase within the contract period. Probe details on client indemnification. Know too about termination of contracts – do you get to terminate at any given time or do you both enjoy the same rights? Is there a period of notice with termination of contracts? Ask the security company if you can replace guards if in case the assigned ones don’t fit your requirements.

Ascertain that the contract is fair and flexible to your needs. Choosing a low-ball offer can cost you in the caliber of services rendered and the quality of the officers assigned. Just as with many other business-related expenses, you get what you pay for.

United Security Incorporated | Security Officer Staffing Company

We know every client’s risks and business objectives are different requiring customized approaches, policies, procedures and requirements. Our management and field personnel work with you to develop security officer staffing solutions for either armed or unarmed officers that cost-effectively address your challenges while supporting your business.